Everything from the New Rules Project

Four ways enviros can keep Walmart in the hot seat

admin — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:57:19 -0600

The world’s biggest retailer has gotten an undeserved free pass from many environmentalists. It’s time to take a tougher line and set a higher standard.

In the conclusion to her series on Walmart’s greenwashing, Stacy Mitchell outlines four ways we can hold Walmart accountable. Read the full story and comment at Grist.

Independent Businesses Report Strong Holiday Sales

smitchell — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 07:32:18 -0600

An annual survey has found that independent businesses had strong sales growth over the holidays and appear to be benefitting from growing public interest in supporting locally owned retail stores, banks, restaurants, and other enterprises.

The survey, which was conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance in partnership with several business associations, gathered data from 1,768 independent businesses across 49 states over an 8-day period in January.

Challenging the Republican's Five Myths on Inequality

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:08:44 -0600

Recent comments by Mitt Romney, the probable Republican nominee for President all but guarantee the inequality issue will remain front and center this election year.

When asked whether people who question the current distribution of wealth and power are motivated by “jealousy or fairness” Romney insisted, “I think it’s about envy. I think it’s about class warfare.” And in this election year he advised that if we do discuss inequality we do so “in quiet rooms” not in public debates.

How Obama Can Guarantee a Second Term

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 12:56:47 -0600

Let me suggest a sure fire way Barack Obama can win a second term. Stand in the doorway of a post office scheduled for closing and declare, “Not on my watch.” He will be standing with tens of millions of Americans who are rising up to defend our must trusted and ubiquitous public institution.

Last year 3600 communities were put on notice that they will likely lose their local post office. The Postmaster General promises to close half of the country's 32,000 post offices over the next four years.

Eaters, Beware: Walmart is Taking Over Our Food System

smitchell — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:13:15 -0600

This is the eighth article in a special series written by ILSR's Stacy Mitchell and published by Grist. You can read the whole series here.

Walmart has become the most powerful force in the U.S. food system, selling 25 percent of our groceries and growing fast. Watch for this expansion to lead to fewer neighborhood grocery stores, more industrialization, more poverty, and maybe even more moldy produce.

Walmart spends big to help anti-environment candidates

smitchell — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:55:44 -0600

Walmart talks a lot about sustainability, but doesn't put its campaign money anywhere near where its mouth is. Its contributions tilt heavily toward politicians who oppose climate action and environmental protection.

During the 2007-2008 election cycle, 80 percent of Senate campaign contributions that came from Walmart's PAC and large donors employed by the company went to senators who helped block the Lieberman-Warner cap-and-trade bill.

Occupy Giving

admin — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:07:10 -0600

This is the giving season and we Americans are prodigious givers. Nearly two thirds of us donate to charities each year. This year we will send more than $225 billion to charities. More than a quarter of this giving will occur in December.

Those are the bare facts. But this year, when the stark divide between the 1% and the 99% has begun to inform our thinking and our approach, it might be instructive to examine the world of giving through that lens.

Occupy Economics Departments

admin — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 14:31:53 -0600

Conventional economists have a lot to answer for but will they listen?

On November 2nd nearly 70 students walked out of an introductory economics class at Harvard in solidarity with the Occupy movement. The mainstream media largely ignored the protest. That’s regrettable since the economics profession has provided the intellectual framework and justification for the inequality and centralization of corporate power the Occupiers are challenging.

Can you say ‘sprawl’? Walmart’s biggest climate impact goes ignored

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 16:38:09 -0600

This is the fourth part in a special series Stacy Mitchell is authoring on Grist about Walmart's Green-washing.

Walmart talks big about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it's land-use strategy is anything but climate-friendly: It builds massive new stores on virgin land in sprawling areas, then abandons them in favor of still newer, still bigger stores. Read the full story and comment at Grist.

Can you say ‘sprawl’? Walmart’s biggest climate impact goes ignored

smitchell — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 09:14:05 -0600

This is the sixth article in a special series written by ILSR's Stacy Mitchell and published by Grist. You can read the whole series here.

Walmart talks big about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, but it's land-use strategy is anything but climate-friendly: It builds massive new stores on virgin land in sprawling areas, then abandons them in favor of still newer, still bigger stores.