• Latest
  • Trending
Can bribes save the rainforest?

Can bribes save the rainforest?

May 14, 2018
HC asks NGO to respond to CBI plea in Talwar case

HC asks NGO to respond to CBI plea in Talwar case

February 20, 2019
UK Presses EU for Brexit Compromise

UK Presses EU for Brexit Compromise

February 20, 2019
Germany sees ‘most difficult part’ in EU-U.S. trade talks ahead

Germany sees ‘most difficult part’ in EU-U.S. trade talks ahead

February 20, 2019
European farms could grow green and still be able to feed population

European farms could grow green and still be able to feed population

February 20, 2019
Canadian pork exports to Mexico soar as trade wars bite U.S. farmers

Canadian pork exports to Mexico soar as trade wars bite U.S. farmers

February 20, 2019
Olive oil lubricates EU trade visit

Low returns and rural areas’ restrictions keep young Greek farmers away

February 18, 2019
Olive oil lubricates EU trade visit

Olive oil lubricates EU trade visit

February 18, 2019
Why Trump and his team want to wipe out the EU

The coffee farmers betting on blockchain to boost business

February 18, 2019
Why Trump and his team want to wipe out the EU

Rebooted Skellerup supplies European firefighters

February 18, 2019
Why Trump and his team want to wipe out the EU

Why Trump and his team want to wipe out the EU

February 18, 2019
Greenpeace Warns About ‘Dangerous’ Intensification of EU Farming

Greenpeace Warns About ‘Dangerous’ Intensification of EU Farming

February 17, 2019
France fears border lorry queues as it braces for no-deal Brexit

France fears border lorry queues as it braces for no-deal Brexit

February 17, 2019
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Eco Daily News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
    • Politics
    • Green Policies
    • National Security
  • Economics
    • Green Economy
    • Oil & Gas, Mining
    • Finance & Banking
  • Environment
    • Water
    • Forests
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Waste
    • Wildlife
  • Agriculture
    • Food
    • Farming
    • Palm Oil
    • GMO
  • Science
    • Research & Reports
    • Publications
  • Regions
    • Africa
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • North America
    • South America
    • Oceania
  • Lifestyle
    • Green education
    • Eco-Tourism
    • Health
    • Green Jobs
  • Home
  • Politics
    • Politics
    • Green Policies
    • National Security
  • Economics
    • Green Economy
    • Oil & Gas, Mining
    • Finance & Banking
  • Environment
    • Water
    • Forests
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Waste
    • Wildlife
  • Agriculture
    • Food
    • Farming
    • Palm Oil
    • GMO
  • Science
    • Research & Reports
    • Publications
  • Regions
    • Africa
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • North America
    • South America
    • Oceania
  • Lifestyle
    • Green education
    • Eco-Tourism
    • Health
    • Green Jobs
No Result
View All Result
Eco Daily News
No Result
View All Result

Can bribes save the rainforest?

May 14, 2018
in Environment, Featured, Forests
0
Home Environment
Post Views: 177

 

Rainforests are some of the only pieces of lush wilderness left on the planet. Just about every bit of land that isn’t frozen or desert has been turned into farmland. Unfortunately, deforestation is a big problem. A popular solution has been to offer locals payments for NOT cutting down trees. But does this system actually work? A group of scientists set out to find the answer.

The scientists knew that these bribes could go wrong. According to classical economic theory, people are selfish; they do whatever helps them the most. That means that the villagers could easily just take payments and keep harvesting trees.

Lots of research suggests that adding money to a situation can backfire. The villagers, who may have previously valued the forest for itself, might now start to look at it just as a source of income. After the bribes, they might cut down even more trees as a result.

burning rainforest for cattle
© Greenpeace — Manmade fires are used to clear land for cattle or crops

So the researchers ran an experiment with 1,200 forest users living in 54 rural villages around the world. They had them play a game that simulated getting paid to not cut down trees.

So what happened?

As it turns out, the bribes seemed to work. The idea that people are totally selfish and do whatever is best for themselves didn’t actually hold up in this experiment. Villagers really did choose to chop fewer trees after receiving the payment. Yet another drop in the increasingly full bucket that classical economic theory is kind of absurd.

As for the idea that adding money would make villagers value the forest less — not so much.

“That is not how users in our experiment behaved,” flatly write the researchers in a study they published in Nature.

The villagers actually continued cutting down fewer trees even after the bribes stopped. The scientists think that’s because the villagers already saw the forest in part as a resource to be used.

Rainforest
© ronnybas

“For this large group of people, forests provide fuel, construction materials, food and medicine, and help users earn income to meet other basic needs,” write the scientists.

They also found something surprising that mattered a lot: trust. In experiments where people communicated with each other more, they trusted their neighbors not to cut down trees, and then they themselves cut down fewer trees. In fact, communication might be as or more useful than bribes.

“Non-monetary interventions can be at least as effective,” write the scientists. “The strongest treatment during all stages of our experiment combined a monetary incentive with opportunities to communicate.”

That’s why the scientists recommend “community-based interventions that promote inclusive governance practices, deliberative decision-making and face-to-face communication among local resource users.”

Source :

Tree Hugger

Tags: AmazondeforestationRainforests
ShareTweetShare
Next Post
India’s air pollution plan is a disappointment

India’s air pollution plan is a disappointment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

7 − 5 =

Translate

Links

Popular Post

HC asks NGO to respond to CBI plea in Talwar case
Featured

HC asks NGO to respond to CBI plea in Talwar case

February 20, 2019
0

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked an NGO to respond to CBI’s plea seeking custodial interrogation of its former...

Read more
What are New Zealand’s environmental priorities over the next 20 years?

What are New Zealand’s environmental priorities over the next 20 years?

July 15, 2016
South China Sea Ruling: China Caused ‘Irreparable Harm’ to Environment

South China Sea Ruling: China Caused ‘Irreparable Harm’ to Environment

July 15, 2016
Climate change department shut down by Theresa May in ‘plain stupid’ and ‘deeply worrying’ move

Climate change department shut down by Theresa May in ‘plain stupid’ and ‘deeply worrying’ move

July 15, 2016
Animal shelter uses Pokémon Go craze to enlist volunteer dog walkers

Animal shelter uses Pokémon Go craze to enlist volunteer dog walkers

July 15, 2016
  • About Us
  • Creative Commons
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Topics

Follow Us

About Us

Ecodaily.eu is part of Eco Daily Media Group LLC, which delivers daily news around the globe.

© 2011 Eco Daily

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Politics
    • Politics
    • Green Policies
    • National Security
  • Economics
    • Green Economy
    • Oil & Gas, Mining
    • Finance & Banking
  • Environment
    • Water
    • Forests
    • Climate
    • Energy
    • Waste
    • Wildlife
  • Agriculture
    • Food
    • Farming
    • Palm Oil
    • GMO
  • Science
    • Research & Reports
    • Publications
  • Regions
    • Africa
    • Europe
    • Asia
    • North America
    • South America
    • Oceania
  • Lifestyle
    • Green education
    • Eco-Tourism
    • Health
    • Green Jobs

© 2011 Eco Daily