Neoliberal Think Tanks and Free Market Environmentalism

S. Beder, University of Wollongong

Article comments

This article was originally published as Beder, S, Neoliberal Think Tanks and Free Market Environmentalism, Environmental Politics, 10(2), Summer 2001, 128-133. Copyright Taylor & Francis. Original journal available here.

Abstract

[Extract] The root of the environmental problem, however, is the priority given to economic considerations over environmental considerations. Economic instruments, privatisation and environmental ‘valuation’ ensure that priority is still given to economic goals and they enable firms to make decisions that affect others on the basis of their own economic interests. Even if those economic interests have been slightly modified to give a small economic value to environmental impacts, the basic paradigm remains unchanged: whenever big profits can be made the environment will be destroyed.