Tuesday, January 2, 2007

Evil Empire: Power-Sipping Bulbs Get Backing From Wal-Mart

Wait, that headline sounds like Walmart might be doing something positive. On Sparkgrass? What gives?

The article, which outlines efforts to replace incandescent with fluorescent light bulbs, demonstrates that Walmart, when its not busy, say, violating human rights, could use its powers for socially responsible good instead of evil and still employ its ball-busting supply chaining and monopolistic methods.

Bottom-line for Walmart is, I'm sure, that they could make a lot of money if they're the big supplier of these things. And Walmart, simply through its stocking practices, has more control over what American consumers believe they need than any other cultural force. But I'll never fault Wal-Mart for making tons of money (well, that's not absolutely true) by making socially responsible decisions.

Unless tomorrow's article demonstrates why the fluorescent light bulbs are really just attempts to destroy liberals or something. Maybe Dems, who tend to live in colder areas, will all die of cancer quicker because they are forced to spend more time indoors during the winter using more of these fancy light bulbs.

That would be much more consistent with the Evil Empire we all know and love.

1 comment:

Matz said...

I tried buying one of those bulbs given the fact that I live with a very light dependent person who requires lots of light. Unfortunately the cold fluorescent lights just look like crap when compared to incandescents. And even though they put out more lumens than incandescents they somehow subjectively appear dimmer. As it is, I have one of those bulbs in "my lamp" which only I use so as not to offend others.