Valuing Nature

In the beginning, I found the “Everglades Restoration: Worth Every Penny” ad to be quite hilarious, given that at least the United States government knows what it takes to convince its people to nature has value.

“It is one thing to quantify recreational value but quite another to tackle spiritual value.”

Initially, I thought my stance on this article difficult to pinpoint due to my love of sustaining nature but growing up in a stable and understanding the difficulties of livestock. Both sides in this are just sticking up for their passions and beliefs, which makes it all the harder to find the right solution. I think the Northern Everglades Dispersed Water Management Program offers a wonderful alterative to the issue as it helps everyone involved to make better choices. By proposing government and nonprofit payments to farmers who dedicate their land to water retention and filtration, the program is preserving the cattle industry while removing tons of Everglades-destroying phosphorus. I admire this act quite a bit as it’s thinking long term solutions rather than what to do here and now.

I did find it helpful when the author included the same question I was thinking: “why would growers take land out of production—a cultural scandal—in return for money from the same state agencies and environmental nonprofits they often oppose?” It was quickly followed by a probably answer: it allows farmers to keep hold of their land when the rest of their kin isn’t quite keen on obtaining it yet. This prevents selling it prior to a change in mind and at least keeping it in the family for a longer period of time.

Thus, ESV gives options and thought to a typically capitalistic process. It has wildlife in mind but also conserving ranches: “The task is to trace those generative forces (like kinship) that make nature’s valuation—in cultural and economic terms—palatable and possible in contemporary capitalism.” I enjoyed the article overall!