Darshan Blog

Athletes and fans from around the world are beginning to descend on Beijing and what they are finding is shocking. When Beijing was awarded the games they were warned the need for improved human rights and environment conditions. 3 years ago I went too Beijing. No one seemed not concerned about the environmental situation. When I awoke on my first day a city veiled in fog greeted me. It made me think of San Francisco. I figured it would burn off by noon. I looked at my watch to find it was 11AM! This wasn’t fog this was pollution!

By my second day in the city my health was effected, I have never been in a place that made my eyes constantly weep in the hopes of flushing. I would not describe myself as athletic, but I am in shape enough to scale many steps at the Great Wall. But even I was feeling the effects of the environment. How could no one notice? How did it get like this? Tour guides and locals asked about the Olympics said the government was really working on the situation, how there were wonderful plans of shutting down plant production and building event locations in some of the cleanest portions of the ringed city, how every citizen was going to chip in by driving less and taking to the streets on foot.

Now 3 years later and pictures of the city are still hung with haze and tourists look almost shocked at the layer of filth they find on their clothes. As journalists begin to arrive they are sure to be dealing more with the environment than with the specter of internet handlers. Some journalists are going over with cases of medications just to be sure they will be able to do their jobs in the harsh conditions.

This speaks to nothing of the athletes. We have seen several drop out of marathons and many more concerned about their long term performance abilities after spending time in the city. Critics have already said to be prepared for no records to be broken in these games. The International Olympic Committee is checking the air conditions daily and say the environment will not effect the athletes, but warn for events that last for an hour or longer outdoors, the athletes could see some effects. It seems like the pollution is effecting the IOC public relations department. Just moving to the venues are concerning indoor athletes. The pressure of performance is always weighing on these folks but also the testing for banned substances. The environment is an effect here as well! When a simple over the counter asthma medication can pop up on a test many more are too worried to take medications that would only make them able to breath.

As the whole world watches, we could be all seeing our future. We must remember this is not an isolated case. We all breathe the same air and as the world turns we share more than the Olympic spirit.

Sonya Gavankar
Newseum

 Share

News that Starbucks is closing 5% of their stores comes as more than a surprise to some. Its the canary in the mine shaft. For a year critics have been arguing about the economy and whether we are in a recession. This closure of stores can be a fine mark that a recession is upon us.

We could make the argument that the companies growth was too much too fast with every city block seems to be dotted with the ubiquitous green logo. While other coffee proprietors fight for a piece of the market and try to catch up bolstering their brand with research saying American’s prefer the taste of their more traditional bled. Even McDonald’s introduces items similar, yet many American’s now refer to a cup of coffee as not joe… but Starbucks.

A year ago a memo was leaked about the need to for Starbucks to return to its roots. Included in the changes; a need to focus on the stores which have turned into automats with green smocked employees who would just press a series of buttons to create the products with long names that signified the unique blend they request. The president wanted to bring back the originality of Starbucks. Bring back the coffee house atmosphere with conversation plus the gourmet creation of coffee, the first step would be to return to the original blend and get rid of pastries. Now it seems that the Starbucks need to close some of their stories because quite simply they are competing with each other and that system isn’t working.

I think it is all a case of bad timing. The canary has died in the mine shaft. Its warning us that worse times are on the way. A time where one cannot afford three dollar coffee and gas is at an all time high. It also reminds me of a warning I received when I first started working. A coworker advised “you know how your company is doing by the items they provide free for their employees. You must start to worry when they switch to one ply in the bathroom and when they take away the free coffee.”

 Share