Pollution is Profitable

The primary idea: pollution is profitable. This results from the fact that polluters do not have to pay for the damage they are doing. The cost of pollution's damage to property and health falls on others (accountants call those costs "externalities"). Finally, the wealthy and powerful are able to rig society (local, national, and global) so that they are never part of the "others" bearing those costs. (Did any rich people live in NOLA Lower 9th Ward? Hell, no!) Now isn't it clear why the wealthy and the powerful are doing their best to protect their profits?