Decades-Old Research Reveals Failure of Traditional Environmental Regulation, Proposes Urgent Shift to 'Business as Unusual' Amidst Escalating Planetary Crisis

Lighthouse Literary LLC is proud to announce - A controversial 1979 dissertation and the groundbreaking 1975-1977 research on which it was based are now available to a global audience in a new book, "Too Early, Too Late, Now What?" by author David L. Hawk. Published 40 years after the initial research, the book argues that previous warnings about environmental deterioration have gone unheeded and that traditional approaches to regulation, often rooted in rigid legalism and a "business as usual" mindset, have not only failed but have frequently exacerbated the problems they were intended to solve.

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Drawing on extensive research conducted with major international petrochemical companies and governmental regulators in several countries, notably the United States and Sweden, the book provides compelling evidence that focusing solely on analytical, cause-and-effect thinking and punitive legal frameworks is inadequate for addressing complex, systemic issues like environmental deterioration. The research, outlined in detail in the book, involved hundreds of interviews with industry and government officials, revealing a deep concern about the escalating crisis, yet a prevailing reliance on ineffective methods.

A central argument of the book is that human activity, driven by a dominant myth of "homocentricity" and a "human project" focused on controlling or replacing nature with the artificial, has led to severe environmental deterioration. This includes loss of biodiversity, pollution, resource depletion, landscape conversion, defaunation, and climate warming. The book posits that these issues are systemic, operating across multiple dimensions (beyond the easily perceived three dimensions into the entropic fourth dimension), and cannot be effectively managed by one-dimensional thinking or two-dimensional legal regulations.

Instead of the prevailing "Legalism" mode of regulation, which attempts to restrict undesirable characteristics of mankind primarily through threats and punishment, the book advocates for an alternative mode called "Appreciation". Appreciation, as described in the research, requires:

- Recognizing complexity and the interconnectedness of systems.

- Understanding the larger context, seeing humans as part of, not separate from, nature.

- Valuing negotiation and seeking joint interpretations of reality, rather than relying solelyon fixed rules and facts.

- Embracing "business as unusual," a shift from practices focused only on economic gainto include longer-term consequences and the well-being of nature.

The book highlights findings from the original research, such as the comparison between the highly detailed, thousands-of-pages US water quality laws and the concise, twenty-five-page approach in another country, where the latter achieved remarkably better results by emphasizing understanding over complexity. This serves as an illustration of the failures of the legalistic approach.

First presented in 1979, the research was seen as controversial, with some scientists viewing it as "speculation on the hopeless". Forty years later, the book asserts that the projected environmental deterioration situation has arrived, making the need for the proposed systemic changes and the Appreciation mode of regulation more urgent than ever. The author expresses concern that management capabilities of science, technology, and industry may be insufficient to address the problem.

"We are just now approaching the moment in human history, when such choices matter," the book states. It calls for a drastic rethink of industrialization and the values behind the "human project," suggesting that without significant changes, the project faces "consequential catastrophe". The book's dominant purpose is to redevelop the idea of regulation to enhance humanity's potential and foster integration with systems of life, rather than focusing solely on restricting undesirable behaviors.

"Too Early, Too Late, Now What?" serves as a critical re-examination of the path human society has taken and a stark warning that continuing "business as usual" may lead to a future where there is "no business between humans and nature". The book suggests that while it may feel like "It's Too Late," this perception might paradoxically provide an opportunity to experiment with "business as unusual".

About the Book:

"Too Early, Too Late, Now What?" is based on David L. Hawk's 1979 dissertation and a two-year research project (1975-1977) comparing environmental protection regulation in the U.S. and Sweden, focusing on the petrochemical industry. It argues that traditional regulatory methods are failing to address systemic environmental deterioration and proposes an alternative "Appreciation" mode of regulation and a shift towards "business as unusual." "Too Early, Too Late, Now What?" is available now through major booksellers and online platforms.

About the Author:

David L. Hawk is the author of "Too Early, Too Late, Now What?". The book draws on his extensive research and experience, including his work at the Wharton School and the Institute of International Business at the Stockholm School of Economics.

Contact: Gary Davis | gary.davis@lighthouseliterary.us [mailto:gary.davis@lighthouseliterary.us] | 405-953-8860 | Ext. 104
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