Attention shoppers: we bring you news of the latest sustainability
hotspot, none other than Fayetteville, Ark. Green start-ups are
flocking to town, the University of Arkansas has established an Applied
Sustainability Center, and the mayor rides an electric bike to work.
Why? Because of a certain retail giant whose headquarters lies half an
hour away. Say it with us now: Wal-Mart. The mega-store's recent
efforts to be green are apparently luring like-minded (and hungry)
companies to the area, including ventures that are experimenting with
non-petroleum plastic and fuel-efficient shipping. As a result,
Fayetteville has begun to market itself as an eco-haven, even adopting
the hopeful nickname Green Valley. "We are driving a stake in the
ground to become the center of the sustainability movement," says Mayor
Dan Coody. Adds Jonathan Johnson, head of the university's
sustainability center, "The environmental community is really focused
on Northwest Arkansas. There's a huge experiment going on here."
source:
The Washington Post
see also, in Grist:
An interview with Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott
Wal-Mart's Eco-Initiatives Turning Arkansas into Sustainability Hotspot
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Our Jaw: Still Dropped
Grist Magazine, Sept 7, 2007
Straight to the Source