greenspace

Wal-Mart has gone green. As least, that’s what they want you to believe on their website.”Together we can make a difference. 200 million shoppers = a world of change.”It sounds so gleeful. Imagine all 200 million Wal-Mart shoppers holding hands across the world, swaying in love and singing in admiration. Oh, benevolent Wal-Mart, how you are helping us save the planet.This is a textbook example of corporate greenwashing. On Wal-Mart’s website is a list of “10 Simple Steps to Save Money and Make a Difference.” They suggest:- “Whenever possible, walk or ride your bike.- “Recycle as many items as possible so they can be reused to make other things.”All good suggestions, but Wal-Mart is no authority in environmentalism. Imagine walking or riding a bike to Wal-Mart. Half of your trip will involve hoofing it through the massive parking lot.You can accuse me of being biased. I don’t like Wal-Mart. I prefer to support independent stores owned by people I can actually say hi to. But then, does anyone for a second really believe Wal-Mart is an environmental steward?Most of what they produce is made in China for cheap. Are these factories under strict environmental regulations? Why do they insist on outsourcing in the first place? Imagine the cost of shipping all their goods from Asia to North America.How about the construction of Wal-Mart? What kinds of material do they build with? Think of how much green space they remove by building their own store and paving that huge parking lot.I could go on and on… I trust the average reader is too smart for Wal-Mart’s tactics. Sure, it’s nice they sell organic nursing pillows. But does it really mean anything? Can’t a local store, housed in a pre-existing building, sell the same thing at a lesser cost to the environment? I think so.

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