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Enviro-Capitalists: Doing Good While Doing Well
Arguing that Americans should turn to private entrepreneurs rather than the federal government to guarantee the protection and improvement of environmental quality, the authors document numerous examples of how entrepreneurs have satisfied the growing demand for environmental quality. Beginning with historical cases from the turn of the century, they illuminate the benefits of entrepreneurial participation in wildlife preservation, aquatic habitat production, and environmentally friendly housing development. As government budgets shrink and more people question the efficacy of government regulations, Enviro-Capitalists offers alternatives to traditional thinking about the environment. While the book does not claim that the private sector can provide solutions to all environmental problems, it offers innovative ideas that will cultivate and encourage environmental entrepreneurship.
- GenresNonfiction
200 pages, Paperback
First published January 28, 1997
22 people want to read
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July 12, 2024
A FOLLOW-UP TO THEIR 1991 BOOK
They wrote in the first chapter of this 1997 book, "For the past twenty-five years, environmental policy in the United States and around the world has relied on command-and-control regulations... This book considers an alternative approach---enviro-capitalism---that begins when environmental entrepreneurs discover new opportunities for improving environmental quality and then figure out how to produce it in the private sector... The stories in this book support the growing realization that markets can be a powerful force in the environmental movement."
They begin by noting that among the early leaders of the environmental movement (such as Audubon, Leopold, and Muir), "only Aldo Leopold saw the importance of linking the conservation movement to entrepreneurship, with all the trappings of finance, contracting, marketing, and even profits." (Pg. 2) Leopold questioned the growing trend of his time "to rely mainly on government for conservation. He came to view such a reliance as a 'band-aid' approach..." (Pg. 49) Leopold "knew that farmers and ranchers had to survive financially and urged that we create an institutional environment favorable to private stewardship." (Pg. 177)
They state that "Making a profit in the process is what enviro-capitalism is all about." (Pg. 103) They note that, in contrast with state foresters (who "are required to generate profits for public schools"), little incentive exists for enviro-capitalists with the U.S. Forest Service, which "has no such connection between revenue and costs." (Pg. 170)
They conclude on the note, "pure socialism provides ugly results. (With) Mixed management of resources... results are still bad. To harness the forces of enviro-capitalism, we must use market incentives and allow enviro-capitalists to do good for the environment." (Pg. 180)
Not quite as thought-provoking as their 1991 book, this more pro-business book is nevertheless of interest to those interested in environmental issues.
They wrote in the first chapter of this 1997 book, "For the past twenty-five years, environmental policy in the United States and around the world has relied on command-and-control regulations... This book considers an alternative approach---enviro-capitalism---that begins when environmental entrepreneurs discover new opportunities for improving environmental quality and then figure out how to produce it in the private sector... The stories in this book support the growing realization that markets can be a powerful force in the environmental movement."
They begin by noting that among the early leaders of the environmental movement (such as Audubon, Leopold, and Muir), "only Aldo Leopold saw the importance of linking the conservation movement to entrepreneurship, with all the trappings of finance, contracting, marketing, and even profits." (Pg. 2) Leopold questioned the growing trend of his time "to rely mainly on government for conservation. He came to view such a reliance as a 'band-aid' approach..." (Pg. 49) Leopold "knew that farmers and ranchers had to survive financially and urged that we create an institutional environment favorable to private stewardship." (Pg. 177)
They state that "Making a profit in the process is what enviro-capitalism is all about." (Pg. 103) They note that, in contrast with state foresters (who "are required to generate profits for public schools"), little incentive exists for enviro-capitalists with the U.S. Forest Service, which "has no such connection between revenue and costs." (Pg. 170)
They conclude on the note, "pure socialism provides ugly results. (With) Mixed management of resources... results are still bad. To harness the forces of enviro-capitalism, we must use market incentives and allow enviro-capitalists to do good for the environment." (Pg. 180)
Not quite as thought-provoking as their 1991 book, this more pro-business book is nevertheless of interest to those interested in environmental issues.
Displaying 1 of 1 review