But how would we even know about it in a completely free market? Who would pay for the research? Why would they do it? I'm not referring to increased efficiency in products as that has verifiable value to the consumer. But on the larger scale why would we know about contamination of water sources in poor countries or problems with holes in the ozone layer or problems caused by mass deforestation and pollution. Business has no incentive for that information to raise it's head in the public domain.