This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
Starbucks: No friend of the environment, or.......a whopper of a Culinary no-no
By Kevin Fischer
Wednesday, Oct 8 2008, 10:32 PM
No wonder an Iced White Chocolate Mocha at Starbucks is $4.15.
An investigation by the United Kingdom newspaper, The Sun has discovered that every single Starbucks location in the world runs a water tap into a sink constantly all day. Because of the company policy that is religiously followed in all of the company’s 10,000 stores, Starbucks is wasting 6 million gallons of water daily. The paper reports that’s enough to fill an Olympic size pool every 83 minutes.
A couple patronizing a Starbucks in the UK saw the running water and got the full explanation in a letter from a company executive that led to the Sun's inquiries.
At a time when water resources are coveted and some countries are literally dying of thirst, Starbucks’ actions are reprehensible. The Sun reports, “A single Starbucks tap left running for just over three minutes wastes the amount of water one African needs to survive for a day in drought conditions.” And yet the company defends its policy, claiming it’s enforced to surpass hygiene standards in an effort to be cleaner than clean.
Not necessary say the experts. Starbucks is overdoing it. After all, do you run your kitchen sink all day to clean your forks and knives?
Starbucks told ABC News they’re examining other options. Here’s one: Shut the taps off NOW.
Some environmental groups have started to complain but I believe the outrage should be much louder and more widespread. Then again, hypocritical enviros have a tendency to pick and choose what gets under their skin. Dumping millions of gallons of untreated raw sewage into Lake Michigan fails to draw a whimper. Why should wasting 6 million gallons of water a day for over-priced lattes and cappuccinos bother them?
The Sun has all the details along with video evidence.
ABC News also has a follow-up.
