Description

The rural roads that led to our planetchanging global economy ran through the American South That regions impact on the interconnected histories of business and ecological change is narrated here by acclaimed scholar Bart Elmore who uses the histories of five southern firmsCocaCola Delta Airlines Walmart FedEx and Bank of Americato investigate the environmental impact of our haveitnow flybynight buyoncredit economy Elmore explores the historical economic and ecological conditions that gave rise to these five trailblazing corporations He then considers what each has become an essential presence in the daily workings of the global economy and an unmistakable contributor to the reshaping of the worlds ecosystems Even as businesses invest in sustainability initiatives and respond to new calls for corporate responsibility Elmore shows the limits of their efforts to green their operations and offers insights on how governments and activists can push corporations to do better

Our lives are built around businesses that connect farflung rural places to urban centers and global destinations This country capitalism that proved successful in the US South has made it possible to satisfy our demands at the click of a button but each click comes with hidden environmental costs