On glorifying Chai, and the corporate giant behind it

I'm a huge Starbucks fan. Really, I get a soy chai latte nearly everyday (soy because I'm lactose intolerant) And try as I might to find a more wallet friendly beverage company, I can't. The taste is not the same.
I've tried Sheetz Chai. For $1.99 it is the cheapest. It also has a funny chemically aftertaste that I just can't get past.
I've tried this little place near my sister's apartment, the Black Hand. $2.00 plus or minus a few pennies. But it too has a bit too much of something, I just can't put my finger on it.
I've even bought chai tea myself and made my own version of chai. Now, usually, when you make your own version of something it's usually better because it's homemade. Not so in this case. Mine is too watery, not creamy enough.
But Starbucks. Oh Starbucks with the perfect blend of spices and vanilla and frothy soy milk. I would gladly spend $4.00 for a grande any day of the week.

Now before you get your panties in a twist over me frequenting this corporate titan, I just want to remind you of a few things:
        1. Starbucks is an environmentally friendly corporation. They practice ethical sourcing. Starbucks is committed to buying and serving the highest-quality, responsibly grown, ethically traded coffee to help create a better future for farmers and a more stable climate.
        2. Starbucks is committed to minimizing its environmental footprint. For example, in the latest franchise built here in Midlothian, the store features beautiful furniture made out of recycled plastic and paper. There are more recepticles for recycling than trash, forcing people to think about what they are throwing away, and of course, the nifty sleeves around the cup to keep your hands from burning is recycled paper products.
        3. Starbucks champions community service through the Starbucks Volunteer 2 Volunteer program. Starbucks is striving to contribute more than 1 million hours of community service by 2015.

I'm sure you're skeptical. It's only natural to think that a corporate giant like Starbucks is only thinking of their product and who they market to and how to make more money. But I genuinely believe that Starbucks is trying to make a difference. This may seem naive, and you're welcome to disagree with me, but Starbucks is a major part of millions of American's day, and because of this overwhelming popularity, it seems logical for Starbucks to tap into the next big thing in this world- sustainability and environmentalism.

I recommend visiting the Starbucks Shared Planet website. You'll find a lot of interesting information there about how Starbucks is working globally to fix the planet, one coffee bean at a time.

And that is one damn fine tasting coffee bean :)

Chai tea-liciously yours,
Nay