From January 2008, Wal-Mart has declared they will no longer buy and sell cypress mulch that's been produced in the US state of Louisiana. Lowes have already committed to a moratorium on this product and Home Depot has give suppliers until Oct 1 to give assurances their products are free from Louisiana Cypress.

This is a great example of organised environmental lobbyists fighting for a good cause and winning. The Save Our Cypress Coalition has been petitioning all three stores since November 2006 and are now only having their voice heard.

And while this is a great outcome that these 3 majors are willing to conform, there are many problems that still lay ahead.

The first, and obvious, one is that while suppliers are being given these mandates it is still predominantly self-regulated. No system for checking on suppliers admissions has been started, or is likely to be put in place. Therefore, the media will need to remain vigilant in order to flush out those suppliers who disregard the ultimatum. An onerous task that shouldn't be left to the public's attention.

Maybe it will all work out and the swamps of Louisiana will be saved. Maybe...