Wal-Mart, the environmentalist

Daytrader106, it's clear you know a lot about Wal-Mart, much more than I do I'll admit, but you sing it's praises so highly that I was almost beginning to suspect you might be getting paid to post positive comments about them on websites. Then I realized Wal-Mart doesn't care what people on Current.com think of their store. They get enough business. But it sounds like Wal-Mart has been pretty positive in your life and the lives of people you know, so that's great. I suppose there's good in every evil.

As for the Roman empire, warofthebunny already said it perfectly. I'll only add that the reason any empire falls is because it grows too large to sustain itself. In the case of Rome, it got too large to protect its borders from outside invasion. In the case of the United States, we've got too many people using too much energy from finite resources and once that energy is gone, it's all going down, Wal-Mart included.

when he commented on the roman empire collapsing, i dont think he meant everything would happen exactly as it happened in rome, right down to every last detail. i seriously doubt he believes that america or the world will be suddenly invaded by swarming goth tribes or anything like that. the fall of the roman empire is a well known and obvious event to allude to to make a point. he could have said "collapse like the austro-hungarian empire" but nobody would have known what he was talking about.
but this is all semantics. the point is that everything we base our civilization on is running out, and the whole thing is going to fall down sooner or later. and rome did not fall peacefully.

http://walmartwatch.com/blog/archives/wal_mart_mexico_we_are_not_saints_we_come_...
Walmart can stick some CFL bulbs in their stores and say they are going "green" but it doesn't change what they are. If you put lipstick on a pig you still got a pig. Banco Walmart makes micro loans to unsuspecting Mexican citizens who are uneducated and living in poverty looking to start a business just to stick them with 86% interest rates to take advantage of them. I would say that makes them pigs no matter how they say they are going green. I will never buy ONE thing from Walmart to support their extortion. Also see:http://current.com/items/88798416_the_ugly_side_of_microlending

Kemstone, I thought the "Roman Empire" to collapse would be the U.S. This was your comment "The world's supply of energy is running out and the entire world's economic infrastructure is going to collapse like the Roman empire, only much more rapidly and with more violence. " Question: can you really compare the entire world to the Roman empire? Most of the world doesn't have a class system like our country is turning into.

Wal Mart dosn't have a choice in most states. They have to offer group benifits to their workers "associates".

Most hate it. Just years ago it wa K mart we all talk about. Wal Mart just found a better way.

Sears was king for a long time. Many of us may still have some of that sears stock the grand dad left down to us. What is it worth?

Wal Mart or Kellys cart shop. They all source from the same wholsalers.

I have been to many SMALL time factories in this country as a truck driver. MOST have one customer. Wal Mart. That entertainment center you buy in a box that yoy get to put together. UNION MADE IN THE USA.

I give you a challange. Go to your local walmart. Check 50 items in all differant departments. See if you have more made in the USA or made over seas. You may be supprised.

There is a reason Bentonville AR is a very busy place. I have spent many days in the area when I worked for a trucking company from that area.

Wal Mart is also to the point with a large C-21 fleet to put it sells reps and buyers on large com airlines. No more flying 4-10 folks to a area on their own jets. It wastes to much fuel.

Lee Scott, is doing his job. Taking care of the share holders.

In Belleville Illinois about 14 miles from me. We have a older greeter. She holds 2.7 million in Wal Mart stock. She is low paid. Only 1 buck over min wage. Yet think about his. Her stock holdings are public info as they are held by her. With voting rights. What do you think her 401k is worth? No one knows. Mary Aldrich. At the end of the day Mary will do her normal stop to pick up soda and beer cans on the side of the road.

She dosn't have too. Just she lived in times when if you didn't you were not very predent.

Wal Mart has more Millionairs working for them then any other company.

do not even try the wal mart putting small biz out of work. The facts just do not support this.

Example. Highland Illinois. When the Wal Mart Corp closed their small store and built a new supper center.

My unkles True Value store went broke. Yet he was able to buy land very close to the supper center and built a strip mall that has 8 franchise companies in it. Wal Mart made him a instant milliionair. Yes, he and his wife lost their 30 year company, but now they have a game stop, hollywood tan, UPS Store, Dominoes Pizza and a Blimpie Sub shop. They went from employing 5 folks to emplying 24.

The Old Wal Mart Store is no longer even a look alike. It is a RP lumber with a small strip mall.

MOST time a Wal Mart comming to a area is a great thing. Look nation wide. Find me a majority were it hase caused job loss or LESS wages. Most communities hate the idea of having to compete with the beast offering a fair to over fair wage. Health insurance AS THEY ARE REQUIRED BY LAW (all pre existing conditions taken per law)

Please show these job losses. There is a reason wal Mart is the number 1 employer and largest employer.

I was doubtfull as well. Till the wife went to work for them at iver 12 bucks a hour full time YEARS ago.

Think about this. If you have cancer. Wal Mart hires you. You get to buy the CHEAP health insurance. Now try to get health insurance while not employed there with Cancer.

You're right about a few things, wiggler, but you're wrong that Wal-Mart is not going away. The world's supply of energy is running out and the entire world's economic infrastructure is going to collapse like the Roman empire, only much more rapidly and with more violence.

But yes, these stores are neither inherently good nor evil, and it's just their profit-at-all-costs motivation that can really be called evil. As for their CEOs having seen the light, I don't buy it. Anyone that high up on the food chain knows it's all going down no matter what energy-saving policies they put into effect. It's all about putting as much money into their own pockets before the crunch.

AndySF and daytrader106 had a good point about energy-saving methods also saving money, so clearly this is a win-win for them.

But as for daytrader's question: "If Wal Mart is so bad to its employees. How come there are so many that have worked witht hem for over 20 year? Why when a new supper Center opens do they get on adverage over 2 thousand job applicants?"

The answer is because people are struggling to earn a living, and Wal-Mart is hiring. It's not like these people are just waiting around for a Wal-Mart to open so they can finally begin their dream career. And people work with them for over 20 years because what else are they gonna do? Most people are pretty content earning slave wages when the alternative is poverty and homelessness.

As for the medical benefits, lots of corporations provide those because it's a very effective way to keep your slaves...er...employees from quitting. "We feed you, we clothe you, and we pay for your doctor. You can't leave us!"

And as for the rest of their eco-friendliness, it can all be reduced to what brings in the biggest profits and keeps that stock climbing. If that happens to also help the environment in whatever small, relatively insignificant way, that's great, but I'm not about to overlook the fact that they are a giant, profit-driven (and therefore evil) corporation that we'd be better off without.

Stores are neither good, nor evil. It's the profit potential inside and the cost-cutting that goes on that we don't like.

It doesn't really matter in the short run, but how about the long run? One has to think of stores in 20-25 year lifespans such that the ones that were begun in the 80's and 90's are soon to either get scrapped or converted to other types of stores. The super-stores, on the other hand, will be far too expensive to refit right away, but a little bit goes a long way. Retrofitted AC systems, lighting, and more efficient plumbing will do immense good to the community at large by pulling the stores off the grid. It's a long-term project, but at least the Waltons and CEO Scott Glass have seen the light.

Wal-Mart is -not- going away folks, so we're going to have to get used to the idea of them expanding globally. The good point is that they're basically done with expanding into the U.S. market (except the West Coast, let's hope they stay away for now...) and the older stores that aren't so profitable are likely to go belly up anyways. Sunrise, sunset, life goes on.

why is everyone overstepping the main issue, which is that wal-mart is a horrible corporation that does horrible things to people and the planet and that until they collapse they are still a threat to everyone and everything. it doesnt matter if they're any tiny minuscule bit less of a threat, and this 25% less energy bullshit is truly insignificant in the long run, the fact remains that they've stepped on and successfully destroyed most of the competition (privately owned businesses in their way) just so they can sell us their version of crap the world over.
so yes, good for wal-mart for pretending to be eco-friendly. hooray. can we start blowing them up now?

Okay now. Let's see how the math works out on this one.

One thousand people lose their jobs due to a WalMart store opening in their part of the county. WalMart will build four of those stores to use 25% less energy.

So far, it's good for WalMart, more economical operation means more net profit.

Let's see. Those people who lost their jobs, now they gotta go looking for work. Increased gas and oil consumption. If they don't work for WalMart that is. Other small businesses in the region will also be affected, more so the closer to impact, so the job seekers, assuming they find other jobs, will likely have to accept jobs further away from home increasing the length of their commute.

So here's the formula:

W(4-25%) = $$$$ for WalMart = XPeople(Increased Commute Time) = Y Net Increased Use of Terrorist Funding Crude Oil

Greenwashing.... its when something is made to look green, so the title can be used as a marketing strategy.

Also, If Wal Mart is so bad to its employees. How come there are so many that have worked witht hem for over 20 year? Why when a new supper Center opens do they get on adverage over 2 thousand job applicants?

When My wife started at the Highland Il Wal Mart in 2004. I was shocked when they started her full time 40+ hours a week at $12.55 a hour WITH medical benifits for her and I at only 30 bucks a week. These were cheaper and better then I had as working as a teamster.

Wal Mart is the leader in enviromental savings. Its in their best interest to save on their energy and waste.

All their trucks have APU's on them saving millions of gallons a fuel a year.

They are the second largest recylers behind Ahnyser Bush.

Wal Mart has added new heating and cooling tech to their new stores. Many Stores in Arizona and New Mexico now have solar pannels on them.

While some would say they are trying to look green and such. Its a simple matter of saving them selves money.

But Kemstone, the whole point of using less energy is to save $. So while I agree that this is basically a glorified PR move, I think that we shouldn't assume that equipping a few stores to use less energy is simply a cost being weighed against the benefit of good publicity. In the long run, buildings that use less energy will save their owners money.

hmmm seems to me thats 4 more stores still emitting some level of CO2. I say we go into walsmart, past the electronics section, and smash their mirrors! Or loot 'em.

Four stores that use 25% less energy? Well, I guess that should just about solve the problem, won't it?

I'm going to be really condescending now, because I think it's called for in this situation (and it's just fun to act like a superior asshole), but this is what's called a MARKETING STRATEGY. Consumers like it when corporations are good to their workers and good to the environment. Since Wal-Mart is not good to their workers, and may be losing just a little bit of business for it, they come up with a plan to make a hollow gesture to the environmental movement, like building a few stores with a bit more energy-efficiency. Then go on what's called PUBLIC-RELATIONS CAMPAIGN to try and convince the world that they are a good and virtuous corporation that cares more about the planet than profit.

But that's not really what's happening. You see, corporations do what's called a COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS before making any decisions. And you can bet your life savings that FOUR stores using TWENTY-FIVE percent less energy will cost them less money than they expect to earn from increased business due to their environmentally friendly image.

That is nice but what are they going to do about the people in China working for them for less than minimum wage?

http://www.walmartmovie.com/