Buying a rainforest in order to protect it

When I read this newsitem in The Times of India I felt very pleased. I also felt that somebody had stolen my idea. Honest, I did. I had been thinking that if citizens of affluent countries can buy 'green shares' in the wildlife sanctuaries of India we would be able to pump in a lot of money into conservation efforts and keep a lot of our flora and fauna safe. That is exactly what Johan Eliasch, a British businessman, has done. He has gone ahead and bought 400,000 acres of land in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. He has invited scientists to come and study the biodiversity in his 'garden'. There will be critics of such schemes. But if the governments of countries such as Brazil are strict such sales will definitely create more and more green areas on the globe. This idea should be tried out in India. It can be done on a modest scale. Any young Indian with an ecological bent of mind would love to donate a small amount, say Rs. 1000, if she/he knows that the money will be well spent. Click here to read more about Johan Eliasch's green venture. May his tribe increase.
p.s. A few minutes after posting this blog entry I happened to read this news article in BBC News about a citizens' initiative which has saved a lake in Bangalore.