Saving the rainforests would be a bargain
Far more money is needed to make conservation more profitable than slash and burn
Profits from chopping down rainforests are surprisingly meagre. The land is not particularly fertile. A freshly cleared hectare of the Amazon fetches an average price of only around $1,200. By contrast, the social costs of clearing it are immense. Some 500 tonnes of carbon dioxide are pumped into the atmosphere. By a conservative estimate, that does $25,000 of harm by accelerating climate change.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Cash for climate services”
Leaders March 4th 2023
From the March 4th 2023 edition
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