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The term "organic" is now almost ubiquitous in the grocery store, and the little green USDA organic stamp can be observed on pretty much every kind of product. We have organic toothpaste and moisturizers, drinks and snacks, fruits and vegetables, and even household cleaners and pet foods. But what makes a product "organic?" 

 Since Europeans first imported tea from China, food has traveled across the globe, but never at the speed or in the magnitude that it has over the last decade. According to the United Nations, what we eat, drink, and consume directly impacts climate change. Reducing both individual and collective (businesses, countries, and industries), carbon footprinting is needed in the fight for environmental responsibility. 

Our TeaCology podcast is available on Anchor.fm, Google podcasts, iTunes, Spotify, Radio Public, and more. Listen to TeaCology here.

I watched with delight this week as the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Mvskoke Nation of Oklahoma, recognizing about half of the state as "promised reservation." In a 5-4 decision, the Court elected to hold the federal government to its word, having promised the land to several native nations more than a century ago. This is an important victory for indigenous people, and one that is rarer than a hen's tooth.  Since the first colonial contact was made, indigenous people have faced tribulation after tribulation. Forced removals, genocide, armed conflict, disease, and famine were all part...