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Think Twice...Think Cups |
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by Rosa Domingos | 23-11-2018 16:49
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With each summer getting warmer than the previous summer, people have taken the noticeable change in temperatures. Nowadays, people tend to get readily exhausted because of the heat. Currently, in Seoul, the number of tropical nights is increasing continually every year. And more often than not, people go to a coffee shop to avoid the heat. Sometimes,you may see heaps of disposable cups in the trash of these coffee shops. When seeing the rubbish heap, doesn't one wonder ‘How many trees are sacrificed to make them?’. I have a one question for you. Do you know about the hidden danger of disposable cups? To start, I want to tell you about the many damages caused by the heat waves occurring across the earth recently. In Kumagaya the temperature reached a high of 41.1 degrees Celsius, the highest ever recorded in Japan. The United States and in Europe are suffering from severe heat waves, too. Now, let’s compare the heat wave and using paper cups. How many disposable cups are emitted into the world? In the UK, 7 million disposable coffee cups are used every day – that’s 2.5 billion every year. According to the EARTH DAT NETWORK, Each year over 500 billion single use coffee cups are used and thrown away around the globe. Yonhap news (in Korea) says that heat waves are associated with using disposable cup (KIMJIHWAN, 2018). Shocking!... What does the utilisation of disposable cups have to do with heat waves? To be specific, greenhouse gas is a major reason for global warming. The 80% of greenhouse gas is carbon dioxide. Disposable cups are a typical example of greenhouse gas emission. According to One Planet Zero, 11 grams of carbon dioxide is emitted to make a single paper cup. To make a ton of disposable cups, we have to cut the twenty trees. Forestry is important for our environment because it absorbs the carbon dioxide (KIMJIHWAN, 2018). Let’s contemplate about it again, whenever we produce the disposable cups, the carbon dioxide will certainly be emitted and the trees will be sacrificed consequently. As the number of usage of disposable cups increases, global warming is accelerated (KIMJIHWAN, 2018). As I stated previously, increasing usage of disposable cups can contribute to global warming. When we are suffering from heat waves, its the Earth response to us damaging it. We have to stop using disposable cups. If we use a tumbler instead of disposable cups, we can reduce contributing to global warming. Using disposable cups are convenient, but one thing has to be considered: Have you ever thought about the environment in which you and your child will live in the future (KIMJIHWAN, 2018)? It’s time to be active in protecting our environment. Let's use reusable cups instead of disposable ones. Reference list: KIMJIHWAN,. 2018. Have you ever thought about the future of the environment? [Online]. Available:http://www.voicesofyouth.org/en/posts/have-you-ever-thought-about-the-future-of-the-environment. Aug, 2018. Accessed: Nov 22, 2018. Cover Image: http://www.vancouversun.com/ technology/Latest+green+Disposable+coffee+cups/2434036/story.html |
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14 Comments
Greetings Rosa
I hope you are doing well
Thank you so much for this report
Keep writing
Green cheers
Regards
Sus
Posted 15-03-2020 16:46
Hi Gyeongrin!
You are so right, it needs to come from every individual to change and make the better choice. Sometimes putting down strict bans are not the best way to chnage a people who have been conditioned to like disposable materials and who find it convenient.
Thank you for reading and commenting. It means alot!
Posted 03-12-2018 18:29
Good day Joon!
It has been a while since I have replied back to your comments. Its good to know that you are alive and well.
Yes, paper cups have posed such a huge concern now, but people are still buying disposable items because lets face it, it is convenient. And truely, time is running out for the many and including the UN to reduce the calamities with the SDGs objective.
Thank you for reading Joon!
Posted 03-12-2018 18:22
Hi Asmita!
I like how the vendors use the old age method of reusable cups. It is not only cheap, but indeed aids in lessening paper pollution.
Thank you so much for reading my report!
Posted 03-12-2018 18:17
@ Deepak
Thank you for reading my report. I am glad you had learnt something fellow ambassador!
Posted 03-12-2018 18:15
Hello Rosa
The summer is getting hotter in many regions and this is not a surprise if we realize how much plastic wastes that we make every day. And the use of plastic cups is most evidently shown in coffee shops so I do agree that governmental actions on banning plastic cups in these places do contribute to the reduction of plastic usage. However, no matter how much the law forbids people and regulate action, the voluntarily will is still the ultimate and optimal method to make this society greener and it would be great to have everyone use reusable cups!
Thanks for the report :)
Posted 30-11-2018 00:19
Hello Rosa, once I read your report, I thought you are in South Korea as there were placid description about what I had experienced in summer of this year.
Rise of reusable items in markets these days tell us what we need to choose and buy but unfortunately we are not choosing them as much as we have chosen way too convenient materials and products
Just like what you said in your report, if we don't change our choice, then we will face worst weathers and seasons as years go by.
Thanks for letting us be aware of it!
Posted 25-11-2018 23:59
Disposable cups, indeed is a great problem.
Here in Nepal, street vendors selling cups of tea use glass or steels cups and wash them well after it??s use for reuse instead of paper cups.
Efforts are being made to reduce the use of disposable cups in larger extent.
Thank you so much Rosa sis for information.
Posted 24-11-2018 13:24
Hello Rosa, Namaste
wow this report shocked me,
i had no idea about this thing
i will avoid the use of disposable cups,
Thanks for you beautiful and interesting report.
Posted 23-11-2018 23:43
It did. thanks Rosa
Posted 23-11-2018 23:40
Hey Israel,
You question is justifiably valid.
So, usually, tea and coffee cups are made largely of paper. They are lined with plastic polyethylene, which is tightly bonded to the paper making the cups waterproof and therefore able to contain liquid.
So there is a major imbalance with how trees are cut down to create these cups when we are all aware of the major temperature increase in the summer...there are less trees to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions.
I hope this helps
😉
Posted 23-11-2018 18:52
Hey there Anna!
Wow, it's a good move placed on the people of Ukraine. If anyone were to give me coffee at a discounted price and place a sticker on it, it would really make me think twice before reaching out for a disposable cup the next time round. And it would really make me feel good!
I am really for the behavioural shift being imposed on the people of Ukraine.
Thank you for reading my report Anna!
Yours sincerely
R
Posted 23-11-2018 18:38
Rosa,
That's impressive. That simply means the production of a disposable cup is of a dual-demerit(emission of CO and decrease in Tree stands) to the environment.
But, I think these disposables are made of plastics rather than woods...could you pls help me out here?
thanks for your report.
Posted 23-11-2018 18:06
Hey Rosa,
Thanks for a great report! Completely agree with the statement about using reusable cups.
People in Ukraine started to be aware of this problem also. Some coffee shops recently started giving a discount to people who order drinks in normal cups or on their own. And also as a reward, you're getting a cool sticker which could incrise your mood immediately.
Posted 23-11-2018 17:57