We’ve been wondering whether Wal-Mart can possibly be as committed to green principals as it says it is. I mean, honestly, are they on their way toward “100 percent renewable energy use and zero waste”?
This week, the company’s Earth Day Every Day School Challenge presents one more small sign that they are (as I have been asking of certain others lately) putting their money where their mouth is. The competition asked schools to submit essays detailing the ways they are becoming more Earth-friendly. A total of 439 essays rolled in, which a panel of judges cut to 20 finalists. Online voters chose the winner, Corvallis High School in Corvallis, Ore. The school gets to wear the official “America’s Most Eco-Friendly School” sash and receives a $20,000 grant toward ramping up its green activities. The school’s essay describes how the building uses one-third less energy than all other schools built to Oregon code, and describes its plans to eventually install solar panels on the roof to make the building even more energy-efficient. The Green Club gives students and staff incentives to reduce their carbon emissions by biking or walking to school.