Aaudet - Your redundancy is appreciated! I'm already trying to hype up my future alma-mater!
If by leeching you mean the breakdown of chemicals in the plastic bottles as a result of re-use, heat, freeze, etc., then my answer is "maybe". The debate is still up in the air. I have heard that plastic water bottles can "leech" - even Nalgene's (but I'm still alive...) Nalgene makes a "hard" plastic as well as a "soft" plastic bottle (similar to traditional bike water bottles). I have read that the "soft" water bottles do not leech like the "hard" ones could (possibly). i.e.
https://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/store/detail.aspx?ID=58Everyone everywhere (not only Fuqua!) drinks coffee out of paper and styrofoam cups and water out of plastic bottles! We are so freaking lazy - everything has to be disposable. Keep up the struggle!
I can't wait to read "The World Without Us", I have given it as a gift twice, but not yet read it! Have you checked out Deep Economy?
clarksdv2 wrote:
I was a CU undergrad, and if you like the outdoors you'll never want to move. I had to move for work, and I have thought of nothing else but returning to Colorado since. If you want to get really green, sell your car, buy a mountain bike and live near campus. You can ride almost everywhere in Boulder without getting on a street. While your there go to Conor Oneill's and have a pint of Guiness and a salmon boxty.
My roommate here in Michigan went to CU undergrad as well - he misses Boulder very much! I can't wait! As far as selling my car is concerned, I have thought of it... But those weekend jaunts into the mountains will be so much easier with my 4 cylinder! I plan to add a third bike to my quiver - a commuter bike. My mountain and road bikes are not the most practical "to campus and back" bikes!
I do not consider myself an environmentalist - just someone who cares. There are so many "low-hanging-fruits" which are so easy to reach (Canvas grocery bag, nalgene, bike, recycle, carpool, etc.) I do all of these things, and they in NO WAY negatively effect my quality or "convenience" of life - actually they enhance my quality of life..!
Imagine if (or when) all of the 2 billion Chinese and Indian population consumed the way we (Americans) do. We simply do not have the resources. Time to start setting an example!
Off my soap box,
J