The American Spectator

The American Spectator: "Author Bio Letter to the Editor Print This Article Email This Article About RSS Feeds The Nation's Pulse The Greening of Wal-Mart America By John Carlisle Published 11/14/2007 12:07:57 AM Wal-Mart's support for the anti-free market agenda of the environmental movement is not silencing its liberal critics and may be undermining the company's financial future. Wal-Mart CEO H. Lee Scott began pushing a so-called sustainability campaign in October 2005 as part of an ill-conceived attempt to deflect union criticism of its business practices. The campaign includes spending $500 million a year to cut greenhouse gas emissions to combat the unproven global warming threat, selling more sustainable products, using more renewable energy, and generating less waste. In addition, Wal-Mart is donating large sums of money to environmental organizations. Since 2003, the Walton Family Foundation has donated $1.7 million to Environmental Defense. The retailer is showering largesse on other liberal activist groups as well, most notably the National Council of La Raza which received $1,027,900 in 2005. Wal-Mart's environmental campaign is especially unfair to small business. The company is forcing its 60,000 suppliers to bear most of the cost of its sustainability efforts or risk losing their lucrative contracts. In September, Wal-Mart instituted a policy of asking suppli"