Coffee flavored condoms anyone? DKT introduced these in Ethiopia, with the statement that “Experience worldwide shows that condom use increases wherever additional varieties are available.” Fascinating. (via Salon. Earlier: Fair trade condoms)
These condoms’re only available in Ethiopia now though. But what you can do in the US: Rejavanate! These crunchy-looking reusable totes are made from Portland coffee company Boyd Roasters’ old coffee burlap sacks, manufactured by workers from The Arc, an org that helps find housing and employment for people with developmental disabilities, and printed with soy inks. (via Fake Plastic Fish)
Lastly, for those who want to stick to just drinking coffee: Virgin Atlantic’s now serving fair trade tea and coffee on flights.
Coffee puts the system under the strain of metabolizing a deadly acid-forming drug, depositing its insoluble cellulose, which cements the wall of the liver, causing this vital organ to swell to twice its proper size. In addition, coffee is heavily sprayed. (Ninety-two pesticides are applied to its leaves.) Diuretic properties of caffeine cause potassium and other minerals to be flushed from the body.
All this fear went away when I quit, and it was a book that inspired me to do it called The Truth About Caffeine by Marina Kushner. There are five things I liked about this book:
1) It details–thoroughly–the ways in which caffeine may damage your health.
2) It reveals the damage that coffee does to the environment. Specifically, coffee was once grown in the shade, so that trees were left in place. Then sun coffee was introduced, allowing greater yields but contributing to the destruction of rain forests. I haven’t seen this mentioned anywhere else.
3) It explains how best to go off coffee. This is important. If you try cold turkey, as most people probably do, the withdrawal symptoms will likely drive you right back to coffee.
4) Helped me find a great resource for the latest studies at CaffeineAwareness.org
5) Also, if you drink decaf you won’t want to miss this special free report on the dangers of decaf available at http://www.soyfee.com
Comment by Sheila — September 30, 2007 @ 3:49 am
i like the bag — id like to make one myself!
Don’t try to get me to give up espresso!
it can’t be done
Comment by Cajeta — October 1, 2007 @ 1:21 pm
Sheila — Organic coffee’s made without pesticides, so your argument’s a good one as to why people should opt for organic. The case against coffee in general, however, is far from conclusive. In fact, I mostly see articles about the health benefits of coffee, and I drink without fear. But if quitting coffee really did help you get rid of “all this fear,” then congrats –
Comment by Siel — October 1, 2007 @ 5:58 pm