“Wal-Mart has stated for years that its goal is to be supplied by 100-percent renewable energy,” said Jonathan Evans of the Center for Biological Diversity. “Yet even for stores proposed in the California desert, it refuses to incorporate cost-effective features like solar panels to reduce its carbon footprint.”
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The lawsuit is one of a series of court challenges brought by the Center to reduce greenhouse gases from new development through the California Environmental Quality Act. In 2007 California passed Senate Bill 97, which affirms the requirement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from land-use decisions. In June 2008 California also provided technical guidance on how to properly calculate and reduce greenhouse gases. The California Environmental Quality Act requirements are in addition to the requirements of the California Global Warming Solutions Act and the governor’s June 2005 Executive Order, which sets a goal of reducing emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050.
“Business-as-usual big-box sprawl is devastating to our local environment and communities,” said Evans. “Forty-three percent of U.S. greenhouse pollution is tied to buildings, but the good news is that with today’s technology green buildings can be a major part of solving the climate crisis.”
The Writ may be viewed on CBD's Website here.
The SB Sun states that a "second lawsuit asserts that mistaken market analysis was used to justify the new Wal-Mart, and that economic degradation and urban decay will likely follow when the store opens, and that an outdated, unapproved water supply assessment was utilized, according to a news release."
ADDENDUM: Read the Hi-Desert Star's coverage of this topic.
MORE INFO ON THIS TOPIC: On the WalMart page on the MBCA Website. Previous blog posts: WalMart, Yucca Valley.
