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Excerpt from Naked Economics by Charles WheelanWealthy Americans are willing to spend more money to protect the environment as a fraction of their own incomes than are less wealthy Americans. The same relationship holds true across countries… The reason is simple enough: We care about the fate of the Bengal tiger because we can. My children are not starving and risk of dying from malaria. If they were, and if chopping down a valuable wildlife habitat enabled me to afford to feed my family and buy a mosquito net, then I would sharpen my ax and start chopping.
Is it fair for those of us who live comfortably to impose our preferences on individuals in the developing world?
