social responsibility news stories on Newser

Nature Makes You Nicer

Nick McMaster — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 16:55:01 CDT

Being around the natural world or representations of it makes you a better person, Miller-McCune reports. A study finds that people shown slides of natural landscapes rated community-oriented goals—such as “to work for the betterment of society”—as more important to them than self-oriented goals—for example, “to be...

Luxury Labels Flaunt Green Cred

Rob Quinn — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:02:42 CDT

As traditional luxury good buyers make way for a new generation of eco-conscious consumers, luxe brands are jostling to show off their planet-saving credentials, the Wall Street Journal reports. Firms like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany are snapping up eco-friendly firms, introducing new lines, and using green themes in their advertising...

How Board Games Screwed Up Your Fiscal Sense

Nick McMaster — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:50:01 CDT

It’s really no wonder Americans fouled up the financial system—fiscal irresponsibility was instilled in us at an early age by board games, observes Caitlin McDevitt for the Big Money. Among the poor lessons imparted by money games: In Monopoly , the game’s bank can never go bust—if the banker...

Obama's Inaugural Speech to Urge Responsibility

Matt Cantor — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:24:52 CST

Barack Obama’s inaugural speech will highlight the need for responsibility—among government, financial institutions, and the citizenry, the Washington Post reports as the incoming press secretary described what we can expect in tomorrow. “We need more responsibility and accountability, certainly, in the way our government acts,” Robert Gibbs said. And...

Small-Town Coffee Purveyor Goes Grande

Clay Dillow — Fri, 09 May 2008 21:00:00 CDT

A success story is brewing in tiny-town Vermont, where a coffee roaster is supplying beans to 600 McDonald's restaurants across 50 states and 25 countries. The creator of Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Bob Stiller, never imagined such a feat—nor the $121 million in sales last quarter—when he started...

Tech Hybrids Blend Lofty Ideals With Bottom-Line Business

Kate Rockwood — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 11:38:34 CDT

Tech companies that blend social missions with business ambitions are all the rage in Silicon Valley. Called “social enterprises,” they often generate sizable revenue (unlike most nonprofits), that’s then retained and reinvested (unlike most for-profits). Now, an ecosystem of related organizations is emerging, such as specialized legal services and independent...

eBay Launches Microfinance Loan Site

Laila Weir — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:23:21 CDT

EBay's newly launched MicroPlace lets users make loans through PayPal or a bank account to needy entrepreneurs worldwide. The idea? Even small sums can help poor people build businesses to raise themselves out of poverty. The site's founder remembers one Bangladeshi woman who bought a handloom, thus earning enough to...

Micky D Gives Migrants a Raise

Heather McPherson — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:50:56 CDT

The cent-a-pound increase McDonald's agreed to grant their tomato-picking field hands yesterday may sound like, well, pennies, but it represents a more than 70% raise, the Chicago Tribune reports. And the deal was hailed as paving the way for negotiations between migrant workers and other corporate Goliaths across the country.