Environmental Damage
Via: Al Gore's website
2.2 Trillion (US) Dollars
Every year the world’s largest companies cause $2.2 trillion in environmental damage to the planet and most of the time pick up none of the tab.
According to the Guardian:
“The cost of pollution and other damage to the natural environment caused by the world’s biggest companies would wipe out more than one-third of their profits if they were held financially accountable, a major unpublished study for the United Nations has found.”
“The report comes amid growing concern that no one is made to pay for most of the use, loss and damage of the environment, which is reaching crisis proportions in the form of pollution and the rapid loss of freshwater, fisheries and fertile soils.”
“Later this year, another huge UN study - dubbed the “Stern for nature” after the influential report on the economics of climate change by Sir Nicholas Stern - will attempt to put a price on such global environmental damage, and suggest ways to prevent it. The report, led by economist Pavan Sukhdev, is likely to argue for abolition of billions of dollars of subsidies to harmful industries like agriculture, energy and transport, tougher regulations and more taxes on companies that cause the damage.”
More than half of this damage is caused by the emissions of greenhouse gasses. The longer we delay, the more it will cost future generations to clean up our mess.
That is why it is vital that you call your Senator this week and demand they “support a strong clean energy and climate bill that will create more jobs and less pollution.”
Take action today by clicking here.
Via: Wikipedia
Corporate social responsibility
Critics concerned with corporate hypocrisy and insincerity generally suggest that better governmental and international regulation and enforcement, rather than voluntary measures, are necessary to ensure that companies behave in a socially responsible manner.
Others, such as Patricia Werhane argue that CSR should be looked more upon as a Corporate Moral Responsibility, and limit the reach of CSR by focusing more on direct impacts of the organization as viewed through a systems perspective to identify stakeholders.
See:
Australian Bank Charges/Fee’s - Are they really fair?
Have you ever needed a duplicate copy of your Bank Transaction Records?
Lets say .. You needed a copy of 2 years of records.
Lets say .. Your ‘transaction cycle’ is monthly. (How often you get a statement)
This is what it will cost you to obtain your 24 months of records.
- Commonwealth Bank - $7 x 24 = $168
- Australia & New Zealand Bank - $14 x 24 = $336
- Bank South Australia - $7.5 x 24 = $180
- Australian Central Credit Union - $10 x 24 = $240
Are these fee’s fair? *(cough)*
Of course they arent fair… Thats why I am blogging..
The fee for aquiring the ‘records’ should be dropped to a reasonable amount. (No more than $2 per ‘transaction period’ I would strongly suggest.)
This is a classic example of ‘buyer beware’. The different fee’s charged by the banks for this ‘service’ is quite shocking. But if you didn’t compare the ‘ever changing’ TOS with the competions ‘ever changing’ TOS when you signed up for the account.. (and then kept up with each TOS as they constantly changed..) I have no sympathy for you. *(wink)*
Looks like (as usual) it ends up being all your fault. I guess, in the eyes of some, that makes you a banking noob? Possibly..
However, One thing I think it sure proves. Is that the biggest of the corporations will happily ‘prey’ on the public. (If they aren’t stopped from doing so.)