> How is it possible that they cannot give me an accurate inventory of the items in the stores near me?
It's absolutely intentional. It means you have to browse the store. And if something piques your interest -- you know you can't wait to buy it "next time" since it might not be there.
The fuel burned by an aircraft is almost certainly the dominant portion of its lifecycle carbon emissions. I expect the carbon emissions due to its manufacture are negligible by comparison. Have you seen a source either way?
I'm a bit shocked that it would even be possible for a third party to implement such a thing without rebuilding Windows itself. Is it a matter of implementing "device drivers"?
It's absolutely intentional. It means you have to browse the store. And if something piques your interest -- you know you can't wait to buy it "next time" since it might not be there.