Who wouldathunkit?  Green in BKLYN is on the cutting edge… of tea!

This month we incorporated SerendipiTea’s USDA organic & fair trade loose leaf teas into the shop.  With a lovely assortment of black, green, chai & herbal teas, Green in BKLYN unknowingly became a proud supporter of National Hot Tea Month (as deemed by the Tea Council of the U.S.).  With amazing teas, tea filters, infusers, thermoses & hot drink cups, we’re all about the tea & staying healthy…

Not only is January “National Hot Tea Month”, it’s also the height of the cold & flu season.  If you’d like to avoid being one of more than 200,000 Americans affected by those dreaded illnesses, drinking hot tea may help you stay healthy during this crazy season.

Published research indicates that theanine, an ingredient found naturally in tea, supports the immune system.  In a recent human clinical trial, drinking five cups of Black Tea a day for two to four weeks boosted the body’s immune defense system by four times!  That’s some heavy duty protection.

Tea also contains flavonoids, naturally occurring compounds known for their antioxidant properties.  Those antioxidants, in turn, work to neutralize free radicals, which scientists believe damage the body & contribute to chronic diseases.

Now, if you’re planning on boosting your immune system, or simply like the way tea tastes, there are a few simple ways to make your tea (black, white, green or herbal) even “greener”…

• Keep it loose: Tea doesn’t need to come in a bag for individual cups (and that bag doesn’t need to be individually wrapped).  Avoid the packaging waste by buying loose tea & using a tea infuser.
• Certify yourself: In addition to USDA Organic certification, which ensure that you will not be drinking chemical residue with your hot tea, Fair Trade & Ethical Tea Partnership labels indicate that tea is produced under environmentally sustainable & socially just conditions.
• Be cool: Only heat the water you’ll use for your tea – it will use less energy.  According to the Guardian, Brits “could save enough electricity in a year to run nearly half of all the street lighting in the country” if they only boiled the water they used in their kettles.  A water kettle is the most energy efficient way to boil water & the microwave is still more efficient than the stove top.
• Ground it up: Whether bagged or loose, tea grounds can go directly into your compost bin or directly on your plants or any number of other uses.

Tea.  Amazing & magical in so many ways…

PS – Come on in for one (or more!) of our great organic & fair trade SerendipiTeas:

• Bard’s Tempest: Ceylon Black & Chinese Black
  
• Cha Cha Chai: Cloves, Cardamom, Ginger, Pepper, Cinnamon, Assam & Indian Black Tea
• Earl Grey: Bergamot & Ceylon Black
• Gen Mai Cha: Japanese Green Tea
• Once Upon a Tea: Peppermint, Chocolate Bits, Vanilla, Mint & Rooibos
• Passion & Envy: Passion Fruit & Chinese Green Tea
• Rooibos: South African Rooibos
• Ruby Slipper: Blood Orange Fruit Blend
• Zzzz: Lavender & Chamomile

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck the Haitian capital of Port-Au-Prince on January 12th has left the country in ruins.  Basic services such as clean water, food, shelter & medical care are almost non-existent at this point & hundreds of thousands may be dead.

The devastation in Haiti has inspired incredible acts of generosity & kindness – sorely needed in a country ruined by an extraordinary act of nature.  For folks looking for a way to help, Green in BKLYN is collecting funds & many of Myrtle Avenue’s local businesses are also taking donations.  In addition, below are foundations & charities – all focused on getting the support & resources needed to the people of Haiti.

The resources listed from CNN include the highest-rated charities by CharityNavigator.org, which is an independent, nonprofit organization that evaluates charity groups based on effectiveness and financial stability.  Those sites are vetted by CNN journalists for credibility.

Here in NYC & Brooklyn:

• Haitian Women’s Program is accepting monetary donations & medical supplies at: 464-66 Bergen Street, Brooklyn NY 11217 (718-953-4100).

• NYC Council is accepting checks with Haiti Earthquake Relief written in the memo at: Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, One Centre Street 23^rd Floor, NYC NY 10007 (212-788-7794 or call 311).  Or go online at NYC.gov.

National & International (per CNN):

• American Jewish World Service:  The agency supports grass-roots, community-based organizations in remote locations whose needs are not always met by larger organizations.  To donate to its Haiti relief efforts, go to ajws.org/haitiearthquake/ or mail a check to 45 West 36th Street, 11th Floor, New York NY 10018.  Make checks out to “American Jewish World Service” and in the memo section write “Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund.”  You may also call 1-800-889-7146 or 212-792-2900.  The group will use the funds for immediate needs, such as psychological and social support, health services and education on hygiene and disease prevention, mobilizing volunteers in Haiti to help with rescue and aid distribution and aid to the Haitian Dominican community – who can coordinate with the Dominican government for greater support – in addition to long-term rebuilding plans.

• American Red Cross:  The American Red Cross’ primary focus during the initial response of an emergency is feeding, sheltering and supplying any other basic needs.  To donate go to RedCross.org, hit the “Donate Now” button and then “International Response Fund”.  You also can text “Haiti” to 90999 to donate $10 to the International Response Fund.  The money will go directly to relief efforts in Haiti.  Or call 1-800-Red-Cross.

• AmeriCares:  This nonprofit disaster relief organization delivers medicine, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world.  To donate, call 1-800-486-HELP or go to AmeriCares.org.  Donations will go toward medicine and medical supplies and for expenses for providing that medical aid.

• Care:  This humanitarian organization’s main focus is to fight global poverty, specifically by empowering marginalized women and girls.  To donate to the Haiti relief fund effort, go to Care.org or call 1-800-521-CARE.  Money will go toward food, water, sanitation, shelter and emergency health response.

• Catholic Relief Services: Catholic Relief Services is an aid agency that works with emergency relief, micro-finance, AIDS/HIV relief, agriculture, water and sanitation, among other projects in countries around the world.  To donate, go to crs.org or call 1-877-HELP-CRS.  You also can text RELIEF to 30644.  You will receive a text message back with instructions on how to donate.  You can send a check to Catholic Relief Services, PO Box 17090, Baltimore MD 21203-7090.  Write “Haiti Earthquake” in the memo area.  The money will go toward immediate needs, which includes water, food, hygiene kits, bedding and basic cooking utensils, among other items.

• Direct Relief International:  Direct Relief provides medical attention to those in need on an ongoing basis and in emergencies.  Monetary donations go toward medical aid, supplies and equipment in Haiti.  To donate, go to DirectRelief.org or call 805-964-4767 and 800-676-1638.

• Food For the Poor: The agency delivers food, medical supplies and other goods that are donated to the poor.  To donate to its Haiti relief efforts, go to FoodForThePoor.org or call 1-800-487-1158.  Monetary donations will go toward purchasing food and supplies as well as shipping costs.

• Habitat for Humanity: Habitat for Humanity provides affordable, safe shelter for low-income families and people in need.  Money donated for Haiti relief efforts will go toward recovery and rebuilding.  To donate, go to habitat.org or call 1-800-Habitat.

• International Medical Corps: This emergency response agency focuses on health in emergency situations.  Monetary donations go toward purchasing medical supplies, medicine and emergency kits and transporting these supplies.  Call 1-800-481-4462 or go to imcworldwide.org.

• International Relief Teams: The nonprofit organizes volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to victims of disasters and poverty.  To donate, go to irteams.org or call 619-284-7979.  Checks can be made out to “International Relief Teams”, 4560 Alvarado Canyon Road, Suite 2G, San Diego CA 92120-4309.  The money will be used for medical supplies, medicine and other relief supplies and to support volunteers heading to Haiti for relief efforts.

• Love a Child: The Christian-based humanitarian relief agency focuses on giving aid to children and their families in Haiti.  To donate, go to loveachild.com or call 1-800-645-4868.  You can mail a check to PO Box 30744, Tampa FL 33630-3744.  Write “Haiti Earthquake” or “Where most needed” on the memo line of the check.  Monetary donations will be used for food, clothing, shelter, schools and medical needs, among other program services.

• Medical Teams International: This Christian global health organization sends volunteer medical teams and supplies to those in the midst of disaster or poverty.  Monetary donations will go to supporting the medical teams being sent to Haiti and to the cost of shipping the medical supplies donated by corporations.  Donate by going to MedicalTeams.org and clicking on the “Donate Now” button, call 1-800-959-HEAL (4325) or send a check to Medical Teams International, PO Box 10, Portland OR 97207.

• Medecins sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders): The humanitarian organization delivers medical care to people caught in crisis.  Donations to its Haiti relief efforts will go toward repairing the obstetrics and trauma hospitals in Haiti that were damaged in the earthquake.  They also will go to transporting an additional 70 doctors and medical supplies to the island in an effort to set up makeshift emergency medical response centers.  To donate, go to DoctorsWithoutBorders.org or call 1-888-392-0392.

• Mercy Corps: The organization provides humanitarian assistance and economic opportunities in the world’s toughest places, specifically those dealing with poverty, conflict and instability.  To donate, go to MercyCorps.org.  Money will go toward immediate humanitarian needs in Haiti, which may include, food, water and temporary shelter.

• Operation USA: The international relief agency provides funding for reconstruction and development aid to communities that have experienced disasters, disease and poverty.  For its Haiti relief efforts, the agency plans to use donations for health care materials, water purification supplies and food supplements.  To donate, go to opusa.org, call 1-800-678-7255 or mail a check to Operation USA, 3617 Hayden Avenue, Suite A, Culver City CA 90232.

• Project Hope: Project Hope responds to crises with medical supplies and medical volunteers and it is committed to long-term sustainable health care.  To donate, go to ProjectHope.org or mail a check to 255 Carter Hall Lane, Millwood VA 22646.  Monetary donations will be used for shipments of medicine and medical supplies and for deployment of volunteer doctors and nurses to Haiti.

• Project MediShare: The agency’s sole purpose is to improve the health and well-being of Haitian people.  To donate, go to ProjectMediShare.org or you can send a check, cash or in-kind donation (including medicines and medical supplies) to Project MediShare, 8260 NE Second Avenue, Miami FL 33138.  Money will go toward medical care in Haiti and to send medical teams there.

• Samaritan’s Purse: The nondenominational evangelical Christian organization works through local churches and partners on the ground.  The aid agency provides spiritual and physical aid to the poor, sick and suffering.  To donate, go to SamaritansPurse.org or call 1-800-528-1980.  To give by mail, send donations to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone NC 28607-3000.  Money will go toward temporary shelter, water purification, hygiene kits, blankets, medicine and medical teams.

• Save the Children: The independent organization focuses on children in need in the US and globally through programs for health and nutrition, child protection and education.  To donate, go to SavetheChildren.org, or call 1-800-728-3843 or 203-221-4030.  Donations will go toward purchasing relief items, such as hygiene kits, family kits (pots, pans, food preparation items) and tarps.

• The Salvation Army: The Salvation Army’s mission is to provide food, shelter, clothing and spiritual comfort during disasters.  To donate money, go to SalvationArmyUSA.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.  Make sure you designate the donation for “Haiti Earthquake.”  Money will go to the Salvation Army in Haiti, which will determine the country’s immediate needs including water, food, medicine and transportation.

• Shelterbox: The nonprofit delivers boxes of supplies to families of up to 10 people.  The boxes contain a tent and essential equipment to use while individuals are displaced or homeless.  To donate, call 941-907-6036 or go to ShelterBoxUSA.org.

• U.S. Fund for UNICEF: The national committee for UNICEF is responsible for the organization’s fundraising.  UNICEF uses the money for health care, clean water, nutrition, education and emergency relief.  To donate, go to UnicefUSA.org or 1-800-4-UNICEF.

• World Concern: The organization lifts people out of poverty, beginning with disaster response and ending when families can live sustainable lives.  To donate to its relief effort, go to WorldConcern.org or call 1-866-530-5433.  You can also mail checks to 19303 Fremont Avenue North, Seattle WA 98133.  Please specify that the check is for “Haiti Disaster Response.”  Money will go toward water supplies, shelter, blankets, distribution of food and long-term needs such as job training, education, loans and home construction, among other projects.

• World Food Programme: The food assistance agency’s main focus is to fight hunger worldwide.  The organization is working to bring food to Haiti.  To donate, go to wfp.org.

• World Neighbors: The agency trains and educates communities to solve hunger, poverty and disease.  To donate, go to wn.org, call 405-752-9700 or mail a check to World Neighbors, 4127 NW 122nd Street, Oklahoma City OK, 73120 and write “Haiti Fund” on the memo line.  Monetary donations will be used to support short-term needs (i.e. food, water and supplies) and long-term development programs.

• World Water Relief: The agency’s main focus is bringing clean water to developing countries.  To donate, go to WorldWaterRelief.org, mail checks to 8343 Roswell Road, Suite 455, Atlanta GA 30350-2810 or call 404-242-1601 or 214-500-9417.  Money will go directly to water filtration systems that will be installed in Haiti.

• Yele Haiti: This organization, founded by Wyclef Jean, creates projects to improve the quality of education, health, environment and community development in Haiti.  To donate to to its Haiti relief efforts, go to yele.org or text YELE to 501501 to donate $5.

This year, if one of your New Year’s resolutions is to finally get rid of all those old electronics hanging around your place, you can safely & properly recycle that ewaste at TekServe’s eWaste Recycling Drive hosted with the Lower East Side Ecology Center.

Bring computers, monitors, fax machines, printers & copiers, CD/DVD/VCR players, stereo equipment, radios, televisions, cell phones, cameras & other unwanted electronics to Tekserve on Saturday, January 16th (10am-4pm) to be safely recycled.  TekServe is located at 119 West 23rd Street (near 6th Avenue).

Anyone bringing electronics to be recycled can enter for a chance to win an Apple MacBook Air.  Plus, all participants in the event will receive a $25 coupon, good towards any Mac or iPod (excluding iPod shuffle) from Tekserve until February 15th, 2010.

Sponsored collection events like these are one of the easiest ways for you to properly dispose of old electronic gear & gadgets, which contain hazardous materials such as lead, cadmium & mercury.  You know you wanna get that stuff out of the house.  Happy New Year – it’s easy!

Note: The following items will not be collected at this drive… home appliances, microwaves, stoves, refrigerators & air conditioners.

Wishing you all a glorious new year full of joy, laughter, love & happiness!

Green in BKLYN will be closed on Friday, January 1 (2010!).

But we’ll reopen again on Saturday, January 2.

At which time we’ll return to our regular store hours:

• Saturday: 10am-7pm
• Sunday: 11am-6pm
• Tuesday – Friday: 11am-7pm
• Monday: Closed

Thank you again for helping to make our first holiday season such a joy!

Green in BKLYN will be closed on Thursday, December 25th.

But we’ll reopen again on Friday, December 26th.

At which time we’ll return to our regular store hours:

• Tuesday – Friday 11am-7pm
• Saturday 10am-7pm
• Sunday 11am-6pm

Thank you all for helping to make our first holiday season such a joy!

It was a treat to see familiar faces during these festive times & new faces as we head toward the new year…

Wishing you a glorious holiday season & a very happy, healthy & laughter filled new year!

Merry Happy Chrismahanakwanzakah, Hippo Gnu Ear & to all a good night!

We are open every day 11am-8pm                thru December 24th (Xmas Eve).

After that, we’ll return to our regular hours…  Come on down. Y’all. Hear!

Every once in a while one of our interns writes a blog for us.  Often something near & dear to their hearts.  Always something green. Today our intern, Cristina, shares some thoughts on the holiday season…

The holiday season makes us all go a little wild and crazy – the gift giving, the card sending, those photos at that one party… yeah.  But this holiday season don’t forget about being eco-friendly &, the best part is, it’s cheap & simple.  So here are some tips to continue your efforts as a green consumer all year ’round.

• Gift Wrap: We produce an additional 5 million tons of garbage during the holidays, the majority of it wrapping paper & plastic bags according to the the Clean Air Council.  Wrap your gifts with old newspapers, sheet music, maps, kiddie artwork or even recycled brown paper bags, which you can decorate with stickers, stamps, crayons, markers & watercolor paint.
• Holiday Cards: Americans buy & send 2 billion holiday cards every year, according to the Greeting card Association.  Cut down on this paper by updating & downscaling your mailing list or send e-cards.  What to do with last years cards?  Make them into gift tags by cutting them into fun shapes like stars & gingerbread men & punch a hole at the top & pull a ribbon through.
• Trees: Buy a real tree, which can be recycled & composted into mulch. The artificial tree can be reused but once discarded they sit in a landfill.
• Lights: When using light decorations, look for LED lights instead of traditional lightbulbs.  They use only 1 – 3 kilowatts of energy per hour, compared to 12 – 105 kilowatts for incandescent lights, & last twice as long. If you already have incandescent lights, repurpose them by painting & tying them to the tree.

As some of you know, from word-of-mouth, reading the blog or participating, Green in BKLYN is recycling clean #5 plastics.  Well, really what we’re doing is collecting #5 plastics & sending them off to one of the wonderful companies we work with for them to recycle into amazing products.  The company, Preserve, turns those #5 plastics into things like mixing bowls,  toothbrushes, razors & cutting boards, which are returned to Green in BKLYN for us to share with you.

Since they launching the Gimme 5 Program, Preserve has collected over 45,000 pounds of #5s.  That is the equivalent of over 2.9 million 6 oz. yogurt cups.

If you’d like to participate, drop off your clean #5 plastics at Green in BKLYN & we’ll send them on to Preserve.

Number 5 plastics are marked with a “5” inside a triangle somewhere on the bottom of the item.  Said items usually are yogurt containers or take-out containers.  The groovy thing is they’re recyclable.  The not so groovy thing is that’s not true in NYC.  So off to Preserve they’ll go to transcend into toothbrushes, razors, food containers, bowls, cutting boards & so on.  All dishwasher safe & BPA free.  Pretty cool for leftover plastic.

PS – We also take batteries for recycling (for just 5 cents/battery).

With the holidays upon us & the year drawing to an end, Green in BKLYN invites you to stop in for holiday gifts & a chance to win a little something for yourself… 

Celebrate 2009 with Green in BKLYN by entering our drawing for Green (in BKLYN) Gift Basket with eco-friendly gifts & treats worth at least $200.90. Spend at least $20.09 before 2010 & you’re in.

You may enter throughout the year (that is, until December 31st, 2009) at which time we’ll have our first annual Green (in BKLYN) Gift Basket drawing.

Since Green in BKLYN is a great place for your holiday gift shopping, the basket might include any of our great items…

• Stainless Steel Water Bottles
• Beeswax Candles
• Recycled Inner Tube Wallets
• Organic Face Scrub & Cleansers
• Solar Powered Chargers
• Handcrafted Items by Local Artists
• Perpetual Lego Puzzle Calendars
• Staple-free Staplers
• Vintage Treasures
• Compost Pails
• Stainless Steel Tiffins
• Bamboo Bowls & Utensils
• Natural Oil & Reed Diffusers
• Stainless Steel Straws
• And lots more…

Stop in, look around & celebrate 2009 by entering with a chance to win the 2009 Green (in BKLYN) Gift Basket!

This Friday, December 11th, Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is offering a free Women’s Personal Safety Seminar.

Brooklyn Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is located down the avenue from Green in BKLYN (Myrtle Avenue, that is).  So I wanted to let you know what’s happening in the neighborhood, what’s free & what might be enjoyable  & useful…

Class size is limited to 50 women call to make a reservation for the FREE class.  The phone number is 718-403-0067 & Brooklyn Jiu-Jitsu is located at 412 Myrtle Avenue in Clinton Hill.

The Seminar begins at 7:00pm & includes:

• Learning to Defend your Safe Zone
• Avoiding Dangerous Situations
• Learning Awareness Skills

Wax on, grasshoppers… And have a (free) blast!