Some economists argue that a huge amount of scientific and technical information will be needed to make sustainable resource allocation decisions. They question the ability of government agencies to gather and process this information outside the normal market decision making processes. The dependence on government bureaucracies, which have a near monopoly over expert information, automatically gives them enormous power. Bureaucratic and administrative power based on specialized information is well-recognized in political science literature. Knowledge is power.
Administration is power.
After carrying this theme throughout the book, the authors use the epilogue as a call to arms. The reader is asked to consider the forces aligned against the policies producing a sustainable future. Thus the outcome is still unsure. Students are urged to respond to this threat in four ways. They are asked to adopt certain environmentally correct lifestyle changes, engage in political activity in favor of specific environmental causes, join environmental organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund, and consider an environmental career.