GLOBAL SPIN
by Beder, Sharon

The Corporate Assault on Environmentalism (REVISED EDITION)

Global Spin examines the way that corporations use their financial resources and power to counter gains made by environmentalists, to reshape public opinion and to persuade politicians against increased environmental regulation.

Corporate activism, ignited in the 1970s and rejuvenated in the 1990s, has enabled a corporate agenda to dominate most debates about the state of the environment and what should be done about it. This situation poses grave dangers to the ability of democratic societies to respond to environmental threats. In response to government regulations, brought on by the activities of environmentalists and public interest groups, businesses now cooperate with each other in a way that was previously unprecedented, building coalitions and alliances and putting aside competitive rivalries.

Some corporations now employ specialised public relations firms to set up front groups that promote the corporate agenda but pose as public interest groups. Public relations firms also have become adept at creating the impression of grassroots support for corporate causes so as to convince politicians to oppose environmental reforms. As many of the largest multinational corporations are headquartered in the US, it is not surprising that the strategies they have been pioneering there to combat environmental regulations are being used in other countries. This book examines this second wave of corporate activism that has emerged in the US, Canada, UK and Australia and elsewhere.

Dr. Sharon Beder qualified as an engineer, and is now a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Wollongong, Australia. She is the author of The Nature of Sustainable Development, The New Engineer and Toxic Fish and Sewer Surfing, and numerous articles.