business ethics :- ethical oil

9.2 ETHICS OF OIL The plrase "ethical oil" bas been popalarized through the poblication of Ern Levant's book Ethical Oit: The Case for Canada's Oit Sandr and is frequently used by politicians, inclading Prime Minister Stephen Hurper and his foders! minister of the emvironment. Those who use the phrase argue that the oil aands petroleum has boen unfairly demonized and they wish to dowtplay the negatives. They claim that petroleum from the oil sunds is "ethical" compared to that from some ocher sources. On purchased from dictalorships and kicptocracies bas been problematic because in those countries human rights, worker welfire, and social programs may be ignored. Corruption also has occurred in situations where lealen sipbon off wealth for themselves and their friends. Saudi Amabia. Veneruela, Inat, and Libya have been mentioned as exumples. It also has been pointed out that oil produced in Canda must meet higher eevironmental standards than that prodoces in manry countries. Alberta cil could be considered a morally ruperior revource because Camada has a democratically elected goverament, is coocerned with penoe, and maintains social progenms for its citirens. Suppocners claim that "ethical oll" is comparable to fair trade products such as coffee and certified non-confliet diamonds. Crities state that it is inappropriate to use the plurase becaose ethics lavolves rules, standards, codes, or gritciples that provide goidance for morally appropriase behaviour in decision making. Others believe that the ethical queution is really whether consumers should be consuming oil at all. In contrat to "ethical oll," eavironmestal NCOs asd some U.S. and European Urion politicians have labelled petroleum from the oil ands as "dirty cil." Critics claim that oll from the Alberta sands sboold be considerod anethical or dirty oil becase it is an nssastainable product, produces high emissions per barrel, lacks eaviroamental monitoring, thacatens wildlife (with the ase af tailings pool5), pollutes lakes, soils, and groundater, has bealh consequences for local resideats, and cusses deforestation. Some U.S. politicinns and goverameat agencies have proposed that petroleam from the Alberta oil sands be banned, but Califoraia has been the only jurisdiction to impose restrictions to March 2011. Earopean Union ageacies have considened sanctions against oil sands production. The delay of the Keystone XL. pipeline was linked to the branding of Alberta oil sands; this $7,0 billion project wculd carry oil sands bltumed across the Midwesicra slates. inclading Nebraska, to sumlas refining capacity an the U.S. Gulf Coast. According wo some, the use of the phrases "ethical oil" and "dirty oil" is merely a shetorical device oe a way to spin the issue to get people to think of the positives or forget the aegatives associated with otl sands prodaction. Fevisoamental NOOS argue that comparisons araong oll producers are distractioes and do nothing to make oll foom ary scurve a better product. Questions 1. Is there soch a thing as "ethical cil?? 2. Who are the stakeholden lavolved in the discussion of this isue? 3. How does the use of tems like "ethical ou" and "dirty oil" contribule to the discussion of the issoe? Are they merely a rhelarical device ar osechod for spia intended to distract? 4. Does uning the temm "ethical oil chunge how stakeholden view oil from the oll sinds? 5. What are the implications for CSR measoring. reporting. and consmaicating