I have mixed feelings about these "conservation cowboys" — rich Westerners who tromp down South in pursuit of grandiose eco-preservation schemes. They possess immense amounts of discretionary capital and can often sidestep cumbersome, slow-moving government machinery. But there’s a tinge of colonialism about it. If they tread too heavily, I fear they’ll end up sparking a populist backlash in the South that casts environmentalism as a form of imperialism (more of a backlash than there already is, that is).
As much as it might offend our sensibilities, it’s better for rich people to be putting their minds and money toward good than toward evil (or mere conspicuous consumption), right?
