Attempts to put a dollar value on the natural world – so-called “natural capital” or “ecosystem services” – have produced some frankly staggering numbers. A seminal 1997 paper valued the world’s ecosystem services at US$33 trillion a year. This estimate was controversial, given that it dwarfed the entire global market economy, which at the time stood at roughly US$18 trillion a … [Read more...] about If Dollars Rule the World, Why Don’t the Bees Get a Bailout?
Share your successful story of climate change and family farming and you could win up to $15,000
FONTAGRO launched a call for proposals for its second success stories contest, which seeks to disseminate successful experiences in climate change adaptation of other innovative producers and actors along the agri-food chains by documenting these cases and identifying their factors of success. The contest will be open until September 24, 2015 and will prioritize cases of … [Read more...] about Share your successful story of climate change and family farming and you could win up to $15,000
A road through the kingdom of the jaguar
It’s 4 a.m. and I’m sitting in the front seat of a Toyota Hiace passenger van, leaving Guyana’s capital of Georgetown for Lethem, a town on the Brazilian border. My ride may look like just another passenger van, of the sorts used for public transport throughout Asia and Latin America but, the off-road tires, lifted-up suspension, and extra parts in a rooftop basket are all a … [Read more...] about A road through the kingdom of the jaguar
Costa Rica: cheaper energy with renewables and regional integration
During this time when electricity prices are rising every day, lowering them by 10% may not seem like much. But a reduction of this magnitude should be considered very good news. The news gets even better given that the average 10% reduction in the price of electricity in Costa Rica recently announced by the state power company was achieved using clean energy, which doesn’t … [Read more...] about Costa Rica: cheaper energy with renewables and regional integration
The Beef and Me
I remember back in the 80’s reading about an environmental assessment by a respected institution, the Union of Concerned Scientists. These were the early days of life-cycle analyses, and these Concerned Scientists were seeking the answer to the following question: Which behavior of the average US family had the most devastating environmental impacts, taking into account their … [Read more...] about The Beef and Me