Possession, they say, is nine-tenths of the law. While the bear market grips Wall Street by the neck, investors have turned tail. Many wonder about Corporate America's commitment to our economy and society.

We've witnessed capitalism without conscience - dirty air and undrinkable water, tainted food and polluted playgrounds, defective products and health care that hurts. Is it time for something more?

While government wrangles over how to make business belly up to the bar, many companies are already putting their money where their mouths are.

• Ford Motor Company's new Dearborn, Michigan, plant is an innovative model of environmental design.
  
  
• Home Depot now offers lumber from sustainably managed forests, thanks largely to consumer demand.
  
  
• Chicago's Center for Green Technology turned a dumpsite building into a conservation flagship.

Stockholders and stakeholders alike are clamoring for corporate transparency. Yet few companies disclose labor and environmental records to the Securities and Exchange Commission as required - key indicators, say industry watchers, of business integrity. Corporate accountability, say many, is about more than math. Social and environmental records affect corporations' ability to compete, profit, and reap rewards for shareholders. More and more investors are including companies with conscience in their portfolios.

Can we move beyond punishing corporations for bad behavior by supporting those who do the right thing for all stakeholders? Does a socially responsible business ethos make for better corporate citizens while also boosting the bottom line?