Cup By Cup

   

     First, I'd just like to applaud all the Muslims and non-Muslims of the world that are currently fasting this month. I was only able to go a day without food and water and haven't fasted since the first day. It is extremely hot this month, the days are long and I'm a complete novice when it comes to Ramadan. The month isn't over and I intend on fasting as many more days as I can. The days I miss I intend on making them up when I can, preferably when I'm not inundated in school work, final exams and papers. Also, I need to figure out how to not completely gorge on food at the end of the fast.
     While I'm not fasting, I decided to initiate a different experiment: to use the same disposable Subway's coffee cup (16oz?) for a whole week. Why? Well lately I've been frequenting fast-food joints and every time I'm extremely aware of all the trash one visit generates (i.e. paper bag, wrappers, napkins, sauce packets, straw and cup, plastic bag, etc.) and am left feeling extremely guilty. One morning at Subway, after eating my sandwich I looked at my paper coffee cup (with insulating holder), and remembered something about a man in a Buddhist retreat reusing one cup the whole week. While I don't remember what the point was about the little experiment, I do know that extending the life of this disposable paper cup would lessen the impact on the planet than if I were to simply throw it away on my way out. According to Clean Air Council the average American office employee uses about 500 disposable cups a year and "throw[s] away enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons to circle the equator 300 times..." - gross. People ridicule environmentalists, calling them worry worts and that such thing, but if you analyze how much garbage we produce, its dizzying. Instead of carrying around a water bottle we're using countless tons of resources for these disposable cups we use once in our life and then we simply throw them away where they end up in a huge pile at a dump site and do not biodegrade properly, seep toxins into the aquifers, land and air and surround areas.... its unnecessary destruction.    
     I adore restaurants that use re-usable plates, silverware, cups because they know they save money by not having to spend every month hundreds on the disposable alternatives, they create jobs by having to hire someone to collect and clean all the dirty dishes, and they ultimately help the environment (whether they are aware of it or not). I think more restaurants, homes, offices, etc. should adopt this characteristic.
     I think the point we have to learn is that we need to become more aware of our actions/decisions/traditions and the impact they have on the rest of the world. As Gandhi said, "be the change you want to see in the world" - I'm trying.