"There is a new book out I commend to you," President Clinton commented, "by Paul Hawken and Amory and Hunter Lovins called Natural Capitalism." The book the president apparently takes seriously recommends drastically curtailing nearly all forms of resource and land use. According to the authors, "Of the $9 trillion spent every year in the United States, at least $2 trillion annually is wasted." As "waste," the authors count spending on law, litigation, accounting, auditing, bookkeeping, and recordkeeping. The authors also regard much health care spending as wasteful, complaining that the sector sucks up "$69 billion [annually] on obesity, $274 billion on heart disease and strokes, and $52 billion on substance abuse." The authors also declare that "[t]he total hidden social costs of driving, not paid by the motorist, total nearly $1 trillion" annually.

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