Goldman

John London

Think Piece on Goldman’s Ecosystem Services

1. This article defined and then discussed Ecosystem Services. The author offered many examples to give a “tangible” grasp of the concept. According to Goldman ecosystem services are benefits that humans receive from the natural environment. She lists soil stability and quality, carbon sequestration, flood and fire mitigation, and other benefits as ecosystem services. Goldman calls ecosystem services the bridge between humans and nature. The article covers many examples (bees, Mangroves, etc.) where natural ecosystem services could be utilized in the place of human practices and constructs. The article in essence describes the necessity and importance of nature and nature’s ability to provide actual productive benefits to humans.

2. I followed this article really well. The author, to me, seemed very practical and realistic. What I like about the idea of ecosystem services is what Goldman stated midway in the article; “nature may provide the lowest cost”. As an economics and political science major, I see the world in a more “Pinchot-ist” perspective. I am a realist. I believe that unless a conservation method can sustain itself financially and provide benefit to people then it is a waste—it will not last and will only divide people, pushing people away from being ecologically intelligent. The idea that nature could act as a tool for industry rather than an obstacle is very intriguing to me. The issue of resistance due to economic pressures and dislike of change are frustrating but not insurmountable. What I really liked about the piece was the abundance of solutions that Goldman offered. Rather than simply calling people lazy and greedy, Goldman tried to focus on the solutions saying that incentives in the farm bill might be able to mitigate resistance and allow for the industry to realistically look at ecologically based methods. The concept of ecosystem services seems to me to be incredibly...