CT Green Scene

The Good News about Walnuts and Your Prostate

You just can't make this stuff up: walnuts shrink tumors. I know, right? Sounds incredible but it's true. Apparently, at least according to research at UC Davis on tumor-toting mice, their walnut-eating consumption actually reduced their tumor size significantly.

What makes it interesting for this site is how it falls into the category of how our environment affects our health. What we put into our bodies is part of that environment. Like climate change, it's a problem we can have some control over. 

See the excerpt below from Environmental News Network that was originally reported in the British Journal of Nutrition.

The Amazing Tumor-Fighting Walnut
David A Gabel, ENN 
Published January 25, 2012 09:38 AM

Recently, scientists from the University of California (UC) in Davis found out that, at least in mice, eating walnuts can actually slow down the growth of tumors. In fact, after 18 weeks of being on a walnut-rich diet, the mice had tumors half the size as mice on a similar diet. Further research will be upcoming to explore more beneficial effects of walnuts. Some believe that walnuts can be even used to prevent tumors from ever forming.

The unlucky subject mice in the experiment were genetically programmed to develop prostate cancer. UC Davis researchers assessed the size of their tumors at 9,18 and 24 weeks. Some mice were on the walnut diet, consuming the human equivalent of 2.4 ounces of walnut per day. The other subject group ate a soybean oil diet which was formulated to match the walnut diet in terms of nutrients, fat levels, and fatty acid profiles.

Amazingly, at 18 weeks, the tumors were half the size in the walnut group than the other group. Overall, the rate of tumor growth was 28 percent less for the walnut group.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of Phys.org. 

Finally, a good school lunch

We've talked about school lunch before on this site. We feel strongly about what our kids eat, what we eat, and the quality of sustainable foods and farming. This site also reported on the topic a couple of months ago when lawmakers considered pizza a vegetable serving because of its two tablespoons of tomato paste per serving. 

Reuters reported today that the USDA has done a small overhaul of school nutrition to include more fruits and vegetables and skim milk. They have also mandated a child-size portion and lower sodium, among other things.

About time, isn't it? See the excerpt below.

More fruits, veggies in school lunch rules
By Ian Simpson and Lisa Baertlein | Reuters – 59 mins ago

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. school children, accustomed to a steady diet of pizza and French fries, will find more fruits, vegetables and whole grains on their trays under new government rules announced on Wednesday.

The new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) rules aim to boost the nutritional quality of the federally funded meals consumed by roughly 32 million U.S. school children.

The rules represent the first major revision of school meal standards in more than 15 years and are intended to combat the nation's childhood obesity crisis -- nearly one in three children in America is overweight or obese.

The revamp comes just months after U.S. lawmakers protected pizza's status as a vegetable and killed proposed limits on weekly servings of starchy vegetables like potatoes.

Storms, Trees and You

Winter in the Northeast usually has at least one or two storms that pack a wicked punch. Maybe it's you, or maybe it's your neighbor. But one of you will end up with limbs hanging and trees down. Find out from this lecture what you can do about it.

Storms, Trees and You
Featuring Dr. Jeffrey S. Ward, Chief Scientist
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station

Monday, January 23rd at 7:00 p.m.
Fairfield Public Library Memorial Room 

• How proper tree selection, placement and maintenance can help reduce power outages and damage to our properties.
• Maximize the benefits of trees such as providing shade, cooling, and beautifying our yards and streetscapes.
• Tips for planting new trees and shrubs, general tree care, and how to spot potential problems on your property.

Sponsored by the Fairfield Forestry Committee. Free and open to the public.

Ch-ch-ch-Chia!

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Everybody has probably heard about chia from the little plant “pets” that became popular in the 80s.  What is not as widely known is what a great addition to the diet the chia seed can be.

The history of chia, or Salvia hispanica, can be traced back to over 5,000 years ago in Mexico.  Chia was one of the staple foods of both the Aztec and Mayan cultures.  It was also used as a form of currency and was said to help messengers sustain energy over long distances.  

Chia is at the top of the charts in four important areas: levels of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber.  In fact, it has the highest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids, even more than flax seeds.  Omega-3 fatty acids play a large role in cardiovascular health and are anti-inflammatory.  Its levels of antioxidants, from flavonoids, are also anti-inflammatory and allow it to have a good ORAC value.  It also is free of cholesterol.

Lecture on Climate Change at Audubon Greenwich

Averting the Climate Crisis: How urban/suburban lifestyle changes can help our environment
Presented by Peter Libre, MD
Saturday, January 7, 2012
4:00-5:30 pm
$5/adult. Youth are free. RSVP requested. Simply leave a message for Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239.  (Snow date: Jan. 14.) 


Ring in 2012 with a Saturday afternoon presentation about our carbon footprint, climate issues, and the relationship of health and lifestyle to both. Learn new ways to transform your way of living and by doing so, improve your personal, planetary and fiscal well-being. Dr. Peter Libre is a Columbia University eye surgeon who performs 350 eye surgeries a year while living a low carbon lifestyle. He bikes 2,500 miles a year, keeps chickens, and grows vegetables. With solar hot water and electricity, good insulation, and a woodstove, his family’s utility bills are $25 a month. 

The northward and inland movement of North American birds, confirmed by thousands of citizen-observations, provides new and powerful evidence that global warming is having a serious impact on natural systems, according to new analyses by Audubon scientists. The findings signal the need for dramatic policy changes to combat pervasive ecological disruption.

Is Solar Thermal the next big thing?

How does the concept of molten salt strike you? It is a major component of solar thermal power, which uses the sun's heat to boil water. The water is then used to bring salt to extremely high heat, which stores energy when the sun goes down. While the technology itself is rather simple, it is debatable whether it's the most economical route.

See an excerpt below from an article posted earlier this week in The New York Times. 

Storehouses for Solar Energy Can Step In When the Sun Goes Down
By MATTHEW L. WALD
Published: January 2, 2012 

If solar energy is eventually going to matter — that is, generate a significant portion of the nation’s electricity — the industry must overcome a major stumbling block, experts say: finding a way to store it for use when the sun isn’t shining.

That challenge seems to be creating an opening for a different form of power, solar thermal, which makes electricity by using the sun’s heat to boil water. The water can be used to heat salt that stores the energy until later, when the sun dips and households power up their appliances and air-conditioning at peak demand hours in the summer.

Traditional Farming better for Biodiversity. Well, duh...

The Science and Development Network, a non-profit organization based in England and Wales, reported that research has shown traditional farming is crucial for keeping certain species alive. The research was conducted in developing countries as well as Europe.

It seems biodiversity is important to maintain the health and vitality of the land, the plants, birds and insects, as well as a host of other animals that feed off the land and call it their home. Industrial farming apparently harms the ecological bubble and depletes the natural habitats. Huh, go figure...

See the excerpt below.

Traditional farming 'can save threatened species'
Jan Piotrowski
22 December 2011 | EN

Traditional farming methods are crucial for protecting a number of threatened bird species in the developing world, including bustards, cranes, ibises and vultures, a study has found.

Livestock grazing and features associated with arable farming — such as hedgerows — create environmental conditions that certain birds currently depend on for food, shelter and breeding, the authors report.  

But as industrial farming methods eliminate these habitats, these species are threatened with extinction, said Hugh Wright, a researcher in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, United Kingdom, and lead author of the study, published in Conservation Letters earlier this month (5 December).

No More Frankincense? What's a Wise Man to do?

According to a recent study documented by Dicovery News on December 22nd, frankincense--the resin best known as a gift from the Magi--has gradually been decreased to a point where it is in serious danger of disappearing. But unlike what overfishing has done to the fish industry, its depletion has been attributed mainly to fires, beetle destruction, and cattle grazing.

Estimates show that in 50 years the supply of frankincense may be as much as 90% less than what it is now. Rick K, who made his comments online, stated his case: "People have been using unsustainable harvest methods on MANY different wild populations for millenia to the degradation and often decimation of the very population of organisms that supported their commerce whether for subsistence or for profit."

Too true. Whether animals and fire or people, we need to protect our resources. See the excerpt below.

Frankincense May Be Doomed
Analysis by Emily Sohn
Thu Dec 22, 2011 03:32 PM ET

Frankincense has a long history as an ingredient in incense and perfumes, with references dating back to ancient Egypt. In the Bible, the Magi brought the fragrant resin as a gift to the baby Jesus, along with gold and myrrh -- and it remains part of the classic Christmas story.

But frankincense, whose smell is sometimes described as sweet or spicy with a mix of lemon and pine, will soon become only a relic of the past if nothing is done to protect the trees that produce it, according to a new study.

Those trees, which belong to a species called Boswellia, grow in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa. To extract frankincense, people tap adult trees by cutting into their bark, allowing the resin to ooze out and harden so it can be collected.

Previous studies have shown that tapping Boswellia trees can sap out carbohydrates, stunt growth, and reduce the viability of seeds. To assess the long-term effects of those injuries, scientists from the Netherlands and Ethiopia studied more than 6,500 trees and seedlings for two years in a remote region of northwestern Ethiopia.

When the researchers compared data from tapped trees with data from untapped trees, they came up with some discouraging projections. Given the tree’s current rate of decline, they reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology, numbers of frankincense-producing Boswellia could drop in half over the next 15 years. Fifty years from now, there will be 90 percent fewer trees.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of DiscoveryNews.com.

Last Minute Socially and Environmentally Conscious Gift Ideas

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Every year, so much money is wasted on gifts that are excessive and unnecessary. Instead, why not donate money to a great cause in someone’s name? Or "adopt" a wild animal whose existence is threatened for a child? And since these gifts don’t need shipping, you can print out the gift certificate and put it in a nice recycled card instead.

Check out these great organizations that benefit people, animals, or the environment!

For those of us that love animals, there are many ways to help. The American Humane Society has a fund set up called The Second Chance Fund. This fund helps to financially assist rescue agencies that treat and place abused and neglected animals into loving homes. Donate in an animal lovers’ name to make them happy.

Coke and pepsi duke it out over water bottles

Coke and Pepsi are at it again. Like siblings vying for Mom's attention, they want buyers to know how green they are. Both companies plan to bottle their respective beverages in wholly plant-based bottles instead of plastic or partial plastic. Great! When? Nobody knows.

The other issue is what plant materials to use, how to source them, and how cost effective the whole process may--or may not--be. See the excerpt below that The New York Times posted yesterday.

The Race to Greener Bottles Could Be Long
By WILLIAM NEUMAN
Published: December 15, 2011

The beverage rivals are racing to become the first to produce a plastic soda bottle made entirely from plants.

But despite dueling announcements claiming technological breakthroughs, consumers should not expect to see many all-plant bottles on store shelves any time soon. Neither company is confident enough in the technology to say when, or even if, they will be able to deliver on their environmental ambitions.

Coke delivered the latest volley on Thursday, saying it plans to work with three companies that are developing competing technologies to make plastic from plants, with bottles rolling out to consumers in perhaps a few years.

Local Eats Fundraiser at Gilbertie's in Westport

Jay Leno's Garage hosts Connecticut's EV Expert, Jim Motavalli!

by Heather Burns

Connecticut resident and former Editor for E the Environmental Magazine, Jim Motavalli, has been a long-time proponent and expert of EV's. Check out Jim's new book, High Voltage: The Fast Track to Plug in the Auto Indusry.

Jim predicts that by 2020, 10 percent of all new vehicles will be either electric or plug ins. Jay goes on to say that the Chevy Volt is "the perfect car because it's electricy when you want it and gas when you need it."

 

See more in this engaging video in Jay's garage.

2010 Had Biggest One Year Jump in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

If ever there was a plea to curb our dependence on fossil fuel, it's this one from Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org. Based on a New York Times article dated December 4, 2011, emissions rose just shy of 6% between 2009 and 2010. That's a HUGE increase for one year. (Keep in mind, there was a near 1.5% percent decrease in 2009 during the worst part of the recession.) The news prompted McKibben to quip in an article posted the following day on CommonDreams.org that "we've all but lost the battle to reduce the damage from global warming."

See an excerpt below from McKibben's article.

The Most Important News Story of the Day/Millennium
Published on Monday, December 5, 2011 by CommonDreams.org
by Bill McKibben

"The most important piece of news yesterday, this week, this month, and this year was a new set of statistics released yesterday by the Global Carbon Project. It showed that carbon emissions from our planet had increased 5.9 percent between 2009 and 2010. In fact, it was arguably among the most important pieces of data in the last, oh, three centuries, since according to The New York Times it represented 'almost certainly the largest absolute jump in any year since the Industrial Revolution.'

Operation Trashdown: Green Makes a Great Gift

by Ilene Moyher

Green does make a great gift, but not the kind of green that has dollar signs! You can give a meaningful ‘green’ gift to everyone, especially the next generation--the gift of a cleaner planet. A big part of this is keeping the less trash/less waste mindset when shopping. Everyone can make choices that will help. Unsure about this? Click here to read or watch about where trash ends up.

Whether shopping online, at chain stores, or at local shops, think about what impact the product has on the environment, and make purchases based on what feels right to you:

Want a Wine Cellar? Make it Green!

2011 GREEN HOMES & GREEN BUILDING SERIES
FINAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
 
Greener Wine Room Design with Fred Tregaskis of New England Wine Cellars

Thursday, December 8, 2011
6:00 pm: Holiday Festivities & Wine Reception
7:00 pm: Main Presentation
Hosted at Audubon Greenwich

 
Come learn how to create safe and sound storage for your favorite vintages. The evening will start with festivities in the main hall and will be followed by the presentation starting at 7:00 pm. This program will be suitable for profession al builders and home owners who want to learn more about wine cellars and learn how they can be high effective without electricity, if designer properly. Please note: RSVPs are requested for this event.

A primer on the considerations, techniques and details for successful design and construction of a beautiful, functional and energy efficient wine storage room. Aesthetics, environmental conditions necessary for successful wine storage, materials of construction and mechanical systems will all be considered.

Learning Objectives:

• Able to identify and explain the optimum temperature, humidity, ventilation and air quality conditions for successful wine aging, prevention of material decay and minimization of wine loss.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage space layout and racking system based on the individual collector's bottle inventory and functional needs.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage room enclosure based on room location within the structure and it's bordering environments.
• Able to determine and design the wine storage room finish materials and mechanical equipment for optimum air quality, temperature, humidity, wine aging, and energy efficiency.

Fred Tregaskis began his career in wine during college in the vineyards of New York’s Hudson Valley.  After a three year tenure as a wine taster for a national magazine, he founded his own wine room design and construction company, starting with the 28,000 bottle wine cellar for the Lespinasse Restaurant at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.  Since that start he has completed hundreds of beautiful and functional residential and commercial wine cellars throughout New England, across the country and around the world. Additionally, Fred writes for Country and Abroad magazine and hosts WHDD/ Robin Hood Radio on National Public Radio.

Presented by Fred Tregaskis, President, New England Wine Cellars & Generously Sponsored by Coastal Point Construction, LLC.

Admission is $20 per person. Space is limited and RSVPs are required. To RSVP, email Jeff Cordulack, jcordulack@audubon.org or leave a message at (203) 869-5272 x239.

Understanding Avocados

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Avocados are a very poorly understood fruit. They got a bad rap due to their high fat content, both in terms of cholesterol and weight control. The only place you might find them would be your nearest bowl of guacamole. Until recently, it wasn't understood that the type of fat found in avocados is acutally “good” fat.

Avocados originated in Mexico as early as 7,000 BC. Later, it was determined they could be found in South America as well. It seems, however, that when they started cultivating them in California in the late 1800s, that they became more accessible.  

Because of the high fat content, avocados have a lot of calories. But, there is some good news. Not only are the highest levels of fat found monosaturated, but with all the other vitamins, nutrients, phytochemicals and fiber, eating avocados is actually GOOD for your health.

Upcoming Green Events

Environmental Policy and Eco-feminism in China and India
Wednesday, November 30th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fairfield University, Multimedia Room, DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Fairfield. 
Please join Fairfield University’s Program on the Environment for a panel discussion of global environmental issues among women in China and India. Dr. Danke Li will discuss her interviews with Liao Xiaoyi, winner of the Sophie Prize in 2000, awarded to her by President Bill Clinton for her efforts in building sustainable housing in China. Dr. Gita Rajan will discuss environmentally conscious companies among women in India, who are entering the global economy in a time of environmental crisis. The talk is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be served. Please contact Professor Elizabeth Petrino at (203) 254-4000 x3014 or epetrino@fairfield.edu for further information.
 
Hear Commissioner James Redeker, Connecticut Department of Transportation 
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., 45 Church Street, New Haven. Commissioner James Redeker of the Department of Transportation will be speaking to the public on his agency's visions for creating a sustainable development model supported by smart land-use decisions that integrate rational mass transit, economic development, and smart-energy practices. Join 1000 Friends of Connecticut and learn more about the rare opportunities our regions face in curbing the sprawling development that has turned our highways into parking lots every morning and every evening during rush hour.  Register for free at http://www.1000friends-ct.org/2011-speaker-series-registration-redeker-conndot.html.

Congress and School Lunch: Are You Kidding Me?

by Eileen Weber

OK, this is where I get cranky. I can't keep my mouth shut when it comes to school lunches. I have three girls of my own in elementary school, so this means a lot to me. To call school lunches crap is being charitable. For way too long we have been feeding our kids the food equivalent of a pig with lipstick. And frankly, a little pork would go a long way. But instead of pork, we give them "pork product" and call it food. It is laden with high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and food dyes. Then, we sit back and wonder why our kids are clinically obese and have diabetes. Huh, go figure.

When I saw this segment on Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight, I had to post it. It says everything that needs to be said: Congress considers pizza--hello???? pizza!--a vegetable because of the two tablespoons of tomato paste per slice. This is beyond idiocy. This is agribusiness greasing the palms of every Congressman with nothing better to do with their time. Let's go to the videotape!

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Audubon Greenwich At Home Lecture Series

Looking for something to do tomorrow night? Head out to the Audubon Greenwich to find out how to insulate your home and still be green!

Green Homes, Green Buildings:
An "Audubon At Home" Series in Greenwich
 
Green Insulation Choices for Residential Architecture
Presented by Foster Lyons from Coastal Point Construction, LLC
 
November 17, 2011
6:00-8:30 pm
 
Foster Lyons is co-owner of Coastal Point Construction, LLC, in Cos Cob, CT.  Since entering the construction industry in 1988, he has been involved with the construction management of over 800 units of housing. He has served as Superintendent, Project Manager, Project Executive and company owner for many commercial and residential projects in Connecticut, New York City and its northern suburbs. Foster’s educational background, especially in the areas of heat and moisture transfer allows him a comfortable familiarity with building science and green construction. Foster holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Georgetown University.

Lyons' lecture will be a detailed explanation of the numerous thermal insulation choices for residential architecture and a methodology for proper selection. It is suitable for both homeowners and building professionals.
 
Learning Objectives

• Learn about the various thermal insulation materials available for use in residential construction.
• Learn about the ideal exterior wall, roof and floor system.
• Understand how to calculate the code required insulation thicknesses.
• Understand how the code requirements relate to actual building performance.
• Identify the appropriate locations for the various insulation types.
• Identify the multiple pros and cons for commonly available thermal insulation materials
• Learn to calculate the cost differences between the commonly available thermal insulation materials.

1.5 Hours, 1.5 AIA Learning Units, HSW, SD
 
$20 per person. RSVP Required. RSVP to Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239 or jcordulack@audubon.org.   6:00 pm: Wine & Cheese Reception / 7:00-8:30 pm: Presentation

Savoring Seaweed

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Seaweed is being extolled as another superfood--and for good reason. It is not only highly nutritional, but has been shown to have health-improving effects as well.

Seaweed, or sea vegetables as they are also called, is a form of algae that grows in salt water. There are many thousands of varieties, many of which are edible. They are green, brown, red and black in color. We know mostly of the Japanese using seaweed in sushi, but it is used in food throughout Asia and even in the British Isles.

Traditional Chinese Medical doctors have been using sea vegetables to treat their patients for thousands of years. In other ancient societies, sea vegetables were used to bind wounds due to their anti-microbial properties. Types of sea vegetables include nori, spirulina, wakame, hijiki, Irish moss, chlorella and dulse.

Nutritionally, sea vegetables are abundant in minerals including iodine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium. Protein content varies by species, but red algae like nori and dulse generally have the most and it can equal the levels of protein found in soybeans. Vitamins in sea vegetables include B12, C and E, thus making it a good addition to a vegetarian’s diet.

Polysaccharides, which are fibrous and have been shown to have blood sugar and cholesterol-lowering properties, are also found in abundance. Due to the fiber content, they cause satiety and help keep the digestive tract healthy. Fucoidan, a type of polysaccharide found in brown sea vegetables, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and immuno-modulating effects.  It also has anti-tumor and radioprotective properties.

Carotenoids, which are antioxidants, are found in green, red and brown algae, further making sea vegetables an excellent addition to the diet.

Eating sea vegetables regularly can both prevent and treat illness, thus making it an appetizing addition to the diet. Care should be taken however, in individuals with thyroid dysfunction as too much iodine, as found in sea vegetables, could exacerbate the condition.

Image courtesy of www.seaweed.ie.

Are Americans Greener Now More Than Ever?

While the Solyndra debacle may have cast a dull light on all things environmental, there is an upshot. According to a new study by GFK Roper Consulting in conjunction with SC Johnson via ENN, Americans are more environmentally conscious today than they were 20 years ago. OK, it took two decades to make a dent. But still, nice that it happened. 

Here are a few statistics: Seventy-three percent of Americans say they know a lot about environmental issues. Fifty-eight percent separate their trash and recycle on a regular basis. Eighteen percent have cut down on their regular automobile usage. Small things, big change.

A more comprehensive story was reported on PR Web. See the excerpt below.

Study Shows Americans Adopting Environment-Friendly Habits, Non-Profits Like Campus California Help These Trends by Bringing Together Business and The General Public
Richmond, CA (PRWEB) November 01, 2011

A new study published by GFK Roper Consulting shows that influencing mass behavior of Americans towards more environmentally friendly lifestyle is possible. The 2011 survey of over 2000 residents of the continental US shows positive changes in the knowledge and actions of Americans concerning the environment.

“According to the survey results knowledge about environmental issues and problems is on the rise and Americans are less likely to be confused over what is good and bad for the environment. About seven in 10 now say they know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems, up from about five in 10 during the mid-1990’s,” says in the conclusion of the GFK Roper Green Gauge study.

To read the original report, click here.

Farmageddon screening at Westport Cinema

Friday, November 18th
7:30 p.m.
Christ and Holy Trinity Church
75 Church Lane
Westport, CT

Americans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why.

Filmmaker Kristin Canty’s quest to find healthy food for her four children turned into an educational journey to discover why access to these foods was being threatened. What she found were policies that favor agribusiness and factory farms over small family-operated farms selling fresh foods to their communities. Instead of focusing on the source of food safety problems — most often the industrial food chain — policymakers and regulators implement and enforce solutions that target and often drive out of business small farms that have proven themselves more than capable of producing safe, healthy food, but buckle under the crushing weight of government regulations and excessive enforcement actions.

Farmageddon highlights the urgency of food freedom, encouraging farmers and consumers alike to take action to preserve individuals’ rights to access food of their choice and farmers’ rights to produce these foods safely and free from unreasonably burdensome regulations. The film serves to put policymakers and regulators on notice that there is a growing movement of people aware that their freedom to choose the foods they want is in danger, a movement that is taking action with its dollars and its voting power to protect and preserve the dwindling number of family farms that are struggling to survive.

The film is presented by Westport Cinema Initiative and the Westport Farmers Market. The event is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

Snowtober signals Climate Change

The wrap-up from this weekend's freakish storm in the Northeast pretty much says it all: Climate Change is not a fantasy dreamed up by environmentalists with nothing better to do. It is very real and has a sizeable impact. This year alone, we have seen more damaging weather from horrendous storms causing massive power outages to year-long droughts in Texas. The handwriting is on the wall, people.

The excerpt below from The Washington Post puts it in perspective. The rumbling "thundersnow"--frankly, two words not often put together like "balanced" and "budget"--in New York City. The hundreds of damaged trees. The fact that many residents still have no power and will continue to be without power for several more days. School has been cancelled. And for some towns, so was Halloween.

Read more below.

Historic October Northeast storm: Epic. Incredible. Downright ridiculous.
Posted at 11:02 AM ET, 10/31/2011
By Andrew Freedman

"Coming in the midst of what is already one of the most extreme years in American weather history, the Snowtober event had a greater impact in some states than August’s much-hyped Tropical Storm Irene. It was the snowstorm, not Irene, which caused the largest power outage in Connecticut history, for example.

To put the storm into its proper meteorological context, consider these snowy facts.

Regression in NYC's Recycling?

Here's just another example of how much we actually throw out. This article published in The New York Times on October 21st takes a close look at what nearby New York City is doing to recycle, especially when it comes to take-out containers. The landfills are littered with plastic domes and styrofoam clamshells. In fact, their recycling score card has dropped significantly. In 2001, the city had a recycling rate of 23%. It now has a paltry 15%.

When it really comes down to it, we could all do a little better. There's always room for improvement. See the excerpt below.

Lunch, Landfills and What I Tossed
By MIREYA NAVARRO
Published: October 21, 2011

As any befuddled, frustrated and guilt-ridden environmentally conscious New Yorker knows, takeout food and its containers — salad bar and deli clamshells; plastic cups and utensils; yogurt containers; fancy three-compartment bento boxes — are the bane of this city’s would-be recyclers.  They might reuse plastic shopping bags until they rip and religiously bundle every newspaper and magazine for recycling pickup, only to be undone by lunch.

 “There’s nothing I can do,” said Doug Richardson, 25, an accountant eating a chicken salad from a deep plastic bowl. “It annoys me. It’s plastic in a landfill.”
 
Environmental advocates call recycling the weak link in the city’s green agenda, even after legislation was passed last year to overhaul the 1989 recycling law that made New York a 20th-century leader, not a laggard.
 
How far behind is the city? A survey by the Natural Resources Defense Council this year found that more than two dozen large and medium-size cities in the United States recycle all kinds of plastic containers, while New York takes only bottles and jugs. Another study this year, sponsored by Siemens AG, the global electronics and electrical engineering company, ranked New York 16th among 27 cities in its handling of waste, though it was third in overall environmental performance.

By now, other cities require recyclable or compostable takeout containers and utensils at restaurants — and bins in which to dispose of them. Cutting-edge green cities, like San Francisco, offer curbside collection of food scraps and compostable items at homes, restaurants and offices. And dozens of places now charge residents for their trash by weight to promote recycling and keep refuse out of landfills.
 
New York, meanwhile, is going backward: it now recycles about 15 percent of the waste collected by the Sanitation Department, which is primarily from residences, down from a peak of 23 percent in 2001. And while city officials have said they are reviewing so-called “pay as you throw” systems, there is no indication that the city might adopt one.
 
“This issue is simply not getting the attention it deserves,” said Eric A. Goldstein, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York. “They’ve treated their recycling operation like the after-school clarinet program.”

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of otobeygir.com.

Your trash: Where is it really going?

The Beauty of Aloe

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Aloe has been used and documented for thousands of years. There are several references to it in the Bible. Cleopatra was said to have used it to enhance her beauty.
 
In China, aloe has been used for thousands of years for gastric discomfort. It is prescribed for parasites, constipation and digestive discomfort. Alexander the Great used it to treat his army’s wounds.

Todays modern research has defined why it has been so beneficial and such a permanent part of medicine throughout history.

Dr. Jeffrey Bland found that aloe decreased toxicity of the colon and normalized the bowel flora. It has also been found that aloe lowers gastric pH, which in turn prevents and in some cases cures, ulcers.  Overall, it has a stabilizing and anti-inflammatory effect on the entire digestive tract which is one of the reasons it’s touted for helping Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Cow power

While I'm not above taking a crack at a good poop joke, this one speaks for itself. Vermont is toying with the idea of using cow manure for electricity. It's certainly not the first time that suggestion has been made. But it is the first time it has been deemed economically feasible. The State of Vermont recently conducted a study that showed the financial as well as the environmental benefits of using a manure-to-power process.

See the excerpt below from ENN.

Vermont Experiments in Cow Power
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published October 17, 2011 10:25 AM

...The process of producing power from manure is relatively simple and straight forward. The average cow is capable of producing over 30 gallons of manure every day. For a large farm with say 1,000 cows, that means 30,000 gallons of manure per day, quite a hefty load! The manure is fed into an anaerobic digester where it stays for 21 days at 100 degrees F. Bacteria convert the waste into methane gas. As the gas builds within the digester, the pressure rises, and the gas is exhausted through piping to the modified natural gas engine. The engine powers the generator, producing electricity. Excess heat from the engine is used to keep the digester warm.

One cow's waste per day is sufficient to power 2 100-watt light bulbs per day. The energy is added to the grid and purchased from the CVPS electric system. For the study, 4,600 customers purchased this power, paying an additional $0.04 per kilowatt hour, or roughly $470,000 annually.

Then there is the leftover manure that comes out of the digester. It is processed through a mechanical separator, and the resulting product is an odorless solid waste. It can be used as bedding for the animals or even sold to the public as fertilizer...

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of MadCow.net

Local Green in Ridgefield

1000 Friends of Connecticut Fall Speaker Series

Putting Connecticut Back on its Tracks!        
A Fall Speaker Series 
featuring Commissioner Dan Esty
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection 

1000 Friends of Connecticut invites you to hear Commissioner Dan Esty, Dept. of Energy and Environmental Protection, speak to our Smart Growth issues and help start a dialogue that will move Connecticut into a brighter future with thriving cities at the heart of strong regions!

Join us on October 27, 2011 from 6:30-8:00 PM at the City Trust Building at 955 Main Street, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Register for FREE on their web-site!

Nichole Strack, Executive Director
Putting Connecticut Back on its Tracks!

1000 Friends of Connecticut is hosting a Fall Speaker Series throughout the state and inviting Commissioners from key executive agencies to speak to issues surrounding land use decisions and sustainability. Join us to learn how state officials will make these decisions in the future and learn more about Connecticut's prospects of making real progress in areas including:

    •    Compact, walkable communities
    •    Revitalized Downtowns
    •    Enhanced Mass-Transit
    •    Smart-Energy Practices,
    •    and the Land-use Decisions that Support Them!

1000 Friends of Connecticut is a statewide organization whose mission is to promote and shape growth to ensure a prosperous economy, a healthy natural environment, and distinctive, integrated and attractive communities while promoting opportunities in education, housing, transportation, and employment for ourselves and future generations.

Hiring local? Not so fast

If you think hiring local is the answer to all our unemployment woes, you're not alone. Farmers across the nation are looking to hire. Not cheap immigrant workers, mind you, but local people who are unemployed and hoping to make ends meet. The problem is, nobody wants to do the manual labor even if they are out of work.

For years, we've lost valuable farm land to overdevelopment. Now, we have the opportunity to return to the land. But unfortunately, we're not.

See the excerpt below from The New York Times.

Hiring Locally for Farm Work Is No Cure-All
By KIRK JOHNSON
Published: October 5, 2011

OLATHE, Colo. — How can there be a labor shortage when nearly one out of every 11 people in the nation are unemployed?

That’s the question John Harold asked himself last winter when he was trying to figure out how much help he would need to harvest the corn and onions on his 1,000-acre farm here in western Colorado.

The simple-sounding plan that resulted — hire more local people and fewer foreign workers — left Mr. Harold and others who took a similar path adrift in a predicament worthy of Kafka...

Healthy vending machines not a hit with the kiddies

With the push for a healthier and more nutritious school lunch, one thing still rings true: kids will eat crap when given the chance. In an effort by one regional school, vending machines with offerings like apples and hummus with veggies are being passed over in favor of potato chips. An article in The New York Times discusses how schools have been trying to make a difference in what kids eat during the day. But as the old adage goes, you can lead a horse to water but you can't make it drink. Maybe the best option is to remove the machines that have the chips leaving no choice but a healthy one? Food for thought.

See the excerpt below.

Schools Dangle Carrot Snacks, but It’s a Tough Sale
By WINNIE HU
Published: October 3, 2011

COMMACK, N.Y. — The new vending machine sat unnoticed as students rushed past its baby carrots, yogurt smoothies and hummus to neighbors dispensing Snapple, Doritos, Goldfish and Cheez-It. The lunch period was nearly over before a potential customer stopped to check out its offerings.

No sale.

“This is way too healthy for a snack,” said John Achnitz, 15, a 10th grader. “Kids want healthy stuff like baked Doritos, but not an apple that they can get at home free.”

Like many schools across the nation, Commack High School on Long Island is stepping up its war on junk food this year. Its new cafeteria vending machine — a lighted panel on the front shows sliced apples and oranges against a backdrop of lettuce — is part of a pilot program intended to encourage students who skip lunch or stay late for sports to make better choices.

“By fostering healthy snack vending options, we support the lessons that are taught in the classroom and at home,” said Donald A. James, the superintendent of schools.
But so far, potato chips are winning.

Commack’s healthy machine sold 296 items totaling $388.75 from Sept. 1 to Sept. 19, less than one-third of the sales made by a nearby machine that offers less nutritious fare. Moreover, the top-selling item from the new machine was baked potato chips — less fat than fried chips, but less than ideal — with almost no takers for peach smoothies, roasted edamame or fresh pineapple chunks.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of The New York Times.

Documentary at Community Theatre in Fairfield

FAT SICK & NEARLY DEAD SCREENING +...
Thursday October 6th!
FREE & OPEN to the Public!!!!

EVENT SPONSORS = Tara Cook-Littman, Camillo Fitness, Heather Pierce Inc.,
CT Clean Energy Options, My Personal Wellness, more to be added!
**These sponsors will have information tables set up before the screening
    as well as sit on a panel that will discuss the movie after it's conclusion!!!!!!!!  

 DOORS OPEN AT 5:30pm -- Screening begins at 6:30pm  (98min)
followed by expert round table discussion and audience question an answer!
FREE RAFFLE TICKETS GIVEN OUT BETWEEN 5:30pm-6:00pm! 

@ COMMUNITY FILM INSTITUTE 1424 POST RD. FAIRFIELD
Four doors down from Catch A Healthy Habit Cafe
You can bring Cafe food & drink into the Theatre

Condoms on the Endangered Species List

Is that a spotted owl in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me? In a September 26th post by the Environmental News Network (ENN), the Center for Biological Diversity has been passing out free condoms in all 50 states depicting the animals that have been affected by overpopulation. The global population will reach seven billion by October 31st this year and nine billion in the next 40 years. So what's the plan? Saving the snail darters and rock frogs one prophylactic at a time.

Read the excerpt below:

100,000 Endangered Species Condoms Shipped to 50 States Publicizing Link Between Overpopulation, Species Extinction
Published September 26, 2011 02:15 AM

TUCSON, Ariz.— The Center for Biological Diversity this week began shipping out 100,000 Endangered Species Condoms to a network of 1,200 volunteer distributors in all 50 states. The free condoms will be given away as part of the Center’s 7 Billion and Counting campaign to highlight the world population reaching 7 billion in late October and the effects our overpopulation is having on imperiled plants and animals around the world.

“As the world population closes in on 7 billion, there’s never been a better time to talk about overpopulation and the species extinction crisis, and our Endangered Species Condoms are one of the best conversation starters out there,” said Amy Harwood, the Center’s overpopulation campaign coordinator. “Since we launched this project in 2010, we’ve heard from thousands of people that these simple but surprising packages drive the issue home in a funny, thought-provoking way.”

The condoms come in six different packages with original artwork and edgy slogans featuring the polar bear, jaguar, snail darter, spotted owl, coquí guajón rock frog and  American burying beetle (“Cover your tweedle, save the burying beetle”). All six species are listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of Center for Biological Diversity.

Vermont: Not As Green As You Might Think

In a New York Times op-ed article posted on September 28th, it was reported that a wind turbine project meant to impact the effects of global warming will essentially do more harm than good. The project will not only destroy the existing eco-system around it but the electricity generated from it will not even significantly reduce the state's greenhouse gas emissions. So, is this a green-gone-bad situation?

Read the excerpt below:

The Not-So-Green Mountains
By STEVE E. WRIGHT
Published: September 28, 2011

Craftsbury, Vt.---Bulldozers arrived a couple of weeks ago at the base of the nearby Lowell Mountains and began clawing their way through the forest to the ridgeline, where Green Mountain Power plans to erect 21 wind turbines, each rising to 459 feet from the ground to the tip of the blades.

This desecration, in the name of “green” energy, is taking place in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom on one of the largest tracts of private wild land in the state. Here and in other places — in Maine and off Cape Cod, for instance — the allure of wind power threatens to destroy environmentally sensitive landscapes.
Erecting those turbines along more than three miles of ridgeline requires building roads — with segments of the ridgeline road itself nearly half as wide as one of Vermont’s interstate highways — in places where the travel lanes are now made by bear, moose, bobcat and deer.

It requires changing the profile of the ridgeline to provide access to cranes and service vehicles. This is being accomplished with approximately 700,000 pounds of explosives that will reduce parts of the mountaintops to rubble that will be used to build the access roads.

It also requires the clear-cutting on steep slopes of 134 acres of healthy forest, now ablaze in autumn colors. Studies have shown that clear-cutting can lead to an increase in erosion to high-quality headwater streams, robbing them of life and fouling the water for downstream residents, wild and human.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of thefutureofthings.com.

Toxic Chemicals in Common Laundry Products

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

The most common, name brand laundry detergents contain toxic chemicals. Some of the ingredients are even considered carcinogenic. And they don’t even have to be listed on the label of ingredients, according to Dr. Anne Steinemann of the University of Washington. (See a previous article on this site about toxins found in detergents and health and beauty products.)

Dr. Steinemann did two separate studies on the toxicity of laundry detergents. The first study was published in 2008 after she analyzed three laundry products: a laundry detergent, fabric softener and dryer sheet and three common air fresheners. She found that about 100 volatile organic substances were given off by the products she studied and that none were listed on the products’ labels. She also stated that the fragrances of such products, including fragrances used in cosmetics, tend to cause the most problems for people's health. What's more, they aren’t required to be listed on the label.

Low Carbon Fun - Discover Hartford CT Parks Bike/Walk Tour 2011

Hartford, Connecticut – Saturday, October 22^nd, 2011 – Live Hartford’s bicycling and parks legacies.  Road, mountain, commuter, comfort, hybrid, racing, touring, single speed, hardtail, 3- speed, banana, cargo, whatever you pedal.  This is a fun loving urban parks tour - not a race. 10, 15, 25, and 40 mile bike tours will remind some of the routes of the 1990’s Hartford Parks Bike Tour but also feature miles new of riverfront trails and bike lanes.  Both guided and self-guided walks feature Hartford’s historic, architectural, and natural attractions, some free and some for free.  All routes depart and return to beautiful Bushnell Park in downtown Hartford.

Discounted online pre-registration is now open for the bike tour.  Walk tour registration is day of event only.  Remembering New York City ten years after September 11^th, and recognizing Connecticut First Responders’ service every day saving and protecting life on our roadways - complimentary day of event registration for Police, Fire, and EMT/Ambulance personnel in work shirt.

Proceeds benefit Bike Walk CT and the City of Hartford, Hartford Parks Trust Fund. “The stronger the roots, the sweeter the fruits.”

“I invite residents and visitors alike to explore and rediscover Hartford.  By touring our treasured and historic parks system, it’s easy to be in awe of the visionaries who founded our great city.  It also inspires us today to continue implementing our One City, One Plan for conservation and development as Hartford becomes a greener, grander, and choice destination,” said Mayor Pedro E. Segarra.

Bike Walk Connecticut's mission is to change the culture of transportation in Connecticut through advocacy and education by making bicycling and walking safe, feasible and attractive for a healthier and cleaner Connecticut.

Discover Hartford Tour Website – www.hartfordbiketour.org

Discover Hartford Tour Facebook Page - http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=159052354171214

Bike Walk Connecticut – www.bikewalkct.org

City of Hartford – http://www.hartford.gov/

Hartford Parks – http://www.hartford.gov/healthyhartford/OpenSpace/OSParks.htm

Fall Happenings at the Audubon Greenwich

Audubon Greenwich ~ Nature Programs & Special Events:

Saturday, September 24 to Sunday, November 20 

 

Saturday, September 24

TRIP:  Fall Warbler Tour in Central Park, NYC

7:00 am-4:00 pm

The perfect place for birders and photographers. Central Park is renowned for good views of good birds. Travel by van from Audubon Greenwich and spend the day in this birding hot spot.   The group will get lunch in the park and while racking up a good number of species passing through on migration. Space limited. $50 per person includes handouts and round-trip transportation. RSVP to Luke Tiller (luke.tiller@gmail.com).

*****

 

Saturday, September 24

Family Pond Exploration

10:30 am-12:00 pm

Hop around the pond with Audubon staff and get up close to the tiny creatures that call the nearby pond home. All equipment will be provided.  All ages. Space limited. RSVP to Store at  203-869-5272 x221.

*****

 

Saturday, September 24

The Amazing World of Spiders

2:30-4:00 pm

Head Naturalist, Ted Gilman, will share little known insights into the world of spiders during an indoor presentation and an outdoor walk through different habitats in search for the wide variety of spiders found on this Sanctuary. $5/person. All ages. Cameras welcome. RSVP to Ted at 203-869-5272 x230.

*****

  

HawkWatch Weekend Festival & Green Bazaar

October 1 & 2
11:00 am-5:00 pm

A family-friendly, green-themed celebration of the amazing raptor migration occurring above the Audubon Greenwich center each Fall. This special event will feature kids activities, great food, eco-friendly businesses, and of course, the famous live birds of prey shows presented by “Talons: A Bird of Prey Experience”. Save the dates and please pass the word to friends in the region. Festival Admission: $7 for youth/$10 for adults (Current or new Audubon members pay only: $5 for youth / $7 for adults). National Audubon Society family memberships (just $35) will be available at the Festival Gate.  To get involved as a festival volunteer, corporate sponsor, or as an eco-friendly vendor on-site, contact Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239.

*****

 

Saturday, October 9

BIRD COUNT: The Big Sit!

Join the CT Young Birder’s Club for the “Big Sit!”- a unique international birding event founded by the New Haven Bird Club. Guests will tally every bird species that flies by a 17-foot circle during a 24-hour period. Suitable for youth and teens. All details at www.connecticutybc.wordpress.com or call Brian at 203-869-5272 x228.

*****

MOVING FAIRFIELD: RIDING FOR A MORE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY

Fairfield is moving. On Saturday, September 24, a community bicycle ride is scheduled as part of an international day of climate action. “Moving Planet” was conceived by 350.org, a global grassroots movement founded by noted author Bill McKibben, as a rallying call for the world to move beyond fossil fuels.

Two community groups, the Fairfield Bike Walk Coalition (FWBC) and the Fairfield Clean Energy Task Force (CETF), have joined forces to organize the local event, which will feature a one-hour bicycle ride. The approximately 6 mile ride will begin and end at the Farmers Market at Brick Walk, 1189-1215 Post Road in Fairfield starting at 10 a.m.

Solar a bust?

The Solyndra debacle is giving solar energy a bad name. Fossil fuel companies are jumping on the I-told-you-so bandwagon. But the reality is, solar energy has done what other industries have not: provided jobs and lots of them. The Huffington Post has two commentaries the point out that fact--one from Brian Keane, the president of SmartPower; the other by David Fenton, CEO of Fenton, Inc.

Keane's main point is that we can't ignore the numbers. Solar energy employs people in all 50 states. In the past year, solar employment grew nearly 7% while jobs for the rest of the nation grew only 0.7%. Fenton's take on it has more to do with how the homeowner can use solar to save energy and reduce their costs. In about a dozen states, you can lease solar panels at no cost and see an immediate drop in your utility bill.

Is solar really a failure, then? See the excerpts below.

New Job Growth Numbers Tell the Larger Story of Solar
Posted: 9/20/11 10:40 AM ET
By Brian Keane, President, SmartPower

"Let's face it: Solyndra wasn't a winner. But it was the company's inability to keep up with rapidly declining solar panel costs -- not its focus on clean energy technology -- that led to its demise.

Nevertheless, the associated job losses and pique of political scandal have overshadowed the real story of the U.S. solar industry. The larger picture shows that solar businesses are growing -- and creating boatloads of jobs..."

To read more, click here.

Solar Through the Looking Glass
Posted: 9/18/11 10:04 PM ET
By David Fenton, CEO, Fenton, Inc.

"The bankruptcy of one company -- Solyndra -- is being used by oil and coal company agents to portray solar electricity as a failure. It's an outrage how this story is being spun upside down while solar's success is ignored...

Ok so the government, starting under President Bush, made a bad bet on Solyndra, which was hurt precisely by the rapidly falling prices of other solar technologies. But it was only 1 percent of the DOE loan program -- every venture capitalist makes bets that fail. Meanwhile, the small government subsidies to solar have enabled booming demand and rapid price reductions. I feel like Lewis Carroll -- the world is truly upside down. Success is failure.

And dare I mention that this technology, when widely adopted, might save New York from building sea walls from climate change or save Rick Perry's state from becoming toast? And that solar creates seven times more jobs than fossil fuel investments? And that its cost can never go up, as the fuel is -- oh my goodness, another free lunch statement -- free?

Isn't it ridiculous that we let the dirty fuel propagandists have the upper hand, and that someone has to intervene to keep the discussion honest? Or maybe we should just give the Saudi Arabia of the future to China."

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of www.sierraclubgreenhome.com.

The Long Revered Green Tea

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Green tea is another big seller on the market today promoted for its effects on weight loss, cancer and the cardiovascular and nervous systems. It is also a delicious, healthy addition to the diet that was first recorded 4,000 years ago in China. The longer, healthier lives of Asian populations partially attests to their tea drinking habits.  Let’s look at both the old claims and the new research promoting this ancient herb.

Green tea comes from the same leaf as black tea, Camellia sinensis. The leaf is just not left to oxidize as black tea leaves are which allows breakdown of the pigments in the leaves, among other components. One of the things that lack of oxidation does to the leaf is allow the polyphenols, or antioxidants, to remain unprocessed. Antioxidants squelch free radical damage that promotes aging and cancer. They also help the immune system to function better.  In ancient China, green tea was thought to enhance beauty and longevity, which can be attributed to the polyphenols found therein.

Bike Share comes to NYC

Looks like the summer of 2012 will have more in store than just hot weather. Mayor Bloomberg has approved a bike share program with a company based in Portland, Ore. Now, it's just a matter of working out the details. Once implemented, it will become the largest bike share program in the country. Will it work, or will this just be one more opportunity to loot the merchandise and ruin the good green vibes?

See the excerpt from The New York Times below:

New York Chooses Company to Run Bike-Share Program
By CHRISTINE HAUGHNEY
Published: September 14, 2011

"The Bloomberg administration announced Wednesday it had selected a Portland, Ore., company to run an ambitious bike-share program in New York City, but don’t break out the spandex cycling shorts just yet.

Amid unease about exactly how the city will integrate 600 rental stations and 10,000 bicycles into the crowded streets and sidewalks of New York, the official rollout date of the program has been pushed back until the summer of 2012.

Big Cats at Fairfield University

On Thursday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m., Fairfield University invites you to participate in THE BIG CATS INITIATIVE.  Esteemed wildlife photographer, Evan Schiller, will be leading a discussion about the plight of big cats around the world and will share some of his world-class,  award winning photos of endangered big cats. Come learn about the global dangers facing lions, tigers, cheetahs, jaguars and other members of the big cat family.

THE BIG CATS INITIATIVE is a global public awareness campaign sponsored by the National Geographic Society that supports on-the-ground conservation projects, education, and economic incentive efforts to prevent the extinction of big cats.

Date – Thursday September 29, 2011

Time – 4:00 p.m.

Location – Gonzaga Hall Auditorium (Fairfield University)

Free to the Public

Gonzaga Hall (#39) - Located across campus circle.

Use main entrance on North Benson Road.

Use parking at the Kelly Center.

For directions and campus map see below or go to: http://www.fairfield.edu/about/about_directions.html

 

Is Going Green Just Wishful Thinking?

We do all those things that we're told make a difference to our environment. Recycling, conservation, you name it. But does it make a difference, or are we just fooling ourselves? See the excerpt below from The New York Times.

Going Green but Getting Nowhere
By GERNOT WAGNER
Published: September 7, 2011

"YOU reduce, reuse and recycle. You turn down plastic and paper. You avoid out-of-season grapes. You do all the right things.

Good.

Just know that it won’t save the tuna, protect the rain forest or stop global warming. The changes necessary are so large and profound that they are beyond the reach of individual action.

You refuse the plastic bag at the register, believing this one gesture somehow makes a difference, and then carry your takeout meal back to your car for a carbon-emitting trip home.

Say you’re willing to make real sacrifices. Sell your car. Forsake your air-conditioner in the summer, turn down the heat in the winter. Try to become no-impact man. You would, in fact, have no impact on the planet. Americans would continue to emit an average of 20 tons of carbon dioxide a year; Europeans, about 10 tons...

So why bother recycling or riding your bike to the store? Because we all want to do something, anything. Call it “action bias.” But, sadly, individual action does not work. It distracts us from the need for collective action, and it doesn’t add up to enough. Self-interest, not self-sacrifice, is what induces noticeable change. Only the right economic policies will enable us as individuals to be guided by self-interest and still do the right thing for the planet.

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of mindingthecampus.com.

Big Crop Loss from Hurricane Irene

by Eileen Weber

If nothing else makes it clear how difficult and tenuous farming is, the after-effects of Hurricane Irene should be a wake-up call. With 10 inches of rain or more, thousands of acres of crops were lost to flooding in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, and western portions of Massachusetts and Connecticut.

The vegetable delivery from my own CSA, Stoneledge Farm in South Cairo, NY, has been shut down for the rest of the season. With some portions of their crops under as much as 10 feet of water, the FDA declared it—along with produce from a number of other farms—a food safety risk and inedible.

“As much as we would like to keep delivering, our farm will abide with the FDA, NYS Ag and Markets and Cornell Cooperative Extension recommendation not to harvest the produce,” Stoneledge Farm posted on their blog. “Our farm needs to start to clean up and get back on track for next season. At the height of the harvest season, it is a difficult decision.”

Where are the green jobs?

In yesterday's New York Times, David Brooks' Op-Ed takes a look at jobs in the green industry. What in years past has been considered a market for growth, it is now just viewed as a disappointment. The Obama administration has been abysmal in keeping those promises made about growing green jobs, and many are angered by it. His approval rating has yet once again hit another low. (According to The Atlantic, his rating is over 50% and not the first time he's been in a slump.) Not a good sign going into the next election. Should we stop looking at this industry as the Great Green Hope? See the excerpt below:

Where the Jobs Aren’t
By DAVID BROOKS
Published: September 5, 2011

"A study by McKinsey suggests that clean energy may produce jobs for highly skilled engineers, but it will not produce many jobs for U.S. manufacturing workers. Gordon Hughes, formerly of the World Bank and now an economist at the University of Edinburgh, surveyed the landscape and concluded: “There are no sound economic arguments to support an assertion that green energy policies will increase the total level of employment in the medium or longer term when we hold macroeconomic conditions constant.”

Many of the most celebrated green tech companies are foundering despite lavish public support. Evergreen Solar, the recipient of tens of millions of dollars in state support, moved its manufacturing facility to China before filing for bankruptcy protection.

The U.S. Department of Energy poured $535 million in loans into Solyndra, a solar panel maker backed by George Kaiser, a major Democratic donor.

The Government Accountability Office discovered that Solyndra had been permitted to bypass required steps in the government loan guarantee process. The Energy Department’s inspector general criticized the department for not maintaining e-mails that discussed how the loan guarantee winners were chosen.

Late last month, Solyndra announced that it was ceasing operations, laying off its 1,100 employees. The Department of Energy placed the wrong bet, potentially losing the taxpayers half-a-billion dollars.

All of this is not to say that the government shouldn’t be doing what it can to promote clean energy. It is to say that the government isn’t very good when it tries to directly create private-sector jobs."

Click here to read more.

Image courtesy of www.thevividedge.com.

Coconuts, Part 3: Eco-friendliness of Coconut Trees

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

In parts one and two of my series on coconuts, I introduced you to two of the ways coconuts are said to improve your health. In this part three of the series, I will tell you how coconut trees are extremely eco-friendly and economical.

Coconut trees are found mostly in the tropics as they need to be in full sunlight and have lots of water.  They are called “Trees of Life” in the Philippines because so many of their parts can be used in daily life.

For consumption as food, the following can be obtained from coconuts:

• Coconut water
• Coconut milk
• Coconut oil
• Coconut sap (a great sugar substitute!)
• Honey
• an alcoholic beverage called Arrack
• Heart of Palm

For use in daily life, the following can be obtained from coconuts:

• Rope
• Brooms
• Timber
• Furniture/House ornamentation
• Fuel
• Gardening
• Hair & skin cosmetics
• Paper

The above uses of the whole coconut tree are how it’s been used for thousands of years in the Pacific Islands. What makes the trees even more amazing is how they will be used in the future.

One company, Whole Tree, Inc., is finding ways to use the discarded products of coconut farming to make packaging products. Another company is researching ways to make car parts that are both eco-friendly and help indigent coconut farmers in Asia and the South Pacific.  It has also been used as a biofuel in the Pacific Islands, though that might not be environmentally or economically beneficial in the long run if used worldwide.  

Overall, the coconut tree is an amazing work of nature.  The whole tree can be used to support life both inside the body and in its surroundings.  More research needs to be done in both these areas to make the most of this extraordinary tree.

Things are looking up for Biofuel

Good news for biofuel. Despite the anemic economy and the "weak-as-a-kitten" recovery, more drivers worldwide have switched to using it, particularly ethanol-based fuel. Because of soaring oil prices, cars are being filled up with the cheaper and more efficient fuel in the U.S. and Brazil as well as other countries. See this story from Worldwatch via ENN:

Biofuels Make a Comeback Despite Tough Economy
From: Worldwatch, Worldwatch Institute, More from this Affiliate
Published August 30, 2011 12:16 PM

"Global production of biofuels increased 17 percent in 2010 to reach an all-time high of 105 billion liters, up from 90 billion liters in 2009. High oil prices, a global economic rebound, and new laws and mandates in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, and the United States, among other countries, are all factors behind the surge in production, according to research conducted by the Worldwatch Institute’s Climate and Energy Program for the website Vital Signs Online. The United States and Brazil remain the two largest producers of ethanol. In 2010, the United States generated 49 billion liters, or 57 percent of global output, and Brazil produced 28 billion liters, or 33 percent of the total. Corn is the primary feedstock for U.S. ethanol, and sugarcane is the dominant source of ethanol in Brazil."

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of Costa Rica News.

OPERATION TRASHDOWN: It All Adds Up!

by Ilene Moyher

Back-to-school time brings about new schedules, new clothes, and new school supplies. Why not incorporate a few new habits that will certainly help our children’s futures? We all need to be more environmentally-responsible when getting ready for school. But being ‘green’ can take on many forms.  Here we’ll focus on reducing what ends up in landfills and at the bottom of our oceans by creating less trash (see here for just one story on where discarded “stuff” ends up: The Great Pacific Garbage Patch).

1. Lunches: Pack ‘no waste’ lunches by buying food and beverages in bulk and putting them in reusable containers. This will also save you money on wraps and individually-packaged items. Encourage your child’s school to move toward reusable (not disposable) trays, dishes, napkins, and utensils. 
2. School Supplies: First, check your inventory at home and reuse or recycle what you can. For new items, there are many durable, refillable, and eco-friendly options for notebooks, paper, pens & pencils, art supplies, and more. (See a previous article on this site about Naked Binders.)
3. Encourage Kids to Take Care of Things and Reuse Them: Ideas include using scrap paper, limiting printing or print on both sides of a page, and adopting any other habits based on concern for resources and the Earth. By living a less disposable lifestyle, you’ll save money, too! 
4. Consider the Packaging: Try to buy based on the amount of packaging, whether it’s made from recycled content, and whether it’s recyclable.  “Waste from packaging accounts for more than 30 percent of all the waste generated each year. Use school supplies wrapped with minimal packaging; use compact or concentrated products; or buy products that come in bulk sizes. Save packaging, colored paper, egg cartons and other items for arts and crafts projects.” (from EPA’s Tips for a Waste-Less School Year)

It all adds up! Just imagine all the garbage that can be eliminated from reducing use of juice boxes and sandwich wrapping alone!

Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo

“One Planet, Many Choices”: Edgerton Park is the place to be September 9-11 for music and green ideas

CT Folk is pleased to present the 2011 Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo. The weekend event kicks off on Friday September 9th, with the Grassy Hill Song Circle, a unique evening of collaborative entertainment. Four of the hottest musicians on the Indie/Americana scene will play solo work and then accompany each other in a jam-session atmosphere: Mai Bloomfield, Anthony daCosta, Brian Dolzani and Rachael Sage. The Neighborhood Music School’s DoSo Band opens the night and the Master of Ceremonies again this year is the hilarious Vance Gilbert! The Grassy Hill Song Circle will also be held in the magical atmosphere of Edgerton Park, beginning at 7:00 p.m.

Saturday afternoon, Edgerton Park will be the site of CT Folk’s sixth annual Green Expo, a free afternoon event (11 a.m. – 4 p.m.) featuring 75 exhibitors, demonstrations and activities to promote living a sustainable life, as well as a free family concert with Nerissa and Katryna Nields.

Newest thing in yoga?

Do you live a green lifestyle and enjoy yoga? Then try this on for size: Anti-gravity Yoga. No need for a down dog on the cold, hard floor when you can levitate. See this video clip below from Reuters.