俺的理解和你正相反，

覺得文中even if the economic costs of doing so were outweighed by the economic costs of not doing so.
應譯成：盡管對這些環境資源的保護要比毀掉它們付出更多的經濟代價。（覺得觀點有點另類，不過說明敗事容易，成事難哈）
outweigh - To be more significant than; exceed in value or importance, 例: The benefits outweigh the risks.