Sand & Pine April/May 2020 Quicksand

BY THE NUMBERS » COFFEE

2 - The place coffee holds in the “most consumed beverage in the world” list, right behind water. Roughly 64 percent of American households drink coffee while nearly 98 percent of Brazilian households consume coffee daily. Coffee is also the second largest trading commodity globally, crude oil being the first.

1500 - The century when coffee’s caffeine properties were recognized by a goat herder in Ethiopia. The herder realized that when his goats consumed coffee berries they had a substantial increase in energy. That information was then passed on to local monks, who then spread it to others, eventually reaching the rest of civilization. It is said that early African tribes had learned of coffee’s benefits prior to the 1500s, though they were known to chew the berries, whereas monks were known to consume it in liquid form.

1 - The number of places in the U.S.—Hawaii— where coffee grows. Hawaii’s rich soil, warm temperatures and high altitudes make for the perfect growing opportunities. Since that single area is rather small, the majority of the coffee in the U.S. is imported, with Brazil being the top supplier.

1820 - The year coffee was recognized as the No. 1 export of Brazil. Brazil is also home to some of the most expensive coffee, with some beans starting at $49.75 per pound. 20 The number in dollars per week that an individual American spends on coffee, which comes out to be roughly $1,100 annually. That’s basically a brand new iPhone!

3 The number of minutes in which espresso starts to lose flavor, which might be why baristas are in a hurry to get it to you! The flavor of drip coffee lasts 5 times longer than espresso, losing its taste about 15 minutes after it has been made. But don’t get too crazy with waiting; the more your cup of joe is exposed to cooler temperatures, the worse it can taste. 60 The number of coffee beans that Beethoven requested in every single cup he drank. His reasoning was said to be for the consistency, so every cup tasted the same. It also regulated the caffeine—not too much and not too little.

LOOK, LISTEN & LEARN

OroEco

OroEco - We all want to make a difference and commit to reducing our carbon footprint. But sometimes it’s hard to understand all the ways you impact the environment on a daily basis. Luckily, we downloaded the OroEco app, and now we’re able to track the ways our driving, shopping and eating are taking a toll on the planet. We love all the personalized tips to help save money and reduce pollution, but our favorite feature is the ability to compare our results with friends and family so we can all challenge each other to live more sustainably.

Drilled

Drilled - A True Crime Podcast about climate change. We refuse to hop off the true-crime bandwagon, and when we heard there was a true-crime-style podcast about the fossil fuel industry’s creation of climate denial, we had to check it out. This podcast entertains and enlightens, sharing some of the ways big businesses have manipulated science and facts in an attempt to gain profit. Take a break from attempting to solve cold cases in your bathrobe and take a crack at stopping the murder of our planet.

Tap

Tap - If you’ve finally made the commitment to give up disposable plastic water bottles, we recommend the Tap app. This Refill Station network is made up of partnerships with coffee shops and casual restaurants and shows you the best places to refill your water bottle no matter where you are in the world, allowing you to stay hydrated without harming the environment.

OUTER SANDBOX

ROAD TRIP! Beyond the boundaries of our little sandbox, there is much to see. Here are a few events worth checking out. For events with a more local flavor, check out moorechoices.net.

MAY 9–10: Hippie Fest, Salisbury

hippiefest.org

There’s an old adage: “If you can remember Woodstock, you weren’t there,” but we may have just the thing to jog that old memory of yours. Hippie Fest is sure to be the grooviest reason to break out your dusty bell bottoms and stop washing your hair. Music, vendors, flower crowns and VW vans aplenty will make this a counterculture celebration that is not to be missed!

MAY 16: Cheerwine Festival, Salisbury

cheerwinefest.com

While milk is the official “State Beverage” of North Carolina, any true resident of the Tar Heel state has Cheerwine coursing through their veins. This entire festival is devoted to the celebration of our favorite carbonated beverage, which was invented in 1917 during a sugar shortage. Local artisans, musicians and Cheerwine by the gallon: We can’t wait!

MAY 18: Figure Drawing, Durham

go-figure.ticketleap.com

Think Bob Ross meets Matisse. Shimmy into your smock and slap that beret on your head because it’s time to get artistic! Go Figure is a drawing class that aims to make figure drawing accessible and affordable for artists of all skill sets. There will be a nude model so you can totally bring Grandma, but you might want to leave the kids at home for this one. Bonus points if you can make it through the whole night without giggling.

QUOTES

I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn’t park anywhere near the place. –Steven Wright

Never take a wife till thou hast a house (and a fire) to put her in. –Benjamin Franklin

Health Tips

By Ashley Carpenter, FirstHealth

Your food decisions can be one of the most powerful tools you may have to impact the environment. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), food production accounts for 20–30 percent of global greenhouse gas emission and up

to 66 percent of water usage. Solutions to the problem: Being smarter about how we grow food, how we use food, and making sure we don’t waste it.

CHOOSE LOCAL If you change only one thing about the way you shop, you should go to the farmer’s market when you can. You’ll be decreasing the distance that your food will have traveled to reach your plate, so fewer greenhouse gases will have been released into the air in order to feed you.

EAT MORE WHOLE FOODS & MINIMIZE FOOD PACKAGING You know what an apple doesn’t have? A wrapper. Choosing whole foods will reduce packaging waste. In addition, processed foods require more harvesting, processing and transportation, and have a much larger environmental impact than whole foods. Do this and you’ll most likely find yourself eating better, too.

ADOPT A PLANT-BASED DIET Research consistently shows that reducing animal food intake and mostly eating plant foods is one of the most powerful things you can do to reduce your impact on the planet. The average American could cut their diet-related environmental impacts by nearly one half just by eating less meat and dairy. But you don’t have to become a vegetarian or vegan to make a difference.

Begin by decreasing your portions of animal foods and increasing the number of meatless meals you eat. And try to buy your meat and dairy solely from local farmers who raise their animals on pasture (research suggests that regenerative grazing is actually a carbon sink, aborbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere).

This doesn’t mean, however, that you should start using processed plant “meat” substitutes. Choose whole-food plant protein sources (beans, lentils, chickpeas) that have a lower carbon footprint than almost any other food group.

REDUCE FOOD WASTE We waste around 40 percent of all food we produce. Think of all the resources and animal lives that went into producing the food that never gets consumed. Avoid overpurchasing food and instead order smaller portions at restaurants, revamp leftovers into new meals and plan menus during the week to maximize food usage.

Live Lightly

Tips on living a more sustainable life

Yes, they make birthday cards sparkle and they may enhance that body lotion you use every day, but did you know glitter is a microplastic and that microplastics account for 92.4 percent of the 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic floating in our oceans? And because glitter is so small, fish of all sizes mistake it for food, which often kills them. Our oceans are filling up with so much microplastic that scientists estimate by 2050 there could be more plastic waste in the oceans than fish. So forget the glitter all together or, if you just can’t do without that sparkle, find products that are using biodegradable glitter from companies like BioGlitz and EcoGlitter instead. Every little bit counts!

MAY 9 CARA Ride for Their Lives Deep River Park, Sanford 100k, 50k, 45 mile, 10 mile bike rides www.cara-nc.org/ride

MAY 26 Pinehurst International & Sprint Pinehurst Marina, Pinehurst Triathlon www.trisignup.com