It seems that Wal-Mart is making a commitment to sustainable energy and reduced emissions. Consequently the maligned corporation is being praised by Al Gore. And both are SWNIDishly noting the confluence of economic and environmental interests for the corporation, to wit: increased fuel efficiency, as it becomes technically possible, reduces both emissions and costs.
The genius of Wal-Mart has always been cost control. Now they're on to something besides inventory costs and human resources costs.
Meanwhile, in the desolate plains of Northwest Indiana (motto: "Why did we drain these swamps, anyway?") a similar initiative is underway. The agricultural town of Reynolds is slated to become the Midwest's first energy self-sufficient municipality, relying primarily on biomass. As a recovering Hoosier whose work requires many trips along I-65 in this part of Indiana, we can testify that Indiana's prosperous hog industry generates mass biomass.
At any rate, the economic issues are still clear:
Farmer Roger Wiese, 65, hasn't decided yet whether to sell 2 million gallons of hog manure to Biotown instead of using it as fertilizer on his fields. He'll agree only if he can make a profit.
"There's not enough money in agriculture that we can run it as a charity," he said. "Without it working economically, it doesn't become feasible."
However, officials report that with 150k hogs within a 15-mile radius,* they've got 74 times the biomass they need. Perhaps Wal-Mart can use the surplus.
If the Reynolds, Indiana plan succeeds in any measure and is accompanied by parallel successes in corporate initiatives like Wal-Mart's, look for Indiana Govenor Mitch Daniels's presidential star to rise.
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*We invite comparisons to the human population of Cincinnati.
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