Vancouver Asks Wal-Mart to Design Green
by TreeHugger 
on 04. 1.05
Here's something that would be quite interesting, if Wal-Mart took to the idea.
The City of Vancouver has told Wal-Mart that their store is not environmentally friendly enough for the city, and sent the retailer back to the drawing board. Wal-Mart hired architect Peter Busby to come up with a new plan, in order to satisfy Vancouver's requirements.
Busby's architecture firm, located in Vancouver, is well known for their work in sustainable development. According to CTV Canada, Busby has spent two years on the design, and says "there's nothing like this in North America". Busby claims his green design will allow the store to use one-third of the energy required by a regular Wal-Mart. Windmills will generate power and underground wells will heat and cool the building. Skylights will replace lamps in the store, and water will be collected from the rooftop for store use. Busby says: "There will be no lights on during the daytime all year. That saves a lot of energy."
Still, others in Vancouver are cautious about allowing Wal-Mart to build in the city, citing the problems with pollution and congestion that the store may create. One councillor, Anne Roberts, says: "This city wants to be a city of neighborhoods; to get away from the car."
Busby, however is optimistic, about his design and says: "They're a very thrifty company. If this proves to be cheaper to run, who knows, maybe they'll change their approach to lots of different stores."
:: Busby and Associates :: More information: Article in Vancouver Courier
[By Justin Thomas]
Follow @TreeHugger on Twitter & get our headlines with @TH_rss!
Thirsty for more? Check out these related articles:
- Surf Green with Eco-Friendly Surf Gear
- 7 Ways the Troubled Automotive Industry Could Change Your Car and Your Commute
- Top 10 Things to Bring On Your Cross-Country Bus Trip
- Your Old Cutting Board = Perfect Country-esque Wall Art
- Zero Waste—The Newest Eco-Fashion Innovation?
- Green Your Bikini Waxing Routine with Soy, Pine Sap and Organic Bikini Wax
This article touches on a very good point. Thriftness. All companies want to save money and a lot of green ideas and procedures save you money at the same time. Like large skylights in factories to save money on lighting during the day. I would really like to see what comes out of this.
If they must build it, it should be an example to the company and other box stores that conservation can be used. The picture shows a well tree lined parking area. That is better than the parking areas that are at most walmarts.
This is a classic example of green-washing. While Wal-Mart talks about building this “green” store in Vancouver, it insists on building a store on sensitive riparian habitat not too far away in Campbell River, BC.
It should also be pointed out that Wal-Mart rejected some of the engineering plans that would have made the store even more energy efficient.
The windmills are also a joke. There is not enough wind in this part of the city to power current wind mill technology efficiently. City planners have already rejected the use of windmills in southeast False Creek for that very reason.
Many of us in Vancouver hope that Vancouver will remain a “Wal-Mart Free Zone.”
Walmart is a scurge. They will drive all your local mom and pop shops and family owned business' s under and in the process increase your national trade imbalance by selling cheap crap made in sweat shops in China,etc. Next they will finance right wing lunatics in your local and national elections to further champion their agenda. They wont stop until they own it and control it all. If you want to become a slave and destroy any semblance of self determination and quality in your way of life then by all means invite them in.
WALMART GREEN?...ISN'T THAT THE BIGGEST CONTRADICTION...BUT I GUESS THIS WHOLE YEAR HAS BEEN ONE BIG CONTRADICTION...MONEY=POWER...WALMART HAS $$...THEY DO BUY UP GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY MOVE IN...MAKE NO MISTAKES, THEY ARE ALL ABOUT PRESIDENT BUSHES VISION OF DEMOCRACY...AS MUCH AS HALLIBURTON IN IRAQ...WON'T IT BE FUNNY WHEN THERE ARE 3 BIG COMPANIES AND EVERYBODY HAS TO WORK FOR THEM?...
Your caps lock button is located right next the letter A and above the shift button. Make sure it's not on next time. Really, I'm taking the announcement with a grain of salt.
As the big Gorrilla in the retail jungle, WM holds the key to driving all the other lessor retailers to follow suit, hopefully in an even better (LEEDS certified) manner. For perspective, mom and pop shops will never go green. They simply do not have the resources and there is no motivation if they already have a store.
To survive the coming crisis of Peak Oil, society needs radical transformation. ANything that drives it is a good start. WM will not last forever. Remember Sears Roebuck? Montgomery Ward. They retailed a generation. Wards now gone entirely and Sears almost toast.
Think locally, think ahead, then think globally.
I think it's to laugh, everyone getting on their high horse about Wal-Mart. You never see anyone else bitching about any other store in town in that manner - making it environmentally friendly. Give me a break. It will bring prosperity to the area it's in, add a little bit of traffic as well - which considering I live near the very busy Marine Drive, it's already got traffic, so folks complaining about pollution - check it at the door. More people in the area shopping would benefit mom and pop stores as well. The only customers who go into those places now are locals. Enough said.
Hearings began tonight on the Vancouver WalMart store (see previous post). The architect involved tried to claim that the wind turbines would generate power. One of the experts they consulted has told me:
“...and my reports keep telling them there isn't enough wind. But Wal-Mart seems to feel their power extends to the weather. The rest of us realize we can't change the weather. I have insisted that it will be a very poor choice to install turbines at a site where they will be standing still most of the time. They remain firm in their belief that they do want the turbines. It's certainly a greenwash on their part.”
Hello , we live in Campbell river where Wal-Mart want to build a store on the Campbell river Estuary. Tonight, Monday and tuesday, Wednesday we are into the public hearings and then council votes on July 4th. We are fighting a giant, we have always said to them that we are not against them coming into town, but not on this site, well, they want this site and no other, we have Bald Eagles , more than 120 waterfowl, plants that are not found any where else along our shore line , as this is a area where salt water meets fresh water> Do they care, NO IN ANYWAY. they want to have a parking lot of 7 acres, and tonight we are in for the fight of our lives, DO NOT LET THIS BOX STORE INTO DOWNTOWN VANCOUVER,we wish you luck with your fight as I am sure you do us. Thank you.
from:
http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=bc_wal-mart20050628
Wal-Mart rejected
Last updated Jun 28 2005 06:02 PM PDT
CBC News
Vancouver city council has voted 8-3 against a proposal for a 143,000-square-foot store that would have been the city's first Wal-Mart
City councillor Anne Roberts, who has led the fight against the store, told council that approving the application went against everything the city is trying to do to create neighbourhood centres.
She said it would have also meant thousands more car trips and created more air pollution.
"This is a monster store. It's 262,00 square feet of development, and it's the first of what could be seven more stores on an incredibly large scale."