After reading an article on the detrimental effects of pollution on South American rainforests, Stacy Clark, 19, was inspired to reduce her carbon footprint and purchased a reusable coffee mug from Starbucks.
“When I drink my grande skinny mocha caramel swirl Frappuccino in my new mug, I can feel good about helping those poor koalas in Bolivia,” Clark explained.
She noted that each purchase reduces the country’s annual plastic use by 0.00002%. Clark’s mug allows her to enjoy her coffee, which is cultivated on former forestlands and transported on diesel-burning airplanes or cargo ships, in a sustainable fashion.
Clark, however, admitted that she occasionally struggles to live in an environmentally friendly manner.
“At night I usually just leave my electronics plugged in. I don’t want them to die on me the next day!” Clark said, throwing her plastic water bottle in the trash.
Clark also mentioned that she reduced her 45-minute showers to 40 minutes and hopes to eventually bring that number closer to half an hour.
Upon leaving the interview, Clark stated that she was going to buy a reusable grocery bag at Whole Foods. She was seen leaving in a Chevrolet Suburban sporting a bumper sticker that reads “I recycle.”
– TIR ’17
