People are petitioning against a new Starbucks in Yosemite National Park
Over 9,000 people have signed a Change.org petition to prohibit a Starbucks from opening up shop in Yosemite National Park. Once the digital document reaches 10,000 supporters, it will be delivered to Rep. Tom McClintock, who represents the congressional district in which the park is located, and to California‘s two senators, Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein.
“Multinational corporations have no place in our National Parks. The opening of a Starbucks in Yosemite Valley opens the door to further undue development,” the petition reads. “The Park will lose its essence, making it hardly distinguishable from a chaotic and bustling commercial city.”
According to the petition’s organizer, who is only identified as “Concerned Citizen,” most of the job listings for the Yosemite Valley Lodge Starbucks have been removed since the birth of the petition. It’s unclear whether these jobs have been filled or if the plans have shuttered.
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Many supporters of the movement have left their concerns in the “Reasons for Signing” section of the petition page.
“National parks are not city malls. They are the only place that we can go to experience the natural beauty of the world, and to get a glimpse of what it’s like to see the Earth at its most, currently, unadulterated form,” Assaad Georges wrote in response to the appeal.
“John Muir would roll in his grave,” Felicia Flick commented. Muir - a philosopher and environmentalist - helped to preserve the Yosemite Valley in the late 1800s.
And Claire Newman stated, “There is no need for Starbucks in nature.”
The Daily Meal has reached out to Starbucks for comment. For more on the Seattle-based coffee retailer, here are 20 things you didn’t know about Starbucks.
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