A New Cup of Joe

Like many people, I rely on coffee to get me through the day.

It really doesn’t matter what kind: Circle K, Dunkin Donuts and the occasional (and very rare) cup of Starbucks.

I soon realized that in my quest to become “green” I should probably reevaluate my coffee habits. So it is my goal for the next week to only drink Fair Trade Certified coffees.

The term “fair trade” means that consumers are guaranteed, “that strict economic, social and environmental criteria were met in the production and trade of an agricultural product,” according to the organization’s Web site. The producers must consider sustainability as a whole, meaning fair prices, fair labor conditions, community development, etc.

And since I practically live on campus between classes and working at the student newspaper, I knew I would have to find places that offer the coffee near or on the University of Arizona campus.

During my research, I was happy to find that Bruegger’s Bagels at the Park Student Union, 601 N. Park St., carries Fair Trade flavors. Outside the store, there is a sign advertising its coffee with Fair Trade’s logo: “Great coffee makes a world of difference.” The company brews Green Mountain Roasters coffee daily in decaf, French Roast, Hazelnut and the new (and very good I might add) Golden French Toast.

It's safe to say you will be seeing more of me at Bruegger's as well as my favorite coffee place on campus, Canyon Café and Bistro at the Student Union Memorial Center.

While it will be difficult to stray away from my usual Cinnabon-flavored cup of coffee, Seattle's Best Coffee offers an organic French Roast that is certified. Not to mention, it fits into my budget. My usual tall (medium) size coffee is only $1.25.

When I ventured off campus, I found that Dunkin Donuts on University Boulevard has espresso that is Fair Trade Certified, while even Starbucks offers an organic flavor in whole bean, pound bags for sale called Café Estima.

Here’s the complete list I found on Fair Trade’s Web site:

• Bruegger's - Ask for their daily Fair Trade Certified brewed coffee.
• Caribou Coffee - Ask for the Fair Trade Blend.
• Dunkin' Donuts - Order any hot or iced espresso drink.
• Einstein Bagels - Ask for their Global Village Fair Trade Blend.
• Noah's Bagels - Ask for their daily Fair Trade Certified brewed coffee.
• Peet's Coffee and Tea - Ask for the Fair Trade Blend.
• Seattle's Best Coffee - Ask for the Fair Trade Certified Organic French Roast.
• Starbucks Coffee - Ask for Cafe Estima.
• Tully's Coffee - Order any hot or iced espresso drink.

Many of the above brews can be found at your local supermarket if you have the time in the morning to make your own cup of Joe. If you're like me and you don't have the time, it's easier than you think to have a green and sustainable cup of coffee.

It's in the bag

Images from my childhood: My brothers and sister crammed into the car for another trip, our hands in our pockets while at the store and canvas bags with recycle logos.

Growing up, my mother always took canvas bags to the grocery store when she shopped. She always replied, “Paper” when prompted to by the box boy and then used those bags for the next trip.

Who knew my mom taught me something about being green?

Never to be called crunchy granola, the bags were more for convenience than conservation. Now, she says how happy she is that it’s “back in style,” since she’s been using these somewhat trendy bags since the 80s.

I finally followed my mom’s example (Ack! That’s exactly what we try to avoid!) and became a fashionable grocery shopper this weekend. I bought my first canvas bag from Albertsons, 1350 N. Silverbell Road, on Friday night.

And I hate to say it, but my mom was right.

It was completely worth it, despite the fact that I was thoroughly made fun of by my company at the time.

I found the bag near the check out lanes on a “10 for $10” rack, and for $1 I fit all my groceries — including the eggs, which were intact when I got home — in that one bag.

The purchase of the bag was a lot simpler than accepting that I’m slowly turning into my mother.

As a side note, don’t fret if an Albertsons is out of the question — many are going out of business. Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods Market led the way in bringing these bags back. I’ve also seen people walk out of local Wild Oats Market with ones like my mom used to use.

But they can also be purchased at most supermarkets, including Safeway.

So don’t be afraid to spend an extra buck at the grocery store and maybe keep the bag in your car’s trunk at all times if you’re afraid you’ll forget it on grocery day.

At least, that's my plan.

Greenings from Boulder!

BOULDER, Colo. — One of the best ways to learn about green living is to see how other people do live the lifestyle. And what better place to do that than Boulder, Colo.?

Photo courtesy of ald.colorado.edu/

Nestled beneath the famous Flatirons, the small city takes pride in its commitment to make the Earth a better place to live.

This became very evident to me when I first arrived in Denver. It's funny that a restroom can tell you a lot about the place where you just landed. During my first trip to the Mile High City, I noticed the toilet seat covers in the ladies restroom were made of a completely different material than the one's in Sky Harbor in Phoenix.

Sure, it's a silly realization, but it says a lot about the state. If it cares so much about the decomposition of its toilet seat covers, how much care goes into its buildings or its roads?

After about a 45-minute trip via the E-470, I found myself in Boulder, and the realizations just kept coming.

While visiting University of Colorado, I was bombarded by recycle bins in the front of every building on campus. Again in the bathrooms, the paper towel dispenser prompted me to use less — a sticker with the words, "Watch Your Waste!" and "Please Conserve, Use Paper Towels Sparingly."

Then later on Pearl Street, which was reminiscent of University Boulevard or Mill Avenue in Tempe, the importance of sustainability was still evident among the street performers and college students.

Under a tree in the middle of the square, a sign advertised solar-powered wireless Internet for the area, a relatively new service introduced in summer 2007.

Through all this education I got courtesy of the city of Boulder, I was surprised to find that Starbucks was the coffee of choice in the area, as the company still does not brew Fair Trade certified coffee.

That's precisely why my latte while waiting for my plane in Denver came from Caribou Coffee, which is certified by Fair Trade and Rainforest Alliance.

We can all learn a lot from Boulder and the entire state of Colorado, while becoming more conscious of our habits.

Super Bowl? How 'bout Salad Bowl?

Let's take a minute from improving our green lifestyle to the biggest news of the day — the Super Bowl. Maybe, we'll just learn a few things.

BATTERY-POWERED
After Tom Brady's final thwarted pass fell, and the Giants got into victory formation to win Super Bowl XVII, the (what I hoped was recycled material) confetti filled University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale. I couldn't help but wonder how much energy the whole production used? More importantly though, how much did it save?

Amp Energy drink ensured that at least 30 minutes of the pre-game show on FOX saved some of that energy.

The drink company set up 42 bicycles hooked up to a rotor, which ran to a generator, which in turn sent that energy to charge batteries. It then recruited 1,200 people over the course of four days to produce the energy needed. See the process here.

For a Super Bowl that would be heavily scrutinized for what it can do to become more eco-friendly, producers took a step in the right direction.

GREEN ADS
Some people only watch the game for the commercials (which should be a crime). But only a few made a statement about green living.

GMC introduced its new full-sized hybrid SUV during the broadcast. The Yukon promises to have 50 percent less miles per gallon than other vehicles in its class.

The commercial is simple in nature. A drawing of Sisyphus, the man condemned by the gods to push a boulder up a mountain for the rest of his days, works a boulder up to the top of a mountain while a narrator talks about change.

The ad's slogan is "Never Say Never," alluding to the thought that an SUV can only be a gas-guzzling machine.

Though it was hard to be distracted from one of the greatest Super Bowl upsets of all time, if we look closer, we can learn something from the producers and ad executives about what it means to be green.