BP: Does the Emperor Really Have New Clothes?

Posted on Posted in Business Ethics, Uncategorized

Sigh. I should have known it was probably too good to be true. For the last few years, I’ve been praising oil giant British Petroleum’s many environmental initiatives, and suggesting to my friends that BP, or Venezuelan-sourced Citgo, are better choices for gas purchasing than, say, Exxon-Mobil or Chevron-Texaco.

But now, I’m not so sure. Investigative reporter Greg Palast, who’s broken some of the top stories of the last decade, including the scrubbing of thousands of black (and likely Democratic) voters from the Florida voter rolls prior to the 2000 election, accuses BP of dastardly deeds, including

  • Ignoring a well-reported corrosion problem in Alaska until fixing it could be timed to include a shutdown of critical facilities during the summer heat season and an Enron-style squeeze of customers and price-jacking.
  • Engaging in a pattern of intimidation and retribution against internal critics, whether or not they go public
  • Failing to clean up the Exxon Valdez spill for which they had taken responsibility

    • Of course I haven’t verified these accusations–but Palast has a very good track record. Fortunately, there are a couple of Citgo stations near me.

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    About

    A lifelong activist, profitability and marketing specialist Shel Horowitz’s mission is to fix crises like hunger, poverty, racism, war, and catastrophic climate change—by showing the business world how fixing them can make a profit. An author, international speaker, and TEDx Talker, his award-winning 10th book, Guerrilla Marketing to Heal the World, lays out a blueprint for creating and MARKETING those profitable change-making products and services. He is happy to help you craft your messaging and develop profit strategies. Learn more (and download excerpts from the book) at http://goingbeyondsustainability.com

    4 Comments on “BP: Does the Emperor Really Have New Clothes?”

    1. I agree–“better bad” is an improvement over “terrible’–but I think we ought to be able to demand better. Great to hear from you and hope all is well in NC.

      _________________________________________________
      Shel Horowitz – copywriter, marketing consultant, author, speaker
      Affordable, ethical, effective marketing materials and strategies
      “Ethical, cooperative businesses t h r i v e and p r o s p e r”

      Sign the Business Ethics Pledge – Help Change the World

      https://www.principledprofit.com / https://www.frugalmarketing.com
      mailto:shel@principledprofit.com * 413-586-2388
      Award-winning author: Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First
      Blog on Corporate/Government/Marketing Ethics:
      https://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/
      _________________________________________________

    2. I agree–“better bad” is an improvement over “terrible’–but I think we ought to be able to demand better. Great to hear from you and hope all is well in NC.

      _________________________________________________
      Shel Horowitz – copywriter, marketing consultant, author, speaker
      Affordable, ethical, effective marketing materials and strategies
      “Ethical, cooperative businesses t h r i v e and p r o s p e r”

      Sign the Business Ethics Pledge – Help Change the World

      https://www.principledprofit.com / https://www.frugalmarketing.com
      mailto:shel@principledprofit.com * 413-586-2388
      Award-winning author: Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First
      Blog on Corporate/Government/Marketing Ethics:
      https://www.principledprofit.com/good-business-blog/
      _________________________________________________

    3. Hey, Shel! Long time no talk, but I enjoy hearing from you many times a day.

      As you know, perfection is tough to find in the business world, especially in a sector as environmentally and politically “dirty” as the oil industry. Usually, the choice is between better than or not at all. According to a recent article at socialfunds.com, “Toronto-based socially responsible investing (SRI) research firm Jantzi Research recently released a report entitled Oil and Gas in a Bull Market: The Shifting Sands of Responsibility that rates and ranks 23 oil and gas companies on their social and environmental performance. UK-based BP (ticker: BP) topped the list with a score of 6.8 (out of 10)…” Not perfect by a long shot, but better than. The question we always have to ask, as consumers or investors, is this: Is that good enough?
      Randy

    4. Hey, Shel! Long time no talk, but I enjoy hearing from you many times a day.

      As you know, perfection is tough to find in the business world, especially in a sector as environmentally and politically “dirty” as the oil industry. Usually, the choice is between better than or not at all. According to a recent article at socialfunds.com, “Toronto-based socially responsible investing (SRI) research firm Jantzi Research recently released a report entitled Oil and Gas in a Bull Market: The Shifting Sands of Responsibility that rates and ranks 23 oil and gas companies on their social and environmental performance. UK-based BP (ticker: BP) topped the list with a score of 6.8 (out of 10)…” Not perfect by a long shot, but better than. The question we always have to ask, as consumers or investors, is this: Is that good enough?
      Randy