Shoppers expect the tags on Wal-Mart items to have rock-bottom prices. In the future they may also have information about the product’s carbon footprint, the gallons of water used to create it, and the air pollution left in its wake.  As the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores is on a mission to determine the social and environmental impact of every item it puts on its shelves. And it has recruited scholars, suppliers, and environmental groups to help it create an electronic indexing system to do that.  The idea is to create a universal rating system that scores products based on how environmentally and socially sustainable they are over the course of their lives.  [New York Times]

Related:

• Tagged: Wal-Mart’s Big Push for Eco-Labels [Wall Street Journal]

With Push Toward Renewable Energy, California Sets Pace for Solar Power

"A decade ago, only 500 rooftops in California boasted solar panels that harvest the sun’s energy. Today, there are nearly 50,000 solar-panel installations in the state...As a result, California, the longtime national leader in solar energy, has a capacity of more than 500 megawatts of solar power at peak periods in the early afternoon — the same as a major power plant." [New York Times]

Suburbs Get Urban Makeover

"From Anaheim and Fremont in California to Irving, Texas; Queens, N.Y.; and Arlington, Va., development has taken a dramatic turn from cul-de-sacs to city centers that mix residences, businesses and entertainment spots...The trend reflects the priorities of the times: saving energy, reducing traffic congestion, saving land, and promoting walking and mass transit." [USA Today]

Huge Blob of Arctic Goo Floats Past Alaskan Towns

"Something big and strange is floating through the Chukchi Sea between Wainwright and Barrow.  Hunters from Wainwright first started noticing the stuff sometime probably early last week. It's thick and dark and "gooey" and is drifting for miles in the cold Arctic waters...Nobody knows for sure what the gunk is...'It's definitely, by the smell and the makeup of it, it's some sort of naturally occurring organic or otherwise marine organism.'" [Anchorage Daily News]

AUDIO

Green Jobs Coming to U.S. from Afar

"A growing number of U.S. jobs in the wind and solar business are here thanks to companies outside the country. Sarah Gardner reports on why overseas companies are moving in."  [Marketplace - American Public Media]