The New York Times, March 9, 2013 The chief burnisher of Wal-Mart Stores’ reputation is leaving the company as its image is under new strains. Wal-Mart said on Friday that Leslie Dach, a former aide in the Clinton administration who is credited with polishing the company’s image through energy conservation, environmentally friendly packaging and philanthropy, is … Read More
PR Watch, March 7, 2013 Members of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) in the Georgia Legislature are pushing a bill to thwart locally-owned internet in underserved communities, an industry-sponsored effort that effectively reinforces the digital divide. A vote in the Georgia Assembly is scheduled for Thursday, March 7; if Georgia passes the bill it would … Read More
Renewables International, March 7, 2013 The Institute for Local-Reliance (ILSR) has begun publishing a series of Local Energy Rules podcasts. Installments will be added twice a month on the first and third Thursday of each month. The third installment shows how community ownership is a great option for Americans – but also how unnecessarily complicated the … Read More
The Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2013 Sensing a threat to their business model, telecom companies are pushing more states to curb the spread of publicly funded high-speed Internet access, arguing the networks could squash competition. Time Warner Cable Inc., Windstream Corp., Comcast Corp. and AT&T Inc. are among the companies that have gotten involved in … Read More
New York Times, March 6, 2013 If you wanted to get large numbers of people actively engaged in helping to solve global warming, how might you go about it? For years, the main approach in the environmental movement has been to sound the alarm bell and implore people to consume less, switch to green products, recycle, … Read More
Jackson Free Press, March 6, 2012 If there’s one thing Mississippians love, it’s their discount stores. Jackson politicians went all aquiver back in January when the news hit of Sam’s Club imminent departure from its north Jackson location to, presumably, cushier digs in Madison. The rumors and political fur began flying almost immediately. The building had … Read More
The Cleveland Plain Dealer, March 2, 2013 David Lewis, owner of Lewis Electronics in Shaker Heights, is fed up with customers who ask why he charges sales tax on items they can buy tax-free over the Internet. Some will even show him on their smart phones how much cheaper the price is online. “As a brick-and-mortar … Read More
Government Technology, March 5, 2013 About 340 communities nationwide offer publicly-owned fiber-optic or cable networks, according to a new map from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. But as one expert told The Atlantic Cities, there are few big cities on the map. The largest city-owned broadband network serves about 170,000 households in Chattanooga, Tenn., with Lafayette, … Read More
Bloomberg News, March 4, 2013 Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke delivered upbeat news to the company’s semi-annual Sustainability Milestones Meeting in November 2009. The world’s largest retailer was on track to hit 36 of the 37 energy and environment goals Duke’s predecessor set for the company in 2005. Not everyone in the audience responded with glee. “When … Read More
