Walmart Is Contributing To Our Energy Problems-Big Time

This may not be the proper place for this thread, but Walmart has caused us to have to drive further to get basics that we used to get on the corner store. And it's not just Walmart. All the big box stores are contributing to this.
I grew up in the farm country, where the land is divided into sections, each section being a square mile. There was a "country store" on the corner of almost every one of these roads. Almost everyone lived within a half mile of a store, where one could purchase meat, milk, bread, fresh produce, canned vegetables, livestock feed, and in some cases, dry goods. (One store near me had a pretty well stocked hardware section, including tools and basic plumbing supplies.) If we need something, my folks would give me the list, the cash, and I would walk to the store. If it was more than I could carry, Mom or Dad would drive. But it was only a half mile.
Then came Walmart, K-mart, Target, etc. Suddenly everyone's prices were undercut, and one by one, the mom and pop country stores closed their doors. And everyone had to drive. In my case, it's 5 miles, one way to Walmart. (Actually, I live 5 miles from anywhere, but that's another thread). Now that Walmart has closed the mom and pop stores, they are opening Sam's Clubs, which encourages us to buy everything in large quanities.) The problem? Most of us have to drive to far to use them. Those that do paying $3.75/gal for fuel. Add to the fact that we live in a throw away society that these stores encourage, and it just throws fuel on the fire, so to speak. (Remember, all those plastic items we own use petroleum.)
I wonder if others feel this way?
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You cannot make a slave of a free man. The most you can do is kill him.
Robert Anson Heinlein

reply to post by kettlebellysmith


Well to a certain degree the Marts of the world need to be demonized for various reasons. As far as the gas issue, I'm afraid that particular problem may be more localized to rural communities like the one you seem to live in. In the situation described, I can see where it would seem a bit ridiculous. It certainly is a waste of gas, and Wal-Mart seems to be hellbent on becoming our main provider of most necessities. There's greed, and then there's Wal-Mart.

As far as plastic containers go. I think that we should make an effort as a society to have more products bottled in glass containers in order to save on petroleum.