Consumed: Part One

Our week-long series on the sustainability of the consumer economy drew a number of responses, particularly to our interview of Jared Diamond, our coverage of Wal-Mart's green initiatives, and our look at the history of Crisco.

All Wal-Mart has to do to have an impact on green products is place an order. Reporter Sarah Gardner caught up with some of its 60,000 suppliers at a conference that the retail giant held to talk about sustainability.

Retail powerhouse Wal-Mart has been taking great pains to improve its image by adopting environmental standards across all of its stores. Kai Ryssdal talks to Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott.

Ray Anderson made his fortune manufacturing carpet. Now he's trying to convince fellow entrepreneurs to join him on a second industrial revolution and a march to "Mount Sustainability" -- this time, with a deeper shade of green.

With landfill space at a premium, a group of scientists think they have a solution: a machine that turns trash into small pellets and fuel. But is it practical? Janet Babin explores the debate over plasma gasification.

British cosmetics manufacturer Mark Constantine is very critical of his own industry, and he's started a revolution in the world of marketing -- products with minimal packaging, aimed at a green market.

The northern Washington town of Bellingham may be the epicenter of a new economic model for a post-consumerist economy: Locally produced goods and services focused on what surrounding communities need and can sustain.

It wasn't that long ago that being thrifty was America's number-one virtue. But beginning with FDR, a string of presidents has extolled the virtues of Keynesian economics and spending our way to wealth. Sarah Gardner reports.

Commentator David Frum says that buying local is laudible, but globalization of the consumer economy has brought unprecedented wealth to more people than ever before. So, do we really want to repeat ancient history?

Speaking of Faith host Krista Tippett says the globe should welcome the challenge of sustainability as an invitation -- a way to strengthen moral resources such as delight, dignity, elegance and hope.