Adam J. Freedman

In the following viewpoint, Adam J. Freedman maintains that ecotourism damages biodiversity because it encourages economic development in sensitive wilderness areas. Ecotourism is fueled by the guilt and hypocrisy of environmentalists, he contends, who want to enjoy consumer privileges that actually harm the environment. Freedman is an attorney practicing in New York.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to Freedman, how much money does ecotourism generate annually?
2. What do scientists claim is special about Costa Rica, according to Freedman?
3. What has been blamed for the decline of the cheetah population in Kenya, according to the author"

On my first morning in Costa Rica, the world capital of “ecotourism,” I awoke to find a maid diligently spraying insecticide just outside my window. Poor thing, she did not realize that...