|
As far as the issue of actual pollution is concerned, it is primarily
a scientific, not a political, problem. In regard to the political
problem involved: if a man creates a physical danger or a harm to
others, which extends beyond the line of his own property, such as
unsanitary conditions or even loud noise, and if this is
proved, the law can and does hold him responsible. If the
condition is collective, such as in an overcrowded city, appropriate
and objective laws can be defined, protecting the rights of
all those involved - as was done in the case of oil rights, air-space
rights, etc. But such laws cannot demand the impossible, must not be
aimed at a single scapegoat, i.e., the industrialists, and must take
into consideration the whole context of the problem, i.e., the
absolute necessity of the continued existence of industry - if the
preservation of human life is the standard.
-- Ayn Rand, "The Left: Old And New,"
The New Left: The Anti-Industrial Revolution
|
