Business Ethics Round-Up on BNET and Beyond

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  pgaluszka08/22/08 Report as spam
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  RE: Business Ethics Round-Up on BNET and Beyond

  Michael,
  A few points on the ethics post.
  Massey Energy is in a business that by its very nature is very dirty and dangerous. Deep mining coal produces lots of waste and sludge on a scale far beyond what usual industries produce. Many of Massey's environmental violations stem from big ponds of often toxic slop.
  Deep mines also are big safety issues although by comparison, we loose scores of miners each year, not the tens of thousands that they do in China. I was in a deep Massey mine about six years ago. We were five miles inside a mountain where the seams were "low coal" of no more than 40 inches or so. We spent hours bent over. Obviously, this is not a place for the claustrophobic but I've got to give Massey credit that when they let me and a photographer in, they didn't micro-manage us the way a Procter & Gamble or other big multi-national would have.
  Massey has big issues with surface mining and mountaintop removal, plus highly questionable political campaign payoffs. These have been well reported.I make no excuses for them.
  But it really doesn't make sense to use the term "greenwash" with firms like this. Coal firms are way beyond the pale here. It's sort of like accusing NASCAR drivers of speeding.
  
  Peter Galuszka

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  RayMcBeth08/22/08 Report as spam
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  RE: Business Ethics Round-Up on BNET and Beyond

  Michael,
  
  According to James Heckman "the Nature vs. Nurture distinction, while traditional, is obsolete." There is a growing amount of evidence that "behaviors and abilities have both a genetic and an acquired character." For example, the brain chemistry (nature) can change in severly neglected children (nuture).
  
  Ray McBeth

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  Michael.Mattis@...08/22/08 Report as spam
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  RE: Business Ethics Round-Up on BNET and Beyond

  Fascinating stuff.
  
  Note, though, that I didn't use the term "greenwashing" with regard to Massey, but "CSR (for corporate social responsibility)-washing." I merely asked readers the question, based on Peter's post and on the Massey report itself, what they think the company's efforts. I make no judgments of my own.
  
  Ray Macbeth brings up an interesting thought on the old "nature vs. nurture" concept being obsolete. I will certainly look into that and into Jame's Heckman's work. Thanks for the head's up!