By Judith D. Schwartz Saturday, Mar. 06, 2010
Deforestation in the Amazon, Brazil
Marcelo Sayao / EPA / Corbis
Nature lovers might cringe at the term "ecosystem services" to describe, say, the view of a pristine beach or a stream teeming with trout. But a growing number of experts within the scientific and economic communities say that putting real economic value on components of nature will help protect the environment and promote biodiversity.
Far from cheapening nature, thinking in terms of "natural capital" can offer a way to assess the crucial but unmeasured benefit that humans derive from the nature. Ascertaining that value can then help decision makers bring environmental factors more explicitly into their planning.
January 18, 2012 - The Sewage Sludge Action Network - a project of the Center for Community Alternatives - is currently recruiting interns to assist the organization move forward with a number of initiatives related to protecting human and biological health from sewage sludge hazards. Students at Duke and Carolina are encouraged to apply. Please