CT Green Scene

Well, Why Not?

How does a Connecticut goat farmer go from tending his herd to a lobbyist, new legislation creator, and biodiesel producer? One Connecticut man began by asking why not?

Christos Glynos and his partner, George Linardos, Sr. began the planning phase to build a biodiesel production facility on Mr. Glynos farm nearly four years ago. After the arduous task of locating a company willing and able to design and build such a unique project, they applied for a permit only to have Bethlehem, Connecticut, building officials turn them down.

"Anytime you want to start something new or foreign to people, road blocks pop up all over the place and people all around you say, You can't do that! I just looked at them and kept asking, "Why not?" Most of the time the people in government agencies admitted they didn't know why, so I set up round table discussions to make them tell me exactly what they needed me to do to make it happen," Glynos said.

That laundry list--changing legislation, rewritting building codes, creating tax incentives for schools who use biodiesel in their buses, and finding the funding for research and development and educational programs about alternative energy options--would chase many people off and back into a cushy job in corporate America.

But they had a dream and believed in an opportunity. "When we started thinking about BioPur, gasoline was $1.25 a gallon. People looked at me and said, Why would you bother, gas is only 1.25? I told them I didn't think it would stay that way and besides, we were too dependent on foreign oil."

So he and his partner set off to overcome every obstacle that appeared in their path and today, they're producing 400,000 gallons of locally manufactured biofuel with plans to double that amount in the next year.

6 Ways Small Companies Can Embrace Corporate Citizenship

By Anneli Olila

If we understand corporate citizenship to be a company's responsibility for understanding and managing its influence on society and all of its stakeholders, small companies cannot fairly be exempted. Regardless of size, every company by definition has at least some of the following stakeholders: shareholders, customers, employees, investors, business partners (vendors and suppliers), the community, government, and the environment. As corporate citizenship becomes more clearly defined and broadens into a requisite for doing business, small companies are looking more closely at how they can meet the benchmarks.

Chemical Clean Up in Milford

(Boston, Mass. – September 24, 2007) – A recent agreement cleared the way for cleanup work to begin at a contaminated drainage swale at 80 Wampus Lane in Milford, Conn. The work is being conducted jointly by EPA and FCI USA Inc. to remove contaminants from the site, including metals (beryllium and lead), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and oils.

The current cleanup, estimated to cost approximately $360,000, will address contaminated surface soils in a 210 foot-long, man-made earthen drainage swale on the property. The swale reportedly received treated plating wastewater, which still contained harmful liquids, between 1965 and 1991.

The 24 acre site likely was contaminated from years of industrial activity on the property, where the manufacturing of electrical components and accessories took place from 1956 to 1999. Operations at the facility included rubber and plastic molding, screw machining, de-greasing and plating as well as waste water treatment. The Conn. Dept. of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) has previously overseen the remediation of two contaminated waste lagoons and a landfill on site. Read the full story here.

Green Quandry #1

A few weeks ago I took my laptop to a major electronics chain for repair. The woman at the service desk suggested that I purchase a new AC adapter from the store, see if it solved the problem, and return the product for a full refund if it didn't. Sounded easy enough.

It turned out not to be the AC adapter and I went back to the store to get my refund. With the adapter on the counter, my newly-found green conscious prompted me to ask the cashier what would happen to the perfectly good piece of electronics sitting before us. "Just tell me it won't just end up in the trash, that it will be repackaged (it came in one of those plastic containers that you have to cut to get open) and re-sold--it's perfectly good," I studdered. "It'll go back to the vender, and they'll throw it away," she spat.

So now what? Write a letter to the chain? Boycott the store? Suck it up and accept it? Anyone....?

Green-E Profile of a CT Riverman

What is the name of your organization and what is its mission? The Farmington River Watershed Association was established as a 501©3 non-profit conservation organization in 1953 with a mission of protecting the Farmington River and its watershed forever through implementing research, education, and advocacy programs.

What is your day-to-day role in the organization? Every day I am involved with directing programs, making public presentations, responding to questions about the watershed, developing ideas for new programs on emerging environmental issues, serving as a liaison with our Board of Directors, working with other local and statewide groups trying to make a difference, and raising funds to support our activities.

What prompted you to become eco-conscious? I grew up in Pittsfield, MA near the Housatonic River.  As a kid, I went to the Pleasant Valley (Audubon) Wildlife Sanctuary day camp in Lenox and learned about pond, river, and meadow ecology.  In High School, I started hearing and learning about PCB’s and other environmental contaminants that were added to the River by a local business, and my AP Biology teacher inspired me to think about a career in science.  After graduating from the University of Michigan with a History degree, I went to work for Congressman Silvio O. Conte in Washington, DC serving as his legislative aide handling elderly, environmental, health, and women’s issues.  With Conte, environmental issues quickly became my favorite and I worked with a team of people to write legislation that created the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge along the Connecticut River.  When Conte passed away in 1991, I went to work for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, then got a Master’s degree in environmental science at U.C. Berkeley, and I haven’t looked back since.  I have been FRWA’s Executive Director since January, 2003.

What do you see as the most pressing environmental issue in Connecticut? Why?

Many environmental issues are connected but I would say that one of the prime drivers of environmental problems is sprawl (a.k.a. unwise land use).  This leads to a bevy of problems:  an increase in impervious/paved surfaces which leads to more stormwater run-off pollution and flooding as well as less groundwater/aquifer recharge; an increase in commute times which are connected to increased consumption of fossil fuels and a worsening of global warming and air pollution; and the loss of key habitats and species due to fragmentation by roads and poorly planned developments.

Growing Green Businesses

More and more people are bringing their awareness of green living to their place of business. From large corporations like Walmart to small businesses like my neighborhood printer--a growing number of businesses are becoming more environmentally responsible.

According to an April 2007 Gallup survey, 47% of small business owners are taking steps to being more environmentally responsible. They're learning that eco-conscious choices not only help the planet and the people on it, but boost their bottom line as well. Lower maintenance and operating costs, and a growing market share of consumers who are supporting green business make environmentally sound business a wise choice. What's more, grants like those available from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund can refund up to half the cost of installing solar panels, which quickly decreases utility costs.

Want to learn more about recycling in your office?  Check out these resources.

Recycling: www.earth911.org (general office), www.eiae.org (electronics), www.dell.com/recycling, www.apple.comenvironment/recycling/program, www.hp.com/recycle (computers), www.greendisk.com (computer disks, CDs), www.rbrc.org/call2recycle (batteries and cell phones), www.lamprecycle.org (fluorescent lamps and bulbs (containing mercury), www.carpetrecovery.org, www.antron.net (carpet).

Source: Priority Magazine, September/October 2007

An Act Concerning Clean Cars?

Starting in 2009, every new car sold in Connecticut will feature a sticker on the window that lets consumers know how much carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases a particular car releases into the atmosphere.

According to the article in The Town Times, "Under the new law, a label must be affixed to vehicles detailing the vehicle's greenhouse gas score, its score as compared to others of the same make and year, and the average score for vehicles within the same class. This will begin October 1, 2007.

The Environmental Protection Agency rates cars on a scale of zero to 10, where a score of 10 represents the lowest amount of greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted. The score is determined by the vehicle's estimated fuel economy and its fuel type." By 2009, no cars will be able to be sold without the sticker.

To fund the program, Connecticut is adding $5 to the price of every new car registration. While it's a step in the right direction to educate the masses that may not make a connection between the car they drive and the air we breathe (admittedly, I was among them not long ago), I would rather see the five bucks put into bringing the electric car back.

Kids Campaign: If You're Stopped for More Than 10 Seconds...

Alex Scaperotta and Jordan Reichgut noticed that many people in the school pick up lines idle their cars.  They learned through research that unnecessary idling wastes gasoline and releases CO² into the atmosphere, which accelerates global warming.  They thought that a good place to start would be to get parents of Cider Mill School students to commit to not idling their car in the pick up line or anywhere else. Their message is simple:  IF YOU IDLE YOUR CAR FOR TEN SECONDS OR MORE, YOU ARE USING MORE GAS THAN TURNING YOUR CAR OFF AND ON.  In addition, they learned that idling is unnecessary to “warm up” your car (the best way to warm it up is to drive it) and idling is in fact harmful to engines – causing more gasoline residue to build up in the engines, exhaust system rusting, and more.

From Junk to Funk

aGaiN NYC’s products are made from rescued or repurposed materials (junk) and transformed into stylish accessories for modern life (funk). From laptop bags to yoga mat holders and one-of-a-kind clutches, aGaiN products are made in the United States, and a portion of profits are donated to environmental charities.

Environmental advocate and designer Allison Teich scours thrift stores and garage sales for unusual vintage fabrics, buttons, ties and belts to create her unique line of handbags. By creatively transforming materials from bygone eras into reliable, hip bags and accessories, beautiful materials that may otherwise be headed to a landfill are revived into functional and fashionable accessories for everyday life.

Call aGaiN NYC 212-744-3912 to schedule an appointment at their NYC studio, or visit their website to order online.

Paul Newman's Got Mojo

Last week I sat minding my own business at an outside table at my favorite cafe, enjoying a perfectly brewed cup of shade-grown, organic coffee, when a delivery truck pulled up and the driver jumped out and left his truck spewing diesel particulants into the air and my coffee.

Later that afternoon, I visited Paul Newman's Westport restaurant, The Dressing Room, and I was giddy to see a sign posted near the delivery entrance that read, "Turn Engines Off. No Idling. No Exceptions."

Trust me, I do my best to keep CTGreenScene posts as objective as possible, because after all, this sort of needless polluting may not bother everyone the way it does me. But I'll bet even the most tolerant sort may think twice after learning that the EPA's a national idling program showed that:

Annually, over 1 billion gallons of diesel fuel is consumed from idling; and 11 million tons of carbon dioxide, 200,000 tons of oxides of nitrogen, and 5,000 tons of particulate matter is emitted.