Government can reduce ecological cause-effect ignorance to steer consumer choices.

Evidence

For instance, the proportionate rise of the service sector in the U.S. economy presents new regulatory opportunities to effectively marshal consumer demand to promote industry practices that are less ecologically destructive. In particular, governmental measures designed to reduce the cognitive severance between ecological cause and effect could make consumers aware of the environmental implications of their choices. In this respect, some of the same technological innovations that have increased the cognitive divide could be utilized to bridge it. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 1010

Categorization

• SEED: The ‘cognitive severance’ concept works as an essay hook on labeling, transparency regulation, and consumer power as an environmental lever.
• XREF: connects to: Large corporate buyers can impose government-like environmental standards without legislation. — Richard J. Lazarus, The Making of Environmental Law, 1013; Willful ignorance of product misuse lets industries deny responsibility for harm. — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 1100; Willful ignorance of one’s effects is engineered by institutional reassurance — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 872 (+1 more)

Broader Connections

• Democratic government exists partly to override citizens’ own consumer impatience #corroborates (0.80) — Douglas A. Kysar, Regulating from Nowhere, 408
• Willful ignorance of product misuse lets industries deny responsibility for harm. #complicates (0.72) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 1100
• Willful ignorance of one’s effects is engineered by institutional reassurance #complicates (0.72) — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 872