Green Drinks in 2013!

As promised, Green Drinks is back for 2013.  As stated in my last post, we're going to make some format changes that should suit the group better--quarterly meetings, last Wednesday of the month at 7 pm.  Our first meeting is one month from today--February 27th 7pm at Bitters in Feild Hall on MUN campus.  (There's metered parking in front of Bitters and more behind nearby Coughlan College.)  We'll change the venue each quarter, sampling some of St. John's more interesting bars.  Each new location will be posted here (and elsewhere) with ample notice.

Also, I'm working on an environmental project that I'm very excited about.  I'll share that at Green Drinks, and if anyone's interested, they're welcomed to help out.  But I'm not going to post about it just yet.  (Yes, the project is that good.)

In addition to these changes, a number of (new) environmentally-minded MUN faculty will be joining us.  So I'm looking forward to hearing about their interests.

Here's to a great 2013 with Green Drinks!  Hope to see you in February!

A Tale of Two Green Drinks (or "We'll Regroup in the New Year")

I first learned of Green Drinks when I moved to Toronto five years ago.  There I found a thriving happy hour of 50-100 people.  I got involved, pressed the flesh, but the truth is I never got to know anyone as well as I would have liked.

So upon moving to St. John's, I thought I'd give it a try here.  I thought it'd be great to create a community in which the common denominator is sustainability.  We started with a solid turn-out, tapered off, surged again, and tapered off.  From a turn-out perspective, this chapter of Green Drinks was never successful. 

On the other hand, I've gotten to know many of the attendees quite well.  Some of them I consider friends now, and I've been in their homes.  In that regard, Green Drinks has been wildly successful for me (which admittedly is not the most important thing).

Now, I think we should reconsider our format.  It does seem like people do want to be part of environmental community.  But maybe the monthly format is not best suited for St. John's. Perhaps we go quarterly.  Perhaps, instead of meeting at one location, we could mix it up and sample the many interesting bars in St. John's.  Also, it seems like we'd do well to have some project or goal that's more than just hanging out.  (That was always my intention, but I was always waiting for the group to "solidify.")

So there are some things to think about, and we'll revisit them in the next year.  Until then, have a green, safe, happy holiday season! 

No Green Drinks for Halloween

Since this Green Drinks falls on Halloween night, we're taking a month off.  So no Green Drinks.  See you in November.

See you Wednesday night!

Charles is feeling festive.

Tomorrow night we'll be at the Duke of Duckworth.  We've had solid turnout for several months now.  The weather should be idyllic.  So it's a great time to join us.  If you don't see Charles inside, look for him (and us) on the back deck.

Our mascot

Meet Charles the Charonosaurus. Charles is going to be joining us each month, letting newcomers know where Green Drinks' table is, because he'll be in the middle of it.  The old method of identifying Green Drinks was (ahem) simply finding the best looking group in the bar.  That is still an option.  But now there'll be a dinosaur in the table, too.

Why a dinosaur?  Maybe he's a reminder that evolution does happen.  Or that we need to get away from fossil fuels.  Or that we humans do not want to follow in Charles' prehistoric foot steps.  Whatever the reason, it is not because he was cheap at the dollar store.