lengthy coral-list text and environmental valuation

[Spurgeon,James]

Coral listers

Apologies for the recent lengthy text.  I agree that coral-list messages
should generally be brief and to the point.  However, the coral-list is also
a valuable means of disseminating up-to-date informative messages on
important and complex coral issues when written clearly and concisely.  I've
certainly learnt much from some lengthy contributions.  

Some "busy" people may benefit from mastering the art of prioritising what
information/actions are important to them and rapidly filtering
out/rejecting the rest.  

In response to Don MacAllister: Firstly, life would be so miserable without
a realistic sense of optimism.  

Secondly, I cannot off-hand think of any "environmental economic valuations"
that have stopped a development from going ahead, but I would imagine some
have. I know many EIAs have.  In my experience, environmental valuation
studies (even good benefit transfers) in conjunction with EIAs, can and have
pursuaded governments and project sponsors to insist that developers
undertake costly scheme mitigation measures.  On projects I have been
involved in, I have helped to justify, or am in the process of justifying:
locating developments at more expensive but more environmentally friendly
sites; adopting more expensive technology to reduce pollutant emissions;
undertaking cost-effective coral transplantations; and conducting
comprehensive but well targeted monitoring programmes etc.     

Finally, can I suggest that your valuable Phillipines paper may have fallen
on deaf ears because the decision-makers could not sufficiently relate to it
in terms of what was in it for them?  I don't necessarily mean their direct
benefits, rather their potential indirect benefits.  However, yours and
other quality papers on the economic value of corals are definitely
beginning to have a major and beneficial shift in the mindset of some
influential decision-makers.  More such studies and papers are needed -
persistance pays off.

James

James Spurgeon
Principal Environmental Economist/Scientist
Gibb Ltd
Gibb House
London Rd
Reading
England
RG6 1BL

Tel:    0118 963 5000
Fax:   0118 926 3888
Email: jspurgeo at gibb.co.uk

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Don McAllister [SMTP:mcall at superaje.com]
> Sent:	21 November 2000 19:17
> To:	Spurgeon,James
> Cc:	coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov
> Subject:	Re: environmental valuation and tourist dollars
> 
> 
> 
> "Spurgeon,James" wrote:
> 
> > In response to some recent issues raised regarding the problem of
> "tourist
> > dollar values", I'd like to make the following points:
> >
> > In an ideal world there would be no need for the contentious placing of
> > money values on environmental resources like coral reefs. ....
> 
> It is good to encounter a note of optimism amidst the gloom encircling the
> fate
> of coral reefs.
> 
> I have read several economic evaluations of coral reefs and have written a
> couple myself.  I do have one question though, how many cases do you know
> of
> where the economic evaluation of coral reefs where the study has reversed
> development. Our environmental, environmental and social evaluation of
> Shiraho
> coral reef for the Species Survival Commission of the IUCN back in 1988
> was
> followed by cancellation of the planned jumbo jet airport, and possibly
> that was
> connected to our EIA.  But how many others are there?  My environmental,
> economic and social evaluation of the costs of degraded and lost reefs in
> the
> Philippines seems, though quoted by the cognizanti, to have been ignored
> by
> decision makers.
> 
> don
> Don McAllister
> Ocean Voice International
> www.ovi.ca
> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
> sponsors coral-list and the Coral Health and Monitoring Program
> (CHAMP, http://www.coral.noaa.gov).  Please visit the Web site
> for instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list.
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-------------------------------------------------------------------
This e-mail does not give rise to any binding legal obligation upon
GIBB Ltd or any affiliate unless such company subsequently confirms
the contents in writing, non-electronically. This e-mail may
be confidential, legally privileged or otherwise protected in law. 
Unauthorised disclosure or copying of any or all of it may be
unlawful. If you receive this e-mail in error please contact the
sender and delete the message. http://www.gibbltd.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
sponsors coral-list and the Coral Health and Monitoring Program
(CHAMP, http://www.coral.noaa.gov).  Please visit the Web site
for instructions on subscribing and unsubscribing to coral-list.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~