ABSTRACT
Environmental issues evoked little general interest until comparatively recent times. Legislation to restrict pollution was limited in scope and was often not strictly enforced. Attitudes have now changed markedly and preservation of the environment is at the forefront of public concern. Increasingly more stringent restrictions are being imposed and applied more rigorously on activities that could render damage to the ecology, and these have important consequences for the manufacturing industries. Unfortunately, the pendulum of public concern has swung too far, and decisions are sometimes being biased by emotive arguments, unsupported by proven fact, that can be counterproductive to environmental protection.
