Greening Coffee and Tea
October 11th, 2007 by Michelle Trantina
Before you drink coffee and tea, keep these tips in mind:
1. Think Local Brew
Seek out the coffee and tea that have traveled the least distance to reach you and also aim at supporting local, independent farms, cafés, and roasters.
2. Mug shots
Find that perfect mug and make the investment. Not only is a reusable mug more pleasurable to sip out of than a paper cup, but it will replace an untold number of disposable cups, plastic sippy tops, “java jackets,” and other disposable paraphernalia. Make a quick tally of how many disposable coffee or tea cups you use in a month…yeah, it’s probably a lot.
3. Organic
Coffee and tea that bear organic certification are more eco-friendly because they are grown and processed without toxic chemicals, are cultivated and harvested in ways that protect sensitive ecosystems, and spare workers from exposure to harmful pesticides and herbicides. Shade grown coffee is another important category that preserves habitats for migratory birds on coffee farms, also letting beans mature more slowly and creating richer flavors.
4. Fair Trade
Not only does certified fair trade coffee and tea help ensure living wages and safe working conditions for farmers, but TransFair Canada and Rainforest Alliance both include rigorous environmental standards in their certification criteria.
5. Home brew
The local café is great. It’s got your friends, good food, free wireless. But if you think you can be greener and/or tastier in your own kitchen, give it a try. When you brew at home you know where the beans and leaves are coming from and also where they go when they’re spent. Plus, you can’t forget your mug, you can choose organic milk, and never toss out another paper sugar packet, make your coffee exactly as you like it, maybe try dark brown sugar or raw honey instead of plain old white sugar… And try a bit of quick math on the cost savings of making your morning cup at home. The savings definitely add up.
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October 12th, 2007 at 9:34 am
Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body.
All this fear went away when I quit, and it was a book that inspired me to do it called The Truth About Caffeine by Marina Kushner. There are five things I liked about this book:
1) It details–thoroughly–the ways in which caffeine may damage your health.
2) It reveals the damage that coffee does to the environment. Specifically, coffee was once grown in the shade, so that trees were left in place. Then sun coffee was introduced, allowing greater yields but contributing to the destruction of rain forests. I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere else.
3) It explains how best to go off coffee. This is important. If you try cold turkey, as most people probably do, the withdrawal symptoms will likely drive you right back to coffee.
4) Helped me find a great resource for the latest studies at CaffeineAwareness.org
5) Also, if you drink decaf you won’t want to miss this special free report on the dangers of decaf available at www.soyfee.com
January 11th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
Great blog!
If the economics don’t work, recycling efforts won’t either.
Http://LivePaths.com blogs about innovative entrepreneurs that make money selling recycled items, provide green services or help us reduce our dependency on non renewable resources. These includes some very cool Green online ventures, great new technologies, startups and investments opportunities.
September 13th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
I have read your blog post. Its very informative for tea and coffee lovers. I have picked some of the instructions for tea or coffee selection. But once i was reviewing the comments section of this post then i found some of the negative comments about caffeine use which caused a stress in me. but I cant quit tea. and Boba/ bubble tea is my favorite.
September 13th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
Boba Tea / Bubble Tea