People from all walks of life are being affected by corporate greed but what are the options?
The Oil companies and utility companies of America would have us all believe that turning to green technologies is difficult expensive and in the long run will not help the American people at all. Yet nothing could be further than the truth. With the effects of global warming becoming more and more apparent there are only a few moronic voices still holding on to pipe dreams of bygone years and not willing to accept that if America is to remain a world leader we must change our destructive and resource wasting ways and change soon. To do otherwise would have far greater consequences than the loss of a mountain range or two. The fact of the matter is the cost of environmental damage in 2010 is equivalent to over 7 trillion dollars according to the United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative over 11 percent of global GDP (Gross Domestic Product which is the primary indicator used to guage a country’s economy). Lower GDP means a failing economy.
So who is causing all this damage? Mainly it is 3,000 public companies that are responsible for $2.19 trillion, or one-third, of all global environmental damage. Most of these environment damaging businesses are utilities, oil and gas producers, and industrial metals and mining. Environmental damage costs are usually higher than the cost of preventing pollution and loss of natural resources in fact some economists predict that workers and retirees could see lower or non- existent pension payments from funds invested in companies ravaged by environmental costs. This has already occurred in the United States Airline Industry and is bound many say to affect other sectors if we do not change the status quo