But also understand it from social scientific aspects, from the perspective of its social, political, and economic causes. Then begin to look for ways to alter human and social behavior, because nature will not modify its laws in order to accomodate us. To nature, humans are expendible. The causes of environmental degradation can be separated into two categories, production and consumption, although the two are intimately related. Production Under the rules of capitalism, all firms are required to earn profits.
Profits are the difference between the total revenues of the firm and the firm's total costs.
Revenues must be kept greater than costs, or the firm incurs losses, which lead to bankruptcy. Firms often try to get themselves into a market position without competition so that they can raise prices, but that has little effect on the environment. Consumers are kept dissatisfied by advertising, and are persuaded that consumption will relieve their dissatisfaction. A beer commercial, or a car commercial, might also include the advertiser's conception of female beauty or of masculinity. Consumers are thus sold a big lie comprising the supposed benefits of consumption as well as the meaning of other important aspects of human life.