Comments on: Nature Bills Last: Forest Destruction Costs Exceed Bank Bailout Costs

By: eggroll

eggroll — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:08:20 +0000

We can price not cutting down trees pretty well. In Finland, a 50-year conservation easement for old growth forest today costs around 10,000 euros per hectare. That’s just about as much as the landowner would get for whacking the trees, although he could get a second cut in 30 years. For about 800 years, our legal and economic systems have been based on profiting from the difference in taking natural resources while ignoring the costs of habitat loss and destruction of the biosphere. But the linking of biosphere preservation costs and the financial world has become manifest in a day-to-day way here.

By: ubetchaiam

ubetchaiam — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 04:52:09 +0000

Kirk, in case you come back to view this; I’ve sent a note to Bill MOyers suggesting he do a story on this issue given that he had Soros on yesterday talking about the financial meltdown; Soros thinks that addressing global warming will be the new engine for economic growth(as contrasted to American consumerism) and made the comment about it stopping us from ‘burning up’.

By: ubetchaiam

ubetchaiam — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:58:07 +0000

Quoting George Carlin: “the purpose of man is to create a new paradigm, “Earth plus plastic”.

By: Margot

Margot — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:40:19 +0000

New thread upstairs

By: Twain

Twain — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:39:13 +0000

After Bush/Cheney Obama will be lucky if he can find the money to keep the lights on in the WH.

By: Kirk James Murphy, M.D.

Kirk James Murphy, M.D. — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:37:15 +0000

thanks, ubetchaiam!

though I want to see McSame and the Rethugs lose, I wish the horserace were over. The only reason the elections matter is they (theoretically) provide incumbents with the official power to solve problems confronting us: like global ecological destruction. Unlike FISA and the Paulson-Obama $700 billion Wall Street bailout, perhaps Obama will step forward with profound changes in US policy that truly protect the biosphere for all the world.

Alas, I fear I’m as likely to see that as I am to see endangered monkey species flying out of my ass.

Watching the national media circus about the freaking Prez race (between two faithful servants of the Rubin - Citigroup - Chicago School - Hamilton Project - Goldman Sachs cult) suck most all the oxygen out of public consideration of the policy choices that would actually save the biosphere from the pending Anthropocene destruction has been one of the most disheartening experiences of my life.

By: Kirk James Murphy, M.D.

Kirk James Murphy, M.D. — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:26:25 +0000

and the spruce lost to bark beetles in the boreal forests of Canada and Alaska …

and the lodgepole pines of British Columbia lost to bark beetles…

and the forests lost to bark beetles in the Rockies…

“What is certain is the natural process of beetles killing vast tracts of trees will mean great change in our landscape.

“Our grandchildren will not see the forest like this again,” Burke said.

Who knew winter killed off bark beetles,,,until winters got too warm?

Who could have anticipated?

Oh — of course those silly ecologists did. But why should Power listen to that lot?

By: ubetchaiam

ubetchaiam — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:19:51 +0000

28 diggs in ‘world news’; I suspect part of the problem is people’s choice of the subject area in ‘digg’ing’ a story. I suggest to myself and others that we think carefully about choosing the subject area where we ‘digg’ stories as such can make a large difference in where such shows up on digg.

Right now everyone wants to talk about Palin and the election; excuse me while I go barf.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:12:36 +0000

on top of losing the hemlock
and the tragedy of the elm
and the demise of the chestnut.

By: Elliott

Elliott — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 02:10:52 +0000

We’re losing the ash down here, too, to the emerald ash beetle.
sux