Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environment - Essay Example The air, the water, and the health of the planet are the right of all men, and the purpose of government is precisely to protect these human rights. Yet, the current administration's policy has been called a, "Christmas tree for oil interests, a license for industry profiteering, or a wide-ranging assault on the environment" (Cohen). Current policy gives business no incentive to save energy or seek alternate sources. Man did not inherit the planet, mankind did and free enterprise does not mean the freedom to destroy or deplete these scarce and vital resources to cater to a business's bottom line. The clearest and most effective way to coerce a business into taking responsibility for the environment is to make it financially beneficial. Public awareness, boycotts, and political activism can be effective. During a four day period of protests at the 1999 WTO meeting, businesses lacking a favorable social responsibility reputation had declined by 2.36%, while those having a positive reputation were down by less than half that amount (Schnietz & Epstein, 2004).