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Corporations gloss over the fact that "green" or "sustainable" encompasses more than the end product you sell. Wal-Mart is built on the big box sprawl concept of American living, which is inherently nonsustainable. It couldn't operate in a buy only what you need, when you need (and focus on things that do not need to be shipped long distances for you to own them), and walk home from the store world. Most people can't live like that right now, anyway, and using renewable energy and discounting energy-saving products may result in a net positive, it doesn't make Wal-Mart any less part of the problem that prevents them from living that way.

Go lizaboo. Walmart ruins communities. I've heard stories of them moving in until all the local businesses are forced to close and then closing their store so people have to drive for over half an hour to shop. Also, they are notorious union busters. Even their large parking lots are damaging to the environmnet. These "eco" measures are fine, but they don't begin to compensate for the many many ways that Walmart is bad for the ecology and for people in general.

It kind of reminds me of Exxon paying to clean up after their oil spill from the Valdeez in Alaska. It's nice they did, but wouldn't it have been nicer to prevent the accident in the first place?

lizaboo you may have a totally valid point and i have plently of my own ill feelings toward walmart but since we know Walmart is not going away any time soon isn't any effort made to counter their impact a step in the right direction?

i'm less interested in the stores selling more organic produce and discounted weather stripping and more interested in Walmart paying more attention to the impact the physical store has on the environment. the huge possiblities to have a percentage of the stores power come from solar energy (they defintely have massive roofs that could support a system); installing parking lots with pervious surfaces; stop providing customers with plastic bags; and so on...

The vast majority of Wal-Mart's products come from China. How is that environmentally friendly in the least?

Selling organic products is one thing, but will anyone *buy* them? It seems like Wal-Mart's customer base does not include people who are interested in organic products in the least.

Incidentally, I'm in the middle of watching the documentary "The High Cost of Low Prices." It's heartbreaking, and I haven't even gotten to the part about Wal-Mart's effects on the environment yet.

The fact of the matter is that big box stores and imported products from China are inevitable and are deeply embedded into the American psyche. We are entitled to low prices. As such, regardless of how we feel about Wal Mart and their business practices, they are here to stay.

That being said, I think "greening" their stores is better than doing absolutely nothing, which is what 99.999% of the other retailers are doing. And the magnitude of Wal Mart is significant enough to actually produce a tangible change. Now, if they can only make good on their exploration of selling electric cars, etc.

"But DeWilde isn't thrilled. Instead, he's dismayed at the prospect of Wal-Mart becoming a player in the organic market. He fears that the company will use its market strength to drive down prices and hurt U.S. farmers. 'Wal-Mart has the reputation of beating up on its suppliers,' says DeWilde. 'I certainly don't see 'selling at a lower price' as an opportunity.' "
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/mar2006/nf20060329_6971.htm

This is the very first thought I had just over a year ago when I heard Wal-Mart was entering the organic market.

This will be used as an argument for choosing local over organic certified in the future. Imagine the scale of producer necessary to keep up with Wal-Mart's demand. We're talking about factory farms. Factory farms with a government stamp that says "certified organic."

As far as greening the stores goes, they'd be stupid not to. The government pays you back for your investment right? I can't afford solar panels, Wal-Mart can and they'll be rewarded for it. I can't afford my own wind machines, Wal-Mart can and they'll be rewarded for it. Wal-Mart can change all their bulbs to CFL's and get an incentive whether CFL's are actually better or not (they don't care).
Wal-Mart can afford to sell organic because they'll have the producers by the balls.

So, I may be a bit cynical but I truly don't believe Wal-Mart is doing this because they're "good folks" trying to do a good thing for the people and the globe. They are a corporation that happens to use the government to make money at the expense of people and the globe.

Walmart sucks no matter how they label it...

Thanks so much for the link!

I think skepticism is always in order with these kinds of developments, and agree that Wal-Mart's not out of the woods in terms of its record on environmental and social concerns. With that said, I tend to agree with hejiranyc's comment: these are steps in the right direction, and the potential ripple effect is huge. Now, we have to watch closely and critically...

@art: I'm not sure that their motivation really matters... any corporation is going to make changes primarily when a business case exists for doing so. There is a business case for corporate greening, and we should be making it more...

@mmaden: Who better than Wal-Mart to educate its shoppers about organic products? As a dyed-in-the-wool treehugger, I'm a little disappointed that we environmentalists don't do more to reach out to the "Wal-Mart demographic." We'll only be successful, though, if we show them how green living (including organic foods) fits into their own values systems, rather than writing them off because they don't think like we do. If they're not receptive to the environmental argument, how about the health and safety aspects? These folks have families, too. We don't necessarily need everyone to think like us; we definitely need them to act in more environmentally responsible ways, though, and we'll achieve that more efficiently by showing them how "green" fits their values. The arguments are there... we've just got to make them.

Good luck Jeff McIntire-Strasburg.

Keep in mind, this is the same demographic that drives by an organic field and laughs at it because there's all kinds of weeds and the corn is about 2 feet high while their fields are nice orderly rows of 6 foot corn stalks.

I don't think anyone should ever be written off but the education needs to start before the local Wal-Mart. The education needs to start in a learning environment not in a corporate environment. Like at home and in school.

SFGail - you are right about WalMart ruining communities.

I bought a little place in Long Beach about 4 1/2 years ago. The neighborhood was up and coming and there were cute little consignment and antique stores about.

Then WalMart opened and the area went downhill so fast nobody even knew what hit them. The charming stores have moved. Even the Express and Bath and Body Works that had been there for a decade moved out and their spaces have remained empty for over 2 years now. The smaller shops have been replaced by fitness suppliment stores, cheap suit and shoe stores and an "Adult" store that accosts me with flyers everytime I walk past.

There was someone shot and killed at that WalMart and about a year ago I actually had two cops pull their guns on some men just as I was walking past.

Everytime I see WalMart's commercial about how they helped the Long Beach community, I feel sick.

They will have to do a lot more then some faux PR attempt at going green to ever change my opinion of them.