“The truth is that Chevron’s violations have been taking place around the world,” said Atossa Soltani, executive director of the nonprofit group Amazon Watch, which helps Ecuadorans suing Chevron over oilfield pollution in the rain forest. “In fact the violations seem to permeate Chevron’s operations.” - From the San Francisco Chronicle

Ecuador. Nigeria. Burma. Richmond, California. In each of these cities, Chevron is facing tremendous scrutiny and criticism regarding its alleged human rights abuses. Despite a record profit of $18.7 billion reported in 2007, things are not all gravy for the notorious oil company. It seems so simple, right? Don’t abuse those who are most vulnerable or the entire empire could come crashing down. Don’t abuse nature or the air we breathe could one day fill our bodies with pollutants that make us sick–mentally and physically. These are old lessons —ones I discuss with my young daughters after reading Dr. Seuss’ Yertle the Turtle or The Lorax. These are lessons we are supposed to learn while we’re young; but for some of us, greed seems to take over, leading those in decision-making positions to the conclusion that they can do whatever they want in the name of “profitability.”

Many are outraged not only by this single example of corporate human rights abuse and social irresponsibility, but also by the trend of poor people of color being exploited and harmed by corporations because the world is usually not paying attention to these communities. Monique Harden, Co-Director of the Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, once told me, “If the world cared about the pollution and toxins that impact poor communities of color, maybe we wouldn’t have a problem with global warming.” Maybe she’s right.

Copyright 2008 Monique W. Morris

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