This article concerns the issue of the Canadian government exporting a toxic resource called asbestos to underdeveloped nations such as India, where they know it is being mishandled and causing severe health consequences for everyone in its proximity.

Although this article is primarily involved with what the government should be doing to stop this from being exported, I believe that there is a large question that should be asked of the asbestos companies themselves. That question has to do with their business ethics.

How long can you look purely at your companies profits and write off “social responsibility” as irrelevant to a business, when a severe ethical violation is staring you in the face? Asbestos companies know that their product is being mishandled. They know that they are making a profit directly at the cost of people’s safety. I understand (and agree) with Milton Friedmans argument that businesses shouldn’t be concerned with social issues such as poverty and foreign aid. But in my mind, when you knowingly sell a toxic product which has been all but banned in Canada to an impoverished nation and profit off of their cancer, then it does become the companies issue.