Inside Walmart’s effort to make the world a better place

Walmart tried to make sustainability affordable. Here's what happened [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 13 August 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note The birth of a granddaughter took Walmart’s executives to mountaintops and melting Arctic glaciers and culminated in an ambitious project to test whether the world’s biggest retailer could make sustainable products affordable. Business school professors Andrew Spicer and David Graham Hyatt spent five years poring over internal documents as well as interviewing executives, suppliers, farmers and others who had a stake in the program. They wanted to know: Could Walmart [bring sustainability to the masses](? When students start their first year of high school, many will experience a phenomenon known as “ninth-grade shock.” But the [stress of freshman year in high school can be overcome]( if students are taught a “growth mindset” that enables them to become more optimistic about their ability to adapt. Earlier this summer, Saudi Arabia lifted the decades long ban on women’s driving. Seemingly at odds with the decision to grant women more freedom, Saudi authorities have arrested prominent feminists, leading recently, to a diplomatic spat with Canada. Rutgers–Newark’s Nermin Allam argues that all this goes to show that the reforms are limited and the [kingdom remains adamant]( on not opening more space for women. Bryan Keogh Economics + Business Editor Top stories Can Walmart go green while maintaining its commitment to low prices? AP Photo/Tom Uhlman [Walmart tried to make sustainability affordable. Here’s what happened]( Andrew Spicer, University of South Carolina; David Graham Hyatt, University of Arkansas Two business professors spent five years studying Walmart's ambition project to bring sustainability to its millions of budget-conscious customers – a plan that began with the birth of a granddaughter. Up to two-thirds of students experience ‘ninth grade shock,’ which can affect everything from grades to mental health. ABO Photography/www.shutterstock.com [The start of high school doesn’t have to be stressful]( David Yeager, University of Texas at Austin; Hae Yeon Lee, University of Texas at Austin While transitioning to the ninth grade can be stressful for many students, teaching students to be more optimistic can better enable them to cope with the challenges, research psychologists argue. A woman in Saudi Arabia drives to work for the first time in Riyadh. AP Photo/Nariman El-Mofty [Saudi women can drive, but are their voices being heard?]( Nermin Allam, Rutgers University Newark Saudi Arabia has arrested a number of feminists, while bringing in reforms for women. An expert argues why this goes to show that the kingdom remains adamant on not opening space for more voices. Environment + Energy - [Jury finds Monsanto liable in the first Roundup cancer trial – here’s what could happen next]( Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens, University of Connecticut A jury concluded on Aug. 10 that exposure to the herbicide Roundup caused Dewayne Johnson's cancer and ordered the company to pay $289 million in damages. Thousands of more claims are pending. Politics + Society - [Immigration activists fighting to abolish ICE have a bigger vision]( A. Naomi Paik, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign It's more than just a slogan. 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Today’s quote [The size of the damages awarded indicates that the jury was not persuaded by Monsanto's expert witnesses.]( [Jury finds Monsanto liable in the first Roundup cancer trial – here's what could happen next]( Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens University of Connecticut [Richard G. "Bugs" Stevens] [Follow us on Twitter.]( [Join us on Facebook.]( You’re receiving this newsletter from [The Conversation](. Not interested anymore? [Unsubscribe instantly](. We’ll miss you. 89 South Street - Suite 202 Boston, MA 02111