How it all started
In 1989, at a pub called the Slug and Lettuce in North London, Edwin Datschefski was sitting with his green design colleagues, Yorick Benjamin and Paul Scott, when he noticed an enviro-minded acquaintance at a nearby table. As it turned out, the friend was sitting with a few of his own eco-conscious mates. So they pulled some tables together, and a movement was born.
The concept evolved into Green Drinks and now it’s global. In 2001, Datschefski created an official Web site, which has spread across the world. Each city has an organiser who arranges meetings in bars and restaurants (often with organic or vegetarian food), relays information via email, and facilitates discussions.
The spirit of Green Drinks is that anyone can come, and this makes for interesting interactions. There are lots of benefits to green drinks; and when you have seen people come and make new links and learn and argue and set up new schemes and get new jobs etc, it is a good feeling.
Green Drinks International
Every month, people who work in the environmental field meet up for informal sessions known as Green Drinks. More than 500 Green Drinks events take place at different locations around the planet.
Meet ups include a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business.. It’s a great way of visiting with people you know, and also for making new contacts. .
These events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and experienced moments of serendipity. It’s a force for the good and we’d like to help it spread to other cities.
Local Green Drinks Meet Ups
Portland Green Drinks
Portland Green Drinks is sponsored and organized by David and Angela Anderson of Canvas Host. Events occur on the second Wednesday of each month and offer attendees a two-hour space in which to network and connect with like-minded people, followed by a speaker who focuses on current events, political developments, or environmental matters of concern to the local community.
Join them for great beverages, great conversation, inspiring talks, and a chance to network with other environmentally minded people in Portland Oregon.
For more info: www.pdxgreendrinks.org
Vancouver Green Drinks
Vancouver Green Drinks meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 pm. Meeting locations are announced on on Facebook and through our email list.
For more info: http://www.greendrinks.org/WA/Vancouver
Gorge Green Drinks
Hosted monthly by a different Gorge Owned member organization, Green Drinks showcases the great work being done behind the scenes by many local businesses.
For more info: https://gorgeowned.org/green-drinks/
Adapted from the Green Drinks website by Gary Munkhoff
