Absolutely, we as consumers do have some leverage but still
powerful corporation/entrepreneur's have a lot of control over the
choices available to us. We operate within a very constrained
range of alternatives -- most ranging from not too bad to awful.
Mike
> Re "the tension between the Entrepreneur and the Ecologist"
>
> I do not think that this polarisation helps. It reinforces the notion that
> the general public are innocent and it is "they" (the entrepreneurs and
> corporations) who do the polluting and destroying. Of course producers have
> a responsibility but so do the consumers (the general public). If it is
> "them" (entrepreneurs etc) that are the problem, the only response is to
> regulate their behaviour (very necessary in my view). We might just manage
> a globalisation of regulation but the Bush stand on Kyoto for example
> suggests this may be some way of.
>
> If however the consumer accepts his/her role in the support and
> encouragement of these organisations (by buying the goods) then he/she
> accepts the responsibility for the environmental damage. But who wants to
> do this when he/she can blame "them" instead.
>
> If consumers, in choosing what to consume, act according to
> environmentally sound practices then the problem of the producers
> evaporates. (But as a counter example, In the UK we have recently
> introduced legislation on the well- being of farmed pigs (rightly so IMO)
> because as a society we claim to be interested in animal welfare , on the
> other hand we continue to buy cheaper imported pork which happens not to be
> subject to these regulations. Regrettably we do not seem to be taking
> personal resonsibility for animal welfare but hide instead behind a
> "concerned" public face )
>
> Of course their must be a balance struck between regulation and individual
> choice but we will not reach it by concerning ourselves only with "them".
> (Perhaps it is less taxing to lobby for a change in the law than to
> re-educate an entire society.)
>
> Pushed to the limit we have to decide whether we prefer 'Good" actions to
> come about through:
> a) expressing the collective will through legislation and its global
> enforcement
> b) individuals taking responsibility for their actions.
>
> This I think is a very big question indeed.
>
> A secondary and interesting question might be: If the globalisation of
> commerce threatens the autonomy of local cultures what does the
> globalisation of legislation do?
>
> Kind regards Paul K
>
>
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