# Why put a Value on Nature? The [Appendix](/appendix/glossary.md) references thousands of sources as to why and how to value nature. These two quotes ground us in the ***why***: > "***Only when the last tree has been cut down, the last fish been caught, and the last stream poisoned, will we realize we cannot eat money.***" > > \- Osage saying, circa 1893 > "***…by bringing economics and ecology together, we can help save the natural world at what may be the last minute – and in doing so, save ourselves.***" > > \- Sir David Attenborough \ > The Dasgupta Review: the Economics of Biodiversity 2021 The RealValue of Natural Capital expresses the value nature in a language everyone understands: dollars. *** {% hint style="success" %} "*BASIN is not financializing nature, we are naturalizing finance.*" - Jeff Stephens {% endhint %} --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.basin.global/realvalue/why-put-a-value-on-nature.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.