well, thanks to peacock, i braved the link to mcdonald's.
i am sitting here shaking my head in disbelief. on the main page, they ask you to choose your country. there are also links to other areas of the site. one is titled 'social responsibility'

yes, you read that right. social responsibility. mcdonalds. huh? of course, i clicked the link. and found...

The principle of giving back runs deep at McDonald’s– instilled in usnearly 50 years ago by our founder, Ray Kroc. It is a part of our culture – a culture that says:

We are commited...
To doing what is right.

To conducting our business
with the environment in mind.

To being a good neighbor and partner in your community.

conducting business with the environment in mind? are they talking about the same fast food chain? i cannot believe they say this:

WE ARE COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES – for our customers, and our communities in a way that does not compromise the ability of future generations to meet their needs. (they used all caps - their emphasis, not mine)

hello? cattle raised in feedlots? everything packaged in it's own little wrapper/box/packet? using imported produce? flavoring food with chemicals? DRIVE THRUS? bullshit. they are no more sustainable than the american dream.

they state that they use uses posters to encourage customers to clean up and not litter - and that this is environmentally friendly under the heading of 'waste reduction'...um, no, that's just throwing the same stuff in a different place.

Beef Safety
Exploring the latest research in the area of beef safety by forming an International Scientific Advisory Council - a panel of independent experts - that brings the most advanced thinking to the prevention of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).

Adding another safety firewall to the U.S. beef supply by requiring suppliers to certify their animals have been raised only on approved feed.

yeah, and the advanced thinking wouldn't be needed if we would've practiced organic sustainable farming, and will likely consist of adding yet another chemical into the animal. approved feed? by whom? how unbiased will this person really be? the feed is likely produced by a single company who is somehow tied to mcdonalds. ok, one more rant. on the french fry facts page:

the first bullet point on the page:
It has always been McDonald's practice to share nutrition and ingredient information with our customers, including facts about our French fries. In the U.S., we consistently communicate this information through in-store posters, wallet-sized cards and various brochures, which offer a wide variety of dietary details.

now, there was a problem recently when vegetarians discoved there was beef flavoring in the french fries. they accused mcd's of not disclosing this fact. the above statement is to tell you how accessible the nutritional information (listing all the ingredients) is. meaning, you must be an idiot if you didn't pick up one of our handy nutrition guides. we know that you want to know just how many fat grams are in that big mac, don't you?

then, at the bottom of the page, the very last bullet point:
Our "McDonald's Nutrition Facts" brochure uses the term "natural flavor" in the ingredient list for French fries. This description is in full compliance with and permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

meaning, "no we didn't explicitly tell you there WASN'T beef in the fries, but all we have to tell you, according to the fda, was that those are natural flavors. so there! we told you. *sticks tounge out*"

i am really pissed about this. so obviously deceptive. they have a hell of an public relations department.

grrrr.

oh, one more:
... Worldwide since 1990, McDonald's has purchased $3 BILLION worth of recycled products for construction, equipment, and packaging.

that means they USED $3 BILLON worth of packaging. which was then thrown away. what was that they were saying about waste reduction? i cannot believe this. honestly cannot.