1. Worst NationsThe U.S. appears one step from the bottom of a list of 146 nations ranked in terms of environmental protection, just above bottom-scraping North Korea. Yes, my country is right down there with Haiti, Taiwan, Iraq and Kuwait. Nations with considerable oil wealth rank in the bottom third. Surprise, surprise.
The top 10 national protectors of the environment? Finland, Norway, Uruguay, Sweden, Iceland, Canada, Switzerland, Guyana, Argentina and Austria.
The rankings were done by researchers at Yale and Columbia Universities and were based on environmental sustainability, determined by nations' success at such tasks as maintaining or improving air and water quality, maximizing biodiversity and cooperating with other countries on environmental problems.
2. Worst CorporationsWhen the Multinational Monitor judges gather to pick the 10 worst corporations of the year, one of their instructions is: name no companies that appeared on the previous year's list (barring extraordinary circumstances).
For the 2004 list, that means no Bayer (even though in 2004 the company pushed for import of genetically modified rice into the European Union, polluted water in a South African town with the carcinogen hexavalent chromium, and was hit with evidence that its pain medication Aleve (naproxen) increases the risk of heart attack, among other egregious acts), no Boeing (despite new evidence that the tanker plane scandal costing U.S. taxpayers tens of billions of dollars is even worse than it appeared), no Clear Channel (even though the radio behemoth in 2004 stooped to new lows with a "Breast Christmas Ever" contest that promised to pay for breast implants for a dozen contest "winners"), and no Halliburton (embroiled in a whole new set of contracting fraud and bribery charges in 2004).
But at least the no-repeat rule helps limit the field a bit.
And there remained plenty of worthy candidates.
Of the remaining pool of price gougers, polluters, union-busters, dictator-coddlers, fraudsters, poisoners, deceivers and general miscreants, we [see note below] chose the following -- presented in alphabetical order -- as the 10 Worst Corporations of 2004:
Full Text at Multinational Monitor Online:ABBOTT LABORATORIES: DRUG PRICING CHUTZPAH
AIG: DEFERRED PROSECUTIONS ON THE RISE
COCA-COLA: KILLERCOKE.ORG VS. COKEKILLS.ORG
DOW CHEMICAL: FORGIVE US OUR TRESPASSES
GLAXOSMITHKLINE: DEADLY DEPRESSING
HARDEE’S: HEART ATTACK ON A BUN
MERCK: 55,000 DEAD
McWANE: DEATH ON THE JOB
RIGGS BANK: THE PINOCHET CONNECTION
WAL-MART: THE WORKFARE COMPANY
[Russell Mokhiber and Robert Weissman, co-authors of
On the Rampage: Corporate Predators and the Destruction of Democracy (Monroe, Maine: Common Courage Press).]
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