Posts tagged ‘eco’
Green behavior around the globe
Preserving the environment seems like a topic with universal interest. But having an interest doesn’t always mean we’re willing to change our behaviors. If you’ve ever wondered about someone else’s attitudes toward sustainability, you should check out National Geographic’s Greendex.
August 21, 2012 Walmart Green Room Leave a comment
Elevating wind power in Red Bluff
In Red Bluff, Calif., a Walmart distribution center will soon be distributing more than just products. Today, Forbes reported that a 265-foot-high wind turbine is being completed on the site. According to the story, the 1-megawatt General Electric turbine will supply between 15 and 20 percent of the center’s electricity and is the next step in our ultimate goal to be powered 100 percent by renewable energy.
August 6, 2012 Walmart Green Room Leave a comment
Farmhouse upgrades help improve lives in California
H.I.S. House, a temporary homeless shelter in Placentia, Calif., recently received several upgrades that will lower the facility’s energy costs.
How do you ensure a century-old California farmhouse-turned-temporary homeless shelter continues to rebuild lives? You do some actual rebuilding on the site. Continue reading
July 10, 2012 Scott Larson 1 comment
A lift in efficiency for cat owners
Cat litter is heavy. Heavy as in lifting-a-small-child-into-the-cart heavy. Just ask anyone who’s hoisted those boxes or plastic tubs into a shopping cart, and that person will tell you that lifting litter is as good as lifting weights.
The clay litter is effective but its weight has distinct disadvantages. Continue reading
July 6, 2012 Josh Biddulph 1 comment
‘We can keep it here for everyone’
Hundreds of years old, redwood trees are the tallest in the world. The places where they grow are special to the people who live nearby, but also to people all over the United States. Watch how the redwoods in California’s Salmon Creek Forest – and similar sites across the country – are being protected for future generations.
July 2, 2012 Walmart Green Room Leave a comment
Feeding the nine billion
How will we protect our land and water resources, and simultaneously, feed the world? By 2050, we expect the world’s population to increase by nearly two billion people, to nine billion.
How do we ensure that our planet is able to feed the nine billion, especially when hunger is already so prevalent? Continue reading
June 21, 2012 Andrea Thomas 1 comment
Justin Timberlake at Shareholders
Justin Timberlake celebrated with Walmart today at our annual shareholders’ meeting. An advocate for the environment himself, he introduced a video by President Bill Clinton that highlighted Walmart’s commitment to renewable energy, creating zero waste and selling products that sustain people and the environment. We in The Green Room are big fans of JT’s environmental commitment. (And he looked great in a hula skirt, too.)
June 1, 2012 Walmart Green Room Leave a comment
Drive down your gas costs this Memorial Day weekend
Did you know that your GPS device and certain smartphone apps can give you real-time gas mileage tips, and point you to the cheapest nearby gas station? How about the fact that every extra pound of luggage decreases your fuel economy, as does driving faster than 60 miles per hour? Learn these gas-saving secrets and more from this video, as well as six other videos on fuel efficiency from the Alliance to Save Energy.
Here are a few more tips:
- Avoid aggressive driving. Speeding, rapid acceleration and rapid braking can lower gas mileage by 33% at highway speeds and by 5% around town, according to the Alliance to Save Energy.
- Avoid excessive idling. Idling can waste a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner use. But it only takes a few seconds’ worth of fuel to restart your engine, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Combine errands into one trip. Several short trips taken from a cold start can use twice as much fuel as a multipurpose trip covering the same distance when the engine is warm.
- Beat the traffic. When possible, drive during off-peak hours to avoid stop-and-go or bumper-to-bumper traffic conditions, thereby reducing gas costs, time and stress.
- Keep tires inflated. Properly inflated tires can improve mileage by up to 3.3%. Conversely, under-inflated tires can lower gas mileage by 0.3% for every 1 psi drop in pressure in all four tires. In addition, proper inflation improves tire longevity and driving safety. Find the proper tire pressure for your vehicle on a sticker on the driver’s side door jamb, in the glove box, and/or in your owner’s manual.
This chart shows how much you can save from each fuel efficiency tip. These suggestions can also improve your driving, increase the life of your tires, and help you beat traffic.
|
FUEL EFFICIENCY TIPS |
MPG INCREASE | ANNUAL SAVINGS |
| Smart Driving | ||
| Avoid aggressive driving | up to 33% | $981 |
| Drive safe (highway) | up to 10% | $218 |
| Lose 100 pounds from trunk | up to 2% | $40 |
| Car Maintenance | ||
| Tune up vehicle | up to 4% | $82 |
| Fix oxygen sensor | up to 40% | $1,308 |
| Keep tires inflated | up to 3% | $61 |
| Use recommended oil | up to 2% | $40 |
| Fuel Efficient Car | Switching from 20 MPG to 30 MPG vehicle |
$930 in fuel costs* |
| The MPG increases and dollar savings are estimated for each tip based on data from 2011 Transportation Energy Data Book and U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) assuming vehicle fuel economy as 21.2MPG, average national gas price as $3.69/gallon, and annual 11,300 miles of travel. Actual results depend on how well you already follow these practices, whether you use more than one tip at a time, and other factors. *Sources: Alliance to Save Energy research and Department of Energy |
||
May 24, 2012 Miriam Berg Leave a comment
Changes in plastic packaging help put a lid on GHGs
The uses for plastic are many. And often, so are the questions about recycling it.
There are seven different codes that indicate the resin content of post-consumer plastics, which determines whether it is collected for recycling in a particular locality.
Last year, a Walmart Canada team identified not only a way to make the process easier for everyone – but also a way to reduce the 5.85 billion pounds of plastic being added to landfills across North America annually, according to the National Association for PET Container Resources. Continue reading
May 22, 2012 Leon Hall Leave a comment
Expanding solar power in Massachusetts
Solar panels on the Walmart in Foothill Ranch, California
Solar power is one of several steps we’re taking toward our big goal of being supplied 100 percent by renewable energy. Earlier this year, we had 115 rooftop solar installations in seven countries. And yesterday, the Boston Globe reported that Walmart will install solar panels on top of 27 Massachusetts stores. That’s enough to power 2,600 homes, according to the story, which you can read here.
May 16, 2012 Walmart Green Room 1 comment
