If we look back at the Industrial Revolution, protecting the environment was an afterthought, at best. Companies could literally dump their waste anywhere anytime and get away with it with total impunity. They didn’t have to act responsibly, they didn’t have to protect the environment, and they didn’t have to manage or control toxic waste if they did not want to. It was full-on laissez-faire – let things just take their course - at its worst.
