Evidence is growing that countries which abuse nature are getting poorer. The Guardian’s John Vidal reports on the new economics of ecological capital that is overturning traditional ways of calculating wealth.
Excerpt on World Resources 2005:
According to the World Resources Institute in Washington, every dollar invested in combating land degradation and desertification can generate $3 in economic benefit in developing countries, whereas every dollar spent on delivering clean water and sanitation is likely to return $14.
“Traditional assumptions about addressing poverty treat the environment almost as an afterthought,” says Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. “We need to stop thinking of the environment as a passive element.”
