|
There are a host
of analogies and sayings we can use to make the point that history
repeats itself—the circle of life; the wheel has come full
circle; and the numerous other ways this has been stated by a catalog
of individuals ranging from Emerson to Marx. Now we see this concept
once again, this time as it pertains to renewable energy sources
and corporations. In a time in which the icons of corporate America
make the news by standing trial for criminal activity, it is a
relief to see those who are instead acting as a catalyst for change.
There are still those who believe that doing business the right
way can be profitable.
In this issue’s guest column by Dennis Walsh, we are taken back to the
birth of America; a time when the undiscovered frontier dwarfed small settlements
along the Atlantic coast. As these communities grew in, and the industrial age
began, we are reminded of how this shift in the ecological balance began to affect
business in America. After years of deforestation, the landscape described by
the writers of the day was dwindling. To help preserve a tourist industry that
was booming due to romanticism of steamboats and trains, the government passed
the Forest Reserve Act of 1891. This act helped then-President Theodore Roosevelt
and the Sierra Club save millions of acres of forest land, thus saving a vital
industry.
After years of society plundering resources in the name of growth and expansion,
we see a shift back to the days of Muir and Roosevelt in Bruce Piasecki’s
and Peter Asmus’ cover piece about why Wall Street is turning green. Here
we are brought into the world of financial giant Goldman Sachs and its efforts
to push new forms of corporate social responsibility. The authors explain how
Goldman Sachs and other financial institutions see a clear need to look to the
long term in regard to the world’s economic viability. In contrast to the
image of the corporate fat cat, Piasecki and Asmus explain how Goldman Sachs
is pressing the current administration to adopt more environmentally responsible
policies.
In another article, Piasecki and Asmus bring to light the need for governmental
intervention in one of America’s most struggling industries, automotive.
With the steep rise in gasoline prices, the sale of large automobiles has dropped
as consumers look to more efficient foreign models. The authors go on to explain
that General Motors and the other American automakers have stated that they are
poised to move into more fuel-efficient autos, such as hydrogen cells, but are
hesitant.
Without government regulation, the first one to jump into the proverbial
icy waters could stand to lose an enormous amount of money in market share and
research and development. With sales dwindling, that’s a risk none of these
companies can afford to take.
With finance and transportation making noise on behalf of government, we know
that two of society’s biggest dogs are barking at the president and Congress
to step in. As time goes on, we need to watch to see if their bite is as mean
as their bark.
|
