The Responsibility Revolution

Introduction

Safe food, seatbelts, safety on the job, clean air and water are few aspects of the responsibility revolution of the present age. These are all things that we as Americans have come to take for granted in our daily lives (Brown, p. 25). And, though it has become unfashionable to say so, these are all things provided by robust federal regulation. In The Responsibility Revolution, the authors, Jeffrey Hollender and Bill Breen, show what Seventh Generation and other organizations have done to become more financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable. “The Responsibility Revolution delivers a truckload of examples for growing a company that benefits society as well as shareholders. However, there appears to be a dearth of real-world lessons proposed by Breen and Hollender.” This paper provides contrasting views of the concepts provided in The responsibility revolution through the use of some real world examples.

Discussion

Through vigorous reporting and insightful analysis, Hollender and Breen create a road map for building financially, socially, and environmentally sustainable organizations (Hollender and Breen 84). The Responsibility Revolution brings together a potent mix of corporate giants, big brands, and emerging companies—from pioneers in sustainability to those now forging their own path—including Nike, Timberland, eBay, IBM, Marks & Spencer, Patagonia, Novo Nordisk, Organic Valley, Etsy, Linden Lab, and Seventh Generation. Regulations are getting a bad rap in Washington these days. Despite the collapse of our financial system, financial regulatory reform has been chastised. Despite the continued need for clean air and water, some in Congress are exploring ways to prevent the implementation of rules to stem pollution (Schendler, p. 25). And, Rep. Darrell Issa, chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, has devoted his time not to finding ways to reduce the deficit through duplicity in federal agencies, but instead by rallying against any and all regulations that large corporations have suggested they would like to see go (Juliet et al, p. 96).

These misguided efforts distract from dealing with the real issues impacting economic growth. While over-burdensome government regulations may be harmful, those which Congress is currently focusing on will not strangle job creation. This is a myth repeated by politicians and CEOs who stand to increase profits while decreasing safety if standards disappear -- standards that ensure product and food safety, protect our environment, and guarantee the proper regulation of our financial, medical, and legal industries.

Though the Obama administration recently identified thousands of non-functioning or wasteful rules that are unnecessary and can burden businesses or agencies, responsible reform must leave in place and ensure proper enforcement of the many hard-won regulations that protect the health and safety of Americans. For instance:

Attempts to protect the public from salmonella in eggs faced years of roadblocks even after President Clinton proposed an egg safety rule that would have saved 1.4 billion in medical costs and prevented 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths a year. Heavy lobbying by big agriculture interests delayed implementation of these rules from their inception in 1999 to the final enactment in 2010 -- ...