can be done. is important.

my specific response to this post is that socially responsible investing is both possible and important. certainly i avoid MO because they sell cigarettes, even though there’s money to be made on cigarettes, and they provide a very competitive dividend return to investors. companies can voluntarily participate in socially or environmentally thoughtful business practices, and it is well within the investor’s power and moral duty to consider these factors. i for one would welcome a comparable market return from socially and environmentally responsible company, and believe it’s also been shown that companies focused on these factors do better in the long run, even if they may have fewer profit extremes. seeking short-term extreme profits is one source of environmental and social damage.