Comparing Environmental Values and CO2 Values in Geographical Contexts

The earth’s surface, as is known, performs a number of functions, which guarantee the existence of flora, water, fauna, and further factors for the survival of nature. Among such functions, those generated on “the ground” and born from the balance of ecosystems stand out. In the past few years, the analysis of these functions has led to the classification of soils on the basis of the identification of a various “geographies” of “environmental values”. The subject of the paper is the story of the evolution of a recently started research. In this research phase the attempt is the try to compare different classification of soils. The classification refer to identify sub-areas, constructed by evaluating scales of “environment value” and their ecological functions, by evaluating the carbon dioxide (CO2) containment capacity of the same environments. The research of this paper therefore attempts to build a link between the first qualitative, spatial, multidimensional evaluation (the geography of environmental values that reminds us of the overlay) and the second monetary one, based on the containment capacity of CO2 emission compared to the ground. The research was conducted on the basis of this comparison/overlapping, and the paper illustrates the results obtained. The geographic rankings produced by the overlay between the mapping of eco-nomic values (related to the cost of segregated CO2) and ecological-environmental values (in the multidimensional geographic evaluation) should lead to a geographic-economic reapproach, which can alternate with forms of cross-evaluations between the cost-benefit analysis, compared through the use of overlay mapping (which reminds us “Design by Nature” Mc Harg). At the same time, the variety of the surface and its sub-stratum is analyzed and in the field of environmental economics studies. The aim is to identify the differences between various natural and possibly artificial soil surfaces by attributing an economic value to the different classes. The concept of “Geography of Environmental Values” is recalled. The geographical classification is formed by building a “mosaic” of the different surfaces, which differ on a physical, ecological level. These differences, found between those terrestrial factors that influence the dynamics of global warming, have already been reported in research and publications that use “monetization”. The main issue to be analyzed regarding the diversity of surfaces (man-made and natural, protected and to be conserved), is an important topic in the field of geographical research aimed at constructing soil classifications. The identification of territorial differences through the scales of environmental values of the soils themselves can lead to hierarchies which, on the one hand, refer to indicators such as the ecological footprint, or impermeability, or biomass productivity, to which necessarily added the cost of carbon segregation, for the containment of global warming. The paper highlights the intersections between the qualitative classification of soils and the environmental value of the soils themselves, expressed through monetization, in the logic of implementing methods that contribute to improving the development of cost-benefit analyses.