Business is everywhere, and as consumers, it is always important to know where our money is going. In recent years, more people are paying closer attention to the governance and ethical standards of businesses. With so many high profile financial scandals, stricter medical liability, and increasing environmental standards, the public is slowly becoming more informed about how different companies are making ethical decisions. While Cummins, Southwest Airlines and Consumer Reports have made positive, ethical decisions, Xerox, Shell Oil, and GlaxoSmithKline have showed unethical business practices.

Cummins Incorporated deals with industrial materials and auto parts, specifically engines and engine-related components for cars. What stood out to me about this company is that they have spent over half of their research and development dollars on developing emission-reduction technologies. It is good to see big business supporting research to help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released into the air since it is the main cause of global warming. Cummins has reduced diesel emissions by 90%, and are moving towards zero emissions in the next ten years. The support of emissions reduction research by a corporation in the auto industry is a great example of how a company can ethically react to the �inconvenient truth� about global warming.

Southwest is another company that has dealt with changing conditions: the airline and aviation industry has been in recession post-9/11, impacted by the threat of terrorism and events like the London attacks contributing to consumers fear of flying. For many airlines, thousands of employees were laid off or received decreases in salary and benefits, however, Southwest made a commitment to what they believe is their greatest assets � their employees � by not mandating pay cuts. After 9/11, Southwest employees voluntarily took pay decreases to support the company in being able to continue with its flying schedules, and the company has responded loyally to their employees by negotiating new contracts with unions to increase their pay. Southwest was able to respond ethically by supporting their employees through a troubling time for the industry, which, in turn, has generated many quarters of profitability for the company.

Consumer Reports, although it is a nonprofit, is still an excellent example of corporate citizenship. Consumer Reports publishes information about business practices and new products, educating the public. Unlike other rating or ranking systems for companies, Consumer Reports allows no advertising, eliminating the conflict of interest between getting funded by the same company they are reviewing. They also do not allow companies to publish information relating to how Consumer Reports rates them, again separating the influence of advertising from their report.

Xerox has demonstrated their unethical business practices. Xerox works in document production and is the world�s largest supplies of toner-based copy machines. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a complaint against Xerox, charging that between 1997 and 2003 the company had been using accounting tricks to misrepresent their earnings on the books, overstating their true revenue by over two billion dollars. These accounting maneuvers violated the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) and were intentionally meant to mislead the public and Wall Street investors to believe that Xerox�s new management was exceeding all expectations. Xerox�s auditors, KPMG, were also charged with abetting these practices. The intent to deceive important information from the public is unethical, and Xerox was forced to take fiscal responsibility for their actions and pay over $32 million dollars in fines.

Shell Oil, a major player in the oil industry, has demonstrated their unethical business practices in many ways. The Ethical Consumer Guide to Everyday Shopping highlights Shell�s aiding of environmental destruction. Unlike Cummins, Shell has not taken significant steps in environmental awareness. In fact, when Shell�s oil storage platforms needed to be replaced, Shell pressured the British Government into allowing them to deposit the platform in a deep water trench, however, Greenpeace, an environmental group, lobbied against Shell and won. The harmful effects should have been researched by Shell. They have also started operations in Peru, where locals explain that the rivers there sometimes run black because of oil spills. This clear irresponsibility shows a complete lack of concern for the environment.

GlaxoSmithKline, maker and producer of Paxil, an SSRI used to treat depression, has made one of the most egregious unethical business decisions. Paxil concealed their internal documents that Paxil was proved to not work in children, as well as the fact that a side effect for children taking the drug was heightened risk of suicide. A suit was filed by the New York State Attorney Elliott Spitzer, who charged that �by concealing critically important scientific studies on Paxil, GSK impaired doctors� ability to make appropriate prescribing decision for their patients and may have jeopardized their health and safety.� It is disturbing that a company would try to keep information secret about a drug that can make such a positive difference in someone�s life, but only when prescribed correctly. Corporate Narc reports that a GSK clinical trial showed that 7.5% of youth taking the drug has increased suicidal thoughts, versus 0% when taking a placebo. Unlike Johnson & Johnson�s response to protect all of their consumers after the Tylenol murders, GlaxoSmithKline did not take the moral action to educate doctors and patients about a dangerous risk, instead choosing to try to conceal the evidence because of the effect it could have on the sale of their product. GSK was forced to pay 2.5 million dollars and commit to posting clinical trial results for all of the company�s marketed drugs, and the FDA mandated warnings be placed on not only GSK�s, but other SSRI makers that SSRI�s can double the risk of suicide in children.

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last night reminded me of the beginning of the semester, watching house with elena, laughing so hard i cried in adela's room watching her freak about about feet & meghan being her ridiculous crazy boston sarcastic bundle of joy, all of us making fun of each other for our "things," meghan and her boston-ness, elena and her sick love of superman.

i'm on so little sleep right now, but something i said to nathan a few minutes ago really stands out to me; i've met so many cool new people in the last 24 hours. and that's exciting.

last night we went to the law library, third floor, and i met a friend of a friend, who kept flirting with me, walked me to starbucks, did the funniest dance, and reminded me so much of that feeling when you meet someone, and you want to be friends with them. that hasn't happened for a while, with joseph & corina, who are both just people i immediately met & wanted to know more about. it's also fun when people meet you, and you can just tell that they're intrigued.

tonight at 4am i had a conversation with someone who reminded me of pwilders, and we talked about the earth & global warming & intellectual stimulation on this campus. and it was so excellent and necessary. seeing passion in someone eyes about something they feel strongly about is so refreshing.

last night i went for the greatest swim i've had in a long time. corina & i did free sets, 150 kick sets, 50 IMs, pull 200s, and it was so awesome to swim 'for real' again with someone else. she is an awesome friend, and i'm so glad she's my neighbor.

It's never quite right, he said, the way people look,
the way the music sounds, the way the words are
written.
It's never quite right, he said, all the things we are
taught, all the loves we chase, all the deaths we
die, all the lives we live,
they are never quite right,
they are hardly close to right,
these lives we live
one after the other,
piled there as history,
the waste of the species,
the crushing of the light and the way,
it's not quite right,
it's hardly right at all
he said.

don't I know it? I
answered.

but sometimes. it is.
♥

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