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Businesses across the globe are embracing an environmentally sensitive approach-not only to maintain credibility and protect the bottom line, but also to attract the best employees. This program explores policies, work habits, and advantages often found in green workplaces. Highlighting the overlap between environmental and corporate culture, the video introduces business leaders and sustainability experts who discuss eco-friendly strategies, best...
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In Malaysia, the lucrative palm oil business is stirring global controversy. Vietnam has a burgeoning tourism industry-and is under pressure not to develop it in the manner of neighboring Thailand. This program examines those issues as it traverses both countries, illuminating the balancing act between development, environmental stewardship, and the rights of indigenous peoples. Nguyen Quy Phuong describes his challenges as deputy director of Vietnam's...
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With hundreds of thousands of employees worldwide, a net worth in the billions, and a dozen brands, General Motors is at the center of the political debate over globalization, the environment, and the future of the U.S. economy. In this program, GM President and CEO Rick Wagoner talks with BBC Chief Washington Correspondent Matt Frei. Topics under discussion include America's unending love affair with cars, the environmental impact of automobiles,...
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What forms the bedrock of America's wealth? Home ownership? Small businesses? Wall Street? This program lays out an entirely different economic conception, pointing to the vast amount of unpaid labor and services that keep the rest of society afloat. Riane Eisler, author of The Real Wealth of Nations, analyzes the significance of volunteer work, medical support provided by family members, and other hidden or uncompensated labor. Activist Vandana Shiva...
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Although genetic modification of plants and animals has been going on since the dawn of agriculture, technological changes of unprecedented scope have taken place in the food industry within the past few decades. This program explores the impact of technology on food production and the development of new and emerging foods. Viewers are introduced to recently devised methods of genetic modification and selective breeding which have expanded both crop...
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With the glass ceiling still firmly in place in many companies, women are starting their own businesses in increasing numbers. This program focuses on that dramatic trend, studying differences between male and female entrepreneurs and examining the impact of women-owned businesses on society and the global economy. Sharon Hadary, executive director of the Center for Women's Business Research, comments on the rise of female ownership in statistically...
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A growing number of investment firms and individual investors are guided by the triple bottom line of human dignity, environmental stewardship, and financial profit. This program looks at the growth of socially responsible investing, or SRI, as a successful approach for portfolio managers, venture capitalists, and individual investors. Outlining the "three pillars" of SRI-company screening, community investing, and shareholder activism-the program...
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Every year, more people learn about the Fairtrade organization and buy Fairtrade-approved products. What are the benefits of Fairtrade certification and how does the system work? This program explains, using case studies of Fairtrade's activities and interviews with individuals involved in the organization. Viewers learn about the meanings behind the Fairtrade label, how the Fairtrade premium is determined and applied to pricing, and how the group...
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A lawsuit can drag on for years, creating an emotional and financial drain far exceeding any anticipated rewards. Prolonged litigation also presents huge operational problems for the courts. As a result, the use of alternative dispute resolution is on the rise. With an Australian legal center as a model, this program shows how ADR processes are implemented and how all parties involved in a dispute can benefit from them. Topics include third-party...
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India has begun an unstoppable love affair with the automobile. China's booming construction industry will create a staggering quantity of new homes by the year 2020. Do Western activists overstep their bounds when urging these nations to curb their ecologically risky appetites? And has the West properly acknowledged the strides India and China have made in, respectively, electric car production and solar energy? This program explores those questions...
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As corporations continue to think globally, the rapidly deteriorating state of the environment is demanding that they act locally-now. This program brings together the president of the World Bank and visionary corporate leaders to map out a plan for a sustainable future that everyone can live with. British Petroleum, an industry giant committed to reducing greenhouse gases; the Otto Group, a German conglomerate that factors environmental protection...
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Since prehistoric times, the preservation of food has played an essential role in human survival-providing the stability and cultural traditions needed to create societies. This program looks at motivations and methods for preserving and processing food, how these take shape in various cultures, and the health considerations which present-day food suppliers and vendors must take into account. Viewers will learn about the properties of different foods,...
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Although it is a crucial aspect of modern food technology, quality control may also be the biggest challenge for any food-producing company. This program identifies quality standards that exist in various parts of the world, explores ways of measuring and monitoring quality, and looks at who is responsible for QC within a large food manufacturer. Students are introduced to HACCP and GMP systems for assuring quality and safety in food, and manufacturer...
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Some call it a winner-take-all opportunity. Others call it the exploitation of scarcity in its most extreme form. This program challenges big business's alarming rush to commodify the world's common resources-things as basic to life as drinkable water and human genes. Proponents of the common good square off against promoters of "business as usual," speaking out on controversial issues including exporting water from Canada, creating hybrid crop seeds...
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This NewsHour program scrutinizes the state of business ethics in an America riddled with financial fraud. In segment one, correspondent Paul Solman and Columbia Business School's Barbara Toffler cite Arthur Andersen and Stew Leonard, Sr., as examples of ethics gone awry. Segment two gathers the opinions of veteran business journalists Adam Smith, Carol Loomis, Allan Sloan, Jim Grant, and Andrew Tobias on the practices of Enron, Tyco, Morgan Stanley,...
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While high-tech agriculture is one of the hallmarks of Western society, a growing number of Americans and Europeans believe that our farming methods are harmful on a number of levels. This program looks at the evolving debate over industrialized food production versus organic farming. Showing how and why farming techniques and policies have changed in the U.K. and similar countries over the last 50 years, the film then examines modern pesticides,...
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As traditional cattle-raising by independent producers is displaced by the intense livestock production of agribusiness giants, consumers are paying the price. This in-depth program examines the practices of North American meat multinationals, which raise livestock on huge feedlots. Genetic engineering, growth hormones, antibiotics, the monopolization of world markets, and other issues are addressed, along with concerns that these beefed-up cattle...
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Archaic models of global commerce assume that all parties will benefit equally from free trade. But well-documented exploitation of workers in the developing world has convinced many experts of the need for stronger fair trade practices. This program reports on the efforts of socially concerned entrepreneurs and leaders to safeguard the interests of foreign farmers, producers, and laborers. Bob Stiller, president and founder of Green Mountain Coffee...
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While many nations and communities benefit from the fast track to globalization, others are in danger of being left behind. This program explores concepts embodied in the mantra, "Think globally, act locally," focusing on businesses and organizations that help to revitalize isolated and disadvantaged areas, thereby expanding access to the wider economy. Judy Wicks, founder of Philadelphia's White Dog Cafe, details her company's policy of buying from...
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Although more than 12,000 organic farms operate in the United States, increasing demand for organically grown food requires substantial imports from abroad. This program delves into the world of sustainable, eco-friendly agriculture; it also highlights advances that should eventually enable all Americans to "act locally" when they shop for organic food. George Siemon, founder and CEO of Organic Valley, talks about the inner workings of his cooperative...