By Susan Lutz
Products stacked high. Priced low. That’s the box-store shopping model we’ve come to accept. Shoppers expect cheap bargains, and for the most part, get it. From my small college town in Minnesota to Central America, I’ve watched Walmart build and consumers follow. I watched as the college town almost died out. Buildings begged for renters, to buyers rather than shoppers. Today, we watch the scope of Walmart’s impact reach for the skies, adding a negative carbon footprint at a fervent pace.
Walmart’s positive green press spins differently. Walmart reports all is right with the company’s clip to reduce emission and go green. However, The Institute for Local Self-Reliance reported that Walmart is guilty of going in the opposite direction and increasing greenhouse emissions with no stop in sight. In addition, many of Walmart’s products do not reflect the consciousness of a company dedicated to sustainability.
About ten years ago, Walmart started issuing it’s own, Global Responsibility Report. In developing countries, it’s hard to keep people away from the lure of the American brand (though many products are not made in America). I found the stores overpriced. The appeal for many, as Walmart knows, is the location. It was on a bus line, the parking lots are huge, and taxis even wait outside. Everything sat under one roof. A lure, even to this shopper, who couldn’t resist when the rain poured (the parking was not only huge, it was covered), and I needed some over-sized paper for my child’s school project.
Walking the aisles of these big box stores feels overwhelming and too much. Do we need purple and green and pink toilet paper? Are those products a “green” company should support. Jeffrey Hollender, founder and former CEO of Seventh Generation, Inc. took a look at what companies are doing to confuse customers into thinking a company is going green, when in fact it’s not:
“In essence, Walmart is saying, ‘Hey, Walmart shopper, here’s a totally unsustainable product from one of our supposed Sustainability Leaders.’”
What do we do? Walmart and other 
box-stores are now planted as an option for shopping, for everyone, for everything. What do we need? Do we need so much? The visual of green and pink toilet paper is one I’d never thought of until now. Walmart’s not just going to go away. We’ve helped create it. Yet, it must change. It’s too important. They’ve got the power to do it. We’ve got the power to demand it.
I returned to my college town a few years ago. It had made a bit of a comeback. The diner I cooked for was gone. But a few coffee shops and new stores had taken hold. It’s the main street of postcards. The place where community gathers and owners greet customers. Between the Walmart model and the main street, a model exists where we can reduce our impact, empower local retailers, and promote that which truly is good for the planet.
This week’s show takes us to jungles, plains, back lots and road shows to focus on animal welfare and the need for wildlife protection. My guest, Adam Roberts, CEO of the organization Born Free USA, and I discuss the plight of elephants and lions and what is causing them to be endangered. We also talk about the cruelty and neglect of Exotic pets, and the treatment of animal actors in circuses, film and TV. Lions may be sleeping, but we need to ROAR to save them. For more information go to 
At times, I pile the bags of food in my car after spending a boatload of money and feel lost. With all my research and knowledge of the world of organics, I should radiate confidence. Instead, I doubt my choices and wonder if I even make a difference in what I feed my family.
Be Kind to Animals, Don’t Be Cruel, Eat Your Veggies. All these phrases come together on this week’s program, as we celebrate vegetarian cuisine and cruelty free living at the New York City Vegetarian Food Festival. We spoke with Zoe Weil, Co-founder and president of the Institute for Humane Education, Nora Kramer, Founder and Executive Director of YEA (Youth Empowerment Action) Camp, Annie Hauck Lawson, Founder of Brooklyn Mompost, Susan Hargreaves, Founder of Animal Hero Kids, and Isis Phillips, Executive Director of Indy Kids. It was a pleasure speaking with all this dynamic and amazing women, who do so much to make the world a better place. For more information on these organizations go to 
The First Earth Day took place on April 22,1970 and on this week’s episode, we celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Earth Day, as well as the 45th year of the EPA, with special guest, Dr. Joel Scheraga, Senior Advisor for Climate Adaptation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The climate is changing, and we have to adapt to the results of those changes, which are coming in the form of more intense weather, super storms, droughts, pollution, and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. The change in climate is causing the oceans to get warmer, and
My guest this week is the multi-talented artist Donna Sharrett, whose most recent exhibit, Love Songs, captivated art lovers with a beautifully crafted array of pieces that were intricately assembled using materials donated and re-used. This collection of artwork was formed from Donna’s memories, as she re-used fabric, jewelry, dirt, guitar strings and other items to create these beautiful pieces. We also talk about how Patti Smith was in some small way part of the exhibit via her song, Dancing Barefoot. Donna is also a master gardener and started the Community Garden in Ossining, NY. Art and the environment are interconnected, and Donna is a prime example how that connection is made. For more information go to 
We are all interconnected to one another, yet the cultural mindset continues to focus on the me, rather than the we. My guest this week, Rick Ulfik, founder of We the World, is moving to change the paradigm by promoting awareness of the need for creating a more humane spirit, by enlisting change agents from around the globe, to build a more peaceful, sustainable and empathetic world. We the World works to develop global networks of collaboration via the 11 Days of Global Unity, and 11 Ways to Change the World. It’s time for the collective will of the citizenry to use the power of WE! For more information go to 
Many species are in decline because of climate change. In Part 2 of our talk with Bonnie Wyper, President and Executive Director of Thinking Animals, we discuss what actions can be taken to help stop the destruction of animal habitats due to urban sprawl, air and water pollution, as well as poaching (especially in the ivory trade). Big Ag farms treat animals with little regard to their emotional feelings. Cattle, chickens and pigs are penned up and/or caged with no room to move around, and are led to slaughter in cruel and inhumane conditions. There are ways to change our behavior to stop the destruction of animal habitats, and to work to make life better for the non-human creatures who inhabit the Earth. As humans, we must do better, and we must create a world fit for all the inhabitants of the planet. Conservation is key to making that happen. Go to