09/07/2026
Under capitalism, a forest can be treated as having little economic value while it is standing, but suddenly becomes valuable when it is cut down, turned into timber, cleared for farmland, or developed into property; we quickly recognize one of the contradictions at the heart of our ecological crisis. A living forest provides clean air, stores carbon, regulates rainfall, protects soil, filters water, cools the surrounding environment, and provides habitat for countless species. However, these benefits are difficult to express on a balance sheet. When the trees are cut, they immediately become commodities with a measurable price. We have come to apply the same principle to wetlands, rivers, oceans and other natural systems. What is priceless to life can be treated as economically insignificant until it is extracted, sold or converted into something that generates revenue. It's not that markets are incapable of valuing nature, but that we measure it too narrowly. A forest does not become valuable because it suddenly has a price tag attached. It was already valuable while it was alive - and keeping us alive. The biggest challenge of society at this pivotal time is learning to protect things whose greatest value comes from leaving them untouched.
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