Archive for August, 2010
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 »
This summer brought 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 10 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 7, 2011, do not qualify;
- 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 07 2010 | Tea Fun | 11 Comments »