商业伦理第9章.ppt

Whether we are concerned with the allocation of scarce nonrenewable resources such as gas and oil, or with the earth’s capacity to absorb industrial by-products such as CO 2 or PCBs, efficient markets can address environmental challenges. Thus, to return to the Manassas Battlefield development plan described previously, preserving open space surrounding the area rather than developing the land as a theme park should be done only if people are willing to pay more for open space than for a park. * Example: First, The CAFE standards mentioned previously provide a good example of how this can occur. A reasonable account of this law suggests that the public very clearly expressed a political goal of improving air quality by improving automobile fuel efficiency goals (and thereby reducing automobile emissions). However, the automobile industry was able to use its lobbying influence to exempt light trucks and SUVs from these standards. Second, Advertising is a $200 billion a year industry in the United States alone. It is surely misleading to claim that business passively responds to consumer desires and that consumers are unaffected by the messages that business conveys. Assuming that business is not going to stop advertising its products or lobbying government, this model of corporate environmental responsibility is likely to prove inadequate for protecting the natural environment. Third, New York State might pass strict regulations on smokestack emissions, but if the power plants are located downwind in Ohio or even further west in the Dakotas or Wyoming, New York State will continue to suffer the effects of acid rain. Refer to: REALITY CHECK “Cap and Trade—A Mixed Approach?” One strategy that combines elements of both market and regulatory approaches is the so-called “cap and trade” model that has been proposed as part of U.S. federal legislation to address carbon emissions. Under the cap and trade model, government sets an overall annual target, or ‘cap,” on the