Political Accountability and Access to Information

    The lack of political accountability along with suppression of information in regards to environmental protection was present during Soviet communism. When the communist regime became public so did the environmental atrocities committed through industrialization in the government owned economy. The "industrialize at all costs approach" without regard for the environment was made possible by limited information and lack of democracy. For example, the environmental problems that persisted in the USSR were not made public until after the fall of the Soviet Union. Concerned scientists took personal risks by coming forward with information about the environment and their information was not accessible to the general public. Lack of information and accountably haas been present in the United States, as well. "Many of the worst hazardous waste sites in our country resulted from U.S. military programs, shrouded in Cold War secrecy"(Goodstein and Polasky 268). The Hanford nuclear site being on of the most prominent examples. 

  

    While government action was the root of environmental degradation in the USSR, government is not the main source of environmental problems in free-markets. Some would argue that government inaction or ineffective action is the main cause of environmental complications in capitalist countries. Environmental problems in free-markets generally result because of a lack of payment for negative externalities from business, citizens, and even government. For government to create effective policy to target negative externalities there needs to be easy access to good information and "effective widespread democracy". Citizens need a method to air their grievances, otherwise their problems will go unknown and unsolved. Without tension from citizens to government, the demand for environmental safety and protection is not accounted for. In other words, the environmental costs are not paid for and there is a lack of incentive to pollute less.   

        Another example of limited information having negative consequences on the environment are poor developing countries that commit environmental atrocities similar to the USSR. Citizens in these countries do not have information to meet the needs for a cleaner environment, such as alternatives, nor the means to pressure their government to take action.

                                                                           Works Cited

GOODSTEIN, E. S. (2014). ECONOMICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. S.l.: JOHN WILEY.