We want the big companies to invest in environmentally beneficial products, right? BP should be leading the way on solar energy. ExxonMobil should be investing in biofuels. And, Wal-Mart should be the biggest seller of organic food. Right?

A fascinating article in the NY Times sheds light on the beleaguered company's push to bolster sales of organic products. And unlike Safeway and other supermarkets that have entered the market by branding their own line of organic food, Wal-Mart is pushing the big players like Kraft to provide organic varieties of their staple products such as macaroni and cheese, and Rice Krispies.

Some organic food advocates are not exactly jumping for joy. They fear that while the final product may be the same, the process (beyond what is required by law) will be very different. Moreover, they worry that Wal-Mart's pressure to keep prices low will undermine the viability of small-scale organic farms.

One thing is for sure. Like the vast majority of businesses that do the "right thing," it's first and foremost about the bottom-line.

As Wal-Mart's Executive said:

"Organic agriculture is just another method of agriculture — not better, not worse." "This is like any other merchandising scheme we have, which is providing customers what they want. For those customers looking for an organic alternative in things like Rice Krispies, we now have an alternative for them."

(This is clearly one of those posts where I wish we were set up to take comments—something that we'll be adding very soon).

An interesting article in today's NY Times about the ever-so-subtle shift in how Michaganders are responding to foreign auto companies.

The accompanying graphic is fascinating. There's ultimately no reason to be surprised but I wouldn't have guessed that 88% of Michagan residents still buy from the big three. In fact, the last time I was in Detroit, I was rather surprised at the number of Toyotas and Hondas that I saw.

The Portland Press Herald reports this morning that Colgate will buy Tom's of Maine, the small company famous for its natural toothpaste and its socially-conscious operating philosophy.

Will Tom's new corporate masters allow the company to stick to its principles? Yes, say the folks involved - particularly as long as founders Tom and Kate Chappell retain day-to-day control over the company, which they'll have for at least 5 years.

Maybe, maybe not, concludes an NPR story chronicling the fate of other socially-conscious businesses (Ben and Jerry's, Stonyfield Farm) which elected to sell to big corporations.