News from campus and beyond
Can we put a price tag on nature?
Placing a dollar value on the benefits that American society receives from nature is a controversial and complex effort. But as high quality forests and pristine habitat become scarce, it is important to quantify and consider carefully the tradeoffs between development and protection. That is why a team of student and faculty researchers at Furman are trying to determine how local residents value their forests. In an op-ed for The Greenville News, Furman professors Melanie Cozad (economics) and John Quinn (biology) write about the importance of making good environmental decisions and ask for the community’s help in providing answers to some important questions.