The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
A Cup for Change Something that haunts me on a daily basis is the mountain of plastic, paper and Styrofoam cups used and discarded around the world. Factor in the almost seven billion people on the planet and the restaurants that serve beverages to go. That's a lot of garbage. Paper cups present two environmental problems. First, the plastic lining may contain hormone-disrupting chemicals. Second, what a waste of a tree. Fifteen minutes after you've enjoyed your hot drink, that cup is in the garbage. This casual and thoughtless use of the earth's resources symbolizes our arrogance toward the planet and the other species that have to live with our refuse. I am not blaming restaurant owners. They provide a service, and this problem must be solved by the collective "we." What about bringing your own cup? Teach yourself to remember by using a little self discipline. If you forget, don't buy coffee. Or, sit down for 10 minutes and drink your coffee inside. We live in a society that is fast paced. Our desire for convenience has created a dependence on single-use items like plastic bags and paper cups. But if we can get ourselves into the habit of carrying a backpack, or a large reusable shopping bag, we'll have room for our purchases and an empty coffee mug. North Americans use 60 per cent of the world's paper cups; about 130 billion of them a year. Sixteen billion cups alone takes six million trees and four billion gallons of water to produce, while leaving 253 million pounds of waste. We're taking our planet's resources for granted, as if there were an inexhaustible supply of trees for paper and land for our garbage. The fact that most of us do it unconsciously isn't a good enough excuse anymore. All levels of government should be proactive on these issues, but let's not wait for that to happen. Let's each take responsibility for our own choices by cultivating an attitude of respect for our environment, and appreciation for the beauty that surrounds us. It's time to wake up. Start with your coffee.
