CT Green Scene

Going Green All the Way: Eco-Friendly Companies Requiring Green Standards for Vendors

by Kim Eresia

Business as-usual is changing its tune.  Sustainable building construction, energy-effective design, and eco-friendly business practices are proven sound economic choices.  More and more companies are getting the message that ‘going green’ is not only good for the environment, but is economically advantageous.  Innovative entrepreneurs and CEO’s understand that they can meet their customers’ needs, expand their business base, increase profits and help solve environmental problems…all at the same time.

Plans to Build Natural Gas Plant Off Connecticut Coast are Rejected

by Hashim Rahman

Plans to build a natural gas plant in the Long Island Sound came to a halt on April 10, 2008, when New York State announced its decision to block the project. Despite approval by the Federal Regulatory Commission, New York exercised its authority to reject the project under the Coastal Zone Management Act which allows states to make their own ruling on whether such endeavors are consistent with the uses and values of the coastal area at issue.
    Governor David A. Patterson stated that allowing the plant, referred to as Broadwater LNG, would "establish a dangerous precedent of industrializing a waterway that generations of people have spent millions of dollars [in] trying to preserve." 
    Connecticut Governor, M. Jodi Rell, a persistent opponent of the project, hailed the decision as a victory for the environment, and stated that "New York's Department of State has recognized peril that the Broadwater project represents." 

Earth Day 2008: Contact Your Senator, Member of Congress and Mayor Today

To contact your Senator go to: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

To contact your member of Congress go to: https://forms.house.gov/wyr/welcome.shtml

To contact your Mayor go to: http://www.usmayors.org/USCM/cgi-bin/database_search4.asp

SUGGESTED TEXT FOR YOUR EMAIL MESSAGE
provided by Earth Day Network, founded by the organizers of the first Earth Day in 1970:

We elected you to lead, and are now asking you to lead us out of the climate crisis with the boldness and courage that the crisis requires.  As the home of the world’s boldest innovators, the world’s strongest economy, and one of its leading democracies, the United States Congress must champion the effort to solve global warming or risk losing our economic future and our democratic principles.   

We demand that Congress act now to cap greenhouse gas emissions and stop global warming by implementing the following:

1. Impose an immediate moratorium on the building of all new conventional coal-fired power plants, and require a phase out of 30 percent of existing coal plants by 2030.

2. Require that all utilities generate 30 percent of their electricity from renewable energy sources by 2030.

3. Require that all new buildings, renovations and developments immediately reduce fossil-fuel energy consumption by 50 percent, and that all new buildings become ‘carbon neutral’ by 2030.

4. Protect the poor and middle class from unfairly bearing the cost of solving the climate crisis.

Recycling is Too Much Fun!

by Patricia Gilbanks

OMG—these slay me. These are featured on a new crafting magazine and blog put out by Connecticut's own Taunton Press. They are made from bottle caps and felt. I used to save bottle caps for counting games for my son Noah when he was little but now he is counting girlfriends — but no worries! I have a new little obsession. Good for those times when I need to lighten up and have to wait at the doctor's office or some such. For the instructions go to http://www.craftstylish.com/item/945/how-to-make-pretty-pincushions. They were created by Jen Segrest; the photo is by Scott Phillips. I would use dryer lint for the fill. (Don't laugh: my sister Jacque uses it for pillow fill.)

The Bee Crisis

by Patricia Gilbanks

I can’t wait to get out in the garden this year after an interminable lead-up to spring and hit my local AGWAY store in Danbury to price flower boxes and composted manure. Walked a 20-foot aisle of every kind of soil amendment with a new eye as I am reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan and have a whole new understanding of the dark history of fertilizers and pesticides. (This book is a must read if you are like me and need to know both the why and the wherefore.)

I was in the store with three other customers. Each of us had to ask specifically for natural gardening supplies and the sales person really had to dig around to find stuff not already laced with fertilizer and pesticides. But what really brought me up short was an overheard conversation.

“I need clover seed for my horse pasture as 75% of it has died. There are no bees.”

I follow him to the checkout. He tells me he has lots of hornets but no bees. We talk a bit about the impact of the bee crisis on agriculture. (The pollination work carried out by bees is responsible for every third bite of food you eat.)

I mentioned I’d recently heard that one pesticide in particular has been identified as the culprit; he tells me he heard it’s cell phones. So what is the latest on this issue and what can I do as a gardener this year to enhance my little urban plot and create a welcoming haven for  the local bee population?

You Go Girl!

Today: Governor Rell To Lead Nation’s Governors in Signing of Declaration on Climate Change

From the press release: Governor M. Jodi Rell will welcome governors from across the country on Friday to a conference on global warming and to sign a Declaration on Climate Change.  The historic conference and signing will take place at Yale University in New Haven on Friday, April 18.

“One of the most important and pressing issues for the future of our states, this nation and this planet is global warming and climate change,” Governor Rell said.  “Connecticut has taken a leadership role on this issue, and I am honored to welcome state leaders from throughout the country who share our vision and commitment to address one of our greatest challenges.”

Is Your Mayor on the List?

Pop Quiz: What do these Connecticut mayors have in common?

Sydney Schulman	Bloomfield	CT
John Fabrizi	Bridgeport	CT
Wiliam Kupinse, Jr.	Easton	CT
Kenneth Flatto	Fairfield	CT
Craig Henrici	Hamden	CT
Eddie Perez	Hartford	CT
Susan Mendenhall	Ledyard	CT
Elizabeth Paterson	Mansfield	CT
Mark Benigni	Meriden	CT
Sebastian Giuliano	Middletown	CT
James Richetelli, Jr.	Milford	CT
John DeStefano, Jr.	New Haven	CT
Dannel Malloy	Stamford	CT
Joseph Crudo	Stratford	CT
R. Scott Slifka	West Hartford	CT

Sneaky, Green Feet: Earth-friendly kids' footwear

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: I’ve found environmentally friendly shoes for myself, but have had trouble finding similar shoes for my kids. Are they out there?    -- Dawn Masterson, Augusta, GA

Kids’ shoes are a quickly expanding market and companies with a green perspective are now jumping into the race with mini versions of everything from flip-flops to slippers to heeled dress shoes. While green kids’ shoes from makers like Simple, which offers organic cotton EcoSneaks with car tire soles, might seem expensive at $40 or more, they are durable enough to get passed around from sibling to sibling. “It is an investment if you’re going to do quality,” says Craig Throne, general manager of footwear at Patagonia.

 

"Image Courtesy "Isabooties and Patagonia."

The Greening of the Mailing Industry--April 17, 2008

Thanks to David Bedell and BuildingCTGreen for this event notice.

The Fairfield County Connecticut Postal Customer Council  in
cooperation with The Connecticut Business and Industry Association
presents a seminar on greening of the mailing industry. The program
will help bulk mailers learn more about about the U.S. Postal
Service's green mailing tools. Where: Sacred Heart University,
5151 Park Ave. Fairfield, CT

Program Features:

Paul T. Robbertz, Vice President, Environmental Health & Safety at
Pitney Bowes Inc. will discuss the Pitney Bowes' white paper, The
Truth about Green. Paul is also a member of the USPS Greening of the
Mail Task Force and co-chair the Eco Standards and Certification of
Mail Workgroup.

Mary Weber, Business Development, USPS Headquarters, will present the
following topics all of which are part of the Extreme Green Program
that is being showcased at this year's National Postal Forum:

    * Cradle to Cradle certification
    * USPS Take Back initiatives
    * Live internet demonstration of USPS Green Page
    * Greening the Mail Task Force

Don't Use Your Dryer on National Hanging Out Day

By Alex and Jordan of Little People, Big Changes

Did you know that the electricity your dryer uses takes up about 6% of your electricity bill and that there are 88 million dryers in the world! 

In fact, the average American uses more energy running a clothes dryer than the average African uses all year round for their energy needs.  We can all save a lot of electricity by using the wind and the sun to dry our clothes instead of a machine.

April 19th is “National Hanging Out” Day! Show your support by hanging an item of clothing from a pole in front of your house or simply hang your laundry out to dry on a line to show that you are willing to change little things in order to help reduce carbon emissions.  Our planet needs you! If you absolutely must use your dryers, there are still things you can do to help.  Lower your temperature settings and for your washer, use warm water instead of hot when possible.  Make sure your washer or dryer is full before running it.  Clean your dryer filter after every use.

We hope to see you in your long johns on April 19th! Your friends, Alex and Jordan