Editorial: Take a sip of green coffee

Ever try teaching a dog to play Mozart’s violin concertos? We haven’t either, but we’re… Ever try teaching a dog to play Mozart’s violin concertos?

We haven’t either, but we’re hopeful that the image provides a useful analogy to what it’s like to teach millions of American consumers to bring their opinions to the cash register. Getting the masses of self-interested shoppers to care about anything other than price, convenience and immediacy is hard — consumer values are entrenched. And if asked to teach consumers to suddenly care about issues as distant as the environment and sustainability, you’d wish you’d been given the dog and the violin instead.

But, sometimes extraordinary things happen, and for the sake of future generations, we hope this shopping generation turns out to be extraordinary. In a healthier America, citizens would regard the art of shopping as more of a form of political participation — as a way to push companies to make changes they desire in the world. And if the entire country demands more time to internalize such radical ideas, then for now, at least let D.C. coffee drinkers ready themselves.

Green building practices are coming to Starbucks inside the Washington, D.C. beltway.

According to The Washington Post, Starbucks Corp. is pulling out all the eco-friendly stops for all the newly built and renovated company-owned coffeeshops in the D.C. area. Recognizing that close to 75 percent of its environmental footprint comes from retail, Starbucks plans to retrofit these stores — about 100 — with energy- and waste-conscious devices like LED lights and low-flow faucets, aiming to one day derive 50 percent of its energy from renewable sources.

But perhaps the most unique element of Starbucks’ plan is to certify all new company-owned stores through the U.S. Green Building Council’s certification program.

The council is a nonprofit that works with companies to promote green building practices by encouraging them to meet its rigorous Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The Post article reports that only 6,000 buildings are currently LEED certified. In a separate report released by the council, only 25 Pittsburgh buildings and no Pitt buildings were certified as of 2008. Investing so much in sustainability is a brave move for a company that had to close 400 stores during the recession. Without releasing the projected costs of its green building initiative — or any information regarding the time and effort being expended to collaborate with the U.S. Green Building Council — Starbucks has acknowledged it’s been “pricey.” And it’s a financial risk that Starbucks deserves respect for taking.

But we’re not out to shower praise onto any one coffee chain — we’re trying to highlight the kind of practices consumers of the future should want to see in their businesses. Just as shoppers erupt with delight when they encounter a “30 percent off” sticker, so too should they walk into storefronts that display the USGBC label on their windows or recycled floor tiles in their foyers. Once the consumer mindset changes, progress could proceed faster than ever before. Changing the world is only a matter of carrying ideas — instead of just coupons — in your purse, and you don’t need to send little Spot to music lessons to do it.