A green economy cannot be a market economy.

• Author: Fitz, Don
• Position: Economics Reconsidered

Green economics requires two profound changes: a decrease in the overall quantity of goods produced; and an increase in democratic decisions concerning production. Market economics can do neither. A market system is incompatible with Green economics.

The Fundamental Goal of Green economics

The cornerstone of Green ecologism is the idea that humans should survive by having the smallest possible effect on other species. The Fundamental Goal should be for humans to improve the quality of their lives simultaneously with decreasing the total quantity of goods produced. Market economics prevents attainment of this Fundamental Goal.

The cornerstone of Green social relationships is empowerment. Greens seek a society where everyone develops their abilities to the greatest extent possible so that the largest number of people can participate in determining our future.

A market economy is inherently domineering. It is the epitome of people seeking to dominate other people. Markets intensify social divisions and increasingly disempower people.

A market economy is based on corporations, legal entities that own social wealth and compete with each other for profit. Corporations produce products by purchasing raw material and paying people to work for them. Every corporation has an ultimate goal, a defining characteristic of its existence: to maximize profit. Profit is the one true God of corporations. The market looms over corporations and exterminates any that worship a lesser deity. Its deification of Profit is what renders a market economy inherently anti-ecological and incompatible with empowerment of the oppressed.

Markets vs. nature

Corporations would not be fulfilling their duties to stockholders if they did not maximize profit in every way possible. They may even be liable to lawsuits if they fail to do so.

The first way to increase profits is to increase the quantity of goods produced and sold. The change to a market economy has been characterized by the most massive expansion of production in world history. For several centuries, this seemed to help create the basis necessities of life. But for several decades markets have focused on goods that are useless (Coca Cola, genetically engineered food), of dubious utility (TV, drugs), designed to fall apart (furniture, appliances, clothes), or designed to become obsolete (cars, computers).

Each corporation is compelled to produce more and more. If it does not, its competitors will produce more and will drive it out of business. Each logging company must rush to clearcut as much as possible. Each fishing company must slaughter ocean life as fast as it can. Each oil company must promote whatever wars it can to exhaust reserves as fast as possible. Markets compel corporations to drain natural resources and destroy entire areas of the earth.

Corporations can also maximize profit by producing as cheaply as possible. This means releasing massive quantities of poisons into the air, on the land, and in water. Poisons such as radiation, lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, nitrogen oxides, PCBs, furans and dioxins destroy human health and the earth's ecosystems.

We usually think that industrial processes release poisons because it would be more expensive to remove them. It is cheaper to burn coal without capturing mercury, which then goes into the air. But sometimes industry is compelled to use the more-polluting process because it involves more capital investment and therefore presents more opportunity for profit. Incineration is more expensive and vastly less effective than less destructive disposal techniques; but it is the corporate preference because the required equipment is a source of profit. There may be no more expensive and poisonous way to produce energy than nuclear power; but it is preferred to solar and wind...