Latif Nasser

So the bees were inherently valued at zero.

But remember, bees are valued at zero only until humans get valued more.

Then bees go down, bees go up.

You have to have a lot of numbers in your head.

But here's what I like about this idea, is that when you put a number on a bee or a bat or a marsh, it's like an attempt...

to force a kind of long-term thinking.

You can't just say don't do that.

I mean, that's the thing that like conservationists say, don't, don't, don't.

But if you say don't do that because here's the value.

Here's the loss.

Yeah, here's the loss.

Well, then that actually gives the whole precautionary don't thing some teeth.

Except for this, that if you go businessy on nature and you're wrong.

That's how environmental economist Glenmarie Lange puts it.

So the question we got to is, is there another way to think about the value of nature?

I mean, a way that's not economic and therefore short-sighted and all about us, but also not simply about the aesthetics and the beauty because that can be sort of limiting too.

Is there another way?

The best I was able to do thinking about this.

Writer J.B.

McKinnon again.