Make A Coffee Resolution for 2011 January 3, 2011

Drink up and do good at the same time.

A whole year awaits us, shiny and uncertain.  It’s bound to be filled with political upheaval, struggling economies and packed full of moments beautiful, absurd and horrific. One thing will remain much the same, COFFEE. Start 2011 off right by adopting a few simple changes to your coffee routine and enjoy how easily you made the world a little bit better.

 

Coffee has become an entrenched staple in life and the caffeine fix isn’t likely to disappear any time soon. American’s consume an average of 400 million cups of coffee a day (146 billion cups a year) and the National Coffee Association reports that in 2009 a whopping 56 percent of the U.S. population drank coffee daily regardless of economic conditions. So, why not extend those New Year’s resolutions to include one of the things nearly as stable as death and taxes? Here are a few simple things you can do to make that coffee more environmentally and socially responsible.

 

Look out for the environment and cut those convenient but totally wasteful, disposable paper cups from your routine. If you aren’t staying at a coffee shop or making your drinks at home, bring a reusable mug out with you. In 2006 alone over 6.5 million trees were cut down to make 16 billion paper cups for U.S. consumers. That equals (among other things) 4 billion gallons of water used in production and 253 million pounds of cups in the garbage. Imagine the impacts if American’s curtailed their use of paper cups! Do your part and keep a mug in your backpack, handy at the office, or waiting in your car. (Added bonus, travel and vacuum mugs keep those precious drinks hot a lot longer.)

 

Not quite ready to cut out the convenient cup? Then get your coffee from a shop that puts that coffee in a compostable cup and then actually compost it. Another option: consider leaving the disposable sleeve behind or buy a reusable sleeve. Atlas Purveyors in Boulder sells cup sleeves made from ultra chic recycled fabrics for $5 a pop (Atlas uses them in-house and has kept an estimated 13,800 sleeves from going into the trash in 2010!). They’re adorable, comfortable and can be used with pint glasses or partnered with disposable cups. Every little bit helps.

 

Become a champion of the underprivileged and marginalized coffee farmers of the world! All you have to do is buy coffee from sources that are Fair Trade. Choosing socially conscious coffees helps to alleviate poverty and protect the environment. You will pay a premium, but there is a lot of amazing, reasonably priced Fair Trade coffee out there.

 

Fair Trade coffee gives once exploited farmers a livable wage and other opportunities (like education and support for environmentally sustainable practices). Keep in mind that no system is perfect and often the most reliable Fair Trade coffees are directly sourced by coops and roasters to guarantee first-hand that farmers and workers get paid well for their product. Feel free to ask your local coffee shop or roaster about their beans and Fair Trade options.

 

If you aren’t already doing these things, why not give them a try? Not only will you get your caffeine fix, you can also feel great knowing that you are actually making the world a little bit better… one coffee at a time.

Start-ups and cafes and Boulder… oh my! October 10, 2010

It’s the era of the mobile office: a time with meetings seem to take place more often in coffee shops than in conference rooms. Go into any coffee shop and you are bound to overhear deals being made and ideas being born. The shift seems a natural one… cafés are comfortable; they marry community, style and comfort. Plus, who wouldn’t like great coffee with their daily dose of work discourse? –But why stop there?

As times change, cafes are in a position to prosper from and even help facilitate development of industry in their hometowns. Boulder may be somewhat of an anomaly, but as a hotbed of creative people, deep pockets and techies (not to be confused with Trekkies, though some are probably both) it offers some unique opportunities to marry innovation and business.  After all, Boulder is making itself known as a tech start-up mecca (with the bonus of mountains and environmental awareness) and people are taking notice. In April 2010 Business Week called Boulder “America’s Best Town for Startups”.

In fact, the number of people employed in technology in Boulder is second only to Silicon Valley (American Electronics Assn.).  For entrepreneurs and those in clean tech and green tech, Boulder offers many opportunities for mingling, idea sharing and company growth. Among them are 3 group events that all techies should know about.

The first two are, sadly, caffeine-free but do have beer and wine and are currently housed at Colorado University: The Boulder Green Tech Meetup –usually on the 2nd Thursday of the month and the New Tech Meetup –generally on the third Tuesday of the month. Both events have a similar format: with mingling, presentations and questions and answer time. They have thousands of members, and bring together an average of 150-200 people per meet.

The third group is another animal entirely. For those looking for a less formal gathering that also comes loaded with caffeine, then the Boulder Open Coffee Club will be an eye-opener (pun intended).  The Coffee Club is smaller, with 550 fans on Facebook, and averages 30-50 participants. It meets twice a month in a coffee shop. This club fills a real need for Boulder’s ever growing start-up community. The group is very informal, with no set format, and is more of a gathering point for techies than a demonstration of concept prowess. This group is all about providing a network, about bringing like-minded individuals together to discuss issues and ideas that interest them.

By hosting this growing group, The Cup (previous host site) and Atlas Purveyors (current host) help foster business in their town (something every city could use more of these days) and simultaneously build goodwill and clientele from the techie and start-up community. It’s a win-win and it isn’t surprising that ideas like this are raising eyebrows; word has it that next weeks meeting (Oct. 12th) will also be attended by reporters from Japanese TV and Fox. Of course, the real story isn’t just Boulder’s start-up industry; it’s the fact that cafes are a natural medium for fostering community and business… and that is good news for everyone.

Want to attend the next Boulder Open Coffee Club? The next meeting is THIS TUESDAY, October 12th at Atlas Purveyors on Pearl. The event starts at 8 am, but it’s best to get there early if you want a seat.