The first example here is the fossil fuel industry. They are a threat to society itself. This was obvious to me after looking at average monthly temperature data collected since the 1850’s. Of course (considered as monoliths) fossil fuel companies have “known” this since at least the 1950’s. Thus we can reasonably say that they are performing a deliberate slow motion murder of human civilisation (and, possibly, of all mammals bigger than a bread box).
Of course there are other examples. You write
[companies] won’t be …. killing people who don't buy enough of their products
The tobacco industry kills 7 million people every year. So it is more a matter of “killing people who buy too much of their products”.
Perhaps your counter-point will be “Negative externalities are hard to feel when they are slow and diffuse. So my mom will reject these.” My counter is to say “Negative externalities are easier to feel when the impact is constant and vast.” Examples: a relative with lung cancer, a region of your country that recently had a huge forest fire, and fecal matter in rivers.
The first example here is the fossil fuel industry. They are a threat to society itself. This was obvious to me after looking at average monthly temperature data collected since the 1850’s. Of course (considered as monoliths) fossil fuel companies have “known” this since at least the 1950’s. Thus we can reasonably say that they are performing a deliberate slow motion murder of human civilisation (and, possibly, of all mammals bigger than a bread box).
Of course there are other examples. You write
The tobacco industry kills 7 million people every year. So it is more a matter of “killing people who buy too much of their products”.
Perhaps your counter-point will be “Negative externalities are hard to feel when they are slow and diffuse. So my mom will reject these.” My counter is to say “Negative externalities are easier to feel when the impact is constant and vast.” Examples: a relative with lung cancer, a region of your country that recently had a huge forest fire, and fecal matter in rivers.