[SustainableTompkins] Walmart Pulls the plug on green initiatives

[Tony Del Plato]

Thanks Joel. Sounds like you not only can take a joke, but I think your
point is well taken. The other point I was considering is that we need to
check where a story comes from. So before we start of foam at the mouth over
this or that, breath deeply and check on sources. Dancin' with the devil?
Yin & yang is what it's about? Those of us who've been around
the environmental/community movements for a while understand and have seen
greenwashing. When Monsanto consults with Jeremy Rifkin about sustainability
and sustainable systems, it didn't take long for Rifkin to withdraw from the
effort because Monsanto was more interested in sustaining profits and
growth, than sustainable, ecological systems (economic, biological, etc)
I'm not a cynical person but it's important to maintain enough skepticism
and to know some history to assess whether bridges are being built for
everyone's benefit, or a beachhead is being established.
Tony Del Plato


On 4/2/07, Joel and Sarah Gagnon <joel.and.sarah.gagnon at lightlink.com>
wrote:
>
> 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."
> >
> >[
> >email<
> http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=4563:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>|
> >discuss<
> http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=4576:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>|
> >+
> >digg<
> http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=4556:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>|
> >+
> >del.icio.us<
> http://lists.grist.org/t?r=2&ctl=455B:7144C8D51A66209C3416CE85A29FC3B4>]
> >
> >
> >*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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-- 
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