Ecosystem services are absolutely essential to civilization; they are priceless. Yet their lack of a price - they are typically not traded in economic markets - has contributed to a widespread lack of awareness of their very existence, and to a corresponding misimpression that the ecosystems that supply them lack value. Just as one cannot capture the full value of a human life in economic terms, it would be absurd to try to estimate the value of nature in strictly economic terms...But estimates of the lower-bound, marginal value of nature's goods and services - in the trillions of dollars - are critical to informing decision-makers."
The whole linked article is a great intro to the issues around our environmental commons and 'business civilisation'. Read it for your primer and for the links.
WorldChanging: Another World Is Here: Environmental Accounting and the New Wealth of Nations:On Del.icio.us: ecosystem services, environment, economics, civilasation, valuation
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