Paying to Protect the Environment May Work–or Not
August 4, 2017
8/1/17 – A research team has demonstrated what reportedly may be an effective way to slow tree-cutting in the tropical forests of western Uganda and thereby protect endangered chimpanzees living there: pay local landowners small sums not to chop down their trees. Indeed, the concept of paying for ecosystem services is gaining attention. But an economist and former federal environmental official recently cautioned in Issues that relying on economic justifications for conservation could backfire and undermine other compelling arguments for protecting nature.