International

Ethics Adviser Dumps On Shell

Submitted by Bob Burton on

Following the execution of Nigerian environmentalist Ken Saro-Wiwa and its attempt to dump the Brent Spar oil platform in the ocean, Shell appointed a dozen people to oversee its image overhaul. A decade later, Simon Longstaff, one of Shell's twelve and the director of Sydney's St. James Ethical Centre, lashed out at Shell. "The process we went through was thorough and exhaustive, but what concerned me was seeing the marketing arm of the company turn it into a PR exercise as soon as we had finished," he said.

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Main Source: 
Australian Financial Review (sub. req'd.), July 6, 2005
Topics: 
Environment
Human Rights
International
Public Relations

Spinning the Atom, Worldwide

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

"There are many reasons why nuclear power is back on the agenda," reports Liz Minchin. There's global warming, and there's a "well funded and carefully planned international public relations strategy selling nuclear power as a 'clean, green and safe' solution to global warming." International conferences have been key to the effort, writes Minchin.

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Main Source: 
The Age (Australia), June 28, 2005
Topics: 
Nuclear Power
International
Public Relations

Attack of the Killer Pork Chops

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

"To mark the 60th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day," London's National Archives launched an online exhibit of "250 images created for Britain's Ministry of Information during the Second World War - images intended to 'inform and inspire' the nation, as well as influence overseas opinions." The Art of War exhibit's propaganda section "breaks its material into 'Home Front' (featuring such themes as warnings against 'careless talk'), '

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Main Source: 
Christian Science Monitor, June 21, 2005
Topics: 
Arts / Culture
International
War / Peace

Editing Away Environmental Concerns, Part Two

Submitted by Diane Farsetta on

"A new draft communique on climate change for next month's Group of Eight summit has removed plans to fund research" on clean energy technologies. Other edits "put into question top scientists' warnings that global warming is already under way," by removing references to current weather changes and marking such phrases as "our world is warming" for possible deletion.

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Main Source: 
Reuters, June 15, 2005
Topics: 
Nuclear Power
Environment
International

Pfizer's Fickle Philanthropy

In a series of announcements in the aftermath of the tsunami that swept that swept through East Asia and parts of Africa on December 26, 2004, Pfizer committed itself to contribute a total of $20 million in cash and $60 million worth of medicines. Pfizer's staff chipped in a further $2 million.

On its U.S. website, Pfizer listed its tsunami response as an example of its commitment to corporate social responsibility.

However, at a recent drug industry marketing conference in Sydney, Pfizer Australia's Manager of Government Affairs, David Miles, said that the company would have been better off being less generous. "We would be better off giving five million and shutting up," Miles said, only a little jokingly. "As soon as you get into big numbers people think you can double or triple it."

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