My company submitted multiple bids to the Wal-Mart Distribution Centers in Palestine and New Braunfels, Texas to provide automation and renewable energy and solar water heat to their facilities improve their energy efficiency. We took the initiative to offer these products and services to Wal-Mart because their McKinney, Texas Superstore had installed solar. That I can tell, our offers never received much consideration. Adding insult to injury because we never were able to get Wal-Mart to do business with us they dropped us from their vendors list due to inactivity. It makes one wonder how serious Wal-Mart's commitment to sustainability can actually be.

Mr. Makower:
The tone of your article, as I'm sure you're aware, is overwhelmingly negative. It is a sign of what has been wrong with the environmental movement in the U.S. since its inception in the 1960's.

I'm reminded of a story I just heard about a woman and her unruly dog. No matter what she did, how hard she tried, the dog wouldn't obey, continued to bark and bite and was, in short, a holy terror.

With just two choices, she opted for the more humane and took the dog to obedience school. When the dog started to bark and bite, she was beside herself, constantly scolding the animal.

The trainer asked what she wanted to do with the dog. The lady replied, "I want her to stop biting and barking."

The trainer asked again, "What do you want to do with the dog?"

The lady responded with increased aggravation, "I want Ellie to stop terrorizing everyone!"

Again the trainer asked with emphasis, "Listen closely: What do you want to do with the dog?"

The woman was silent for awhile, soaking it in, then replied, "I want to be able to take Ellie to the lake or the park, to just have fun."

"Then every time you want to scold her, don't say a word and turn your back."

"That's never going to work with this dog..." she began, but desperate for an answer, she gave it a try.

When she joined the group with her dog, Ellie immediately started jumping up, tethered by the leash, and trying to nip at the other dogs. Rather than scold, she held the leash and turned her back. Almost immediately, Ellie pranced around her, sat down in front with a big puppy grin on her face, wondering what this new game was.

"Good dog," the lady exclaimed, petting the dog all over, while the puppy responded enthusiastically.

Needless to say, this behavior pattern was repeated over and over again, with the desired results.

I have been promoting sustainability at every opportunity since 1965, beginning as the scold, ending as one who praised those who responded well. I can assure you, once sustainability was accepted and proven profitable, those policies (and others) became ingrained in the corporate structure.

As one who believes passionately in this cause, I have found (as most adults have) that nothing happens immediately, no matter how necessary. Wal-Mart should be praised for taking these initial steps, no matter how they may be perceived, because the alternative is worse. In energy savings, they have started a trend that is rippling through the retail industry. That effort was not an overnight thing, but has received wide approbation from groups as "die hard" as the USGBC.

My mother used to use a phrase, "Faint praise never won fair maiden." Let's give Wal-Mart the praise they deserve for starting down what will undoubtedly be a long and difficult path.

Tom Coalson-LEED-AP; PMP
Speaker-Trainer-Consultant

I do not know if all international wallmart sites operate in the same way as in U.S, thus I don't know if this works to any country.

Daniel Rios.