Regulation of the economy is needed more than ever?

There are many people who love America for its free enterprise system, but we have entered a day of age where free enterprise seems to do more harm than good. We are facing environmental problems that are degrading water supplies, the ground, polluting the air, and contributing to climate change. We as a society need to consume less, by implementing controls on industry that require them to either switch to a different source of energy, or cut pollution by at least 75%. It will be costly, but it is worth every penny if it means securing the future of America, and breaking the need for oil dependence. Solar, wind, and other renewable energy technology needs to be improved. I would like to hear some input from you people.

The hidden problem of your idea is called the Kutznets curve. It appears that when a country like the United States creates regulations like that, the firms just move to places with lower regulation not only permitting continued production and pollution, but higher pollution than had been occurring in the United States. Any regulation which is not mandatory on all countries will not work. The ideas are good, but the data appears to imply that you end up adding global pollution not reducing it.

Now government can help by switching ITS inputs to renewable forms. That would create sustainable demand, but the political problems would require a grass roots movement to enact.