It Ain't Easy Bein' Green

Just last Wednesday, the Bush Administration entered into a largely-symbolic global pact called the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, which is reminiscent of the Kyoto Accords without actually holding the members to any concrete benchmarks. It's more of a "police yourselves" set of guidelines that leaves improving pollution standards to businesses and governments to enact as they see fit.
It is far past time where we as a people need to decide that preserving the environment for our kids may be worth the loss of some corporate profitability here in the United States. Barring a serious leftward swing of the political spectrum in the next few years, it is clear to me that the U.S. Government is not going to take the necessary steps to regulate industrial pollution. As one would expect from a Republican administration, those currently in power in Washington would prefer to see market forces dictate a change to cleaner energy and production. However, as long as the dirtiest energy sources remain the cheapest, I don't see industry doing much self-correcting.
That's where the U.S. consumer comes in. Let's start by rewarding companies that DO make the effort, via our dollar votes. If market incentive is required for change, then it's time for we, the consumers, to create that incentive. If we, as environmentally-concerned citizens, are forced to play the corporatist game, then let's show that we mean business to Big Business. For after all, pollution won't destroy the Earth. It will destroy our habitat, our health and our way of life. Seems a high price to pay for a few more pennies per share in profits.