Treehugger, a must-stop destination for readers of the green, reports that Tesco, Britain's largest retailer and rated by Fortune in the top 10 of "green giants," is planning to open more than 100 Fresh and Easy stores in the Southwest. The stores will use 30 percent electricity than typical grocers, get 60 percent of its produce from local sources (reducing the amount of fossil fuel to get the goods to market), and pay more than $10 an hour. Link.

When the manager of a Wal-Mart thinks his store is a bit too warm, he can't just adjust the thermostat.

According to the Wall Street Journal (pg R4, 8/27), he instead must contact indoor-environment technologists at W-M world headquarters in Bentonville, Ark., and answer a series of questions, "such as the exact spot in the store that feels too warm and whether there are any obvious problems with the ventilation system."