Why are industrial polluters so reluctant to change their ways?
A. Because industry tells the public that changes are too costly. This is partially because industry tends to squander so much money in advertising and media blitzes, trying to convince the public that achieving the status quo for ambient air quality is not a worthwhile endeavor. In fact, in 1995-1996, the combined gross annual revenues of 105 of the nation’s major particulate polluters averaged $1.2 trillion dollars. This is 200 times the cost of achieving proposed particulate standards.
