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I think it's a gimmick. The truth is, corporations don't care. They're all about profit... maybe they are saving energy, but that means they're saving money too, right? So if you think about it, they're really doing it for themselves. Not the environment, they're just advertising it to make themselves look good.

I don't think you can hate Wal Mart without hating anyother big corporation, they're all about making the most profit they can. I am not a hater of these kinds of places though, where would our western society without them?

Agreed. The board members are only concerned getting as much as they can get out of their little company, and if a certain little green action or greenwashing campaign helps line their pockets then they'll certainly do it.

I imagine they're still quite human though. If they are feeling lacking in good karma then they likely donate some of their earnings to charity, or perhaps have a high-ranking position in one of these non-profits (just look at Harrison Ford's relationship with Conservation International, that's awesome). As many horrible things come about through the companies they look over, I suppose the mindset is "business is business", at least they're not doing worse.

I don't see why they would do that though. See the reason people hate Wal Mart isn't because they waste energy. It's because they exploite people. They own sweatshops and export processing zones to avoid taxes and to save money on labour.

I also think that it is a gimmick. Over the past couple of years, as people have begun to raise their voices on environmental awareness, corporations notice. Has anyone here read Fast Food Nation? Although that particular non-fiction book was based off of fast food industries, I find the workings of many industries within America very similar to that of McDonalds and such. Those higher up catch on to the interest of the people, and use those interests to appeal to them to buy their products.

In short, I am frustrated with the amount of power industries have gained throughout our country--those industries including Walmart. However, I do not hate them for it. That is how our society has allowed them to become. If they wish to appeal to the environmentalists of the world then I don't mind. It gets more publicity on the matter out there and hopefully will cause some more people to turn their heads in earth's direction.

I will never support Walmart. Most of the people have already given reasons I would have stated, so I don't want to repeat them. However, in addition to that, the Waltons (the family who owns Walmart) donate less than their employees do to charities. But they lump the sum of the donations so they still get a tax break. [That info was from my Sociology Prof.]

They will not allow unions and will even go as far as closing a whole store if they believe there are talks of unions. (This actually happened in my city.) And why are they so apposed to unions? Well, because then they wouldn't get away with the poor treatment/abuse of their employees. My friend, who worked there for two years, was threated constantly that she would lose her job if her area wasn't cleaned when she left even/especially if that meant working off the clock for no pay. Currently she is one of many with complaints to the labour board.

Plus, you have to take all advertising with a grain of salt. The newest trend in the mass population is "going green"; so of course advertisements will start leaning on that to make some money. A little off topic but my favorite example of corporations doing this is the new Dove commercials boosting woman's "real" natural beauty and that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. What a wonderful empowering message to women, right? Well guess who owns Dove...the same people who own Axe. Axe's commercials show woman as objects to fall to the whims of a nice smelling boy. Conflicting messages, eh? They just realized that playing up self-esteem and "real" beauty could sell.

OH, if you get a chance check out Big Box Mart from JibJab ( http://www.jibjab.com/originals/big_box_mart ). They do an awesome satire on walmart/K-Mart/etc. companies.

Walmart is the ultimate corporate whore.

If it will get you to buy their products they will do it.

That is how they got where they are in the first place.

They were willing to sacrifice their workers(overseas and in america), quality, the environment, etc. etc. to create a cheap product that they could still grow rich off of.

They caught that they had to appear more philanthropic. So they are selling themselves so. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Like the Dow chemical company and it's Human Element campaign.
"We care about people!!" says the company that created napalm, and helped create agent orange. The company that absorbed union carbide and left bhopal. Just because it claims to care about humans, animals, the environment, means nothing until you find real proof.
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