Don't Believe Wal-Mart's "Green" Hype

Interesting column from the Iowa City Press-Citizen:

The reports of Wal-Mart's green business model are greatly exaggerated.

Three weeks ago, Wal-Mart unveiled a new Earth Month "merchandising and marketing campaign" in an official press release. While Wal-Mart claims the marketing blitz "takes 'going green' mainstream," the campaign's keystone is a massive buy of print advertisements, weighing in at nearly one-third of a billion pages.

I don't believe a mountain of wasted wood pulp celebrates the spirit of Earth Day. Wal-Mart's recent ad buy flies in the face of its promise to produce "zero waste." It seems clear that Wal-Mart's "Earth Month" promotion is just one symptom of a broader problem. Wal-Mart is greenwashing, and it is getting away with it.

In spite of all the "green" hype at Wal-Mart, the company's business model presents serious environmental shortfalls. The long-anticipated Wal-Mart sustainability report cited a significant global increase in CO2 emission in conference; Wal-Mart's CEO Lee Scott flatly declared "we are not green" to an audience of economists. Despite these facts, Wal-Mart continues to generate positive headlines with its enviro-marketing.

I agree with Scott. Wal-Mart is not a green company. I, for one, would welcome a serious investigation of Wal-Mart's performance as a steward of the environment.

They are bad for America.

It treats most of its employees horribly.

It supports China's economy, and kills America's economy by putting other businesses out of business.

It forces its suppliers to lower their profits, which forces them to cut back instead of expand.

You don't save money. What you spend at Wal-Mart winds up back in China, improving its economy. Demand for gasoline in China is soaring, and the government over there has a fixed cap on what gas can be sold for, so there's no motivation to economize.

So, what you save in the store you spend at the gas pump.

JUST SAY NO TO WAL-MART.

Andy -- I completely agree with everything you said. Wal-Mart is un-American. I'm actually working with web site and see if you're interested in signing up!

Gore praises Wal-Mart on environment
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13840755

Former Vice President Al Gore on Wednesday praised Wal-Mart for a newfound focus on environmental sustainability, saying the retailer showed there is no conflict between the environment and the economy.

“I believe that this kind of commitment is so important that the rest of the world is likely to be listening and learning,” Gore told an auditorium of more than 800 Wal-Mart employees, suppliers and outside experts who are advising the company.

Chief Executive Lee Scott last October said Wal-Mart would become a leader in sustainability, with three goals: reducing waste to zero, moving toward using only renewable energy and offering more products made in a way that preserves the environment.