The suburbanization of Starbucks

Here is the commentary I read to kick off the June 5th show:

When the Starbucks chain was originally launched in North America, it mimicked the cozy street-corner urban café - the kind of neighbourhood place you could walk to, and have a coffee with friends who lived or worked nearby.

Starbucks has moved a long way from that original concept – just go the new one on the east side and you’ll know what I mean.

It’s in box store country - surrounded by malls, chain restaurants, home improvement centres, and ironically enough, the corporate office of the Canadian Automobile Association!

Its most distinctive feature – for those of us more familiar with Starbucks in the downtowns of big cities – is the drive-thru!

Saint John is car country – Alberta East, you might say.

While the rest of the world is beginning to talk about the environment and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, Saint John is cranking up its dependence on fossil fuels – the explosion of box stores out east, the buzz around a new oil refinery.

The Telegraph-Journal calls Troy Northrup a visionary for blazing the trail of new mall developments out east.

The CBC has a weekly feature on the price of gas, which has a loyal following of suburban commuters anxious about skyrocketing fuel costs.

Not much talk here about conservation and alternative energies.

Perhaps this is why the provincial government is so behind other provinces that are enacting bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Why would the Graham government act aggressively when its voters are still so dependent on their cars and promise of economic growth from new energy projects?

Tonight, we’ll speak with environmentalist David Coon about how New Brunswick stacks up against provinces like B.C., Quebec and Ontario, all of which have adopted bold plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

We’ll also talk with two dancers who are performing at Imperial Theatre tonight. Dancing Bodies: Sum of the Parts begins at 7 pm, just as we wrap up tonight’s show. So perhaps you can listen to the end of Serf City in the car on the way to the theatre. Or perhaps walk from your uptown apartment.

But first up on tonight’s show: an interview about the Mike Hughes Benefit concert series.

- Mark