S1E83: How to truly value nature

The Straits Times Podcasts · Aug 14, 2022 · 18m

Synopsis: Every first and third Monday of the month, The Straits Times analyses the beat of the changing environment, from biodiversity conservation to climate change.

If you look at a stretch of rainforest, how do you measure its true value? Is it for the timber in the trees, the medicines in the roots and bark, the water stored in its soils or for its ability to absorb carbon dioxide? A local villager might value it more for its cultural or spiritual worth or for the animals that provide food. A palm oil plantation developer might value the land the forest stands on.

Scientists tell us that…