Wal-Mart Makes Hefty California Forest Purchase
by Mairi Beautyman, Berlin, Germany 
on 05. 3.06
Last month, we told you about the retail giant's purchase of green power in Canada, and we told you about the green roof sprouting in Chicago. But, yep, Wal-Mart, the company some treehuggers love to hate, has more green news. With a $1 million grant to the Pacific Forest Trust and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and a $7.3 million acquisition, the retail giant has purchased over 9,000 acres of commercial forests in California. Serving more than 250 species of wildlife and located in the Klamath-Cascade region, the McCloud forestlands will link two million acres of protected lands near the towns of McCloud and Ponderosa, according to press material. Now what does this mean exactly? Chances are the move comes in part, due to a lack of conservation funds.
When large blocks of land go on the market, perhaps due to dire financial situation of the U.S.-owned forest products sector, conservation organizations just don’t have enough backing to take on all the land. Here steps in the wealthy international corporations.
The transaction is the largest working forest conservation easement granted by a private forest owner in the state and first to include lands owned and managed by a major commercial timberland interest, Wal-Mart says.
In the long run, these lands will remain protected and undeveloped. Other than public recreation and outdoor pursuits (fishing, hiking), and the continuation of sustainable timber harvests—which help drive the local economy—conservation continues. This bigwig may be jumping on the green bandwagon, but if others follow....we really can't complain. (Thanks go to TreeHugger's John Laumer for help with this one) ::Wal-Mart
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I'm shopping at Wal-Mart now.
Im not..
WOW, that's really cool. I wonder when Exxon is going to get in on the game?
I live in Louisiana, and Exxon/Mobile just sponsered our Earth Day Festival. I wanted to cry.
It's very hard to trust that Wal-Mart's intentions are even remotely altruistic.
"It's very hard to trust that Wal-Mart's intentions are even remotely altruistic."
Indeed, though to play devil's advocate (ha!), I'd say that such a large corporation is not a monolithic entity and that within it there must be a large number of eco-conscious individuals.
It is necessary to let big corporations know (and take action) when they do bad things, but it is also important to let them know when they are taking steps in the right direction (to encourage them to take more).
Of course, one good deed shouldn't make anyone forget about the rest. But *it is* possible for people and corporations to change (otherwise, what are we doing here?).
In this case, I'd say: "Lets wait and see - with a healthy dose of skepticism - what concrete things they do."
As much as people love to hate Wal-Mart, they've done some remarkable things for a range of communities all over the country. I spend a lot of time in a rural area and, as much as people sy they "hate" to shop there, the lot is always full. The reality is WalMart is often the only open source of stuff you need when you need it, and it's always cheaper. Just this last weekend, I needed more of a particular grass seed. I went out at 1pm on Saturday to get it. The two local nurseries and the two local ag supply stores were already closed by the time I got to town and didn't open again until Monday. The local hardware store in my area was out. Wal-Mart had it in stock, was open and charged $10 less a bag than the hardware store would have charged if they had had it in the first place. It's hard to shop local and "socially responsible" when no other stores are there to give consumers what they want: convenience and low prices.
It's hard to shop local and "socially responsible" when no other stores are there to give consumers what they want: convenience and low prices.
If America ever dies, its epitaph will read "We Sold for Less". A yellow smiley-face headstone would be fitting as well.
?
Most regular readers of TH fully understand why Wal-Mart is so popular with consumers.
That is not the point.
The point is that, no matter how many small green steps these guys make, the business model this company has set up is doing more to damage America's likelihood of ever forming truly sustainable business systems for our collective future, than any other single company in the West.
Setting up a green roof, selling organic foods, buying some forest - all very respectable green-biz deeds.
But none of them, singularly or collectively, can change the bottom line issue. For that to happen, Wal Mart would need to make some very serious changes in their sourcing, shipping, stocking, labor, building, and pricing policies.
Let's face it - it is not easy being TRULY GREEN. This is the great challenge for modern business.
Scottla,
IMO, the desire for "convenience and low prices" is precisely the problem.
If you want to save the world, some personal sacrifice must be made. And if that means leaving the house before noon on a saturday so I can make it to the local nursery, then so be it. And if the fullness and greeness of my lawn means that much to me, then it's worth the extra 10 bones.
And if by "remarkable things for a range of communities all over the country" you mean relieving local small business owners of the obligation to open their failing stores for business - then I'm with you. Those poor souls need some more sleep anyway.
"truly sustainable business systems for our collective future"
Okay that's an oxymoron. Sustainable businesses sustain themselves, those that don't are deemed unsustainable business models. In capitalism you adapt or die, same as in nature.
I believe in the 1991? UN Rio conference, third world nations fought to include economic sustainability in the formal definition of sustainability.
Go to Wal-Mart who works there? Wal-Mart generally supports more local jobs and has more job advancement (e.g. dept. manager) opportunities than mom and pop.
Im not sure where you all live but, when I was in Baton Rouge I didn't run into many poor people who said "I hate low prices and Wal-Mart."
Whatever happened to the saying "Make friends and influence your enemies?"