Wal-Mart at it Again!

Just when I am about to forget how much I hate Wal-Mart, and maybe even start to give them the benefit of the doubt that they are really making a difference (I can not tell a lie, I have been impressed by some of their recent enviro moves) they go and do something like this.

Grist just reported that Wal-Mart is pressuring the FTC to not create any guidelines for carbon offsets because Wal-Mart set a goal of one day runin gon 100% renewable energy. Turns out that a large chunk of that eventual 100% wasn't actually going to be renewable energy, but rather carbon offsets powering the creation of renewables elsewhere, while Wal-Mart continues to burn fossil fuels.

Apparently, Wal-Mart thinks that regulations and guidelines on exactly what a carbon offset is and how they can be counted mean it will be harder for them to reach their goal. They are right. The reason for this is because they will no longer be able to use fuzzy measures to reach their o so noble goal of 100% - rather, they will actually have to prove that they hit that number.

I guess Wal-Mart thinks it's harder to actually do something than to pay accountants and marketing people to make it SEEM like they are doing something. Once again, Wal-Mart is right. The question the rest of us need to be asking ourselves is if a company who promotes legislation that benefits itself while hurting the rest of us is the kind of company we want to patronize.