How Much For That Ecosystem In The Soggy NW Corner?
The bountiful ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest is worth between $243 billion and $1.22.1 trillion, economic and environmentalist researchers announced late last night. Phew! Numbers are far easier to work with than poetic sentiments about our "introverted, feral, buddhistically cool" raindrops (Tom Robbins), "unruly mobs of young clouds" and "green stand of mountains" (Ken Kesey), or Chief Sealth's sacred, inter-connected vision of "every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods."
As long as we're talking honest-to-God numbers, we might at least put the $1.2 trillion into context. For perspective, the U.S. national debt as of today is around $9.5 trillion, so if we were to sell the PNW (to China, probably) eight times over, we could pay off that pesky debt. Forbes has Bill Gates pegged at a net worth of $58 billion, so unfortunately it looks like he won't be able to buy the region back from China any time soon.
Thoughts? Comments? Aren't numbers a much better way to look at this whole situation? (To be fair, the P-I article gives some very solid reasons why this study will be helpful.)
