Companies which engage in potentially harmful behaviors with results such as environmental dangers or distribution of unsafe products often simply pay a fine as damages and move on. Should the punishment for these behaviors include a public mea culpa?

My understanding of the term mea culpa is to take responsibility, to say it was my fault and no one else’s.

While many companies just pay up and move on, there is something missing from this process: acknowledgment of the suffering that the actions caused. Or, in other words, the human element. The case of Dole and Dow in Nicaragua comes to mind.

Dole and Dow were recently found liable in a pesticide exposure lawsuit that spanned international borders and decades of legal battle. An LA Superior Court jury ordered the companies to pay $3 million in damages to Nicaraguan banana workers who were made sterile by exposure to the chemical DBCP.

To date, I’ve not found any public mea culpa from either company. Instead, both tout their corporate social responsibility initiatives, their efforts for the environment and their commitment to the human element, which is the tag line of Dow’s recent ad campaign.

To me it seems that the families affected by the chemical exposure – which left many people sterile – would benefit as much from an acknowledgment of responsibility as they would from the monetary damages paid. Somewhere, in the millions of dollars of ad money spent by these two companies, it would make a difference if the victims were acknowledged – we poisoned you, we’re sorry and it will never happen again.

Check out Liz’s take at Business and Blogging

Post from: EveryJoe

Are Fines Enough When Harm is Done?

We’re challenging you to identify a small business that you think could not possibly benefit from blogging. One of us will then try to find a successful blogging approach that would work as a low-cost, high return marketing device for that business.

We’re pretty confident that we can come up with an angle and focus that will work for just about any business, so we dare you to try and stump us. (we reserve the right to refuse businesses that are illegal or immoral)

And what do you win if you do stump us?

We’ll write a post linking to your website from Business and Blogging, highlighting all of your businesses’ strengths. (min. 200 words)

Wow! Pretty great stuff and the exposure you could gain from having your website featured on Business and Blogging would be fantastic! Go check it out and try to Stump Business and Blogging!

Post from: EveryJoe

The ‘Can You Stump Business and Blogging?’ Challenge

He is also an author, which brings us to our Mid-Course Correction Contest. This week, readers have the chance to win a copy of Ray Anderson’s Book Mid-Course Correction: Toward a Sustainable Enterprise The Interface Model. It’s a great book for anyone interested in the shift towards an environmentally sustainable economy.

Book Description

Mid-Course Correction is the personal story of Ray Anderson’s realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.

How to play…

Starting today, answer the five questions below and email me your answers, also leave a comment on this post to let everyone know you are playing. I’ll keep track of entries with the correct answers in the order they are received and then the winner will be picked at random from all the entries. The winner will be announced on January 14th, one week from today!

Here are the five questions (answers are here on Greener Assets)

1. What did Greenpeace find in Budweiser’s beer last year?

2. Can you name two companies that are changing small wind?

3. What is the name of the company that bought Burt’s Bees in 2007?

4. Where and when is the Greener Gadgets Conference?

5. Can you name one of the six sins of greenwashing?

That’s it!

Here are the rules:

• Entries must be sent via email with “Mid-Course Correction Contest” in the subject line to greener.assets@yahoo.com by 11:59p.m. EST on January 12, 2008.

• You must include your full name and your email address with your entry. I won’t publish your email address, but I do need contact information for the winning entry and for your shipping address. I respect your privacy, and I will not send you anything unrelated to your entry in this contest.

• Remember to leave a comment on this post that you are playing along.

• Have fun and check back next week to see if you won!

Post from: EveryJoe

Announcing the Mid-Course Correction Contest!

The final challenge is: Why do you blog? In my mind, the challenge question and answer are one in the same:

What Can One Person Do?

To be honest, I used to think that blogs were for lonely people looking for dates. I’m not kidding. Then I discovered that bloggers were using the internet for positive change. Like TreeHugger, where you can learn something sustainable every day. And Zen Habits, where one man shares his journey of transformation and invites you to join him. Or Sphere, where threatened natural and national treasures find an advocate. I found a thriving discourse in the blogosphere where my ideals were gaining momentum through the global connection of the internet.

“the honour and distinction of the individual consist in this, that he among all the world’s multitudes should become a source of social good” – From the Baha’i Faith

So in order to find a platform where I could be heard I turned to b5media and asked, What does bubble gum have to do with birds? What does your new deck have to do with people in Bolivia? What do spiders have to do with Kevlar? The answers to these questions and more have become my voice in the online environmental movement.

I’ve learned that carelessly discarded bubble gum is fatal to birds, it’s a simple fact that I want people to know. I’ve seen, first hand, how products made from responsibly harvested wood protect tropical forests and want people to know that their consumer choices really do make a difference. I understand that if we use biomimicry principles we could produce a material stronger than Kevlar without generating pollution, just like spiders do every day, and my hope is that by bringing the subject to forum someone will be inspired to find a solution.

When a company finds a new way to harness the wind for electricity I want to tell people. When an individual has made a difference I think that sharing their story can inspire others and lift the cloud of environmental ‘doom and gloom’, even if just for a moment. I believe that if my responses and posts about what I see and learn about the environment have an impact on even just one person than my time here in the blogosphere is well spent. And I’m not alone.

Since I started with b5media, first at Daily Tomorrow and then here at Greener Assets, I witnessed and took part in the first Blog Action Day where the founders asked What Can One Person Do? The answer was a tremendous roar of blogging heard around the world on October 15, 2007, when more than 20,000 individual bloggers across the globe united and said that the environment matters to them.

By uniting the world’s blogging community we can raise awareness of the environment, get people thinking and trigger a global debate. – United Nations Environment Programme

Blog Action Day reached millions of people worldwide, and that was just one day. As an environmental blogger for Daily Tomorrow, Greener Assets, Inhabitat and Green Redux, every day is Blog Action Day for me. What keeps me writing is the knowledge that the world is one big interconnected system that includes everything from ecology to economics to the internet, and I dig that.

So why do I blog? I blog because it’s what one person can do.

Post from: EveryJoe

What Can One Person Do?

The new year has arrived and promises to be exciting here at b5media. Looking back, 2007 was definitely a newsworthy year for businesses and the b5media Business Channel had it covered. Some businesses experienced record profits, some businesses spiraled into bankruptcy and some just kept getting greener.

Here as promised, in one convenient package, are the top business stories of 2007 from across the b5media Business Channel:

If you read Behind the Buzz even a little, you knew that Barbie Girl would make the list of the top posts in 2007. Find out what else did.

Brandcurve offers a review of branding and marketing for 2007 along with a look back at what people were talking about this year. Paris Hilton? Red Cross? Disney? It’s all there.

Sure, the hookers got all of the attention but what else did you miss this year on Buzz Networker? Social networking goes under the microscope: what was hot and what was not this year?

Copyblogger doesn’t just offer us a “best of” list – it’s a play by play of what makes Copyblogger a top blog (pick a list, any list).

Doing Biz Abroad reminded us about the pitfalls of assumptions and cultural challenges that you may face in the international business world.

Franchise Pick exposes 10 Terrifying Tales of Fraud, Failure & Franchising.

Here at Greener Assets it’s the Green Biz year in review. Is green the new black?

Home Biz Notes rounds out the year with five popular posts including Mary Emma’s winning country grocer entry and mistakes for the home business owner to avoid.

In a move that stunned many, Alberto Gonzales resigned his post as the top lawyer in the US. Interview Chatter highlights other career and hiring stories of 2007.

For those of you playing along at home, Just Make Money Online focuses on the very best posts tackling making money on the web for 2007.

Leadership Turn made 2007 about thinking outside of the box when it comes to leading and managing. She offers her top six posts here: Are ethical values set or fluid?, The quandary of ethics, The effects of CEO map, The number one world beating best motivator, More-on-comfort-zones, What leaders should do to have the perfect attitude

Pimp Your Work reminds us of the best ways to deal with your boss. Yeah, sucking up made the list.

Project Management 411 wraps up a short year with ten top stories from 2007. Innovation appears to be a common thread.

Small Business Boomers wishes you perspective and humor for 2008 with commentary on why looking back is important.

Start Up Spark gets our attention with the top three start-up stories for 2007 and the site’s most popular posts. They aren’t necessarily the same.

Successful Blog doesn’t make this a year end event. On the site, there’s a whole page of the best posts year round.

Taxgirl offers the top ten taxgirl headlines of 2007. Jail, pregnancy and college football – we had it all this year.

The Golden Pencil confirms her most popular post of 2007. Stats don’t lie.

With the end on its way out, the economy is still reeling from the subprime mortgage fiasco and government bail-outs. Yielding Wealth reflects on the biggest stories that affected personal finance.

We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous new year! And don’t forget to stop by and check out all of the business goodness here at the b5media business channel in 2008. We can’t give you the details but changes are afoot. And we promise, it’s going to be a very good year!

Post from: EveryJoe

Happy New Year from b5 Biz Channel!

Wal-Mart: Green, greener or greenwashing?: While the mega store wasn’t founded on sustainable principles, other than sustaining the Walton’s, the corporation responsible for moving over 300 billion dollars worth of merchandise in 2007 continues to announce green initiatives that are standing up to scrutiny.

Budweiser ‘Double Mashing’ on GE Rice: Budweiser fans have a bad taste in their mouth, and it’s not just the beer. A recent analysis commissioned by Greenpeace has “detected the presence of genetically engineered (GE) rice (Bayer LL601) in three out of four samples taken” at an Anheuser Busch mill in Arkansas.

Is Burt’s Bees Still Sweet As Honey?: Burt’s Bees is one of those sweet start-up success stories. Boy keeps bees, boy meets girl, girl makes candles, candles evolve into a thriving, full line, all-natural cosmetic and personal care business worth millions kinda thing. One thing led to another and before you know it Burt’s Bees is worth $925 million on the open market.

Do Ethical Companies Survive the Buyout?: TreeHugger had an interesting post about the fate of small, ethical companies in big corporate buy-outs. The scenario has been playing out with some hard true green favorites taking on questionable parent companies – like Burt’s Bees, recently purchased by Clorox, and The Body Shop, who sold to L’Oreal last year.

Two Companies That Are Changing Small Wind: Wind power is getting a lot of attention these days as a fast growing segment of the renewable energy industry. While many of the headlines focus on “big” wind – industrial wind power – there are several companies working to advance wind power for residential use or “small” wind.

How the Hydrogen Market is Growing: The race for renewable energy is driving a new focus on hydrogen as a clean energy for home and transportation. Worldwide initiatives are fueling research and innovation to make hydrogen cost-effective and efficient. Here’s just a few of the latest headlines in the hydrogen economy.

Post from: EveryJoe

Green Biz Year in Review 2007

The posts are actually part of our ongoing channel challenge, an “apprentice” type challenge, where two teams have been brainstorming for solutions in one small business, a marketing endeavor for children’s aprons and hats.

If you haven’t been following along, you can catch up on the full, ongoing challenge by starting over at TaxGirl, run by our channel editor extraordinaire Kelly Phillips. You’ll be able to find all the links to today’s posts there as well or by surfing through the Business Blogroll here on Greener Assets.

So, as part of the b5media Business Channel Apprentice Challenge, my mission is to tell our small business owner “Kay” the best business advice I’ve ever received in 50 words or less. Mine is simple:

Listen to your gut.

No matter what business you are in, no matter what challenge you face or what decisions you need to make, when all is researched, said and done, listen to your gut before you make a move.

Business is not so different from survival in the sense that it takes instincts to survive. In my experience as a small business owner, which stretches well past a decade now, I have made decisions that weren’t aligned with my gut and regretted them later. I also look back and recognize that my best decisions were based on what my gut said was the right decision.

With a fair bit of hindsight, I can look back at these decisions, right and wrong, and realize fully that the simple business mantra “listen to your gut” is the best business advice I’ve ever received.

Post from: EveryJoe

‘Best Business Advice Ever’ from b5 Biz Channel Bloggers!

One of the major concerns for many parents right now is lead in children’s products. This is a real-world health and environmental problem similar to one that your business may encounter.

Kay just found out that the novelty buttons that she sews onto her children’s aprons and chef’s hats are manufactured by the same company in China that has been associated with selling toys coated with lead paint. She has received confirmation from the distributor that the buttons have been re-tested and do not contain any lead. The buttons are, however, clearly marked “Made in China.” Kay DOES NOT have the budget to remove the buttons and replace them with new buttons. With just six weeks to go before Christmas, she is worried about the potential hit to her sales if parents worry that there is lead on her buttons.

Half of her friends have encouraged her to go public about buttons and re-assure her potential customers that the buttons are okay. The other half tell her not to mention the buttons at all because it will cause more problems for her than it would help.

Kay needs to meet this problem head-on. Legal and ethical responsibility demands it. Even though her buttons have been confirmed not to contain lead, this is still a serious concern. Kay should request the report from the distributor, to have on hand to show concerned customers (include a copy on her Web site).

In addition to relying on the distributor, Kay will send a sample of her buttons to the EPA for testing. Only a small sample is needed; she can send a few for testing, with a cost of $5 to $35 per sample. She will share the results of the EPA testing with her customers, past and present, further assuring her customers.

For now, the products already completed, but not yet sold, will have a tag added (not very expensive) that says “lead-free.” Aprons and hats with buttons from the new distributor will also have a tag that says, “lead free.”

Kay has found a solution that does not require buttons on her hats and aprons. As a simple solution, Kay will add creative knots to her aprons and hats to replace the buttons. And they will even work as fasteners in button holes. They will be creative, cost less to Kay and will become her signature embellishment. Included with the product will be a short “note to mommy and daddy,” on inexpensive minicards, about the safety of her products. With the creative knots, this note can also include the point that there are no small parts to swallow.

Also on her Web site, Kay will be an advocate for information on lead-free products providing information on lead-free products, and lead poisoning awareness for children. Some suggestions for Web links she can add:

• Eliminating Childhood Lead Poisoning at New York State Department of Health
• Get the Lead Out: Why ‘Made in China’ became a peril for American parents at Herald Tribune
• Lead Poisoning and You (PDF) at Texas Young Lawyers Association
• U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Protect Your Child From Lead Poisoning at the US EPA

This is a golden opportunity for Kay to turn an industry negative into a positive for her business. A press release to the local newspaper explaining the steps she is taking to protect her customers and her children will publicize the safety of her products. She has the chance to showcase her product in the public eye, and aggressively pursue a positive marketing solution.

*Meet the amazing bloggers behind this team post: Accounting Solver, Biz Chicks Rule, Brandcurve, Common Sense PR, Copyblogger, Doing Biz Abroad, Greener Assets, Interview Chatter, Leadership Turn, Linked Intelligence, Project Management 411, Second Life Pros, Small Business Boomers, Successful Blog, The Golden Pencil, Yielding Wealth

Post from: EveryJoe

Facing the Lead Dilemma in Your Small Business

First, the Business Channel is currently running an “apprentice challenge” between two teams, all business blogs. I’m on the ACES, who by the way have just won the first challenge – see the post here at Yielding Wealth. The PROS were just as clever in their post here at Startup Spark, but only room for one winner at a time.

The Business Channel editor Kelly Phillips is running the “apprentice challenge” from her blog TaxGirl. In addition to TaxGirl’s great tax tips and insight you will find updates on the team challenge, where to find the posts AND a poll where you can vote for your favorite b5media Business Channel blog. It would be such fun for me to see my votes go up so if you’re over at TaxGirl look for the poll and vote for Greener Assets!

Post from: EveryJoe

Vote for Greener Assets!

1. I got my first job when I was 9-years-old. Even though I’m pretty sure it was illegal (since I’m not that old) a local farmer hired kids to pick strawberries and do other ‘chores’ like weed flowers, sell pumpkins, press cider and help bring in the hay. My favorite task was driving the truck for the hay harvest. Yup, I said driving.

2. The fun I had at that first job has left me with an aversion to offices, a soft spot for kittens and a connection to the great outdoors. All three conditions which I’ve explored in my professional and personal life including a decade long stint as a veterinary technician.

3. I am a big nerd including among my most nerdy accomplishments discovering a typo in a town history book published by an international publisher, participating in no less than three bird field study trips on two continents and getting excited upon finding signs of a bear, otherwise known as poo, early in the Spring.

4. My nerdiness has also brought me to many otherwise unfilled volunteer positions including counting seeds, data entry for a historic cemetery inventory project and a seat on the board of directors for a fiddle contest, yeehaw.

5. Explaining the volunteerism in brief, my most frequent answer to life’s questions big and small is “Sure, why not?” My most frequent follow up question is “Did we miss a turn or something?”

6. I have more than twenty first cousins, many of whom are ‘only’ children! These individuals are some of my favorite people on the planet. They are also multiplying exponentially with every passing month.

7. One more, one more. Oh my favorite. This is more a six degrees of ‘meme’ but my mom was once on American Bandstand and asked by the never-aging Dick Clark “What did you think, young lady?” to which she replied…”It’s got a good beat, you can dance to it.”

So there you go! Now on to the next seven bloggers to carry on the meme…

fellow business b5ers…

• Ren at Accounting Solver
• Scott at Linked Intelligence
• Susan at Brand Curve
• Rachel at Behind the Buzz
• Darlene at Interview Chatter

keeping it green…

• Jennifer at Tree Hugging Family

and for a little creative inspiration…

• Cyndi at Layers Upon Layers

Post from: EveryJoe

It’s a Meme!