Global: eyes4earth is delighted to report that the attention given to the ‘value’ of nature has just taken a huge leap forward with the release of the series Nature Inc which is currently screening on BBC World.

“Nature Inc. takes its lead from economists who have worked out that ecosystem services are worth more than the grand total of all the world’s national economies. In this view, our global economy is a subdivision of nature. Some sceptics say putting a dollar value on nature is an absurd exercise in political correctness.
Others believe that it’s dangerous to reduce conservation to a matter of a bang for your buck. But everyone agrees conventional economics leaves nature off the books. And, as Nature Inc. shows, it’s costing us dearly.” Follow the action on Nature Inc. Facebook.

Text Source: Nature Inc website.

The unnoticed work of bees is worth millions of dollars to agriculture

“Stories in the first series [currently airing on BBC World] show how:

* bats and bees contribute billions of dollars to world agriculture
* invasive species from mussels to pythons may be doing as much economic damage as climate change
* a new breed of bankers is making profits from sustainable investment
* hillside forests are worth more than water purification plants costing millions

Every programme ends with a leading figure from the world of business and politics giving their vision for a future where nature’s assets are properly valued.

Six eye-opening episodes will reveal just how much nature is worth to our economy: honeybee population crash threatening the $2billion almond industry in California; preserved watersheds that provide renewable power and clean water to vital industries; coral reefs that are worth $30 billion a year; mangroves that save lives; and invasive species that cost the global economy staggering $1.4 trillion a year.

Nature Inc. is produced in English and French. The series is scheduled to run on BBC World News until at least 2010, the International Year of Biodiversity. The series was developed with the support of the Secretariat of the UN’s Convention on Biological Diversity.”

Text source: Nature Inc. website