CT Green Scene

Trash the Trash Bags?

by Eileen Weber

Longfellow once quipped in a poem that into every life a little rain must fall. So it is, I feel, with plastic. Like everyone else who flexes their Reduce-Reuse-Recycle muscles, I do what I can to rid my life of the offending polymer.

But there’s one plastic item that’s tough to let go of: Trash bags. I use a lot of them. I have three kids and three dogs, two of which are puppies and make a big mess. (If anyone knows where I can find a biodegradable doggie diaper, let me know.)

My answer to the trash bag dilemma has been to purchase the post-consumer eco-friendly kind. I know that at least I’m using repurposed material. But there are two big problems I have with them: cost and performance.

I’ve been using Seventh Generation trash bags for a couple of months, now. I like the concept of using post-consumer material. But too often when I lift the bag out of the trashcan, the top edges break. I feel like the material is flimsier than other brands on the market. I end up using more trash bags with less trash in it to avoid breakage.

Cash for Clunkers Program to be Suspended

Ken Thomas
AP Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The government plans to suspend its popular "cash for clunkers" program amid concerns it could quickly use up the $1 billion in rebates for new car purchases, congressional officials said Thursday.

The Transportation Department called lawmakers' offices to alert them to the decision to suspend the program at midnight Thursday. The program offers owners of old cars and trucks $3,500 or $4,500 toward a new, more fuel-efficient vehicle.

The congressional officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.

A White House official said later that officials were assessing the situation facing the popular program but auto dealers and consumers should have confidence that transactions under the program that already have taken place would be honored. Read the rest of the story...

Green Cooking: A Delicious Double Entendre

by James Simpkins

This will be the first calendar year of my adult life where I didn’t work full time in professional cooking and it feels a bit strange. And while I don’t miss it that much, I think the saying starts ‘you can take a cook out of the kitchen….’

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve discovered that the skills that were once assets in making good food can double in living a Green lifestyle. If the idea of the Green chef is hard to imagine, it shouldn’t be. No matter the style of restaurant, the rudimentary job description of a chef is pretty much the same everywhere: serve stellar (…or amazing, immaculate, extraordinary) food that looks good, tastes good, and makes the restaurant money. Home cooks can think about it as making as much good food as possible for the least possible money. Even if you don’t believe there are Green chefs, this idea should sound familiar.

To be successful in professional kitchens, you have to monitor what doesn’t get used as much as what does. Beginners in the culinary world will miss the hidden creative and financial potentials of uneven vegetable cuttings and leftover fish portions and assume them to be garbage. Put those same items in front of a veteran cook and in a short time—together with bacon, potatoes, water, herbs, sea salt and a few liters of cream—you might have a traditional Cape Cod Chowder for patrons over the next few nights. Soup is known to be better the day after it is made, and keeps for almost a week in the fridge!

Where Did You Get All Those Wonderful Toys?

by Eileen Weber

Organic. Recycled. Fair trade. These are some of the common eco-buzz words for many products on the market. But in particular, they apply to some really cute toys.

Wood blocks, trucks, dolls, tea sets. You name it, it’s out there and plenty of moms and dads are scooping them up.

Places like Tree Hollow Toys in Woodland, CA sell toys made in the U.S. and Europe. All of them are eco-friendly and sweatshop free. Green Toys, also based in California, make their toys from your recycled milk containers. You put out the trash; they make toys.

Sprig Toys in Fort Collins, CO, offers what they term on their web site as “an exciting line of battery-free, eco-friendly, paint-free, kid-powered toys sure to dazzle the most discriminating preschooler.”

Pokkadots.com is an online toy and clothing shop for little kids that offers organic and eco-friendly brands. They also separate gift options in age range and price breakdown. Need a quick gift but don’t have a lot to spend? Click on their “under $25” link.

Art of Bee Wrangling

by Melissa Waldron Lehner
Fertile Ground USA

Bees have been seein' red these days. Well, actually they can't see the color red, Ted Jones explains, they only see black. But they have been getting pretty ornery from all the rain here in Connecticut. While picking up some eggs, I had the pleasure of running into Ted, expert bee-wrangler, owner of Jones’ Apiaries in Farmington, Connecticut, and president of Connecticut Beekeepers who was at Hard Rain Farm in Burlington with his son to smoke out some bees. Hard Rain Farm rents 10 of his hives to pollinate the myriad of apples, kale, eggplant, herbs and other vegetables and fruits that grow on the 4 acres of well managed farmland.

Today, father and son were out to collect the honey. A thunderstorm had just come through and the sky was bluish-black. Tom eyed the sky and held out his hand for rain, not a welcome thing for bees. “Bees don’t like the rain too much, it’s best to stay away from them.” That’s why Ted was sending in his son to check on the hives. His son, dutifully suited up for what looked like a trip to the moon, had a long-nosed smoker by his side. The smoke apparently sedates the bees and reduces the chance of being stung. Ted explained that a bee’s behavior is triggered by pheromones, or rather, chemical signals which then elicit a response from the bee, a response like stinging for example. “Another thing is, you don’t ever want to go near a beehive with a banana, you know,” says Ted dryly, as if there was a punch line coming. The only punch line is for the poor sucker who peels one back while standing in front of a hive - even one lone bee can wreak havoc. Bananas have an aroma which set off the alarm response and can cause quite a stir of stingers directed at said banana holder. “It could be ugly,” he grimaced.

Only 10% of honeybees remain in the wild. Tom says his business has really picked up nowadays and he has hardly had a day off. “It used to be that you just dropped off the hives at the beginning of the season and then you come to pick them up at the end. But no more.” Now Ted needs to visit the hives every two to three weeks to make sure all is well. “Some get wiped out when farmers spray their crops with all those pesticides, others have been wiped out by disease.”

Cleaner Air? Plant A Tree

by Eileen Weber

A few weeks ago, we had a large maple tree taken down in our backyard. It was diseased and leaned a bit too precariously toward my neighbor’s roof line. Without it, our lawn, which is about the size of a snow shoe, does look a little bigger. And certainly, we have more sun. But I must admit, I miss it. I also have a twinge of guilt about removing a tree.

It’s a well-known fact that trees help keep our air clean. They absorb carbon dioxide and contaminants in the air. They emit clean oxygen for us to breathe. They shade us and keep us cool.

These strong points are not lost on many environmental groups who wish to plant more trees worldwide. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) launched their Billion Tree Campaign in which they hope to plant seven billion trees by the end of this year. They are well on their way so far with over four billion already planted.

According to a press release from the UNEP, groups around the world have committed themselves to planting more trees. The Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture planted 687 million trees last year. In Turkey, government and non-governmental organizations as well as a number of civilians planted over 300 million trees in 2008.

Just this month, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) reported that Pakistan set a world record by planting 541,176 young mangroves tree. They beat out neighboring India in a friendly competition to reforesting some sadly neglected areas.

Even in work-torn Iraq, there is a government group committed to planting new trees and fresh landscaping to guard against wind storms and desertification. According to a report from the Alsumaria Iraqi Satellite TV Network on July 22nd, the Water Resources Ministry has confirmed the plantings in approximately 500 acres of land in the regions of Babel, Najaf, Kut, Amarah, Anbar and Al-Azim. The plantings are meant to provide “efficient methods to reduce the impact of natural factors and raise of temperature” as well as preserving moisture in the soil.

An Argument for the “Gourmet” Fisherman

by James Simpkins

I’ve been regularly fly-fishing the Farmington River this year and loving it. The river has a huge population of trout for the catching! Fishing, particularly fly-fishing, is a fascinating sport in which one anticipates fish behavior as well as thinking about bugs and their life cycles. It’s gravy on an already easy-to-enjoy day on…er, in…the river.

I think any sport where you spend time in water and don’t get super wet is pretty neat (think SCUBA). As I was fishing the Farmington this past Friday, I realized that, along with personal pleasure, trout fishing is a fantastic addition to the Green lifestyle. Although I’m a big supporter of transforming everyday personal habits into sustainable ones, I really haven’t ever considered hunting my own food a serious part of it. But no more.

Gardening has once again become all the rage—and why not? Lots of people growing at least some of their own produce. But how many folks who have gardens are also on the river with a cooler and packing trout in ice as they catch them? I haven’t been, that’s for sure.

In the world of fishing, generally there are two types of anglers: 1) The “catch and release” fisherman who fishes for the sport of it, ‘releasing’’ each fish that is caught; 2) There are the “meat fishermen”, the guys who keep all legal sized fish for their next meal.

I have always been a “catch and release” guy, thinking that I was doing the fish a favor by letting them grow to see another day. But as a former chef and committed foodie, it bugs me a little every time. Honestly, every time I catch a trout in the river that’s big enough to eat, I think about how nice it would be smoked, broiled with roasted chestnuts, or à l’almondine with butter, pan toasted slivered almonds and flat-leaf parsley. Then I let the thing go. What is wrong with me?

Insult to Injury: What's Up with those Screens at Gas Stations?

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

I hate going to the gas station. I usually have to end a phone call short to avoid blowing up the place, nearly pass out trying to avoid breathing the fumes, and of course, the thought of paying to fill my car with carbon-emitting, war-causing ancient sunlight that is sucked from ecologically sensitive locations, doesn't sit real well with me.

Well, today, I felt like someone rubbed salt in my wounds. Not only did I have to pay $2.65 a gallon to contribute to our particles per billion, but I also had to sit and watch Coke and energy drink advertisements blaring over a screen sitting just above the pump. What is up with that?

I felt the same shock and intrusion as when I came back to the US after living abroad for three years and saw my first prescription medication advertisement on television.

It's not enough that gas stations are by their nature killing our planet, now they are going to be energy hogs, too? Greenopia needs to hear about this.

Green Screen

by Eileen Weber

I love summer. As a kid, I remember those hot, humid days. My friends and I would head for the beach, lay out and compete with each other for that Savage tan! Remember that tin foil looking thing people put under their chins to get better rays?

Now, I slather myself and my family in 14 layers of sunscreen, long sleeves and a big hat. Short of wearing a HazMat suit and beekeeper’s headgear, we’re totally covered. Who cares if we sweat profusely? At least we won’t get skin cancer.

That, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is precisely the point. On their web site, Andrew C. von Eschenbach, M.D., Commissioner of Food and Drugs for the FDA says, "For more than 30 years, consumers have been able to identify the level of UVB protection provided by sunscreens using only sunburn protection factor or SPF values." The FDA is hoping to upgrade the sunscreen labeling into a 4-star system. With this proposal, "Consumers will also now know the level of UVA protection in sunscreens, which will help them make informed decisions about protecting themselves and their children against the harmful effects of the sun."

The American Cancer Society will be the first ones to tell you that skin cancer (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma) is the most common of all cancers. According to that organization, skin cancer accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States. More than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are found in this country each year. This year, they estimate that nearly 70,000 new melanomas will be diagnosed in the United States alone.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization founded in 1993 that uses the “power of public information to protect public health and the environment”, rated top brands of sunscreen. They found that some of the leading brands weren’t exactly as advertised. Banana Boat, Coppertone and Neutrogena were among the top offenders in not providing enough skin protection in their products.

Call for vendors and exhibitors at the 2009 Connecticut Folk Festival

The Connecticut Folk Festival and Green Expo invites you to be a part of the festivities Sept. 11, 12, and 13, 2009 at Edgerton Park, on the Hamden/New Haven border.

This year the CT Folk Festival and Green Expo kicks off at Southern CT State University on September 11, 2009, with a New Haven Theater Company production, Siempre Verde, followed by Green Works -- a job fair focusing on green jobs and a Symposium. The day will end with a song circle in the evening at SCSU's Lyman Auditorium.

If you are interested in the CT Green Expo, Green Works, or sponsorship/advertising please contact CT Green Expo Coordinator Colleen Campbell at (203) 710-8279.

Green Gas

by Eileen Weber

For every car ride, bus trip, or vacation par avion, we expel greenhouse gases from fossil fuels into the air. We are heavily dependent on foreign oil. We still use coal as a source of power. We have irreparably changed our climate as a result.

But according to a Washington Post article dated October 20, 2008, there are some companies that are trying to make a difference. Alternative fuels such as ethanol derived from corn or diesel derived from algae are taking center stage.

But fuels based on crops like corn have their own environmental price tag. The farming process of those “macro-crops” uses fossil fuels to get the job done.

Companies like Florida-based PetroAlgae are working hard to find a sustainable solution to the problem. They produce “micro-crops” of algae that are broken down into a fuel source and a protein base. The product can be used to fire up a 747 or it can be extracted as a protein filler for animal feed. And who knows? Rich in amino acids, you may find these protein isolates in your next strawberry smoothie some day.

The crops are environmentally safe and sustainable. They are grown in raised pools with no toxic run-off. Almost all of the water that is used to irrigate the crops is recycled for the next crop. Nothing goes to waste.

According to the PetroAlgae web site, algae-based fuel is functionally identical to fossil fuels. And since the algae micro-crops consume twice their body weight in CO2, they’re carbon neutral as well.

The Collinsville Farmers’ Market: Taking great CARE to be local

by James Simpkins

Until recently, I thought bumper stickers were for other people. Not anymore. I’ve finally found something I don’t mind saying to--or in this case asking of--those around me. The winning sticker directly asks “Who’s your farmer?” and suggests buying Connecticut grown everything. What had me put this on my car is that I actually know my farmer!  His name is Tom and he owns and operates Hard Rain Farm in Burlington, CT. As I realized that I could answer the question, it made me consider what our fine planet might be like if we all knew who grew our food.

The resulting image made me peel off the back and slap it on the back of my Subaru.

For those of you within shouting distance of Collinsville, CT, you may consider a visit to a particularly fine Farmers’ Market and pick out a farmer (maybe two?) that you’d like to know, then buy from them. Often. Tom Sevigny (different Tom), the founder of the Canton Advocates for Responsible Expansion (C.A.R.E.) and the Collinsville Market Master would second me on this. After all, he’s the guy who started it.

I talked with Mr. Sevigny this past weekend and he told me that the Collinsville Farmers’ Market began four years ago with only three vendors. The now-thriving weekly gathering has exploded into a localvore’s Eden of fresh produce, crafts, flowers and other goods. Each Sunday from June to October brings big crowds who enjoy the festive atmosphere and scenic locale on the Farmington River. This, along with Collinsville’s other businesses like the seemingly eternal LaSalle Market and The Crown and Hammer Pub, as well as antique shops and art galleries--all within a couple hundred yards of (farmer) Tom’s snap peas.

BioDiesel for Cars & Home Heating 7/18 Simsbury

Via PACE

An On-site Demonstration and Discussion on " BioDiesel for Cars & Home-heating, and a Solar Electric System " will be presented on Saturday, July 18 ( 1:30 PM) at Flamig Farm7 Shingle Mill Road, West Simsbury, CT, featuring  presentations by Dave Henri and Nevin Christiansen.

Please register in advance by calling (860) 233-5684 or (860) 649-9827 or (860) 489-9555.

This event is presented by the Solar Energy Association of Connecticut, a Non Profit, Educational, Public-Awareness Organization. Visit www.SolarEnergyofCT.org for more information.

Green Underpants

by Eileen Weber

Sometimes silly ideas pop into my head and I feel a great urge to pursue them. I’ve written about organic wine and farmers’ markets. I have toyed with climate change and water pollution. Now for a truly gripping topic: eco-friendly underpants.

While I can’t say that I spend countless hours contemplating the fabric on my bum, it turns out other people have. There are plenty of options out there for those seeking a little green on their posterior. With fabrics made from corn, soy, hemp, bamboo and recycled plastic bottles, there’s something for everyone.

And that’s particularly true for men’s briefs and boxers. A New York Times article dated April 27, 2006 stated, “Many men will recognize their underwear as the most environmentally friendly piece of clothing they own, given their proclivity, as Jerry Seinfeld once noted, to wear it until it disintegrates.”

Clearly, the trend to go green has been gaining momentum in a range of areas, not least of all clothing. A number of online shops sell organic cotton apparel. But lately, the biggest craze has been with fabrics made from bamboo. A sustainable crop, bamboo is a sturdy and reliable material.

Green Demolitions has 2 jobs in Norwalk CT

Via Fairfield County Jobs

Warehouse Foreman. Green Demolitions, Norwalk, CT has an immediate warehouse foreman opening.

Required skills include: Heavy moving, retail store setup, and inventory control. Minimum 2-4 years work experience. Seeking energetic team player with good computer and multi-task skills. E-mail resume to Noel Grabill, Store Manager atnoel@greendemolitions.com. Please no phone calls or drop-ins. Retail Sales. Green Demolitions, Norwalk, CT has an immediate retail sales opening. Must have 3-5 years sales experience with proven tract record and great references. Seeking energetic team player with good computer, phone and multi-task skills. E-mail resume to Noel Grabill, Store Manager at noel@greendemolitions.com. Please no phone calls or drop-ins.

CTGBC Awards For Green Design

by Eileen Weber

There is another use for the term “intelligent design” and this one has no spiritual connotations. For the Connecticut Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council (CTGBC), it refers to the design and construction of a building or home that uses its resources wisely in an environmentally friendly way.

According to a recent press release from the CTGBC, five separate structures were recently awarded for the sustainable building practices utilized in high performance, design and construction, and energy efficiency.

The Most Intriguing Residential Award was given to Easter Fields House in New Milford. Mark and Jim Picton of Picton Brothers LLC, were the developers. According to the Picton’s web site, it is one of the most energy efficient homes in Connecticut.

“The most amazing thing about it is that the house is so liveable in such a compact form,” said Mark Picton, Co-Founder of the Washington Depot-based company of the 900 square foot home. “It’s good for a family of four or a retired couple. It’s a lot of function in a small space.”

Picton Brothers chose a sustainable building site in the Merryall section of the town. The home was officially awarded a LEED Platinum certification this past winter for not only making the most of the living space efficiently, but for using local materials like reclaimed wood, photovoltaic installation and foam insulation. As a result, the house has a significantly reduced carbon footprint.

Is Whole Foods Green?

by James Simpkins

James Simpkins will be a contributor on this site every Wednesday. A former chef and Le Cordon Bleu culinary instructor, he is a PhD student at UCONN putting his culinary know-how to work studying American food culture. He will be writing about anything and everything related to food in the Farmington River Valley. Having grown up in Ohio, he has been living for the past two years in the Canton area.

I have a new studio apartment in West Hartford that my wife and I affectionately call “The Cave”. It’s a television-free, renovated attic dedicated to reading books, writing, and eating meals—mostly from Whole Foods in West Hartford Center, a five minute walk down the road. This got me thinking: Would Whole Foods Market be considered green?

There are seven Whole Foods in Connecticut, impacting a large number of folks here in The Nutmeg State. So I thought it would be worth a look-see. But first, I must confess: I worked for Whole Foods for fifteen months, leaving last summer, and didn’t like it very much. They told me in that special, pallid, human resources style they didn’t like me either. I think shopping there is a completely separate experience than being an employee. But, I can’t say my insider’s perspective doesn’t come into play. You’ll see why.

Where Did All The Fish Go?

by Eileen Weber

Summer always brings back wistful memories of my childhood and they mainly center around food. I remember fresh cherry tomatoes bursting with sun-warmed flavor. Fresh sugar snap peas. Blueberries. Nectarines. Zucchinis and their little flowers.

But the best of all was the fresh fish we’d often have for dinner. My dad, while hardly a chef, did have the right idea when it came to preparing fish: a little lemon, a little butter or olive oil, some salt and pepper and you’re done. On your plate, the fish should speak for himself.

Simple ingredients and a quick flip on the grill was all that was necessary for a great meal. But these days, that meal is threatened. Or more specifically, that meal is on the endangered list.

It has been increasingly pointed out that we are depleting our fish source. Where did all the fish go? Well, we ate them. Now what?

Mark Bittman, Food Columnist for The New York Times, wrote that while restaurants and retailers are responsible for the fish they sell, we as consumers are also responsible for what we eat.

“I’m all for seafood restaurants and fishmongers carrying only sustainable fish…,” said Bittman in his June 9th article, “but I think it’s also up to consumers to know enough to refuse to buy certain fish because they’re threatened (or, for that matter, because they’re farmed in unsustainable ways).”

Red, White, and A Little Green

by Eileen Weber

A sunny Fourth of July. Barbecue with friends, a little beach time, and some fireworks tonight. What could be better? How about putting a little green in your Red, White, and Blue?

There are a number of web sites that promote some fun ideas to keep your life a little greener on this explosive holiday.

According to one site, Greenzer.com, grilling your food on a gas grill instead of a smoky charcoal one helps. Some other tips include not using plastic utensils and plates. You can use biodegradable supplies, like the party kit offered from Inhabitat.com that serves 50. Or, you can go even more sustainable with bamboo like the disposable ones from Eco-Wise.com.

Packing local, organic foods for your next picnic is also a must. Just a quick trip to your farmers’ market and you’ve got a number of tasty treats to choose from. Locally made breads and cheeses, fresh fruits, a few greens and that’s a succulent meal.

One interesting point to note that has been highlighted recently is the pollutant effects of fireworks. There are some pyrotechnical experts looking for a more environmentally friendly option. According to PhysOrg.com, a site that focuses on science and technology, states “Researchers…have developed new pyrotechnic formulas that replace perchlorate with nitrogen-rich materials or nitrocellulose that burn cleaner and produce less smoke.”

It’s a great idea. But until federal regulation comes into play, it may be a while before we see a little “green” in the sky.

Happy Fourth of July! Be safe and be well.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Green in Any Color

by James Simpkins

James Simpkins will be a contributor on this site every Wednesday. A former chef and Le Cordon Bleu culinary instructor, he is a PhD student at UCONN putting his culinary know-how to work studying American food culture. He will be writing about anything and everything related to food in the Farmington River Valley. Having grown up in Ohio, he has been living for the past two years in the Canton area.

I thought I should start my first article by defining “green”. The official definition is a: relating to or being an environmentalist political movement b: concerned with or supporting environmentalism c: tending to preserve environmental quality (as by being recyclable, biodegradable, or nonpolluting.

Pretty much what I thought, but I was excited to learn that there was a more than a touch of grey to the whole concept (note “c” above). In other words, there’s not just one definition of what’s “green” or not. This is what really gets me excited about food and food culture--especially here in the Farmington River Valley--is that there are so many variations of it. So it’s this many-flavored point of view that I bring to this blog and my own take on what’s “green” in my neck of the Connecticut woods.

Consider what I know of off the top of my head: There are no fewer than five fantastic farms (some to be discussed in future posts) within 10 miles from my place, not to mention a ferocious Farmers’ Market culture from Norfolk to Southbury that has just kicked off the summer season. Add in countless community events, restaurants, and my neighbors’ gardens…well, suffice it to say there is no shortage of gustatory glam to share with you. Weirdly enough, however, I found my first inspiration of the season in my P.O. Box: A bright pink postcard announcing the 58th Annual Strawberry Festival at the North Canton Community United Methodist Church. Since I love strawberries (eating some right now, as a matter of fact) and they mentioned homemade biscuits, I decided to check it out.