The Environmentalism of the Paid

In this chapter, we draw on existing varieties of environmentalism, and particularly on Martínez-Alier’s powerful concept of the environmentalism of the poor, to bring forward the idea of “the environmentalism of the paid” as a rising though unexpected consequence of the emergence of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) as a conservation policy. The environmentalism of the paid emphasizes the positive role that conservation payments can bring to local livelihoods; connects very different types of stakeholders from local to global contexts through a single exchange value that nonetheless acquires different local meanings and values; and counts with strong allies who promote and make PES possible through cross-scale institutionalization processes. In bringing forward the notion of the environmentalism of the paid, we reflect on how it aligns with or contradicts old and new forms of environmental thought and practice.