Give Me A Liter of Cola!!!

I am not a Green aware person. I care about the environment as a Boy Scout, not like a Sierra Club member. I believe in climate change. I can even agree that the global environment is in a warming trend. I do not think that mankind is causing these changes.

I drive an automobile to and from work each weekday. I pay for products that are inflating in price out of control. Carbon based fossil fuels (coal and oil) are woven into our fabric of American life, and are essential to my continued existence and lifestyle.

How much we pay now for food, shelter, travel, and entertainment is in direct correlation with these precious commodities.

Oil is not just used as fuel, but is used as vital ingredients to everyday products that you and I can not do without. The plastics that keep us safe, clothe our children, carry water into, within, and from our homes are created from petrochemicals made from oil.

Yesterday I ate at a Wendy's in Salt Lake City. Doing my duty as a "FAT" American I ordered a large diet drink. My family and I ate, talked and eventually picked up to leave. Again doing my part as an over consuming American went back to the counter for a re-fill.

I have a glass half full attitude when my glass IS half full. I hand my Plastic cup to the girl and she throws it in the garbage. While this is not the first time this happened, I am not altogether used to it yet. I felt a deep, resounding 'Hey, I haven't finished that yet' feeling. My mind told my heart and gut not to worry I am getting the EXACT SAME amount of soda after all.

After leaving I started to think more on this topic. I believe there must be a method to re-fill my drink in a sanitary fashion that would keep the cup and the fountain from cross contaminating.

The waste this policy must cause nation wide has to be astounding. Land fills and carbon footprints (I just threw up a little in my mouth typing that) alone can be discussed in volumes. But how much does this add to the cost of eating at Wendy's?

I don't know how much a Wendy's franchise pays per cup. Or if the cost of these cups are on the rise. Or if a higher cost of cups translates to higher cost of soda, burgers, fries, or salad. But I can guess that if Wendy's is paying more and throwing away the plastic, they are not going to throw away profits in this economy.