Article on Walmart

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A Note From the EditorAt Yale Environment 360 this week, science writer Daniel Goleman writes about how Wal-Mart’s new push to develop a sustainability index for its products could signal a breakthrough moment in the effort to make consumers aware of the environmental impacts of what they buy. The move by Wal-Mart, writes Goleman, is potentially the most significant example of an emerging strategy for making life-cycle assessment data for products transparent by labeling them with sound, ecological-impact ratings. Goleman – author of the new book, Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything — points to efforts to develop reliable indexes by Earthster, GoodGuide, and other groups as evidence that what once seemed like “an intriguing idea” is on the verge of becoming a market reality. Read Goleman’s article here.

Also today at Yale Environment 360, author Verlyn Klinkenborg explains why a decade after genetically modified crop were introduced, he still opposes their use. GM crops are now planted on millions of acres throughout the world, he notes, but fundamental questions about them remain — both about safety and their long-term impact on global food security and the environment. Writes Klinkenborg, who is a member of the New York Times editorial board, “Genetically modified crops were introduced with bland assurances of safety based on studies from small test plots, a far different thing from the uncontrolled global experiment we now find ourselves in.” Read the essay by Klinkenborg here.

Check out these and all our features at Yale Environment 360 and add your comments to the discussion. And be sure to keep track of the latest environmental news on our daily e360 Digest.
Roger Cohn, Editor