[SustainableTompkins] Walmart Pulls the plug on green initiatives

[Joel and Sarah Gagnon]

Had me fooled. Just goes to show how quick we are to believe the bad about 
each other, even if the "other" is a corporate entity. Below is what I 
wrote in response to the original post. I think it is worth sharing because 
my point about supporting behavior we agree with is worth thinking about.

Pity. I was starting to change my opinion of Wal-Mart. Considering the lack 
of support they got from much of the environmental community, though (they 
were accused of "greenwashing", currying favor just to polish their image) 
is anyone surprised? If there is any lesson in this, I think it is that 
good behavior should be encouraged and supported if we want to see more of 
it. Attacking motives is counterproductive. Moreover, none of us is sinless 
and the moral universe is not black and white, but rather shades of grey. 
For my part, I look to cooperate with anyone when I can agree with them 
about something. Some call it dancing with the devil. I call it building 
bridges.

Joel

At 05:51 PM 4/1/07 -0400, you wrote:
>*Sale Ends Today!*
>*Wal-Mart pulls the plug on green initiatives*
>
>Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott, who announced a high-profile series of green
>corporate initiatives last year, has now ... taken them back. Citing high
>costs, Scott yesterday announced that Wal-Mart is canceling most of its
>sustainability programs, shifting its truck fleet back to diesel (from
>biofuels), shuttering its experimental hyper-efficient stores, and pulling
>organic products from its shelves. The only remaining evidence of Wal-Mart's
>much-ballyhooed green makeover will be -- you guessed it -- light bulbs.
>"We're keeping the compact fluorescents. Those are pretty cheap," said
>Scott. "The rest of the stuff we tried was too expensive. In the end, our
>customers value low prices more than sustainability, and at Wal-Mart, we
>listen to our customers."
>
>[ 
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>
>
>*straight to the source:* *The Wall Street
>Journal*<http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=4573:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>,
>Kevin Ryan, 01 Apr 2007
>
>
>*straight to the source:* *The New York
>Times*<http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=4572:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>,
>Dan Bogden, 01 Apr 2007
>
>
>
>--
>And the time came when the risk
>to remain tight in a bud
>was more painful than the risk
>it took to blossom- Anais Nin
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