Jump Scare: Coffee Tariffs are Back in the News
It's the Coffee News Roundup: Week Ending January 30th
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Yes, Starbucks Engages in Coffeewashing. But Don’t Let Reactionaries Weaponise It.
For paid subscribers: I’ve written before about Starbucks’ myriad climate issues, but now conservative activist shareholders are trying to weaponise those failings in service of a climate denialist goal.
4 min read
After publishing last week’s (surprisingly controversial) article on the contradictions between sustainably-marketed coffee companies partnering with airlines, somebody sent me an article published by The Cool Down, which bills itself as a “climate-driven culture and lifestyle brand”.
The article in question is titled “Starbucks CEO faces major backlash after details of his work routine are revealed: 'Ill-conceived decision'”, and uses a press release and shareholder proposal from the National Center for Public Policy Research’s Free Enterprise Project as its basis.
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Coffee Brands Continue To Use X, the Right-Wing, Deepfake-Creating Social Media Platform
For paid subscribers: Since Elon Musk’s purchase, and especially in the wake of the Grok CSAM deepfake scandal, it has become impossible to defend staying on X. And yet, many coffee brands and organisations are still there.
Why Do So Many Celebrities Claim To Have Never Tried Coffee?
For paid subscribers: What do Naomi Campbell, Tom Brady, Sydney Sweeney, and Ice-T have in common?
Why Might Luckin Want To Buy Blue Bottle Coffee?
For paid subscribers: Nestlé is exploring a sale of Blue Bottle, and Luckin is reportedly interested. With such different approaches to coffee, however, it’s worth asking the question: why?
Dubai’s Chocolate-Based Propaganda Push
For paid subscribers: Coffee is increasingly used to burnish the United Arab Emirates’ international image. Now it is being supercharged by merging with the popularity of the Dubai chocolate trend.