Yet there is lots of evidence that this behavior, not only is environmentally unsustainable, but harmful to individuals and families. Redefining Happiness from the National Wildlife Federation . The second feature of our culture that makes it unlikely that we can reverse environmental destruction is the power of corporations. To understand why corporations vehemently resist restrictions on their polluting practices, we need to digress a moment to the field of economics. This means that part of the cost of producing the product is not borne by the producer, but is somehow passed on the population as a whole.
Oil companies pay virtually nothing for the pollution caused by their products.
You can also find out how much money is given to legislators by corporations at National Institute for Money in State Politics , and at Public Campaign where they highlight the problem of corporate money in politics and suggest ways that the financial power of corporations can be curbed. Particularly interesting is their Golden Leash Awards , given to congressional legislators whose actions are tied closely to those from whom they receive money. In addition to using campaign funds to dissuade legislators to enact legislation to reduce pollution, corporations also employ thousands of public relations specialists to ensure that the public knows as little as possible about the damage corporations cause. In fact, there are far more public relations specialists in the United States than journalists. One of our favorite corporate efforts to convince the public that they do no harm can be found at the Web site for The Greening Earth Society .