Editing Natural capital (section)

== Criticism ==
Whilst measuring the components of natural capital in any region is a relatively straightforward process, both the task and the rationale of putting a monetary valuation on them, or on the value of the goods and services they freely give us, has proved more contentious.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Conniff|first1=Richard|title=What's Wrong with Putting a Price on Nature?|url=http://e360.yale.edu/feature/ecosystem_services_whats_wrong_with_putting_a_price_on_nature/2583/|website=e360.yale.edu|publisher=Yale University|access-date=5 January 2016|date=18 October 2012}}</ref>
Within the UK, ''[[The Guardian|Guardian]]'' columnist, [[George Monbiot]], has been critical of the work of the government's [[Natural Capital Committee]] and of other attempts to place any sort of monetary value on natural capital assets, or on the free [[ecosystem services]] they provide us with. In a speech referring to a report to government which suggested that better protection of the UK's freshwater ecosystems would yield an enhancement in aesthetic value of £700m, he derided attempts 'to compare things which cannot be directly compared'.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Monbiot|first1=George|title=Put a price on nature? We must stop this neoliberal road to ruin|url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2014/jul/24/price-nature-neoliberal-capital-road-ruin|access-date=5 January 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|date=24 July 2014}}</ref> He went on to say:
{{Blockquote|text=These figures, ladies and gentlemen, are marmalade. They are finely shredded, boiled to a pulp, heavily sweetened ... and still indigestible. In other words they are total gibberish.|author=G. Monbiot}}

Others have defended efforts to integrate the valuation of natural capital into local and national economic decision-making, arguing that it puts the environment on a more balanced footing when weighed against other commercial pressures, and that 'valuation' of those assets is not the same as [[monetisation]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Paddison|first1=Laura|title=Is natural capital a 'neoliberal road to ruin'?- experts discuss|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/natural-capital-neoliberal-road-ruin-george-monbiot-experts-debate|access-date=5 January 2016|newspaper=The Guardian|date=1 August 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Natural Capital (Does putting a value on natural capital mean it will be 'sold off'?)|url=http://www.naturalcapitalcommittee.org/natural-capital.html|website=www.naturalcapitalcommittee.org|publisher=Natural Capital Committee|access-date=5 January 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113030316/http://www.naturalcapitalcommittee.org/natural-capital.html|archive-date=13 January 2016}}</ref>

{{center|{{gallery
|title=Global [[biogeochemical cycles]] critical for life
|width=180
|Image:Nitrogen Cycle.jpg|alt1=Diagram of the nitrogen cycle|[[Nitrogen cycle]]
|Image:Water cycle.png|alt2=Diagram of the water cycle|[[Water cycle]]
|Image:Carbon cycle-cute diagram.svg|alt3=Diagram of the carbon cycle|[[Carbon cycle]]
|Image:Oxygen Cycle.jpg|alt4=Diagram of the oxygen cycle|[[Oxygen cycle]]
|Image:phoscycle-EPA.jpg|alt5=Diagram of the phosphorus cycle|[[Phosphorus cycle]]}}}}