For decades, politicians and business leaders alike told the American public that our most important challenge was growing the economy, and that environmental protection could be left to future generations. Now, in the wake of billions of dollars in costs associated with coastal devastation from Hurricane Sandy, rampant wildfires across the West, and groundwater contamination from reckless drilling, it’s increasingly clear that yesterday’s carefree attitude about the environment has morphed into a fiscal crisis of epic proportions. Environmental Debt argues that the costs of global warming, extreme weather, pollution, and other forms of “environmental debt” are wreaking havoc on the economy. To combat these trends, author Amy Larkin proposes a new framework for twenty-first century commerce, based on three principles: 1) Pollution can no longer be free; 2) All business decision making and accounting must incorporate the long view; and 3) Government must play a vital role in catalyzing clean technology and growth while preventing environmental destruction. Profiling the multinational corporations that are transforming their operations with downright radical initiatives, Larkin presents smart policy choices that would actually unleash these business solutions to many global financial and environmental problems.
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After reading Amy Larkin’s book, I was so inspired, I decided to volunteer with RESOLVE, an NGO working towards solutions for some of our most complex and conflicted environmental issues. Amy has been a tireless environmental activist who, in this well-documented analysis, clearly and powerfully illuminates the destructive impacts of business-as-usual, not only on the environment, but on our economy and ultimtely on our way of life. Unlike many other screeds cautioning about ecological…
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