The seismograph of social change in the USA is the economy. National trust in the mechanisms of the market is often greater than in political forethought. The current trend is toward environmentally compatible industries, toward renewable energy technology and sustainable design. Fund managers are looking right now for investment opportunities in the energy technology sector. Furniture designers like Jesse Johnson produce beautifully designed furniture without chemicals additives.
Business representatives are surging into the political arena. At the end of January this year ten large companies, including the energy corporations BP America and General Electric, the chemical corporation DuPont, and the construction and mining equipment manufacturer Caterpillar have founded the
United States Climate Action Partnership (USCAP) in Washington D. C. On their Web site the group issues a “Call for Action”. They maintain that the challenges posed by climate change will create more economic opportunities than risks for the US economy. If legislators don’t take immediate action, then the business world must step in with market-driven approaches. And, incidentally, the environment will profit from that.