For far too long, many U.S. companies have looked upon the ecology movement as bad for business. Putting scrubbers on smokestacks is expensive, they lament, and drafting all those environmental-impact statements can consume an enormous amount of time and resources. But while cleanup efforts cost money in the short run, they can eventually pay hefty dividends. As more and more firms are discovering, many environmentally sound practices can build up goodwill, win customers and produce a healthier bottom line.
Among the most important steps that any company can take is to launch an all-out campaign to conserve energy. Such a drive...