The Tetra Pak vs. The Traditional Wine Bottle

I had a nice Winter Break and I noticed some California wines were now being packaged in Tetra Pak cartons rather than bottles. Corks were nowhere to be found. I decided I had to see what the fuss was about so I bought a box of Bandit brand Pinot Grigio vintage 2009. It was a California valley wine so I wanted to compare it to some of the bottled brands I had tasted at dinners over the break.

The packaging is 1.0 L rather than the traditional 750 ml of a bottle. The packaging lists 10 top reasons to go for the bandit brand:

1. Because it tastes good.
2. 33% more wine
3. Lower shipping weight = less fuel emissions
4. 96% Wine, 4% packaging (why waste $$$ on packaging)
5. No corked wine
6. wine to go-go
7. you can toss it in your cooler
8. 1 truckload of bandit tetra paks = 26 truckloads of empty glass
9. Made largely of renewable resources
10. you can crush it on your forehead when you're done

Several of the top ten features are the exact reasons that drew for concern in my mind. 33% more wine and no cork means there's no way to store it for later or to keep the air out once opened.  This means you would have to chug it like Bluto on Animal House and then crush it on your forehead when you're done to be sure it doesn't spoil. Otherwise it's a cooking wine and is inferior grade not suitable for drinking. Trying to be green and lower production costs are great but here it has the potential to leave an inferior product behind.

Taste: I sniffed a strong character of pear and apple with a little spice but there was none of the usual oak I am accustomed to. The sulfides were prominent and it was a squeaky clean fruity little pinot grigio. This would be fine for cooking or for a less developed palate who is just getting into wine. If you are new to wines and you just want to try a fruity dry white on the cheap then this is fine.

The tetra pak keeps it squeaky clean and fresh until you open it so it does work. It saves on packaging and holds more at a lower cost. The problem is that once you open it there is no way to suck out the air like there are with bottled wines. There is also no chance of properly cellaring it. After having the pak open but the lid put back on and keeping it in the fridge, a 24 hour period later the wine is still just pears, apples, and sulfurs. I'm just a little disappointed but if you like a fruity white with sulfides by all means go for it.

Gobble Fest

I had planned a Go Green Gobble Fest where there would be food, beverages, a few games, and a showing of sustainable vinticulture with the film Blood Into Wine showcasing Maynard James Keenan's vinyard in Jerome Arizona. My event was canceled a day before it was to take place because the RA I was working with thought no one would come due to the basket ball game that evening. Rescheduling this semester was not possible. My event was ruined by one individual, by one RA. I can't help but have nothing but negative emotions toward the situation. I walk around the hall looking to see if any of my other posters have been attacked/torn down and all I feel is negativity towards the one who wrecked my event. I gave up other opportunities to work with other individuals in the hall in order to have the Gobble Fest and so I feel as if I have let down many more individuals than expected. I'm not sure I want to do a time consuming event next year as the three events I've held have all been sabotaged either openly or deliberately in a secrative manner. I am tired of having all of my events unravel. The sad thing is that the residents of my hall are being deprived of programming by a handful of representatives of housing.

I skipped the end of the year activity for eco reps because I feel sick towards the behavior of housing in my building and I don't want to be put in the middle again. It hurts far too much at the moment.

Tabling

This evening I had the pleasure of tabling with Ludi at Crumley Hall. Ludi was awesome to work with.  She was professional and is a real asset to our organization. We talked to several people and many passers by asked why we were making pinwheels. Nov. 11th is national pinwheel day and it is the day the Board of Regents determines whether the new stadium will have wind turbines to generate clean wind energy. We are filling the green space near the business college with our hand made pinwheels so that we can make a clear statement advocating the use of wind power on campus. Ludi was really good at grabbing people's attention and getting them to ask some questions. Today I say hats off to Ludi.

Tabling is always a challenge from my point of view.  I can offer someone free candy with no catches and they will refuse it out of assuming they are signing their life away just by taking the candy. This is unfortunate and hinders communication. We had a small snafu trying to find the table to table with. That issue  was quickly and pleasantly solved.  We got folks at Crumley to make 13 pinwheels. I felt proud of this small accomplishment. Just being noticed while tabling gets the scent out into the wind.

I came home to SF to try and finish the last 50 of my some 400 pinwheels that I personally made. I am not pleased with the way they all turned out but each is another one for the cause.  I like to be of use...of help so this was nice.  Unfortunately, this didn't last.

On or about 7:30 pm, after normal business  hours, I got a knock on my door from someone with housing. I think it's great when we can all be on the same page and cooperate but this evening was awkward. I was frustrated because one of the representatives was less than kind in her stop by my domicile. The housing representative told me about an event they have tomorrow night. That part was fine but I'd prefer not to be bothered after standard business hours as my schedule demands that I get up early so it also means I go to sleep  early.  The housing representative was in my doorway demanding Go Green swag for their event tomorrow. I find it highly unprofessional to assume that my only function is to provide swag. The event for tomorrow night is not about sustainability in any way. I was given no notice that they would want items.  I find the method of demanding rather than asking if supplies are available via our organization quite tacky.

I bit the big one and explained to her that I have had an event planned at SFT for 3 weeks now for Tuesday the 16th which is about a week away.  All of my available resources are going toward my own programming and so I told the housing rep the truth and that  is that I have nothing to give at this time as my resources are tapped out due to my own planned event.  The housing rep responded that people have tried to contact me before but without luck.

Your humble blogger has had a rough few weeks with deaths in the family and other unexpected goings on. I am really pushing myself to get school obligations in classes, Go Green obligations of tabling pinwheel making and prepping my own event. I am not sleeping much and I am pushing myself hard to get through all of this.
I seriously have no time, energy, or other resources to deal with anything else people could pile on right now.

I have worked on educational initiatives for school children and had supply drives for the homeless here in Denton. I am a soft hearted compassionate soul but even I have boundaries that are not to be crossed. In to to if you want something from me don't try to guilt me into it and don't ask last minute. I am more than happy to help if I just know at a minimum of four weeks in advance.

This week tabling has been much more fulfilling than being badgered by housing representatives making demands.

What's Cookin'

The month of November will be filled with great opportunities for you to get in touch with your earthy side. Tuesday, November 16th will be the Go Green Gobble Fest where there will tentatively be "Blood into Wine" (a documentary on sustainable viticulture), games, and warm beverages at Santa Fe Square.

November 11th get out the support for wind power at the new stadium. Make pinwheels and put them out on campus. If you have pinwheels you made then give them to an Eco Rep and we'll make sure they get put out.

November will also be my turn to Table at Crummley Hall. When I get you the date you'll know when to drop by to badger your humble blogger.

November 30th there will be an event on bicycle safety and awareness. More details to follow.

I just wanted to throw these dates and events out now for you so you can plan to attend.

Appreciation of Mr. 3rd Floor...I salute you!

Yesterday, while I was hanging some coca-cola sponsored posters advocating recycling the bottles they sell their products in, I received a nice surprise just in passing.  I was on the 3rd floor of SF and a guy passing through on his way downstairs complemented the round barrels around campus for recycling.  The barrels were also a donation from coca-cola along with the stickers we cut and labeled them with before they were placed on campus.  I told the guy from the 3rd floor that I appreciated his positive feedback as we eco reps get little in the way of positive feedback from others on our works.  3rd Floor Guy, whomever you may be, you are awesome. 

It was nice that he was complementing a project I just so happened to work on last fall and spring.  It felt good to have someone recognize what I do and be passionate about it to the same degree.  I have hope that more folks in SF are like Mr. 3rd Floor. It was also nice because my posters were not torn down nor was my room crammed full of temporary tattoos under the door. Destroying my work and shoving temporary ink under my door is childish. 

Come on, I say if you're going to have some ink done go to a professional and plan it out slowly. Make the tattoo meaningful for you and have the ink done properly in the right scale by someone who loves tattoos as much as you do. Be sure the tattoo parlor of your choosing is up on their health inspections and follows all the health codes.  You wouldn't eat food from a non compliant restaurant so don't get ink done from a dirty shop.  Put clean things in your body and you'll have fewer worries. I chose at the age of 28 to get my ears pierced for the first time ever.  I wanted a professional body piercer to do it because I wanted it done by a professional who is proud of their work. I wanted health codes to be imposed on the parlor rather than going somewhere in the mall who just does it willy nilly and aren't held to regulations at all.  Mall shops don't have to comply with health or safety codes like tattoo parlors do for piercings.  I had mine done at Aces Tattoos here in Denton and my ears are quite happy and free of disease. The professional body piercer also took a lot  of time and care to be sure my piercings were level from one ear to the other and to be sure I had a comfy experience while there. I even got an after piercing care booklet and some jolly ranchers.  I would go there again should I ever need their service. 

My point in all of this is to illustrate how passionate people providing services are often higher quality specialists and that's critical to having a good final product.  Hats off to Mr. 3rd Floor and to any other sustainability supporters in SF. I appreciate your feedback re the recycling barrels around campus and you made my day a brighter place! I salute you Mr. 3rd Floor. : )

Heavy Heart

Today your humble blogger writes to you with a heavy heart. In my effort to represent Santa Fe Square, the hall I represent as an Eco Rep, my patience is definitely being tried.

Last night I put the finishing touches on a new poster I made to promote this blog, and my services as an eco rep, but I awoke this morning to the poster being torn down and a bunch of smiley face temporary tattoos shoved under my door. This has become personal. I would much prefer residents of my hall to just come by and tell me if they have a problem instead of immature antics.

My first year as an Eco Rep for Santa Fe Square there was a handful of people in the hall who chose to  personally attack me just for doing my job as an Eco Rep. It looks like they haven't gone away...just shifted locations.

My duties include adequately representing my hall and talking to people to try and get the word out. I am there to inform and to offer sustainable programming. These are all tasks I take seriously.

I will continue to fulfill my duties as an Eco Rep but I am saddened that folks prefer to behave childishly instead of talking to me. I feel as though I have let down my fellow eco reps, and my hall in this series of events. A small handful of residents are trying to cheat everyone else out of representation and programming.

BYOB and Win a T-shirt.

The BYOB contest begins October 4, 2010 and will feature winners weekly. Go to : http://inhouse.unt.edu/drink-re-usable-bottles-save-planet-win-t-shirt for details. To see a video on BYOB and being green go to http://www.youtube.com/user/WeMeanGreen. Ask yourself the question, Where Has Your Bottle Been? and come up with a creative picture of your bottle in a new location. Has your bottle been traveling near or far? Has it melted? These questions and more.
-The office of sustainability