Ethos Alliance Turns Up the Heat on Chevron

When Richard Goldman heard about the $27 billion lawsuit being brought against Chevron Corporation for polluting the soil and water around oil fields in Ecuador, he was amazed that he had never heard about the situation before.

Apparently Goldman, a retired retail executive who had co-founded the Men's Wearhouse, isn't one to sit on the sidelines. Determined to spread the word about Chevron's pollution, he formed a nonprofit organization, Ethos Alliance, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The alliance plans to use social networking to put public pressure on Chevron by requesting that visitors to its Web site send the message on to others. The hope is that the message goes viral so that millions more people will hear about the situation.

The alliance will also raise funds to dedicate to humanitarian relief projects in Ecuador's oil fields. The site nudges visitors to contribute $5 to help construct a water treatment plant or procure supplies for a health clinic.

Photo courtesy of roy.luck, via Flickr