Coffee, tea and the environment

I recently made a cafetiere cosy, as I became determined to start drinking shade grown coffee, which is the most environmentally friendly type of coffee, as it grows in amongst other plants and offers habitats for birds and avoids rainforest destruction. 

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find decaffinated shade grown coffee.

Reading this post by Emma Websdale, writing on Mark Avery's blog, reminded me of the environmental cost of drinking coffee.

Mostly I drink tea, green tea in fact, except for drinking a cup of black tea after every meal. I use loose tea (to avoid the paper packaging associated with tea bags) and fill up a tea ball in the morning which I can generally reuse over and over all day (I like my tea weak!). Green and black teas have their environmental impacts too though, not least the fact that they're transported from the other side of the world.

So what is the solution? In my novel, which I'm currently editing, most of the characters drink herbal teas made from herbs they grow themselves or that they pick from the surrounding countryside. The only reason they're all happy to do that is that they're living in a future world where the global economy has collapsed and the tea estates in the Highlands of Scotland (they're also living in a very climate changed world!) are so hated for their record of slavery that no self respecting person drinks the tea.

Personally, though I like some herbal teas, I think I like green and black teas too much to give them up. I'll certainly try to minimise my coffee drinking though until I can find a shade grown decaffinated coffee.