Deeper Shade of Green

I am very pleased to say that we worked hard at bringing the worldwide phenomenom called “Greendrinks” to our city, Coquitlam (greater Vancouver), B.C.

We were able to obtain an exclusive interview by the local newspapers, Tri-City News and to our surprise, the article made top story, front cover. Publication is around 75K and goes out to three cities. Below is the article. Enjoy.

By Lara Gerrits - The Tri-City News

Money, envy and inexperience move aside: The word “green” is taking on a whole new meaning.

Once associated with greed, the term now goes hand in hand with the environment, climate change and sustainable living — all topics to be discussed as part of a new, aptly named Green Drinks concept coming to the Tri-Cities.

Popular across the world, the Green Drinks movement aims to bring people together in a casual atmosphere over drinks to discuss sustainability issues, exchange information and ideas on how to slow climate change, and explore solutions related to other environmental issues.

“It’s sort of a club, if you will, for like-minded people, people who are starting to, or who are already green in some aspect,” said Peter Endisch, a member of the Boiling Point Action Network on Climate Change, which is co-ordinating the monthly local gatherings.

“We definitely know there are people who are concerned about things like climate change… and there’s not a venue or platform where they can chat about it.”

On the last Wednesday of each month, starting Feb. 27, anyone who’s trying to reduce his or her environmental footprint, or wants to learn how to start, is welcome to attend Green Drinks, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Roos Pub and Grill, 2968 Christmas Way, Coquitlam.

There is no format to the casual gatherings, where guests can mingle, make friendships and connections, and learn more about how to help the environment.

“It’s almost like a church for green people,” Endisch said, “because you go to church to reinforce faith and you go to this place to find out ‘Hey, there’s actually lot of people out there that do care.’”

Per person, Canadians are the second highest producers of greenhouse gases in the world. Canadians own more than 17 million motor vehicles, enough for one vehicle for every other man, woman and child, according to Statistics Canada.

Green Drinks originated in the U.K. in the 1989 and, over the years, has spread to other countries, including Canada, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Japan, Puerto Rico and, most recently, China. Melbourne, Australia currently holds the record for the world’s biggest Green Drinks event, in which 1,700 people attended a session at the city’s Sustainable Living Festival earlier this year.

Endisch, who joined Boiling Point about a year ago after moving from Montreal to Coquitlam, said he became an environmental advocate after being “flabbergasted” by the beauty around him and realizing what there is to lose.

“It’s more my moral duty to educate myself and others to start living a little bit more sustainably,” he said.

A program analyst by day, Endisch spends as much as 80% of his free time dedicated to environmental issues, including writing for his blog (www.deepershadeofgreen.com) and volunteering for Greenpeace, the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and Boiling Point.

Boiling Point Action Network on Climate Change, which started last April, has people from across the Lower Mainland gathering regularly to help fulfill its mission statement: “A vehicle of change through which all individuals and groups, with the common goal of creating a healthy planet, can work together in a co-ordinated fashion to accomplish what cannot be done alone.”

• For more information about Coquitlam Green Drinks or to RSVP, visit www.coquitlamgreendrinks.com.

lgerrits@tricitynews.com