Hundreds Protest Obama's Energy Speech at Walmart

Obama’s decision to stage his much-touted energy speech Friday at a northern California store of Walmart—one of the most notorious purveyors of wealth inequalities, union-busting, and “greenwashing” in the country—was met with hundreds of protesters from labor and environmental organizations.

Over 30 civil rights, environmental, and labor groups released a statement blasting the choice of venue by a president who has vowed to tackle wealth inequalities and climate change.

“It’s hard to understand why President Obama, who has stated that inequality is the ‘defining issue of our time’ and stressed the need to tackle climate change, has decided to visit Walmart—a company known for paying low wages and doing little to address its poor environmental record,” they declared.

Obama took the occasion to praise Walmart for its supposed renewable energy track record and touted his own administration’s commitment to solar power.

Yet protesters at the Mountain View, California Walmart say the speech was more empty rhetoric from a president who can’t tell talk from action.

Green groups have slammed Walmart as a “greenwasher” more concerned with improving its image and turning a profit than implementing real sustainable practices.