ABSTRACT
This chapter examines environmental issues from a business perspective as well as from the environmentalist approach. The net effect of a strict regulatory climate on US business is not simple to determine as some businesses may have large expenditures associated with environmental compliance. Since the dawn of time there has been a constant conflict between humans and their environment. Society often faces the dilemma of "jobs or the environment," and society must now address the "politics" of environmental issues. The US government has created numerous federal agencies designed to oversee the environment. These agencies, the lead of which is the US Environmental Protection Agency, coupled with an increased awareness of environmental dangers, have helped create cleaner lakes, streams, forests, and oceans surrounding the US However, many businessmen and civil rights activists fear that too much government regulation will jeopardize personal liberties and basic, constitutional private property rights.
