A Swedish research center has been tasked by the government with valuating the services rendered by ecosystems and educating the public on the importance of biodiversity.
Backed by Ministry of the Environment, a commission led by Maria Schultz from the Resilience and Development Programme (SwedBio) at the Stockholm Resilience Centre has been tasked with making "ecosystem services" known to all levels of civic society in Sweden by 2018, reports Sturle Hauge Simonsen.
The concept of services rendered by ecosystems is central to the Centre's research, which focuses on preserving biodiversity and evaluating the benefits of sustainable use of resources.
The commission aims to create a system for identifying and assigning monetary value to ecosystem services and ensuring that all levels of government adopt the system.
FULL STORY: Politics for Ecosystems and Biodiversity

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.

Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.

Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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