No money, mo’ problems? How will the global economy instability affect species at risk?

The current and future economic climate forecast is bleak globally.  How will this affect species conservation locally and globally? Is there incentive to become more efficient?  Will the ability to make money through exploitation take more of precedence than the species being exploited?  At what point does it become economically stimulating to conserve species?

Background material:

U.S. Tackles Backlog http://www.cbc.ca/m/touch/news/story/2011/09/29/environment-us-endangered-species.html

With a Spending Deal in Hand, Lawmakers Now Turn to the Details http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/us/11budget.html

With REDD, could financial markets become species’ extinction risk? http://news.mongabay.com/2011/0106-redd_financial_risk.html

Effects of Economic Downturns on Mortality of Wild African Elephants http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2011.01713.x/abstract

This event is part of the Toronto Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology series Conservation Conversation. The purpose of these monthly discussions is to get people together in an informal setting (Pub!) to discuss topical and sometimes controversial conservation issues.

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