Penalties that require the offender to restore the area to its previous condition. Screw up a redwood or endangered species? Fix it. Unspeakably expensive? Toug

Penalties that require the offender to restore the area to its previous condition. Screw up a redwood or endangered species? Fix it. Unspeakably expensive? Tough. Get some bids and hire a firm to do it and if it costs half your net worth then oh well. There was a great Planet Money episode about how BP was required to replace pelicans (not pay a per-dead-bird fine) after their gulf coast spill and how market prices eventually emerged for that service. http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/07/30/128880374/the-friday-podcast-tallying-up-the-pelican-bill http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2010/07/30/128880374/the-frid...