Earlier this week, NASA released a report confirming the meteorological speculations: 2010 is expected to be the hottest year on record, based upon the temperatures witnessed so far this year. NASA’s report, which can be found here, states, “2010 is likely, but not certain, to be the warmest year in the GISS record.” GISS refers to the Goddard Institute for Space Studies, NASA’s program for studying global change. This is bad news for tea lovers – whether you’re environmentally-minded or not! In recent history, the tea producing world has encountered serious trouble from the onset of global warming, from a variety of climate-related hardships. Here are a few examples from our prior post on the impact of global warming on tea production:
- Drought in China leaving low-lying plants covered in dust, blocking crucial sunshine;
- Intense rainfall contributing to erosion of slopes and loss of plantings in India;
- Unprecedented frost in Rwanda, causing loss of 70% of leaves;
- Erratic rainfall in Kenya, with drought occurring twice as frequently;
- Higher temperatures in China contributing to increased pest populations.
NASA has noted that the effects of La Nina (the counterpart to El Nino that causes some cooling effects) will probably muddle the data for the rest of the year, bringing the year-long average close to the record setting temperatures of 2005. If 2010 were not a year affected by La Nina, NASA scientists believe that it would undoubtedly be the hottest year on their records. But even with the cooling effects of La Nina, 2010 will at least parallel the temperature anomaly of 2005.
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August 22 2010 | Green Business and Sustainability | No Comments »
Summer is in full swing now, bringing with it plenty of sweltering heat and an outcropping of icy treats on a stick for relief. With all the press they’re getting lately, frozen pops appear to be the latest trend. It’s peculiar how life cycles; everything once old and nostalgic is eventually new and hip again. This is fantastic news for the home cook who doesn’t have the patience or the dedicated appliance needed to whip up a batch of gelato or semifreddo or ice cream. Making popsicles is easy and requires no special equipment!
The recipe guide below calls for just five simple ingredients. Adding Arbor Teas organic loose-leaf tea to the pops adds a whole new flavor dimension and an extra level of refreshment. Upon freezing, the tea flavor truly comes forward of the fruit. This is achieved by first making a tea-infused simple syrup. You could stop here and use the chilled syrup in cocktails or more casual summertime beverages, or you could forge on by adding fruit and freezing it on a stick. Wide grins are your guaranteed reward for just these few extra measures.
The flavors of pops I’ve made so far include: Peppermint-Blueberry, Crimson Berry Fruit Tisane-Cherry, Pineapple Passion Green Tea-Strawberry, and Raspberry Green Tea-Peach. Purposefully, though, this recipe is specific about ratios and vague on flavors. I’m leaving it to you to peruse the Arbor Teas selection and be inspired by what’s available at your local fruit stands. And don’t be deterred if you don’t own frozen pop molds. Try the tricks outlined here for a simple substitute.
Hope you enjoy this Cooking with Tea recipe From the Kitchen of Olivia!
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August 18 2010 | Cooking with Tea | No Comments »
Is there a tea you’re just dying to try, but you’re hesitant to actually fork over your hard-earned cash for a sample? Well, have we got a deal for you! Be one of the first 5 people to leave a comment on any of the 100+ posts on our blog, and add a FREE TEA SAMPLE to your next order by August 31st! You’re welcome to say whatever you like, of course, but we’d particularly love to hear what you thought of the post in question, or your personal perspective on its topic.
So why, exactly, are we doing this? Three reasons: (1) We’re adding more and more fun stuff to the blog these days, and we want you to explore it! (2) We really want to know what you think: about our blog, or the tea world in general; and, (3) We want you to try our teas! We’re pretty sure that one of our nearly 100 organic loose teas is just waiting to become your new favorite!
On to the rules. Yes, there are rules, but they’re fairly simple – here goes:
- You must be one of the first ten (10) people to comment on any given post to qualify;
- To claim your free tea sample, just leave us a note in your next order telling us which post you commented on, and what tea sample you’d like us to include;
- You must claim your free sample within seven (7) days of commenting. Comments made prior to August 8, 2010, do not quality;
- Limit one (1) free sample per order.
We hope you enjoy exploring the Arbor Teas blog, SustainabiliTEA, and that you find a new favorite tea in the process!
August 08 2010 | Tea Fun | 9 Comments »
Starting a compost pile in your backyard is a simple and effective way to lower your home’s impact on the planet. Not only does it significantly reduce the amount of waste going into landfills, but it provides an outstanding source of nutrient-rich soil, which might facilitate you growing your own hyper-local food. And if composting became the norm, it would also lessen the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere by garbage trucks and trash processing facilities. So let’s get started!
Building your own compost bin at home can be simple!
The first thing you’re going to need is a place to start piling up your compostable materials. This can either be on the bare earth, or on pavement. If you choose to have your compost pile on pavement, you’ll want to put a couple of inches of moist dirt on the bottom as a base layer for your compost pile – this helps to retain moisture, which is very important for the composting process (Source: Groundwater.org). Although not entirely necessary, many people choose to construct or buy a compost bin – something to keep the composting area tidy and prevent any animals from searching for food in your pile. This can be as big or as small as you’d like, depending on how much compostable material you will have available. It’s very easy to construct a compost bin out of materials like chicken wire, shipping pallets, cinder blocks – whatever you’ve got!
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July 18 2010 | Sustainability | 7 Comments »
There’s been a lot going at here at Arbor Teas lately. This spring and summer saw the launch of our new “look”, and our industry-leading backyard compostable packaging was released with very positive reception. Well, that isn’t all that’s been going on… As we’ve grown, we’ve felt the need to increase the size of the management team here at Arbor Teas, which has led to the recent addition of Penelope J. Lopatin on May 28, 2010. Penelope will fill the newly created Director of Human Resources position. She will be working in tandem with her older brother and Director of Time Management, Arthur, to oversee company morale and productivity.
All kidding aside, thank you all for being part of our larger “family”, and for sharing these moments in the growth of the Arbor Teas family with us!
June 30 2010 | Miscellaneous and Uncategorized | 5 Comments »
We’re thrilled to introduce our latest addition to our catalog of organic loose teas: organic Schizandra White Tea! This combination of organic white tea and schizandra berries is not your average blend!
Schizandra (aka “Magnolia Vine”) is a genus of hardy deciduous climbing shrubs native to East Asia. Schizandra berries are given the name wu wei zi in Chinese, which translates as “five flavor fruit” because they exhibit all five basic flavors in Chinese herbal medicine: salty, sweet, sour, pungent (spicy), and bitter. This complex flavor profile plays a supporting role to the fresh, smooth and aromatic character of the organic white tea leaves and sweet-citrusy touch of tangerine flavor. A knock-out choice hot or brewed!
The dried fruit of the schizandra plant is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine, where it is believed to provide a remedy for many ailments: to resist infections, increase skin health, and combat insomnia, coughing, and thirst. Modern medical research suggests that Schizandra is particularly effective in protecting the liver, with clinical trials pointing to a benefit to those with chronic viral hepatitis. In combination with antioxidant-packed Bai Mu Dan white tea leaves, this blend is potentially as healthy as it is tasty!
June 30 2010 | Products | 4 Comments »
Requiring only a handful of ingredients, few things are more simple, yet so satisfying to make than classic shortbread. These delicate cookie complement a glass of milk or a cup of tea equally well, and their buttery, not overtly sweet nature takes on additional flavors with ease. Here I’ve paired a basic shortbread dough with three classic organic, loose leaf teas from Arbor Teas: organic Earl Grey Black Tea, organic Matcha Green Tea, and organic Masala Chai Black Tea. With each tea selection and a few additional mix-ins, three distinctive flavors and hues spring from the platform of a once plain dough. Try all three, or mix and match to your own preferences.
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June 30 2010 | Cooking with Tea | 4 Comments »
This is always an exciting time of the year at Arbor Teas, as we welcome the arrival of the 2010 Makaibari First Flush Darjeeling! The first flush harvest is the first picking of 2010, and marks the beginning of the new tea season in India. This year’s First Flush is outstanding – a major improvement over last year’s drought-ridden crop – with a very dry mouth feel that has nuances of green and black tea that is slightly flowery, with fruity notes of Muscat grape. Truly a delight, it perfectly represents the “champagne” of Indian tea. This outstanding tea is Fair Trade Certified, and organic & biodynamically farmed at the Makaibari estate in India’s Darjeeling district. Established in 1859, Markaibari is the oldest estate in Darjeeling, where a strong commitment to sustainable farming prevails.
Please Note: We recommend infusing this tea with a slightly lower water temperature and shorter steeping time than that of other black teas (maybe 2-3 minutes at 180 degrees F).
June 30 2010 | Products | 2 Comments »
In today’s steadily expanding ‘green’ market, there is a lot of confusion among ethical consumers about what exactly some of the labeling means – and with good reason. There is an incredible amount of new terminology coming to the marketplace. A good portion of the terminology has to do with the packaging materials, which are a major concern now that the amount of waste being dumped in the oceans and third world countries has become public knowledge. To help clarify things, we’d like to explain the difference between ‘compostable,’ ‘biodegradable,’ ‘degradable,’ and the standard of our own packaging material, ‘backyard compostable.’
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June 30 2010 | Green Business and Sustainability | 8 Comments »
Painter Jeffrey Axelrod has brought a whole new meaning to “the art of tea.” Claiming that making paint from tea “costs pennies,” Axelrod has recently gained popularity as the modern pioneer of making art using tea – a method he has been practicing for the last seven years.
In order to obtain the full spectrum of colors that he needs for his paintings, Axelrod claims to use over 200 teas; he blends five or six of them to create a unique shade. To create a variety of hues, he includes flavored teas (like plum teas) for blue colors, African rooibos for oranges and reds, and intense Japanese green teas like matcha for green colors.
Axelrod believes that painting with tea touts other benefits, too. Mistakes can be erased simply by applying water with a paintbrush. The drying process can be catalyzed with a blow dryer – but usually Axelrod lets them bake in the sun, preventing the colors from ever fading. But most importantly, Axelrod believes that tea produces art which cannot be replicated with water colors or acrylics – the results are entirely unique.
You can read more about Axelrod’s work here or view his artwork on his website here.
June 18 2010 | Miscellaneous | 2 Comments »
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