Out of the wilderness

摘要

Oikos. The Greek word for home is the root of both "ecology" and "economics". But the two subjects parted ways long ago, and for much of the 20th century their students paid little heed to each other. In the 21st, however, it is obvious that they are inextricably linked. Ecological economics is now securely on the curriculum at universities around the world. Conservationists have learned that support is easier to garner when fuzzy sentiments are backed up with hard numbers: talking up the value of "natural capital" and "ecosystem services" has proved effective in areas such as forestry and flood protection.