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As discussed prominently in the New York Times earlier this year, Walmart has committed to pushing aggressively for sales of compact fluorescent lightbulb sales in its stores, targeting a doubling of CFL sales of from 50 to 100 million CFLs by 2008.

CFLs burn roughly 25% of the electricity of incandescent lightbulbs, last longer, and thus end up saving users money while reducing GHG emissions. Unless you are a traditional bulb manufacturer, all-in-all a win-win situation.

But, why is Walmart taking this path? What else is Walmart doing in the energy arena? …

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CNBC Europe has a list of Top 50 Low-Carbon Pioneers in Europe.

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The tide is coming in fast with companies ‘jumping on’ the green bandwagon. Grist got an advance copy of Rupert Murdoch’s speech where he announced that a News Corporation (parent of Fox News, 20th Century Fox, HarperCollins, MySpace.com, etc…) climate change plan to reduce the News Corporation’s emissions and, even more importantly, “to weave climate messaging into the content and programming of News Corp.’s many holdings.” (quoting Grist)

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“As sea levels rise, salt in the ground water is slowly transforming Bangladesh’s breadbasket into a vast shrimp farm. Yet what may be good for the farmers is bad for everyone else. A visit to the front lines of climate change.”

So begins SpiegelOnline International‘s article The Salty Taste of Global Warming.

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Well, while Walmart announced a major solar purchase, this is overshadowed by the even-larger plans that Kohl’s has for its stores.   Kohl’s has announced plans to provide solar power for 75% of its California stores.  The initial purchase will be for 24 of Kohl’s 80 stores. This one step will be 15% of California’s current solar pv installations and represents one percent of California’s ten-year objective.

Kohl’s initial purchase of solar power will generate more than 35 million kWh of renewable energy. In the first year of operation, Kohl’s clean energy output will offset more than 28 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂), a greenhouse gas directly linked to global climate change.  

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Wal-Mart announced today a huge solar system purchase, a “pilot project … toward its goal of being supplied by 100 percent renewable energy”.

For many, Wal-Mart has been an odd poster child for Green business management. While it is hard to say that its business model is ‘sustainbilility focused’ (importing things from far away, disposible (non-durable) products, big box stores served more by SUVs than public transport, etc), in terms of managing it stores’ and transport fleet operations, Wal-Mart is setting a standard for others to follow.

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When considering an energy future, a driving question is what drives decisions.  What do we “count” when it comes to “cost”. The current “cost” structure for energy has many internalized and many externalized costs.  For example, when it comes to coal, there are questions as to whether and how to count its medical impact (through mercury pollution, for example), environmental and capacity impacts (water requirements, for example), and, now most prominently, how to account for carbon pollution.

All of this relates to ‘what do you count’? What are the measures for understanding “impact”? How do we measure and understand economy?

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When it comes to choices about energy, is the Department of Energy agnostic, seeking the best, most holistic set of choices between energy efficiencies, usage requirements, and fuel/source options?  Or, is it promoters of specific solution sets, perhaps even sets that put this nation at risk?

Hmmm

From DOE’s coal page: “Coal is one of the true measures of the energy strength of the  United States. … Coal-fired electric generating plants are the cornerstone of America’s central power system. …  economically-vital energy foundation …”

From DOE’s wind page: “Wind energy uses the energy in the wind for practical purposes …”

No editorializing difference there …

And, well, DOE just released a report that takes this to a new level …

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Every day is a learning experience … so what did we learn today?  That NPR is not just radio … is not just a web site … but also does some funny cartooning.  As part of their Climate Connections series,  NPR has a myriad of reports, links, videos, and, well, cartoons.  The May Day cartoon, It’s All About Carbon

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News reporting is going on that gasoline might top $4 gallon across much of the United States by the end of summer.  The Energy Information Agency’s gasoline report provides one sign that this might be the case.  This graphic representation of gasoline stocks doesn’t look so good — basically, it shows current gasoline stocks about 10% below the low end of “average” for this time and the trend line isn’t the right way.

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