From Business Week comes this tantalizing tale of using dubious green credits (carbon offsets) that companies tout to make themselves look better to the enviros. See the story here. Then comes the observation that, uh, oh, Walmart leads the pack. Sorry Sam. Sorry Randy.
Amid the overheated claims, some corporations have made legitimate environmental gains. Wal-Mart Stores (WMT ) helped spark the market for energy-saving fluorescent bulbs by giving them top billing, even though incandescent bulbs are more profitable. Office Depot overhauled lighting and energy in more than 600 stores, contributing to the company's real 10% decline in releases of heat-trapping gases. Dow Chemical (DOW ) and DuPont (DD ) have significantly trimmed their actual emission levels. But there is still reason to worry about long-term commitment. Dow says it invested $1 billion to help achieve reductions of 19% between 1994 and 2005.
So called REC's (renewable energy credits) have found a critic in the Aspen Skiing Environmental Director who says that "REC's have as much effect on the development of new renewable-energy projects as would trading rocks, IOUs or pinecones."
Friday, October 19, 2007
Inconvenient Truth: Walmart Greener than Most
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3 comments:
I am convinced that these companies only do what makes them the most profit.
Anything they do for the environment, is only for the benefits associated with claiming they are doing something for the environment.
It is like the boxes, that are not dyed, except for just enough ink to write in large letter, that the box is not dyed for the sake of the environment.
I am not boycotting WalMart anymore anyway. I am not boycotting China anymore either.
I have decided to boycott plastic (except recycled plastic).
I think that plastic is going to kill us before excess carbon dioxide does.
At least we have a clue about how to deal with the carbon dioxide, we can plant more trees.
But plastic won't break down any further than these tiny microscopic plastic balls, that are showing up in the oceans at alarming rates, and clogging up the digestive tracts of fish.
I used to be angry with WalMart for bullying RubberMaid (my 2nd favorite plastic products company, 2nd only to Lego which is my favorite plastic product).
I'm with you on the Legos. Legos rock.
I don't think that pluralizing Lego is correct.
Is it a set of Lego, a Lego set, a set of Lego pieces or a set of Legos? (I noticed my FireFox spell checker detected Legos as incorrect, but not Lego. It also detected FireFox as incorrect, how interesting.)
I guess it is moot.
Have you seen the new catalog, so many tempting items.
Their ferris wheel is so much better than the one I built several years ago (and still have assembled).
Actually I am looking at some of those special pieces, in the Ferris Wheel, thinking how I can improve my Carousel design with them.
They finally came out with the cute Lego brick back pack in Pink, and it isn't plastic, so I can buy it.
I can't boycott plastic anyway, that is much more difficult than boycotting China, which is more difficult than boycotting Walmart.
I need a new approach.
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