Overview

Hawken's view is that the impending ecological catastrophe cannot be prevented by individuals - only business is powerful and influential enough to reverse the present trend. He gives a practical 12-point action plan which can save the world, if only there is the will to do it. Hawken believes that a totally new relationship between governments and businesses is needed (their present collusion against the public is undemocratic); taxation must be entirely replanned (it encourages waste and rewards short-term-ism); prices must be brought to reflect true environmental costs (the free market is good for fixing prices, but fails to recognize costs). All this can only be done by governments and the heads of large businesses.