Michelle Mosser

Where did this begin for me? Was it watching the “Undersea World of Jacques Cousteau,” or the ecology flags we pasted on our bumpers in the early 70s? Or that public service TV spot of the canoeing Native American tearing up as he looked at the litter along the river. Or maybe it was those smog alerts in LA where I grew up. Fast forward to the 80s when I was working at a hospital in the NW. After I chose my 401k plan I soon discovered, as I tried to make more “informed” financial decisions, that the mutual funds had numerous tobacco stocks in their holdings. Wow! At a healthcare institution! A good friend who was a skilled editor decided after much research to join me in writing an article on SRI for the local Journal of Business – they published our first draft.

Responsible investing momentum is strong. For me, and for many of my generation, the future is clear: we are well on our way towards the installation of a vitally important system-level force for good, one that will protect future generations, indeed the planet itself. We have laid the groundwork for a financial system which functions globally to protect people and the planet. My purpose in advocating what I called ethical investing was to build a large enough investor presence that demanded a clean and dignified future for all.