Day 111 - Paper Cups.

Day 111 - Good morning all. Today let's begin with, I thought today was Earth Day. After a Google search, I have realized Earth Day is Friday April 22nd. Oops! Well, let's talk about the earth anyway. While the phrase "Earth Day" might conjure up visions of Birkenstock wearing, nature loving, granola eating people, Earth Day is an important day for us all for obvious reasons and then some.

Today, I failed my earth week promise. I caved in and bought a cup of joe in a disposable cup. This might not sound like a big deal but the environmentally astute say there is a "paper cup problem" and the storm is getting worse. Let's watch this video.

We live on a finite planet and sometimes our impact on it is greater than we realize. The seemingly isolated actions we take every day-from our choice of morning beverage to our choice of business practices-are often links in a chain of unusual connections we would never have imagined.

The water usage is just one aspect of the paper cup problem. Consider this from Our World:

• Another alarming facet is the amount of solid waste produced by the ubiquitous throwaway paper cup — the most unnecessary environmental side effect of the coffee craving.
• The word “paper” might suggest that the paper cup is easily recycled and that it is not as bad as its plastic cousin. However, most paper cups are coated with a plastic resin (i.e., polyethylene) for durability and convenience, therefore making both their composting and recycling uncommon and raising the specter of carcinogenic chemical leeching.
• According to one study on the environmental impacts of paper cups, each cup, taking into account the paper, the paper sleeve, production and shipping, emits about 0.11 kilograms of CO2.
• Depending on forestry practices (and whether they are sustainable or not) paper cup production results in loss of trees, ecosystem degradation and a reduction in the planet’s carbon absorption capacity.
• In our world of shrinking forests and growing landfill, continued use of the paper cup is both redundant and unsustainable.

So Many Paper Cups.

Taking all this information into account, today's project is to create a new habit of no more paper cups. Drink coffee at home, sit at a coffee shop with a mug or bring a reusable travel canister. We need to create this new habit to create change in our world or coffee and our future will be a thing of the past.

As for me, I'm feeling guilty about this paper cup. However, tomorrow I will put it to good use. Until then...