House Democrats continued their protest of the use of Styrofoam cups at Capitol Hill cafeterias, penning a letter to Republican leadership demanding the removal of the disposable coffee cups.
Some Democratic staff members, meantime, said they were considering brewing coffee in their offices rather than patronizing the cafeteria.
The Styrofoam cups reappeared on Capitol Hill last week, after Rep. Dan Lungren (R., Calif.), chairman of the House Administration Committee, ended the House’s three-year compost program, which included using biodegradable coffee cups in House eateries. The compost program cost taxpayers $475,000 a year, and produced negligible energy savings because of electricity used in pulping and shipping the compost off to a special facility, Mr. Lungren said.
Amid the debate over how to keep the government running for the rest of the fiscal year, Democrats have been outraged about the cups and other disposable tableware, saying it not only fills landfills but raises health and environmental threats.
“The desire to save a few pennies should never come at the expense of jeopardizing staff, members and visitors’ health,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), write. “There are significant health and environmental risks associated with Styrofoam, as well as additional costs associated with increased waste removal.”
The lawmakers say the World Health Organization’s International Association for Research of Cancer considers styrene, a main component of Styrofoam, a “possible carcinogen.”
But Styrofoam is cheap, Mr. Lungren says.
“Who’s going to pay for it?” Salley Wood, Mr. Lungren’s spokeswoman, wrote in an email. “Do they really think that taxpayers are interested in subsidizing our cups and utensils?”
Other solutions being thrown around by Democratic staffers: They might pass out anti-Styrofoam stickers to affix to reusable mugs, or put up signs with directions to the Senate cafeteria, which does not use Styrofoam.
These quotes say it all for me:
Quote:
The Styrofoam cups reappeared on Capitol Hill last week, after Rep. Dan Lungren (R., Calif.), chairman of the House Administration Committee, ended the House’s three-year compost program, which included using biodegradable coffee cups in House eateries. The compost program cost taxpayers $475,000 a year, and produced negligible energy savings because of electricity used in pulping and shipping the compost off to a special facility, Mr. Lungren said.
Quote:
“The desire to save a few pennies should never come at the expense of jeopardizing staff, members and visitors’ health,” the lawmakers, led by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D., Ore.), write.
Quote:
“Who’s going to pay for it?” Salley Wood, Mr. Lungren’s spokeswoman, wrote in an email. “Do they really think that taxpayers are interested in subsidizing our cups and utensils?”
To them $475,000 a year is pennies. Of course, it's our money, so they don't even think twice. Assholes. Hopefully, it appears at least somebody gets it.
_________________ "Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko
Not to mention, if styrene is so dangerous, why do they let all their constituents use it? If safety were really the issue, it wouldn't be a $425k program of our money, it would be a $425 billion program to subsidize green coffee cups and utensils throughout the nation, banning the use of styrene.
Here's a radical thought: have the cafeteria raise the price of drinks to cover the cost of using the recyclable cups. But no, that solution is far too complex, and would require having spent 5 minutes in a business/econ class.
_________________ "Aaaah! Emotions are weird!" - Amdee "... Mirrorshades prevent the forces of normalcy from realizing that one is crazed and possibly dangerous. They are the symbol of the sun-staring visionary, the biker, the rocker, the policeman, and similar outlaws." - Bruce Sterling, preface to Mirrorshades
Here's a radical thought: have the cafeteria raise the price of drinks to cover the cost of using the recyclable cups. But no, that solution is far too complex...
ROFL!
If they don't like the cups or utensils being used, what is stopping them from bringing their own, reusable ones from home? Do they not have anything better to do than worry about what THEY are eating out of??
_________________ "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth
Honestly though it's just a microcosm of the larger struggle.
Absolutely.
_________________ "Dress cops up as soldiers, give them military equipment, train them in military tactics, tell them they’re fighting a ‘war,’ and the consequences are predictable." —Radley Balko
the fact that they find this reason to ***** proves beyond a reasonable doubt (in my **** up mind at least) that each and every member of the federal government deserves to be taint-punched: along with anyone who is willing to **** them.
_________________ Darksiege Traveller, Calé, Whisperer Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut
Honestly though it's just a microcosm of the larger struggle.
You joke but my company did that. They took away all the disposable cups outside the cafeterias and gave everyone some corn plastic cup/mug and told us to reuse.
_________________
Quote:
In comic strips the person on the left always speaks first. - George Carlin
Same here. Sucks for visitors since they can't get coffee or tea.
_________________ "...but there exists also in the human heart a depraved taste for equality, which impels the weak to attempt to lower the powerful to their own level and reduces men to prefer equality in slavery to inequality with freedom." - De Tocqueville
Honestly though it's just a microcosm of the larger struggle.
You joke but my company did that. They took away all the disposable cups outside the cafeterias and gave everyone some corn plastic cup/mug and told us to reuse.
who was joking? I know the hospital cafeteria talks about all the money it saves by providing plastic soda cups and silverware to be washed and reused by the cafeteria.
_________________ I prefer to think of them as "Fighting evil in another dimension"
I have a ceramic mug at work for tea/coffee. They also have paper cups in the break rooms. I also bring a can of diet coke or coke zero to work.
In the cafeteria they have both plastic cups and styrofoam.
My company used to have refrigerators full of free cans of soda of every flavour, but they decided that was too expensive during the recession and cut it.
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