Green Daily

Obviously drugs -- even the legal ones -- aren't very good for you, and most will get you arrested (or worse), but rumor has it that some people still take them anyway. So, with that in mind, the least you can do is work towards a more sustainable habit. To see all the substances we've covered in this series, see our Guide to Green Green Drug Use.

In Getting Stoned with Savages, J. Maarten Troost writes about his discovery of Kava-kava, a mildly psychotropic beverage that South Pacific islanders regularly drink. Basically, it's prepared by chewing up pieces of Kava-kava root, spitting them into a bucket, and mixing them with water and coconut oil. One then drinks the resulting solution, after which, supposedly, he or she feels a sense of clarity and peacefulness for a couple of hours. Depending on the amount drunk, Kava can sometimes inspire hallucinations, amazing dreams, and up to a couple of days of lassitude.

In the industrialized world, Kava is available from many gourmet grocery stores and health food shops, either in pill, powder, or alcohol-tincture form. Depending on the form, its effectiveness (and impact upon the environment) varies greatly. Kava pills, for example, are often produced with acetone and ethanol. While ethanol, or grain alcohol, is a renewable resource, acetone is not. For that matter, both substances produce VOCs, which have a somewhat negative effect on the environment. Similarly, the tincture form of Kava also contains ethyl alcohol, although the fact that the ethanol isn't allowed to evaporate mitigates the VOC downside.

Beyond that, the only real environmental impact of Kava is in the machinery used to powder it and the gas used to transport it. Since most Kava is grown in the South Pacific, the distance it must travel is pretty impressive, but it is very low weight in powder form. In other words, if you aren't using Kava pills, I'd say that you shouldn't feel too guilty about the pleasure that you reap from this amazing "supplement." Green Grade: A-; B if used in pill form.