Wal Mart and

I can’t figure out why exactly but these two articles are fused together in my mind. Seems like one begat the other…

“Walmart, long accused of draining the life from the town squares and main streets of small-town America, has gradually become the main square of the United States, replacing the place it has helped put out of business,” says Charles Fishman, author of The Wal-Mart Effect: How the World’s Most Powerful Company Really Works – and How It’s Transforming the American Economy…”

“Scientists are beginning to get a picture of the environmental impact of Tropical Storm Irene, which ripped through some of the East Coast’s most pristine rivers, triggering hundreds of oil, chemical and sewage spills. Now, some environmental groups worry that the cleanup could cause even more harm. When Irene blasted through the Adirondack Mountains late last month, brooks and streams that are usually docile this time of year jumped their banks…”