Category archives: General news
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July 1st, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 9:34 am
A few days ago we sent out the following press release.
If you would like to learn more or have questions please contact us at alex@bluestatecoffee.com.
WIND-POWERED LATTES COME IN COMPOSTABLE CUPS
AT BLUE STATE COFFEE
Blue State Coffee, a socially responsible coffee company offering freshly roasted organic and Fair TradeTM coffee now offsets all its electricity use with 100% wind power. The café has also completed a successful experiment to test whether its coffee cups and other waste are commercially compostable, on its way to its goal of running a “zero-waste” business.
“We pay extra for 100% wind power through People’s Power & Light—but it turns out to be only the cost of one latte per day,” said Blue State Coffee Manager, Alex Payson. “If one more person comes into the shop because we’re green, it’s worth it.”
Being green also pleases the core market of the Thayer Street café, which markets itself (as its name suggests) as a progressive-friendly hot spot. The café promotes progressive politics through events at the coffee shop, donations to causes (determined by the votes of customers), and a commitment to Fair Trade and environmental progress.
“We’re thrilled that Blue State Coffee has chosen our 100% wind green power product for the café,” said People’s Power & Light spokesperson, Karina Lutz. “Blue State understands and promotes our mission to make energy sustainable and affordable in Rhode Island—so it makes sense they’d choose a nonprofit source that is as local as possible, like New England Wind Fund.” Like People’s Power & Light’s other green power product, New England GreenStart, New England Wind Fund only supports renewable resources connected to the New England electric grid. New England GreenStart is available to residential and small commercial electricity users who pay their own bills. But for larger electricity users and those who don’t pay their own bills, such as renters like Blue State, New England Wind Fund is the solution.
Brown University students, under the tutelage of Kurt Teichert, Lecturer and Manager of Environmental Stewardship Initiatives at Brown University, designed a zero-waste program for Blue State Coffee. Part of the plan is to phase in all compostable and biodegradable paper goods, such as the Eco Hot CupTM coffee cups from Eco-Products that the café currently uses. Composting is a way to turn food waste—such as coffee grounds and paper waste—back into humus, an essential component of healthy soil. “Composting is something everyone can do, and it’s almost as easy as signing up for green power,” said Teichert.
Working with RI’s Earth Care Farm, Blue State conducted a composting experiment—and found the paper products lived up to their promise: they can be made into a soil amendment suitable for organic farming. Once he finds a source for compostable cup lids, Payson intends to compost all the café’s waste. “Then Blue State Coffee will be the greenest café in the bluest state!” said Lutz.
“They are environmentally progressive—not just minimizing negative environmental impacts, but maximizing positive impacts,” added Teichert.
Blue State Coffee, is located at 300 Thayer Street, Providence, and on the web at www.bluestatecoffee.com. New England Wind Fund is available through the web at www.newenglandwind.org. New England GreenStart is available through www.ripower.org.
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Posted in General news, Blue State Coffee news, BSC in the press | 
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July 1st, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 6:30 am
Our spring quarter just ended and in a few days we will be announcing the voting and donation results from our 300 Thayer St. store.
For the next two weeks we will be collecting customer suggestions for our next local causes.
Stop by the store and drop your suggestion in the glass bin at the condiment bar (no purchase is required).
Posted in General news, Our causes, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
June 30th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 8:14 am
Blue State Coffee will be closed this 4th of July to allow everyone to get out and enjoy the parades, barbecues, and good cheer!
Also, starting on the 5th of July (Saturday) we will be closing every night at 10PM for the rest of the summer.
Have a fun and safe holiday.
Posted in General news, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
June 27th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 1:24 pm
Check out this video: Vote Republican- you will get what you deserve…
Watch the video here
Funny. Scary. Kinda true.
Posted in General news, Politics | No Comments »
June 23rd, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 12:49 pm
Tired of seeing those electoral college maps?
Come to a discussion this Wednesday, June 25th at 7PM at
Blue State Coffee (300 Thayer Street)
for a talk entitled:
Electoral College Dropout
A discussion on a state-based plan to create a national popular vote for president with FairVote Rhode Island’s Ari Savitzky.
Posted in General news, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
May 27th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 7:42 am
Blue State Coffee is partnering with a class from the Wheeler School to hold a voter registration drive this Wednesday May 28th from 10AM-2:15PM.
Now is the time to register for the upcoming November elections!
All newly registered voters will also get a FREE brewed beverage of their choice (in addition to the nirvana-like bliss that comes from knowing that you are registered to vote in this critical election).
Posted in General news, Politics, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
May 6th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 6:22 am
The Rhode Island Blood Center will be hosting a blood drive outside Blue State Coffee (300 Thayer Street, Providence) this afternoon from 2-5PM. Stop by, donate, and get a free brewed drink at our store!
You can schedule an appointment at www.ribc.org if you have a donor account with the RIBC, or you can just show up this afternoon.
To learn all about donating blood click here.
Posted in General news, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
May 5th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 12:30 pm
Besides providing our customers with the freshest, most ecologically sound, and tastiest cup of Joe, we are proud to be able to donate a portion of our sales every quarter to progressive local and national causes that we believe in. We currently are donating 10% of every purchase made in-store and on this website.
During the months of January through March we were able to donate another $10,000 to the following important organizations:
We have now donated over $40,000 since we starting selling coffee in September of 2006!
Thank you for your support, these organizations appreciate it.
Posted in General news, Blue State Coffee news, Our causes, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
April 17th, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 12:08 pm
This coming Saturday, April 19th Blue State Coffee is co-hosting an earth day/CD release party at the Blackstone in Pawtucket, RI. We were able to purchase energy credits through People’s Power and Light so we can run the entire event on New England wind power!
Several bands from the CD (you can check it out and listen to it here) will be performing as well as a couple guest artists. We will have copies of the CD for sale and several local environmental organizations will be on hand to tell you about their important work.
You can find directions to the Blackstone here.
Hope to see you there!
Posted in General news, Blue State Coffee news, Stores, Providence/Thayer St Store | No Comments »
April 3rd, 2008
Posted by Alex Payson at 6:31 am
From Tuesday, April 15, through Tuesday, April 22, 2008 the Providence community will be hosting a week long, interdisciplinary residency with film screenings, lectures, concerts and talk backs, honoring David Amram, esteemed American symphonic composer, conductor, multi-instrumentalist, author and pioneer of world music.
You can learn more about David Amram here.
We are proud to be hosting the following two events at our store:
Saturday, April 19:
1PM, Blue State Coffee, 300 Thayer Street, Providence
Screening of Elia Kazan’s The Arrangement, followed by Talk Back with Dr. Audrey Sprenger, Part II, In Reel/Real Time.
Sunday, April 20:
5PM, David Amram and friends at Blue State Coffee
300 Thayer Street, Providence
Road Diaries and Crisscrossing the Country, Chasing Cool
Readings and reflections by Dr. Audrey Sprenger and David Amram on their cross country trip re-tracing Kerouac’s journey of 50 years ago, from the Village Voice’s on-line commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Kerouac’s On the Road.
Followed by screening of Pull My Daisy, Beat classic short film with Kerouac, Ginsberg, Corso, Amram, and others.
7:00 PM Screening of Splendor in The Grass
followed by Talk Back with Dr. Audrey Sprenger, Part Three In Reel/Real Time.
Posted in General news, Blue State Coffee news | No Comments »
