Climate Technology

Companies that green their supply chains can find savings galore

How many light bulbs does it take to change a supply chain? In the case of Baxter Healthcare Corp., just three. When Jenni Cawein, manager of corporate environmental health and safety engineering at the Illinois-based $9.8 billion health-care giant, arrived six years ago, she saw that the company was losing ground on waste. “I asked […]

Dispatch from a green-themed gathering of Wal-Mart execs

I write from a quarterly meeting of Wal-Mart managers and execs, focused on implementing CEO H. Lee Scott's eco-friendly vision. (For more on that vision, see my interview with Scott.)  

I never dreamed I'd find myself feeling anything but depressed after a day of immersive conference activities at Wal-Mart headquarters in Bentonville, Ark. But now that I'm here, I'm feeling decidedly optimistic.

Granted, I was a tad creeped out when the 800-plus members of the audience erupted in a Wal-Mart chant that involved much gesticulating, grunting, sky-punching, and the like. ("Give me a W ... A ... L ... etc. ... What does that spell? ... Who do we love? ...")

But generally speaking, there's a lot of hopeful news to report. More details will be forthcoming in next week's Muckraker, but here's a snapshot with a few highlights:

California Connected on organic and Wal-Mart

A nifty PBS show called California Connected recently did a special on organic food, focusing on Wal-Mart's decision to get into the organic-food market. It's unusually substantive and thoughtful (at least relative to cable tv fare). Check it out.

Al goes to Wal-Mart

Several blogs have noted this item about Al Gore addressing the upcoming quarterly meeting on sustainability at Wal-Mart. Apparently Rich Cizik, Adam Werbach, and some other eco-luminaries will be there as well, and some fairly significant stuff is going to be announced.

Our very own Amanda Griscom Little will be reporting from the scene. In the meantime, read her interview with Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott, and to wash that corporate taste right out of your pristine progressive mouth, follow it up with this InterActivist with anti-Wal-Mart activist Al Norman.

What if the world cared about sustainability as much as soccer?

Over the last few weeks, much of the world has clustered around TVs, watching World Cup rivals fight for the right to hoist what may be the ugliest trophy in sport. Inevitable arguments have broken out over who ought to win, and who invented “the beautiful game.” As we head toward the final match this […]

All’s Wells That Lends Well

Big banks sign on to stricter environmental and social guidelines Big financial institutions are increasingly talking green — and some of them might even mean it. Forty-one lenders from around the world, including Citigroup and J. P. Morgan Chase, have signed on to the three-year-old Equator Principles, which call for investment projects to avoid harming […]

What do you mean I can’t sell my gold-plated ivory-billed woodpecker?

As Google continues its march towards global domination with the launch of Google Checkout, Gristmillers can sleep soundly tonight knowing that the following prohibited items can't be sold/bought via the new service:

Endangered species: Plants, animals or other organisms (including product derivatives) in danger of extinction

Precious metals: Bulk sales of rare, scarce, or valuable metals

The fact the former has to be listed is depressing. Luckily it will be a four-day weekend for Grist to lift the spirits!

Two Steps Back

Ford backs out on hybrid pledge, plans more alt-fuel vehicles Remember Ford’s much-hyped commitment to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles by 2010? Er, about that: CEO Bill Ford Jr. backpedaled on the promise Wednesday. While not abandoning hybrids altogether, he said Ford’s focus (ha) is shifting (ha ha) to cars that can run on alternative fuels […]

Well Aisle Be

Whole Foods unveils initiatives to boost local and compassionate farming Whole Foods Market, the fast-growing natural-foods purveyor, has announced a series of initiatives that would support small, local farms and improve treatment of animals. In an open letter to food writer Michael Pollan, who has criticized Whole Foods for relying on “industrial organic” farms, CEO […]

Bad Vibrations

Seismic movement could assist in oil production Like so much else in this crazy world, earthquakes are bad for you but potentially good for oil companies. Seismic shaking appears to increase permeability of underground rocks, leading to easier oil flow. “[T]his has practical implications for oil extraction,” says University of California scientist Emily Brodsky, who […]