PRICING THE ECOSYSTEM

Should a price be put on the goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem?

Should a price be put on the goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem?

Introduction

The question of whether or not a price should be put on the goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem holds importance for a number of reasons. One of the most critical reasons is the fact that every development measure that takes place involves the quantifying of resources. This creates an issue of giving importance to the natural resources that is being traded in for the development. This paper will attempt to present an insight into the debate over the pricing of goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem. The paper will make use of 'Taking sides: Clashing views on controversial environmental issues' by Easton.

Discussion

Critics who agree to the idea that a price be should put on the goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem can be observed to be those who are concerned about the utility that can be obtained from nature if it was to be subjected to a price (Easton, 2009). In contrast, ecologists who argue against the idea that a price be should put on the goods and services provided by the world's ecosystem can be observed to be those who consider such an act to be unfair to the true value of nature.

The most common argument in favor of the implementation of a price on the products and services derived from nature is that man has been taking nature's resources for far too long; and this ignorance has influenced the eco-system negatively with the passage of time. However, a fact that cannot be denied importance is that the rapid development that has come about as a result of globalization has contributed to the deterioration of the environment and the animal species with which man shares the planet's resources (Easton, 2009). While a significant degree of attention has been given to the development and progress of global social and corporate infrastructure, only a fraction of that attention has been diverted towards the implications of this development on animal species.

The implementation of a price on the products and services derived from nature can be expected to bring about a significant change in the manner in which development projects are brought by (Easton, 2009). This is because the approach will demand that rectification measures are taken in an attempt to compensate on the natural product that has already been used up. In addition, new and upcoming plans will also have to be re-evaluated to address the costs of nature.

One approach that gives consideration to the role of undisturbed ecosystems is the ecosystem services approach. A practical example of this approach in action can be observed in the case of China when China had to implement a strategy directed towards the reduction of forest exploitation (Easton, 2009). China learned that the excessive exploitation of forests had created a scenario in which the snowmelt into rivers and streams ...