what you're supporting when you shop at walmart

In my area and for the first part of my life, Walmart stores only existed down south. Ignorance was bliss. We all shopped locally, happily supporting our community and small businesses like grocery stores, lumber yards, farms, nurseries and hardware stores. The employees were knowledgeable, vested in their work and prices were fair. Once Walmart infested our town, many of those small businesses either closed down or have struggled ever since, while Walmart has continued to expand like an over-fed tick. I've watched countless small businesses in my area be snuffed out by big box stores, crushed under their competitive prices and left empty by their ignorant customers trying to save a buck.

Boycotting Walmart 100% is my way of refusing to participate in their warped and economically damaging practices. I do not have a problem with capitalism. I do not have a problem with successful businesses. Heck, I do not even have a problem with other large chains , but what I do take issue with is companies that are actively ruining competition with bad business practices. As the largest company in the world, Walmart continues to operate in a way that increases welfare spending, contributes to suburban sprawl, drives local companies out of business, decreases employment in both retail and manufacturing while lowering the wages in both sectors and increases our tendency to consume natural resources that we do not need. Very few companies have generated more antagonism than Walmart because they've gotten so out of control. Many people instinctively dislike Walmart, but still shop there. We should all be aware of our choices, so if you read on, know that every time you shop at Walmart, you're casting a vote and supporting the following:
 

Killing small businesses. How? When Walmart builds a store in any town, they take time to research their competition. Taking note of prices, they then stock their shelves for less than the surrounding area. They're so big that it doesn't matter how much money they lose at first because the mother corporation is footing the bill. They keep their prices artificially low until their competition is forced out of business (it doesn't take long). As soon as that happens, Walmart raises it's prices back to profitable levels. So then, the town is left totally dependent on Walmart, or none of them can afford to shop their either (since they're all now unemployed) and Walmart eventually stops being profitable, closing it's door and leaving a ghost town behind. Due to Walmart's aggressive tactics, the number of independent retailers in the U.S. has declined by 60,000 between 1992 and 2000.

Screw the environment. Walmart has illegally logged in protected Russian habitats for Siberian tigers, one Walmart Supercenter uses the same amount of energy as 1,095 U.S. homes do in one day, their massive size promotes industrialized farming, every year, they pay millions of dollars for violating environmental laws by improperly handling, storing and disposing of hazardous materials, such as pesticides, chemicals, paint, acid, aerosols, fertilizer and motor oil. [1] They might be claiming that they're trying to be green, but they're not doing enough.

Supporting Monsanto. If you don't know much about Monsanto, you should know that they are the leading producer of genetically engineered (GE) seed and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), both of which are unnatural and openly laced with pesticides. Monsanto also strives to obtain patents over "their" intellectual property, ie. seeds, plants and food....yeah. They've manufactured many other controversial products such as DDT, PCBs and Agent Orange. Monsanto's genetically modified sweet corn (and other foods) are resistant to a common herbicide, which allows farmers to kill weeds without killing the food. So then the food just contains the toxins that fends off certain pests, but don't worry, it's cheap. Yum.

Terrible employee treatment. Companies like Walmart are the reason why blue-collar workers can’t get a leg up. They have policies that keep most at part-time levels to avoid increased health care costs, or they have management that allegedly uses retaliatory measures to avoid overtime payment. The big strike around Thanksgiving was not due to holiday hours, but the complaints centered around low salaries, planned cuts to health care, and most of all, the fact that many say management retaliates if employees complain about hours (that is against the law.) Whether you're a fan of unions or not, it’s companies like Walmart that make them a necessity. Otherwise, there is no way to stand up to the powerful company. [2] Despite all this, for those who really believe that Walmart is still actually "creating jobs" overall, please read below...

Imports from China. 85% of non-perishable Walmart inventory is now imported from China...85%! When Sam Walton began this business, he claimed to buy American-made products. If that were true, after he died, that idea was completely scrapped. If people weren't so concerned with saving a few bucks and were willing to spend a bit more for American-produced goods, then Walmart would provide them.

"One group estimates that the growing US trade deficit with China, heavily influenced by Walmart imports, is estimated to have moved over 1.5 million jobs that might otherwise be in America to China between 1989 and 2003." [3]

So not only are they sending millions jobs overseas, but they have never provided adequate supervision of their foreign suppliers. [4] Over the years (and currently have yet to clean up their act) they've been criticized for regularly using sweatshops, prison labor and child labor. But don't worry, you're saving $20 on your grocery bill!

It's hard to know the in's and out's of every business, but there's absolutely no excuse to ignore widespread ethical, environmental and social injustice. Everyone's first response to justify their continual patronization of Walmart is: "But it's so cheap, I can't afford to shop anywhere else." As a poor college student, I used to believe that too and I understand the temptation of their low prices. But once you know WHY their prices are so low and understand HOW they are generating and sustaining their business, how can you not care about at least one of the aforementioned facts? When a company is as huge as Walmart, it's not just about you anymore. The money that Walmart is sucking out of our communities is not getting recycled locally.

What can you do about it? Be informed and make informed decisions. Walmart is, in many areas and for many people, inescapable (much like work and drudgery and eventual death). In fact, 96% of Americans live within 20 miles of a Walmart, so it's clearly a widespread convenient choice. [5] But when you know the facts and live in a place where other stores are available, you've run out of excuses. Why insist on saving a few dollars now if you're destroying the economy for your future or your family? Why sustain a huge box store that is robbing your small town of it's charming businesses and sending millions of jobs overseas? Why buy organic if you're supporting a company that is in direct opposition those organic farms? You are destroying the things you think you are supporting. You might not realize it yet, but you can't afford to keep shopping at Walmart. 

If these facts haven't made you at least think twice about continually supporting Walmart, then I will assume that you either didn't read it all or you're directly related to Sam Walton... neither of which is necessarily a good excuse. ;) Check out the sources/info below and feel free to start a dialogue in the comments section! If this is your first time hearing about all this, I'd love to know what you think now.

For more information, check out the documentary Walmart: The High Cost of Low Price, available on Netflix.

The book: How Walmart is Destroying America (And the World): And What You Can Do About It

These amazingly disturbing facts: 20 Shocking Facts About Walmart

plants > air purifiers

I am loving this fall weather. Everything feels refreshing and crisp. It's the perfect time of year to bust the windows open, poke your head out and sing some sort of Disney song. Nothing like the smell of fresh air, right? But once we shut the windows for winter, air tends to feel stagnant. It's not just your imagination, your precious air literally does get stale. Regardless of whatever filters, fans or air purifiers you may have in your home, studies show that nothing compares to nature. 

Butterball - enjoying the fresh breeze in her fur!

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

 "Indoor air pollution is among the top five environmental health risks. The best way to address this risk is to control or eliminate the sources of pollutants and to ventilate a home with clean outdoor air. The ventilation method may be limited by weather conditions or undesirable levels of contaminants in outdoor air. While air cleaning devices may help to control the levels of airborne allergens, they do not decrease adverse health effects from other gaseous indoor air pollutants."

Ideally, our homes should be aired out daily all year round. It's not necessarily efficient to air out the house during a snow storm, but opening the windows in a room you spend the most time in, a room that feels "stuffy" or the bedroom window (for 5 minutes before going to sleep) can all make a huge difference to the quality of air. Indoor air grows musty quickly and over time, toxic chemicals from carpets, furniture, paint and cleaning products build-up.

FACTS:
• The average American spends 90-97% of their time indoors (Wow.)
• Many homes and offices have airborne pollutant levels 25-100 times higher than the air outside
• Over 1500 toxic substances may be found in the typical North American home
- Airpurifier.com

This air can lead to sick building syndrome for some people. As much as that sounds like an excuse to ditch work, it is a real problem that can cause very real symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, depression and weakened immune system. (Not to mention that no one will be able to figure out what's wrong with you!) But you're in luck. If you live in an area where opening the windows is not always an option, plants are definitely the next best thing to remove harmful chemicals and gasses from your air. If you don't have any plants or don't know where to start, here are a few simple tips:

Abnormal amount of houseplants. :)

Start small. If we all had the natural light, space and capacity to care for a large plant in every room, that would be great, but it's not realistic for many homes. Take it one step at a time, beginning with a small, low-maintenance plant kept in a noticeable place where you will remember to water it. You can also try using water bulbs to help with your watering regimen, but you'll still have to remember to fill them. :)

Focus on the worst areas in the home. The quality of air in the bedroom is often the worst room in the house. Considering that you lay in there and breathe deeply for about 8 hours every day, it's a logical place to put a great plant if you can.

Hanging Vases - Great for air ferns or succulents

Establish a good space for plants. If you feel like you don't have a good spot in your home for a plant or plants due to pets, kids, furniture or lighting, you might need to get creative. Plant stands are a simple way to store multiple plants without worrying about water marks, but where floor space is limited, hanging plants from the ceiling is a great option that works almost anywhere, even for larger plants! (See below)

For large plants, Styrofoam is your friend. Perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the houseplant world, recycled Styrofoam is a perfect way to allow your plants to drain, even if they don't have a hole in the bottom. For large potted plants, I fill the pot halfway up with Styrofoam to allow for drainage and make the pot significantly lighter!

Consider adoption. If you're afraid of commitment or not sure that you're ready to invest in established plants, ask around. Over the years, I've accumulated many of my plants from friends, family and coworkers. Whether I inherited an unwanted or neglected plant or propogated from a healthy one, it's a great way to easily establish a variety. 

Armed with this information, you might be ready to take the first steps into refreshing your house air. You've got nothing to lose except pollutants! ;-)

Click here for a follow-up post on some of my personal favorite air-purifying plants!