What is “Green Drinks” Anyway?

What is “Green Drinks” Anyway?

When I first heard about events called “Green Drinks” I assumed there was an actual green drink that was the focus of the gathering. I thought  “Green Drinks” was just a local group who got together around these seemingly mysterious green beverages. My curiosity was peaked. I am a big fan of green drinks: green tea, green vegetable juice-even the occasional wheat grass shot. So, I definitely wanted to find out more about these “Green Drinks” events that I had heard about and try one of these drinks for myself.

Well, if you have been to an actual “Green Drinks” you know that it is all about connecting with people, and the drinks may or may not actually be green. There is no actual green drink; but, something much more interesting.

Brief History of Green Drinks

It all began in 1989, at a pub called The Slug and Lettuce in northern London, when Edwin Datschefski along with Yorick Benjamin and Paul Scott, all green design colleagues, recognized a few others at the pub that they knew were interested and involved in sustainability. The group began a conversation around “green” and something extraordinary happened. The concept of environmentally minded people meeting together every month, in a casual environment to share and discuss green, that started that night in northern London, spread globally. Datschefski took the initiative to support this effort and in 2001 created an official Website called Green Drinks and now moderates over 700 Green Drinks all over the world. They are a great opportunity to talk and network with others interested in sustainability and local green issues, in a casual and friendly setting. It also serves as great place to job search, make friends, develop ideas and learn about the newest eco-friendly trends.

In 2002, New York City was the first official Green Drinks in the United States. Norwalk Green Drinks was started by Remy Chevalier in 2004.

Fairfield Green Drinks

Fairfield Green Drinks has been around for almost three years and meets the first Tuesday of the month at The Shack Hometown Grill, from 6:00-8:00pm. Fairfield Green Drinks is very casual, all are welcome and there is no charge to attend. Our June Green Drinks will feature Michael Trahan of Solar Connecticut, Inc., who will be on hand to answer your questions about the benefits of clean, renewable solar power. We hope you can join us for a casual gathering centered around green. To RSVP, click HERE.

Welcome to GreenTowns

Amazing people are starting green initiatives every day, in towns and cities across the country.

Until now, there has not been one place where people locally and across the the country could connect and share all of these efforts. Introducing a national community called GreenTowns: a place for everyone, all across the country, who are interested in building sustainable communities, creating “green” infrastructures and spreading eco-friendly information, to gather and share ideas, initiatives and resources. GreenTowns will live both online and in our towns and cities, through gatherings, projects and on GreenTowns.com. The website features a blog, social networking, photos, videos, advisors and initiatives. GreenTowns provides everyone an opportunity to participate in creating sustainable communities. 

I'd like to invite you to join the local and national sustainability conversation. Welcome to GreenTowns.

AmericanTowns Launches GreenTowns.com

New Online Network Connects and Celebrates Local Green Initiatives

in Towns Across America

Built on AmericanTowns’ Local Platform, GreenTowns’ Partners at Launch Include

Reader’s Digest, Bob Vila, E-The Environmental Magazine

Fairfield, CT, May 2, 2011 – AmericanTowns is launching GreenTowns.com, a new online network that connects and celebrates green initiatives and their leaders, locally and nationally.  Now, through GreenTowns, residents of 15,000 towns and cities in the United States are invited to discover, share and support inspiring sustainability efforts in their community, between towns, and across a range of environmental concerns. 

“We are adding a new dimension to the green landscape available online by featuring green initiatives that are working, spotlighting ways to get involved and sparking local interaction,” said Daphne Dixon, Director of GreenTowns. “By sharing the expertise and enthusiasm of both dedicated specialists and local citizens who care, GreenTowns will be a valuable resource and a catalyst for change, as it connects and supports local green efforts across the country.”

Building on the technology and communication tools that power AmericanTowns.com – currently organizing and sharing information on hyper-local events, announcements, local resources and community organizations in 15,000 towns across America – GreenTowns.com features local sustainability initiatives that are searchable by location and category.  GreenTowns will also offer green community pages for each town in a feature called “How Green Is Your Town.” In partnership with Reader’s Digest, “How Green Is Your Town” will invite users to share additional local green initiatives and will help each community identify ways their town could become greener.  Initiatives of special note and the people leading them will also be featured on AmericanTowns community websites and, in select cases, in Reader’s Digest. 

A broad range of environmental issues are brought together in GreenTowns.com including: building, energy, food, land and conservation, lifestyle, connections, recycling, transportation and water. Subject matter experts including Bob Vila, and category advisors will supplement content and facilitate conversations through blogs and the sharing of questions, information and support across topics and throughout the site.

In the coming months, GreenTowns.com will also provide a hub for local green events: community organizations and environmental nonprofits will be able to post their information for free, utilizing the calendar and resource tools that have been a popular feature on AmericanTowns.com.  Local e-mail updates will keep subscribers informed. 

“We are applying the technological foundation we designed and implemented successfully for AmericanTowns.com to now directly benefit green efforts,” said Theodore Buerger, AmericanTowns Chairman and co-founder.  “Our ultimate goal with GreenTowns.com is to create a trusted network for sustainable communities -- a source of information, inspiration and connection that will further the greening of America.”

GreenTowns.com is a free service for green non-profit organizations and local communities.  It plans to be self-supported through local, green-conscious sponsors, following the local business model which brought AmericanTowns.com to profitability within two years of its national launch.

National, regional and local partnering organizations announced at the launch of GreenTowns.com include Reader’s Digest, Bob Vila, E-The Environmental Magazine, Go Green Expo, Conscious Decisions, Edibles Advocate Alliance, Planet Fuel and SoundWaters.

About GreenTowns:

GreenTowns.com is a network for sustainable communities -- connecting and celebrating green initiatives and the people supporting them, locally and across America.  Built on the foundation of AmericanTowns.com -- a network of hyper-local websites serving 15,000 cities and towns – GreenTowns aims to inspire people to grow sustainable communities and thereby to help build a green America.  GreenTowns.com is hosted and owned by AmericanTowns.com L.L.C., headquartered in Fairfield, CT.