Breaking news: Walmart is in business to make money. They will pursue green endeavors if it is good for their bottom line. Selfish? Yes. Happy news for environmentalists? Maybe.
"We make no claims of being a green company. And we're not saying we're better than other companies. But what we are saying is we're doing sustainability in a way that's real and right for Wal-Mart and is touching the lives of millions of people around the world," [Lee Scott, Walmart CEO] wrote.
He reiterated Wal-Mart's stated theory of two years ago that reducing its environmental impact is a smart business move because it saves money and produces better products.
Greedy corporate scum. I've been doing some reading lately on Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative*: oversimplified**, people are bound to certain duties out of moral obligation without regard for the end...in other words, do the right thing always; without exception. By making reference to the profit motive, Walmart seems to be in violation--they're trying to do the right thing but not out of moral obligation. Hmmmm...putting it that way, I think I disagree with Kant. Outcomes matter. But do the ends justify the means? Crap.
*Don't worry, I'm not getting all philosophical. I have a student working on some social norm stuff and he made reference to a paper that invokes the Categorical Imperative. I had to read up on it to figure out what the hell he was talking about.
**I'm sure I have butchered Kant's intentions. Feel free to hammer me in the comments.