Energy

The cost of energy makes long-term growth of high energy industries and goods difficult to predict. Much of that energy is used to produce goods and services. But much is used to distribute them, too.

What are the evergy implications of Nick Negroponte's observation about fiber opics above? In a knowledge economy,

	an office of thinkers uses less energy than a steel plant adding an equivalent amount to the GNP
	the energy used to distribute bits is trivial compared to the energy used by the trucks, trains, boats, and planes that distribute industrial products
	maintaining the electronic infrastructure uses far less energy than maintaining the highways, waterways, and airways

Pollution

Growth of industry almost always damages the natural environment. The so-called "green movement" seeks to operate businesses in such a way so as not to damage the natural environment. Their platform covers two dozen areas from agriculture to water. International marketers must consider the varying political power of "greens" in different countries.

Growth of knowledge hardly ever damages the natural environment. In a knowledge economy, people no longer have to live near work or school. Will people telecommute from the beach or the mountains? In that case, while they may commute less, they may drive more.

While the United States may be moving from an industrial economy to a knowledge economy, the steel still has to get made somewhere. The air there soon becomes the air here. If won't work if we condemn or penalize other companies for doing what we used to do.

Government Intervention in Natural Resource Management

Changing philosophies on the role of government in managing natural resources also blends into the legal environment. Marketers must take care in identifying natural environmental trends and take into account government regulations.