GEOG 339 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: Henry David Thoreau, Real Change, Developing Country
Document Summary
Would be a way to meet moral and legal obligations to compensate for environmental harm done elsewhere. Nyc watershed: driven by budget more-so than goodness of city planners" hearts. Epa warned city would have to spend -8 billion if it couldn"t prove it could guarantee its future water quality. Instead, spent . 5 billion on conservation strategies, including buying land around reservoirs to serve as buffers, restoring habitat, upgrading sewage treatment plants, etc. Water seemed in infinite supply, whereas diamonds were rare. Ecosystem assets have the importance of water and are gradually acquiring the scarcity of diamonds as human populations and aspirations grow. Without prices being set, nature becomes an all-you-can-eat buffet . The rainforests seemed infinite; damage could be done, but the resources would be replenished. But it"s being destroyed at a rate it cannot bounce back from, making its resources scarce. Carbon credits: revenues depending on forests" capacity to suck co2 from air to help avert climate change.
