Can bribes save the rainforest?

Rainforests are some of the only pieces of lush wilderness left on the planet. Just about every bit of land that isn’t frozen or desert has been turned into farmland. Unfortunately, deforestation is a big problem. A popular solution has been to offer locals payments for NOT cutting down trees. But does this system actually work? A group of scientists set out to find the answer.

Can bribes save the rainforests?

The scientists knew that these bribes could go wrong. According to classical economic theory, people are selfish; they do whatever helps them the most. That means that the villagers could easily just take payments and keep harvesting trees.

Lots of research suggests that adding money to a situation can backfire. The villagers, who may have previously valued the forest for itself, might now start to look at it just as a source of income. After the bribes, they might cut down even more trees as a result.

Read the Ilana Strauss story from Treehugger - “Can bribes save the rainforest?”

Power companies forced to pay $5 million in compensation to Victorians hit by blackouts

Power companies are being forced to pay compensation to Victorians affected by last month's blackouts, with payments up to $180 depending on how long a household went without electricity.

As part of the $5 million package, announced on Sunday, around 50,000 households who lost power on January 28 will receive a one-off payments.

Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio said $180 would be given to those without power for between 20 and 30 hours, while those affected for between three and 20 hours would receive $80.

Read Daniella Miletic’s story in The Age - “Power companies forced to pay $5 million in compensation to Victorians hit by blackouts.”