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Protection Money

In 1872 Ulysses Grant, America's 18th president, proposed Yellowstone, the world's first national park, for "the benefit and enjoyment of the people". A century later, protected areas were arising purely out of environmental concerns. These days, 193 countries together host 209,000 protected areas, spanning 15.4% of the terrestrial realm and 3.4% of the world's oceans. But to set aside an area is not, by itself, to protect it. That requires resources that include funding—and the funding is increasingly coming from unexpected quarters.

Wildlife ConservationmillieNovember 21, 2014The EconomistComment

Zero-Sum Wild Game

"TIGERS and human beings cannot occupy the same space," says Prashanth Kumar Sen, former director of Project Tiger. Human-wildlife conflict arises whenever people and predators share terrain. It is acute in India, where large carnivores like tigers and leopards coexist with dense human populations. Although only 5% of Indian land is classified as protected, India's population of 1.24 billion means that 5m people dwell inside the country’s natural havens.

Wildlife ConservationmillieDecember 13, 2013The Economist Comment

Slow Demise

DEMAND for wildlife parts is pushing many species to the brink of extinction. In China, where a rising middle class flaunts wealth by displaying ivory at home, traders call elephant tusks "white gold". But elephants, tigers, rhinos and other "charismatic megafauna" are not the only animals in trouble.

Wildlife ConservationmillieJune 20, 2013The EconomistComment

Musicians as Entrepreneurs

Tethered to electronics, we forget that for centuries individuals were expected to read, write and perform for one another, in the flesh. Music enjoyed a particularly intimate history. Until the 17th century, secular music was played solely within one’s home (hence: “chamber music”).

CulturemillieMarch 30, 2012The EconomistComment