YaylaNS201
Starbucks Energy and Water Conservation
Even though the film ‘Home’ is full of striking information about the perfect balance of the earth and the negative impact of the human on this harmony, I found one of these facts even more terrifying: 100 liters of water is used to produce 1 kilogram of potatoes, 4000 liters for 1 kg of rice, and 13000 liters for 1 kg of beef. After this piece of information, I started questioning and revising my daily routines such as my shower time, food choice, recycling. Having my coffee everyday from Starbucks is one of them. Starbucks is one of the icons of the capitalist market economy, which is one of the main components of the economic growth and development. According to the book, two components of the economics growth are: “(1) an increase in inputs to the economy and (2) improvements in the efficiency of production due to better technologies and approaches” (93). The second approach, in other words producing more with less, is termed economic development. The amount of food production increases day by day, and it looks like the part of the economic development. However, when we consider the information above, we are producing more by ‘sacrificing’ more. To reduce hunger and feed a growing population –which is one of the consequences of the economic development- more water will be needed. As written in the International Water Management Institute’s synthesis book, ‘thinking differently about water is a requirement if we want to achieve out triple goal of ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and conserving ecosystem integrity’ (fao.org). Watching and reading these facts and information lead me to have a small research on Starbucks Coffee Company. Even though I didn’t have enough information about the company’s environmental policies, I read and heard negative reactions towards their use of natural resources. Apparently those negative comments made the company to take an action and they started a new program called Starbucks Energy and Water Conservation. Reading their report, I learned that besides helping to transform the energy landscape by supporting the development of the green power market, they are also working to conserve the resources both in their stores and roasting plants and offices. They had three main goals: (1) Reduce energy consumption by 25% in the stores by 2010, (2)Purchase renewable energy equivalent to 50% of the electricity used in the stores by 2010, and (3)Reduce water consumption by 25% in the stores by 2015. However they couldn’t achieve the goal (1), they did the second one and the third one is still on track. In fact, they put new goals such as reducing the energy consumption by 25% by 2015 and purchasing renewable energy equivalent to 100% of the electricity used in the stores by 2015. Right now I’m trying to decide whether I’m helping this company to reach their environmental friendly goals or just being another one stuck in this harmful system by having my coffee there.
Sources:
www.starbucks.com/responsibility/learn-more/goals-and-pro...
www.fao.org/nr/water/docs/Summary_SynthesisBook.pdf
Starbucks Energy and Water Conservation
Even though the film ‘Home’ is full of striking information about the perfect balance of the earth and the negative impact of the human on this harmony, I found one of these facts even more terrifying: 100 liters of water is used to produce 1 kilogram of potatoes, 4000 liters for 1 kg of rice, and 13000 liters for 1 kg of beef. After this piece of information, I started questioning and revising my daily routines such as my shower time, food choice, recycling. Having my coffee everyday from Starbucks is one of them. Starbucks is one of the icons of the capitalist market economy, which is one of the main components of the economic growth and development. According to the book, two components of the economics growth are: “(1) an increase in inputs to the economy and (2) improvements in the efficiency of production due to better technologies and approaches” (93). The second approach, in other words producing more with less, is termed economic development. The amount of food production increases day by day, and it looks like the part of the economic development. However, when we consider the information above, we are producing more by ‘sacrificing’ more. To reduce hunger and feed a growing population –which is one of the consequences of the economic development- more water will be needed. As written in the International Water Management Institute’s synthesis book, ‘thinking differently about water is a requirement if we want to achieve out triple goal of ensuring food security, reducing poverty, and conserving ecosystem integrity’ (fao.org). Watching and reading these facts and information lead me to have a small research on Starbucks Coffee Company. Even though I didn’t have enough information about the company’s environmental policies, I read and heard negative reactions towards their use of natural resources. Apparently those negative comments made the company to take an action and they started a new program called Starbucks Energy and Water Conservation. Reading their report, I learned that besides helping to transform the energy landscape by supporting the development of the green power market, they are also working to conserve the resources both in their stores and roasting plants and offices. They had three main goals: (1) Reduce energy consumption by 25% in the stores by 2010, (2)Purchase renewable energy equivalent to 50% of the electricity used in the stores by 2010, and (3)Reduce water consumption by 25% in the stores by 2015. However they couldn’t achieve the goal (1), they did the second one and the third one is still on track. In fact, they put new goals such as reducing the energy consumption by 25% by 2015 and purchasing renewable energy equivalent to 100% of the electricity used in the stores by 2015. Right now I’m trying to decide whether I’m helping this company to reach their environmental friendly goals or just being another one stuck in this harmful system by having my coffee there.
Sources:
www.starbucks.com/responsibility/learn-more/goals-and-pro...
www.fao.org/nr/water/docs/Summary_SynthesisBook.pdf