Why not have UN scientists assign a dollar value to *all* intangibles, so that things like a mother's love can be taxed?

...and by the way, people in rich countries have received more than their fair share of mother's love, so a wealth transfer to poor countries is necessary, with the UN (naturally) getting a percentage of the proceeds?

New UN body to put value on planet, show cost of damage

The world relies on a range of services nature provides -- water filtration by forests, pollination by bees and a supply of wild plant genes for new food crops or medicines.

If nature charged for these, how much would it cost?

Most such values are excluded from measures of national economies and from prices and markets which would force businesses and governments to recognize them, and the result has been a bias towards development over conservation.

UN states have proposed a new body, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services, to advise on valuing nature and conservation targets.