Forests sustain and protect us in a myriad of ways. They absorb carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, they harbour more than three quarters of terrestrial biodiversity, and they support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. But the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest since 1990. …
The concept of ecosystem services has received significant attention since the appearance of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment(MA). Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. The MA has subdivided ecosystem services into four categories: provisioning such as the production of food and water; regulating, such as the control of …
A study in Science (June 2008, Vol 320, No 5884) shows that plants are relocating to higher altitudes to escape warming temperatures. The study found new generations thriving at higher altitudes and dying out at lower ones, leading to a shift in the population, at an average rate of 29 …
A high-profile group of thinkers has come up with a straightforward way to integrate long-term forest management into an international agreement on halting deforestation. It is not clear whether the proposal
Costa Rica pioneered the use of the payments for environmental services (PES) approach in developing countries by establishing a formal, country-wide program of payments, the PSA program. The PSA program has worked hard to develop mechanisms to charge the users of environmental services for the services they receive. It has …
Payments for environmental services (PES) have attracted increasing interest as a mechanism to translate external, non-market values of the environment into real financial incentives for local actors to provide environmental services (ES). In this introductory paper, we set the stage for the rest of this Special Issue of Ecological Economics …
Payments for environmental services (PES) are an innovative approach to conservation that has been applied increasingly often in both developed and developing countries. To date, however, few efforts have been made to systematically compare PES experiences.
Scientists and policy-makers will meet in Bonn this June to discuss one of the most pressing concerns to come out of December's United Nations climate meeting
A group of pioneers in the "green business' were getting back to their roots with a two-day hike through a pristine rain forest in Costa Rica when they hit Fer-de-lance Hill. "They' were aggressive and deadly snakes. "Sure enough, we round this bend and this fer-de-lance is rattling away at …
Carbon neutrality has never been more highly prized. Half of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions come from the guts of sheep and cows; Norway spews ever more gases from its North Sea oil platforms; Iceland has soaring emissions thanks to its aluminium smelters. But all have promised to cut their …
The Costa Rican government has directed the protection of beachfront land in the province of Gunacaste, which holds nesting sites of critically endangered leatherback sea turtles, now numbering below 100. President Oscar Arias has signed legislation and asked the Ministry of Environment and Energy to begin administrative procedures to protect …
Pesticide poisoning: In the first case of legal action against contamination and death caused by agrochemicals, the Paraguayan Supreme Court held two growers responsible for the death of 11-year-old Silvino Talavera. The court ruled to uphold the decision by the Appeal Court in Encarnacion and sentenced the accused, Alfredo Lautenshlager …
In this paper I address the general perception that agricultural activities are the principal threat to primate biodiversity in the tropics and argue that in Neotropical landscapes some agricultural practices may favor primate population persistence, and that this situation merits attention and investigation. To explore these issues, I examined three …
This publication takes a broad look at several dimensions of carbon trading. It analyses the problems arising from the emerging global carbon market pertaining to the environment, social justice and human rights, and investigates climate mitigation alternatives. It provides a short history of carbon trading and discusses a number of …
This paper examines the main ways in which Payments for Environmental Services (PES) might affect poverty. PES may reduce poverty mainly by making payments to poor natural resource managers in upper watersheds. The extent of the impact depends on how many PES participants are in fact poor, on the poor’s …
Two prominent chemical companies and three Us fresh produce companies have been sued by Costa Rica's banana pickers for causing reproductive disorders through pesticide use. The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles against Shell Chemical Company, Dow Chemical Company, Dole Food Company, Chiquita Brands International Inc and Fresh Del Monte …
The Costa Rican constitution is set to undergo an environment-friendly makeover. In a significant move, President Abel Pacheco has proposed establishing the right of the people to a healthy environment at the same time laying down their obligations in this regard. Pacheco reveals that the proposal has been prompted because …
