It all sounds nice and crunchy on the surface, but Whole Foods might soon find itself picketed the same way Wal-Mart is, but instead of unions it'll be environmentalists.

It was recently reported that Whole Foods will be going greener than its produce section with its plans to start using wind energy for 100 percent of its electricity needs. It will buy 458,000 megawatt-hours of energy credits from Renewable Choice Energy in Boulder, Colorado, which will in turn ensure that amount of wind power gets put on the utility grid. It all sounds nice and crunchy on the surface, but Whole Foods might soon find itself picketed the same way Wal-Mart is, but instead of unions it'll be environmentalists. Turns out there is a national group conveniently called National Wind Watch that is against the wind "industry," citing concerns over "the potential damaging impacts to wildlife and our sensitive land areas," according to President David Roberson. In the Bay Area's Altamont Pass alone, between 1,766 and 4,721 wild and endangered birds are killed each year, according to the California Energy Commission. No word on whether those bird carcasses are then repackaged as free-range fowl and put on Whole Foods' shelves.

Web link: http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/2006/01/19/graymatte...