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February 9, 2010
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Quick and Current
Tea and Chocolate
Goings on
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If you missed the
Segment on Tea and
Chocolate for
Valentine’s Day
it is archived here
Featured Teas
Several New teas arriving
Lomi Lomi Herbal infusion
is a delight for the senses
Taiping Monkey King is
a unique and rare green
tea with a long leaf style
Sencha Kombucha is a
green tea with kombucha
powder. Plum like
flavor is simple to make
Fog Tea is a green tea
also known as “Clouds
of Mist” or Wu Lu. Grown
in misty mountains it makes
a great tea.
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Quick and current
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February not only contains Valentine’s Day, but is also American Heart Month. Tea is a great way to tackle both! Black Teas have been shown to strengthen the cardiovascular system and tea fills the bill in many other ways for Valentine’s Day. In this edition:
- Souvia Teas can be found in more places like The Java Spa in the Sachi Salon and the Water Mart at Camelback and Miller. Ask for Souvia Teas at your favorite haunts – we can deliver anywhere in the country!
- The popular Souvia Saturday Forums continue on February 13th at 10am, providing speakers on a variety of general interest topics. They are free and run from 10am-Noon on selected Saturdays. Next up: Greg Peterson on “Creating your own Urban Farm”
- See below for tea pairing, teas that are arriving and teas that are going away
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Tea and Chocolate
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 Can you imagine a chocolate chip cookie without a glass of milk, a peanut butter sandwich without jelly, vanilla ice cream without hot fudge? There are certain food combinations that take the taste from just good to simply delicious!
Wine, for example, is often paired with foods and desserts to enhance the flavor in both. Tea shares many of wine’s complexities and pairing it with food can enhance the taste experience of both. Since February highlights chocolates and sweets as the perfect gift for your Valentine, why not take it to the next level and create tea and chocolate pairings for that romantic Valentine’s dinner that will surprise and delight?
One way to look at tea and chocolate is as friends, where similarity in characteristics enhance the flavor, or as lovers, where contrasting characteristics will complement each other through their differences. Since tea and chocolate share the same flavor profiles, floral qualities and bite from astringency and tannin, they practically invite you to create fun and tasty combinations. While you should always trust your taste buds to find the right combinations, there are some general guidelines that might help you get started.
- White teas have a very delicate flavor and pair well with mild chocolates and fruit. Try a Silver Needle or Bai Mu Tan with chocolate covered strawberries or a white chocolate cheese cake.
- Green teas have vegetal flavors and aromas and pair well with creamier tastes such as berry flavors and milk chocolate. A Japanese Sencha with its savory profile, for example, is a good match for white or milk chocolate.
- Oolongs are partially oxidized teas, are very complex in flavor. The lightly oxidized, greener oolongs go well with rich sweet desserts like caramel filled pralines, milk or dark chocolate, while the more oxidized oolongs complement the stronger flavors of dark chocolate.
- Black Teas tend to have a stronger flavor, more body and their tannin content matches up well with rich and full flavored dark chocolate, maybe with a hint of berries, citrus or nuts.
We like rich and creamy desserts and, therefore, choose for a perfect Valentine’s dessert would be a Ti Kuan Yin Oolong from China with its slightly toasted notes and a slice of creamy chocolate caramel cake.
If you are interested in learning more about this topic and would like to sample some creations, sign up for our “Tea and Dessert Pairing” class on Sunday, March 7th from 2 until 4 PM.
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Lots going on at the store…
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 Lots happening over the next month or so
- Souvia Saturday forums started last month. These are presentations of general interest to the community. No registration necessary, just stop in and learn something new. Got an idea for a topic or speaker? Send us a note
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The Chinese New Year starts in February and it is the “Year of the Tiger” – We have an instore drawing for a boxed set of some of the top teas from China
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New arrivals in March – Licorice Root and White Cherry
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Leaving us soon – Pumpkin Pie, Nutcracker Suite, Assam Mangalam, Snow Buds Special, Spring Green, Cupids Arrow, Gingerbread House, Ginseng Oolong
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Thanks for Reading
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Win a Souvia T-shirt for answering the following question – Name two herbals that are good for your heart. Send your answers to info@souvia.com. I will draw 4 winners this month…
We hope to see you in the store or online soon. If you can’t get in remember we ship same day and your tea will arrive quickly!
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November 12, 2009
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Contents
New Website
Sage
It’s that time of Year
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Featured Items
Gingerbread
House
Just in time for cooler
temps – smooth and
aromatic – Caffeine
Free
We have lots of
great, personal
gifts for the tea
Tea Tools Basket
This kit has all
the tools needed to
dive into the world
of tea
Be our Fan!
Cold Chaser
Savory and soothing
this German Blend of
herbs can naturally
boost one’s immunity
and shorten a cold
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What’s New?
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 Just as we are updating our physical presence, we have updated our virtual one this month! We launched our new website this week with:
Take a look and tell us what you think!
Check out the events section below for the tea sale, free back rubs and music.
Trick or Tea has come and gone. However, for a Limited time we can get it by the pound. It will take about 6 business days from time of order – Can only be ordered in one of the stores.
Cranberry-Peach (black), Nutcracker Suite, Gingerbread House(rooibos), and Harvest Moon(green) are in the stores. Look for Ambrosia White in December.
Tea Word of the Month: High Tea [hy tee] –noun : a meal usually with breads, meats and cheeses served after 6pm often confused with Afternoon Tea but more of a meal than a social diversion
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Herbal Corner – Sage – “all is well”
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 Sage (Salvia Officinalis) was the first herb my grandmother introduced me to. I still remember the honey sweetened, aromatic tea she gave me to soothe my sore throat when I was sick.
The generic name for sage, salvia, is Latin and means “to heal” and in ancient Rome and Greece Sage was believed to heal everything, from snakebites to colds. It was also attributed to have memory enhancing properties. Every country’s herbal healers, from China to Europe, recommended Sage and, because of its many medicinal properties, it became known as the herb that could extend life to the point of immortality.
It is true that sage has very powerful antibacterial and antioxidant properties, and was therefore used by the Greek and Romans as a meat preservative. Even today, it is no accident that we are so fond of adding a little sage to that Turkey stuffing!
Medicinally, sage is a wonderful digestive remedy. It stimulates the flow of digestive enzymes and bile and helps settle the stomach and relieves indigestion.
Sage is also known to be a tonic to the nervous system, enhancing the body’s strength and vitality.
Its antiseptic properties have been relied on in wound healing and the mild estrogenic effect may help relieve menopausal problems, especially hot flashes.
The French call this herb “toute bonne”, which means “all is well”. Indeed, Sage has many healing properties and should not be missing from your herbal remedy kit.
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It’s that time of year!
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No, we’re not putting up Christmas decor just yet but we are thinking about it. Some upcoming events -
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We will have our “after Thanksgiving sale” on Friday and Saturday, November 27th and 28th – In Phoenix, we will have free chair massages for everyone spending $20 or more
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We’ll open Sundays, 12pm-5pm on December 6th, 13th and 20th
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On Fridays – December 4th, 11th, and 18th , music returns to Souvia from 4pm-6pm with some soothing Recorder to de-stress for the Holiday
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In January, “Souvia Saturdays Community Forum” begins. These will be held in the Phoenix location from 10am-12pm on certain Saturdays. We have three speakers already lined up, See the topics on the calendar or Blog. Ideas? Send them to info@souvia.com
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It was great to see so many of you at the Local First Festival – If you missed it, pencil in the first Saturday in November for next year. For those with an eye for detail or design, please send us feedback on the new website – I will draw two names to receive 50 grams of any of our Holiday teas!
We hope to see you in the stores but if not, remember we ship everyday, locally and nationwide!
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Meet the Author
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 Meet Author and Speaker Greg Petersen at the Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe on Monday, November 16th at 7pm. Greg will be talking about a new and unique series of mini books designed for the busy, fast-paced life we live. The series, called The Urban Farm’s Simple Sustainability Series – The first two are out My Extraordinary Yard and Fowl Play
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October 19, 2009
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Contents
Coming Attractions
Glenburn Tea
Help!
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Featured Items
Trick or Tea
Happy Halloween!
Tasty black tea with
black cats and
pumpkins – so good
it’s scary!
Not a Paper Cup!
Double-walled
ceramic mug keeps
tea hot, fingers cool,
and you GREEN.
We will fill it free
the first time or
add a extra tea
sample online
Be our Fan!
Freshly picked June
9th 2009 and
imported directly from
the estate. A second
flush Assam
with many golden tips,
produces a rich
satisfying cup with
a nice malty finish
that will delight
Assam lovers.
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Coming attractions
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 The first phase of the Phoenix Store transformation is complete. New colors and decor just in time to welcome lots of new tea.
Nutalicious is back as rumors of its demise turned out to be false. Joining Nutalicious on the shelves this month are Asian Fusion (green tea blend), Kenya Kaporet (wonderful black tea), Pumpkin Pie (last year’s favorite), Lemon Drop (a newcomer on the green shelf), Pu-Erh Ginger, and Sage Leaf round out the October arrivals.
The special tea of the Month is Trick or Tea - Limited time
Look for Cranberry-Peach (black), Nutcracker Suite, Gingerbread House (rooibos), and Harvest Moon(Green) around the first of November.
Our website’s facelift will also be complete before the next newsletter – we will announce when it is ready.
Tea Word of the Month: Gongfu [gong-foo] –adjective : literally “careful skill” a term used to describe the Chinese style tea ceremony or certain Chinese teas. See also Congou.
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Fresh from the Estate – Glenburn
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 Glenburn estate is located in Darjeeling, India. It is a 1600 acre plantation with breathtaking views over the Kanchenjunga Mountain Range. The estate stretches from an elevation of 3700 ft all the way down to the sandy banks of two snow-fed Himalayan rivers.
At Glenburn in Darjeeling, where the higher altitude provides the necessary “stress” to the tea plants, giving the tea its characteristic flavor, the succulent leaves result in a very attractive tea with a purplish bloom and a sprinkling of silvery tips.
The estate is family operated in its 5th generation by the Prakash family, also known as the ”Chaiwala family” (tea planters). Originally started by a Scottish tea company in 1859, the Prakash family has now been cultivating magnificent teas for over 150 years.
Kerstin and I had the pleasure to meet Husna Prakash at the 2009 World Tea Expo – Read more on our blog
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We need you!
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 People always get ask: “How’s it going?” “How’s business?” “How can I help?”. There are several ways -
This month – anyone who writes a review, becomes a fan, or follows us on Twitter will be eligible to win one of three $25 gift Cards. Thank you for all of your support.
In January, we also intend to use our space to host talks or presentations on topics of interest to the communities surrounding us. We have had suggestions so far for: child care options, sustainable agriculture, ways to be green among others. Ideas? Send them to info@souvia.com
We would also like to connect with people who are interested in performing tea-room-suitable music on Fridays from about 4-6pm – We pay in tea 
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Thanks for reading this month.
We hope to see you in the stores but if not, remember we ship everyday, locally and nationwide!
~
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September 16, 2009
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Contents
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Early or Late
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Immunity
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All about Tea
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Featured Items
?
Banana Split
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Smooth black tea with
? a rich banana taste –
As yummy as the
dessert without the guilt
- Great Iced!
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Souvia on TV
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Check out our most
? recent TV appearances
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August 11th on
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and see us August
12th? 9-10am on
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? Jiaogulan
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Jiaogulan is best known
as an herbal medicine
reputed to have
powerful? antioxidant
and adaptogenic
effects that increase
longevity.? It has a
pleasant Oolong like
taste and color.
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Early or Late…
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 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
As many? children head back to school the summer? spontaneity is exchanged for? more structured routines. Traffic? flow changes, stores are less crowded during the day, and other schedule patterns change.? Based on customer feedback, Souvia is making some schedule changes too:
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Monday, August 17th? our Phoenix location will open at 7am – Monday through Friday
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Our Scottsdale location will stay open until 7pm, Monday through Friday.
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? Hopefully this will allow those needing an early cuppa or those who work later and a chance to visit.
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With all the news about flu and illnesses transmitted in schools, we have invited Dr. James Moore, NMD,? back? to speak? about herbals that help boost and strengthen one’s immunity – naturally.? ? He is a popular speaker so be sure to register your seat early for the August 31st session.?
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Watch for new teas as we move into Fall.
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Tea Word of the month:? ? FTGFOP [eff-tee-jee-eff-oh-pee]? adjective?  ? ? Literally, Fine Tippy Golden, Flowery Orange Pekoe – A grading term based solely on how the tea leaves look, used primarily in India, Kenya, and Sri Lanka
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Kerstin’s Herbal Corner – Staying Healthy
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Staying healthy at home as kids head back to school.
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While in Germany, we heard about the “Schweinegrippe” (swine flu) as it is daily? headline news.? Many German kids are in school until late July and the flu bug showed no mercy this summer in the US either, affecting camps across the country and sending many kids home sick with the flu.? ? While some of the stories are a bit hyped and overblown, no one likes to get sick.
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Now that children are back in school and socializing with others, what’s the most natural way to protect you and your family?? ? Below are? five suggestions of what to do when your son or daughter brings home more than just homework!
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Start by incorporating more black tea in your diet -? Black tea has been shown to have anti-viral properties and? it is also an immunity booster.
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Consider herbal infusions: Elderberry, astragulus, lapacho, in addition to Cold Chaser are all great additions to tea to keep you healthy.? ? Elderberry can also be made into a syrup to help at the first sign of symptoms.?
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Besides drinking herbal remedies, reduce stress to help ward off a bug.? ? Sitting down to enjoy a cup of tea is a great way to slow down for a moment.? Choose what works for you be it exercise, yoga, or whatever.
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Consider infusions rich in vitamin C.? Hibiscus and fruit blends fall under this category.
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Arm yourself with information.? Learn more about natural herbal medicine, or consult a Naturopathic doctor and learn how the body can heal itself.? ? ? Take a class
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While natural remedies can shorten the course of an illness, it is best to take steps before symptoms appear.
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It’s All about the Tea
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We were invited in July to visit one of our suppliers in Germany.? As you know, we like the Germans due to the excellent flavorings and vigilance over things that do not belong in Tea,? ? We spent several hours tasting over 60 teas both flavored and Orthodox.?
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Tasting this many teas requires that one does not actually swallow them but it is a great exercise and helps determine the relative tastes and quality of teas.? We tasted teas and herbals covering the price, flavor, and quality spectrums.
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The result?? You’ll be seeing some new teas in the fall some not currently available from any other source in the USA.? ?
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We continue to explore new ways of staying in touch.? ? Dozens of you? are following ua on Twitter – we are posting the teas of the days, interesting news items on tea and other items? that may be of interest.? ? We have recently also started a Facebook page.
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? Our goal is always to educate and enlighten our customers about tea and herbals.? We hope the web based technologies enhance that.
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Other news about our teas
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Larger Tins – up to 250 grams of tea – keep it fresher, longer.
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One Pound Size – an excellent value for teas you love
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Key Lime Pie - back for a limited time and only while supplies last
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Thanks for reading this month.? We hope you will stop by for a morning brew in? our Phoenix location or shop until 7pm in Scottsdale.? ? Question of the Month:? A European study indicated that adding something to black tea might reduce its benefits to the cardiovascular system.? What did it refer to?? I will draw a name from the respondents to get 50 grams of the black tea of your choice.? Send you answers to info@souviatea.com
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We hope to see you in the stores but if not, remember we ship everyday!
~?
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August 24, 2007
The segment on loose tea vs. tea bags aired last evening.? We talked about white tea and looked inside a teabag.? ? Take a look at the video on the ABC15 site.
August 5, 2007
? ? ?
 Did You Know…?
? ? ? ? Rooibos gets better with age just like a good wine. It can be stored in the fridge without clouding and re-used later.
? ? ? ? Rooibos can be used as a meat tenderizer or as a base for marinades.
? ? ? ? Rooibos can be re-steeped.
? ? ? ? Rooibos will give dark hair a nice shine when used as a rinse.
? ? ? ? Apply cold Rooibos with cotton balls to treat skin rashes and eczema.
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July 26, 2007
If you are a regular at Souvia, you already know this!? But the Arizona Republic just published a nice article that articulates it well.
? Some excerpts:
“Since its origins in China 5,000 years ago, tea has been known to build community, and at Souvia, you can get to know people on a first-name basis”
“Tea is one of Wingert’s passions and she can sit for hours and talk tea.”
? The whole story is here
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July 20, 2007
Channel 12 in Phoenix.? ? Monday the 23rd? between 12 Noon and 1pm.? ? Set your DVRs!
July 16, 2007
Watch for Kerstin’s smilin’ face on KPNX (Channel 12) Midday show on 23 July.? She’ll be talking about iced tea!? You’ll see multiple ways you can easily prepare iced tea from loose tea leaves.?
July 11, 2007
An astonishing story on the impact of bottled water on the environment was on NPR late last month.? It covered everything from distribution, to contents to disposal.
Bottled Water: A Symbol of U.S. Commerce, Culture
The NPR piece is based on a longer article in Fast Company Magazine.
? The remarkable parts are what Americans spend ($15 BILLION) and what is thrown away (38 BILLION empty bottles).? ? In a little thought experiment that works out to a pile of bottles covering a football field and extending 5 miles high!
So, do your part use refillable containers when possible.
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