Have you ever tried to ride your bicycle to a Wal-Mart store?  How about walking to one?  Taking the bus?  

Forget it!  Most (all?) Wal-Marts stores are inaccessible other than by automobile, SUV or pick-up truck.  They all draw their customers from the largest possible area, are located on a major highway, are huge big box stores and have parking lots which cover hundreds of acres with asphalt parking lots.   People drive many miles to take advantage of their savings, rather than walking, bicycling, or taking the bus to a local store to shop. By design, Wal-Mart stores cannot possibly be green.  Not the Wal-Mart stores as we know them today.

Strange, yes, but remember the saying "When in Rome, do what the Romans do."  'Twas better for Gore to have the audience than not; maybe his appearance and movie will make some of the knuckle-draggers think.  As far as his references to religious matters, I'm from a state south of Arkansas and in this clime, it's God this and Jesus that--it seems required at least once in every sentence.  I don't mingle among the natives much anymore because of that; however, people who are trying to accomplish good things have to make their own path through the religious muck that is knee deep down here.  Try to remember his message and not the forum, if you can.  Thanks.

Unfortunately, after years of fighting it, Wal-mart is going to open a store in Vancouver BC.  

It's going to be one of those "eco-friendly" designs.  It's going to be situated right next to a stop on the new subway line.  That's the good news...

The current city council, which is more right leaning than the previous one believes that we need more of these big box stores.  Therefore, Best Buy, Canadian Tire (Canada' version of Sears), Home Depot, and  many others are popping up all over the city.

This of course has a ripple effect.  Now the city and the province, together, are lobbying to build more roads and bridges so that people can get to these stores more easily (public transit is barely being thought of).

It's tough out here, but there are plenty of groups and organizations that are trying to prevent these types of changes from occurring.  Sometimes we're successful, and sometimes we're not...

I agree with the skeptics, but I also prefer to look at the postive of this:  Wal-Mart is planning to become a more environmentally sustainable business!!  That is HUGE!!  They may very well start to carry organic versions of products packaged thoughtfully, and suddenly it will all be  browsed by Mr. and Mrs. Mainstream, who may NEVER have otherwise been offered unbleached cotton, perhaps NEVER cared where their fish came from until Wal-Mart told them they should, etc.  This is progress, no matter how we look at it.  I am really really moved by this story, not just because a business is talking green, but because one so MASSIVE is talking green and will therefore get their consumers talking that way too!

Now, they'll need all of our help, greening the chain, biofueling for their fleets, marketing it all to their consumers without greenwashing... talking the talk correctly.  I'm ready!  Let's help any way we can.  I can't think of a bigger means of affecting the choices of mainstream America than to "preach" it from their own stores.

I guess what I want to nutshell is that if Wal-Mart is already everywhere, what better way to market all of our enviromental causes?

"The produce division is ramping up its organic offerings..."

Would someone kindly tell me what "organic" means, then tell me exactly how "organic" produce/products are "certified"?  

While he has wonderfully proclaimed the green spirit and works against global warming, never forget, his is one of the rich kids. Even while doing something as progressive as this he still strongly supports a vast amount of action that supports keeping everything else 'dirty'.
Do not forget that each time one of these wealthy priveledged men come out with something that sounds great they're still part and parcle to the machine that poisoning the planet.

I'm not saying to discount any actions that progress our nation forward to a more sustainable process, I'm just saying take in what Gore and Walmart is doing but don't take your eye of their other actions.

Bush just created a national reserve of the coast of Hawaii. But don't expect him to stop pushing for more relaxation of pollution standards, CAFE standards, etc..... .  

Gore/Walmart may be cuddling up against us for warmth, but they're still venomous snakes.

Never forget.