Here's a "must-read" article for anyone who cares about the environment or follows Wal-Mart. Fast Company (In my humble opinion, the best business magazine out there, period!) profiles environmental activist Adam Werbach on the cover of its September issue.
Adam faced a conundrum in his life. He believed the environmental movement that he was entrenched in had lost it's way. So he prepared a Jerry Maguire-ish manifesto and read it to the environmental community. The reaction was swift and stunning. His old friends stopped talking to him and his new friends at Wal-Mart came calling. Wal-Mart is now Mr. Werbach's biggest client. Read the article, it is really compelling.
I understand Werbach's dilemna, but I happen to think that as much as Wal-Mart wants to be a part of the "green revolution," it still is a huge part of the problem. Its business model will allow merchandise to be manufactured without environmental regulation in China, but it is paying Werbach to teach its employees about sustainable living? Yes, you have to start somewhere, I suppose. But Wal-Mart's global footprint is ruining our environment by its very existence. They first have to take some responsibility for the products they dump into their stores.
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