Environmentalists love nothing more than trying to bring down the economy. So it’s really kind of a bugger that environmental measures often end up helping the economy:
A plan to clean up and protect the Great Lakes environment would boost the regional economy by more than twice its $26 billion price tag, according to a study released [Wednesday].
Spend the money to halt sewer overflows, clean up toxic spills, restore wetlands, and combat invasive species, and you end up with new jobs and at least $50 billion worth of benefits such as boosted tourism, higher property values, and attractive recreational opportunities, say researchers from the Brookings Institution. Advocates hope the report will spur Congress to fund Great Lakes restoration.
