ABSTRACT
The system of generating and distributing electricity is undergoing a slow, but radical change. In political science there is a concept called the ‘elitist perspective’ which describes how individuals and groups assume control over social institutions. Elitist clusters exert power through the manipulation of individuals and governments to achieve their aims and maximize their profits. This is graphically illustrated by the $20 million given by US energy companies between 1999 and 2002 to politicians. Their reward was that 36 representatives from the energy industry were consulted by the Bush administration over future energy policy but no consumer or environmental groups were represented.1 World-wide energy companies share with pharmaceutical companies the pole position of influence over governments and continents. They will take concerted action when faced with a threat, as, for instance, by the phenomenon of global warming. Everything possible was done to undermine the credibility of the thousands of scientists who contributed to the three United Nations IPCC Scientific Reports on climate change.
