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Tuesday, 23 January 2007 16:40 |
 In a move that shocked both its supporters and critics, retail giant Wal-Mart recently decided to aggressively push energy-saving fluorescent bulbs over the more traditional incandescent ones.
Fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy, save consumers money and result in less greenhouse gases released by power plants.
We have to applaud Wal-Mart, despite its extremely mixed record on the environment in the past, for taking this step.
As one of the worldës largest retailers, it can do some real good when it begins distributing such bulbs worldwide.
Of course,
altruism is not the only motive here. Wal-Mart is seeking in part to
help mend its tattered reputation and ÇƒÓ as always ÇƒÓ to make money.
While saving money over the long run, fluorescent bulbs cost around
eight times more at the checkout counter.
Wal-Mart may
also be reading the writing on the wall. With energy costs rising,
consumers will want more ways to save money ÇƒÓ and the environment. A
large retailer already selling such products will be poised to keep its
advantage instead of being left behind. With Wal-Martës sheer volume,
it can also help mitigate the main drawback to fluorescent bulbs: their
cost.
In addition,
Wal-Mart officials are already adopting the bulbs for use in their own
stores, in an effort to cut costs significantly.
It is also
extremely heartening to hear that Wal-Mart executives consulted with
environmentalists, scientists and even their competitors on ways to
push the new bulbs.
For a company
whose past has oft-times been marked by an arrogance towards outside
opinion and a lack of concern for anything other than the bottom line,
to realize the need for outside opinion is a huge step.
Has Wal-Mart
turned over a new, greener leaf? Only time will tell. But itës a
significant first step. In the past, other corporations have often
followed Wal-Martës lead, not always for the better.
This time they can do so with a clean conscience ÇƒÓ and help make a cleaner world for all of us in the process.
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