It’s difficult to put a price on the environment, and some scientists even argue it’s beside the point: that nature has intrinsic value, beyond the services it provides to us.
But in some situations, it helps to try to put it in economic terms: especially when those are the terms the world’s wealthiest are used to dealing in.
Brief reminder that the top 10% of wealthy people in the world probably includes you.
A headline stating they are costing the earth thousands of dollars each would be much more underwhelming. The top 10% consists of 830,000,000 people.
We find annual damages owed by the global 10 percent to be $1.7–$5.7 trillion, equivalent to $2.3k–$7.5k per person (in 2017 US dollars).
This isn’t addressing billionaires and millionaires alone, correct.
To be in the top 10% of earners worldwide, an individual needs an income of roughly $35,000 USD per year.
Which won’t get you housing without a roommate.
People always use the most extreme housing markets as the default example, which distorts the picture. You can buy a house with that income. I know because I did.
And it’s not like the other 90% isn’t causing any damage.
Outrage gets clicks.
