Green Options » myths

Are Large, For-Profit Corporations Intrinsically Less Ethical?

Steve Savage — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:43:35 +0000

In the comment streams on my blog posts there is a recurrent theme from one segment of the respondents - they have a deep distrust in the large companies that are involved in modern agricultural technology. They don’t believe these companies will behave ethically because they are for profit entities “only answerable to their shareholders.”

I’d like to speak directly to this as a long-time Ag industry insider whose experience does not support these suspicions. I know that some will dismiss this perspective assuming I am biased, but one has to balance potential for bias with actually having first-hand experience from which to speak. Over the last 32 years I’ve work for or with most of the companies, large and small, that provide agricultural technologies. Fourteen of those years have been as an independent consultant so I get to know what is going on inside of many companies in a given year. I have still only had direct knowledge of a subset of what happens, but in all of that exposure I’ve never witnessed an unethical decision or action - not even the consideration of one. I’ve seen certain decisions that were short-sighted. I’ve sometimes seen decision-making processes that are more driven by fear than by opportunity. I’ve seen missed opportunities because vision was lacking. I’ve occasionally seen failures to take advantage of synergies that could have been realized between divisions of large organizations. I’ve seen problems, but I believe that some level of dysfunction is inevitable in any organization involving people. Still, unethical behavior isn’t something I’ve seen so I disagree that it is automatically likely just because of the characteristics of the company.

On balance I’ve also seen these organizations, large and small, frequently make important contributions to society in terms of the productivity and safety of our food supply. I’ve seen these companies continue to do that in an environment of constant activist attack and very limited public understanding because so few people farm.

The Twelve Days of sustainablog: Biofuels, Preachers, and Echinacea

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 18:43:05 +0000

May Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day and even Cinco de Mayo… lots to celebrate in May. We had lots to celebrate at sustainablog, also… especially a bevvy of new voices who joined us during the month.

Those new writers got us over our Spring fever slump, and took sustainablog in some very interesting new directions…

May 2008

Keith Rockmael reviewed the film A Convenient Truth: Urban Solutions from Curitiba.
Our friends at Low Impact Living suggested five eco-smart ways to spend your tax rebate.
GO editorial intern Oscar Cardenas explored the environmental impact of using echinacea to fight colds.
Guest poster Max Gladwell argued that social media can change the world.

How to Save Gas in 10 Seconds… Or Go To Jail

Gavin Hudson — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 17:25:06 +0000

Myth: It takes more gas to turn your car off and on again than to let it idle.

Fact: Idling for more than 10 seconds damages the engine, emits more air pollution, and of course costs more money in the long run than turning the car off and back on again. This is true for all cars built since the 1970s with a catalytic converter.

And yet…

» See also: Solar Energy - Neighbors Band Together in Denver to Get Group Discounts on Solar
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Idling in the developing world

Oddly enough, in the “developing” world, idling your car is not only accepted, it’s a national pastime.

Here in South Korea, a country where oil is at a premium for lack of any domestic reserves, the belief seems to be, “an idle car is a happy car.” Men, especially, have a love affair with the idle car. Perhaps it says, “Hey, ladies… I have money to burn.” Perhaps it’s just a lack of knowledge about car maintenance and air pollution; perhaps it’s a lack of concern.

The problem of idling is even more severe in countries where oil is not at a premium. On my last visit to Venezuela, I spoke with a man named Pedro, who drives charter mini-buses for a living. I asked him why he idles his mini-buses for hours instead of turning off the engine. He smiled proudly. Why shouldn’t he idle his mini-buses? After all, in Venezuela, petrol is cheaper than water.

So here again, idling is a sign of wealth. It’s a case of “waste to show you want not.”

Legal penalties for idling

You may not know it, but your city, county, state, or province may be one of the many with a fine for idling a car.

In the county of Denver, Colorado, idling a car for 10 minutes could land you a fine of no less than $999 and/or imprisonment for one year. A similar penalty of one grand and a year in the slammer applies to anyone in the county of St. Louis, Missouri for idling a car for just 3 minutes. See a list of idling laws in the United States here.

In Canada, of course, fines are less draconian. Idle a car for 3 minutes in Surrey, a city within the Metro Vancouver area in British Columbia, and you’ll get “dinged” $50.

Were these laws news to you? That’s because there’s clearly a disconnect between the laws and their enforcement. Start arresting St. Louis residents for idling and you’ll have a lot of ticked off Missourians. And who really wants a lot of ticked off Missourians?

The answer, as always, is better education about the true costs of idling.

Resources:

Green automotive reading: Gas 2.0

Idling Myths and Facts | Lowering Emissions and Particulates

Turn Off Your Engine! | Environmental Defense Fund

2008 Idle Laws by State | Scribd

New Feature: Green Myth-Busting

Jeff McIntire-Strasburg — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:45:36 +0000

Next Thursday, we'll launch another regular feature at the Green Options blog: Green Myth-Busting. Myths abound about environmentalism, sustainability and green living, and we want to make sure that those of you considering your green options have the facts you need to make informed choices.

Normally, we'd announce a feature like this with it's first installment, but we're jumping out ahead of this one because we'd like to give you the opportunity to let us know about "green myths" you've encountered. Our writers have already started discussing some topics, but we also want to hear from you: what myths are out there about the green life that you'd like to see addressed? Or, perhaps you've heard something about recycling, composting, renewable energy, etc., that doesn't quite sound right, but you're not sure. Send it along — we'll check it out.