CT Green Scene

UNO-Versity

by Eileen Weber

There's a new kid in town at Fairfield University and he's green. Not too long after the school year began, new recycling machines were installed in the on-campus town houses. This year, staff, students and faculty alike can recycle with ease using the UNO reverse vending machines manufactured by a U.S. subsidiary of TOMRA Systems ASA.

The UNOs can handle a combination of plastic, glass, and cans. The receptacles can hold up to approximately 500 containers with containers redeemable for five cents each. Students get a credit on their “Stag” card, or school debit card, that can be used toward other campus expenses like the cafeteria and the school’s bookstore.

“I do know the students really like them,” said Meg McCaffrey, Director of Media Relations. “I had seen [some of] the students with three garbage bags full of bottles.”

Westporters Take Stand on Global Warming

by Monique Bosch

Westport residents ignored torrential rain and headed for Compo beach at dawn Saturday, October 24th, to participate in the International Day of Climate Action. It marked the largest day of environmental action in history. Westport was only one in over 5,000 events that took place in 181 countries around the world. A sudden unexpected clearing of the skies rewarded those who braved the weather.

Local musicians serenaded the group over coffee and donuts as beach towels forming 3-5-0 were arranged on the sand.  The number, 350 parts per million (ppm), signifies the level scientists say is the safe upper limit of CO2 in the atmosphere. We are currently at 390 ppm.

As 350.org organizer Bill McKibben explained, we now have a tangible goal, a number to strive for. “This number is attainable, but it will take a global effort to get there,” he said. McKibben is an author, educator and environmentalist spearheading the effort to bring the world together to solve the climate crisis.

No, You Do Not Like Pumpkin

by James Simpkins

Autumn is always a bit of a bugger for me. On one hand, the trees change color and “sweater weather” arrives—two of my favorite things in the world. On the other hand, everything pumpkin returns to the forefront of the gastronomic world and I have to put up with the ubiquity of “delicious pumpkin ravioli with sage brown butter” in every restaurant that I go to. People also remind me how insane they are by lining up for Pumpkin Spice lattés at Starbucks as if they are tickets to the Promised Land. The colossal success for Starbucks, whose debut in 2004 actually improved their bottom line towards the end of the fiscal year, is now annually anticipated event for their faithful and an annual cash cow for the company.

Not to be outdone (though they already had been), in 2007 Dunkin Donuts unveiled four new menu items to ring in the fall with, and three of them had pumpkin in the title: The Pumpkin Muffin, Pumpkin Donut, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Vanilla Spice Coffee. Their executive chef said this about it:

"Americans feel such a strong emotional and sensory connection to the foods of fall, and our new fall-flavored menu items will help customers celebrate the season and the warm feelings it evokes." -Dunkin' Brands' Executive Chef Stan Frankenthaler

Honestly, I was nauseous after reading it. When chefs talk like that about haute cuisine that has taken many hours to prepare, I can tolerate it. I still don’t love it, but I get it—the artist is talking about their art. When a “chef” is talking about MAKING DONUTS AND MUFFINS that is where I draw the line. I digress…

The point is I don’t think most people like pumpkin at all.

All around Connecticut: 350.ORG

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

It was difficult to ignore the collective buzz around the state Saturday, as groups of all sizes and compositions gathered together to express their creative vision and commitment to spreading the word that 350 ppm is the safe upper limit of CO2 in the atmosphere. Why is that the number? Click here to find out.

Politicians, world leaders, scientists and environmental groups will meet in Copenhagen in a mere six weeks to agree (we hope) on a climate policy that is clear, fair and binding. As it stands, 350 ppm is the number that is in the draft agreement. Today, our ppm is 386 and rising. This is a number we share with the entire planet -- that is, the United States, China, and Micronesia all must work together on a collective goal. It's no longer a case of pointing fingers or being able to seek out reprieve while others suffer: it's everyone's problem.

For many people, a random number that counts a gas we can't see is a bit of a stretch. But to thousands of people living and working in Connecticut, it represents the fact that climate change isn't just something we need to do something about in 25 or 50 years, it's something we must tackle TODAY. 

Thanks to all of you who submitted photos of your creative, bold and inspiring events. 

Shop Dava, New Haven

Photo: Coleen Campbell

 

Yale Forestry School students created this 350 Noah's ark from mostly
salvaged materials in front of Kroon Hall. Animals represented included
everything from the humble ant to the mighty giraffe to the beautiful
capybaras of South America and the polar bears made out of used Styrofoam
containers. Although 35 people are pictured here, the previous night, at
least 90 people turned up to help build the ark and the animals. We chose
this action in part because synagogues around the world happened to be
reading the Noah's Ark story in the Torah on Oct 24th, and in part because
climate change puts 15-37% of all known plant and animal species at the risk
of extinction by 2050. Photo: Grady O'Shaughnessy and Gabriel Mejias

 

Hundreds of people donning Bridgeport Sound Tigers/350.org t-shirts
walked onto the ice during the game's second intermission to make the
number in support of preserving this favorite winter sport.  Photo: Rick Stieglitz

"350.org activists brave rain and heavy winds on the historic New Haven Green to form a human 350, with the historic downtown churches and Yale College Old Campus in the background." Photo: Vladimir Jankovic, New Haven Independent. Background information: http://www.350.org/newhaven

 

David Bedell, Cristian Aldana, Natalie Johnson, Ted Hanser, Jane Weston, and Richard Duffee.
Ferguson Library, downtown Stamford. For more information, contact Hector Lopez lopez_hector_l@sbcglobal.net

 

Whole Foods Market, West Hartford

 A giant 350 on the roof of the Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University was part of a larger project entitled "The Bird's Eye View," which built a network of similar installations, globally. Photo credit goes to the Fairfield Fire Department, who got up on a truck ladder to get our "bird's eye view" shot, and Fairfield U students who put the installation together. For more information, click here.

Mann Made Art

by Eileen Weber

The Bruce S. Kershner Gallery at the Fairfield Public Library is showing an environmental art display called “Re/Art/Cycle.” The focus is on two artists, Jeff Mann and Lynn Stephens Massey.

While Massey’s paintings used paper bags as the backdrop, Mann’s sculpture display was just a bit different. With structure and color as the main focus for these pieces, you see the art at first and not the medium. But most of the materials came from junked cars.

Mann, who currently lives in Watertown, ME, has some strong feelings about the auto industry. “I find it inherently weird that eleven million cars per year are disposed of,” he said. “It’s a colossal waste.”

On his web site, he describes his work as “reconstructing the car” in a more benign way from what he calls a malignant, “Frankensteinian monster.” “I don’t make ugly pieces to reflect the evils of the car,” he says, “but rather celebrate the incredible beauty of car parts and their complexity.”

In 2004, Mann became the artist in residence at Southern Maine Community College. As part of an advertising project, he started gutting an old van. It was then that he realized how beautiful each metal piece could be.

He said his art is a way for a people to appreciate what went into making a car. If art is a sort of dance, then let the cars do a little cha-cha. Materials like glass, metal, and plastic are gathered together to make what he says is “an incredible machine.” Then when it is no longer of use, it just gets thrown away.

BRIDGEPORT SOUND TIGERS JOIN 350.ORG for UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION, OCT. 24, 2009

Journalists across four continents have now called it "the most widespread day of political action in the planet's history," as citizens in 181 nations are staging actions today to demand a quicker response to climate change. The more than 5,200 rallies, which began at dawn Saturday in New Zealand, have been sweeping around the world as the sun rises--300 actions took place in China, with huge gatherings in India and Australia. Fifteen thousand people rallied in the streets of Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, and activists used crushed rock to make a giant sign on an Afghan mountainside easily visible from Kabul twenty kilometers away. All the actions focused on a number: 350, which scientists have said is the most carbon dioxide, measured in parts per million, that the atmosphere can safely hold. The Bridgeport Sound Tigers, top affiliate of the NHL's New York Islanders, will host CT GreenScene and participants from the community on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at the Arena at Harbor Yard as part of an international display in support of climate change initiatives.They are the ONLY professional hockey team to participate.   Between periods of the Sound Tigers game against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, fans will display the number 350 on center ice. This event signals the team's commitment to educating the public about the importance of lessening our negative impact on the environment.   "Global climate change is a reality that impacts everyone and it's going to take everyone's participation if we're going to identify solutions," Sound Tigers Vice President Luke Milbury said. "The Sound Tigers see 350 night as a wonderful opportunity to do our small part to set a good example and to promote awareness of the issues we deem vitally important."   350.org, founded by internationally renowned climate scientists and experts is a global movement taking place on October 24, 2009 involving over 1600 actions in over 120 countries around the world including places like Mongolia, India, Great Barrier Reef, Africa and the Middle East.   "The Sound Tigers have historically reached out to their community in service, and we thought they'd make a good partner for organizing a 350.org event," said Heather Burns-DeMelo, founder of CTGreenScene.com. "I'm thrilled with their support and enthusiasm."

Put On a Happy Face

by Eileen Weber

I admit it. I make a lousy girl. I don’t do a lot with my hair, besides wash it. I prefer a pair of fuzzy slippers to a slinky pair of Manolo Blahniks. And, it takes me thirty minutes tops to get ready in the morning. I also don’t spend a lot of time on make-up.

That said, I do own a tube of mascara, a little concealer and some lip gloss. I’ve had them for eons sitting in my top drawer. They’re probably riddled with bacteria. (I may, in fact, be personally responsible for the swine flu because I think my Chapstick may be its Petri dish.)

Where will all of these little trinkets end up when I finally break down and get rid of them? A landfill. All that plastic and glass will not get sorted like they should.

That’s where natural cosmetics companies like Origins comes in. According to their web site, the EPA reports that one third of landfills are taken up with cosmetic waste and other related consumer packaging. Most recycling centers will only take those materials that are easily recognized as recyclable. This includes soda and water bottles and other plastics that are classified as PET or HDPE. That leaves out a whole chunk of other materials that are recyclable, too.

So Origins decided to do something about that. They started a cosmetics recycling program. Bring your old or unused cosmetics—regardless of brand—to your nearest store and they’ll sort and recycle it for you. You got it, they want it.

Vegetarian What? (part II of at last II)

by James Simpkins

Last week I’m sure that there were more than a couple raised eyebrows or sighs of exasperation at my writing on the fake meat thing—and that’s fine. I actually didn’t realize I was so fired up about it until I read it again later. It’s funny how that works.

My personal truth about the whole fake meat topic is really “live and let live.” I don’t actually keep myself up at night worrying whether or not people should eat tofu shaped like a turkey. Honestly, though, I think it’s a little strange. Then again, if you saw the wildly un-hip sweatpants that I like to wear around the house, I should think to be understood at least as bizarre.

One of the comments on my previous article was by Julie Braun, of particular note as she mentioned something I don’t hear very often by folks trying to justify their weirdness. She pointed out the taste that she liked. Now here is the pickle that most of us are in: What costs the most in trying to eat (pick one) “green”, “organic”, “healthy”, “natural”, etc.—aside from perhaps succumbing to whim while shopping at Whole Foods Market—is loss of flavor. And meat tastes better than almost anything. Properly cooked meat is, gastronomically speaking, a much more pleasurable experience than most tofu, seitan (pronounced ‘say-tahn’) or tempeh I’ve ever had and you’ll waste your time trying to convince me otherwise. But, I regularly eat all of the meat substitutes listed above. I’ll get to why, later.

None Became Law

by Eileen Weber

Brendan Hanrahan thinks more should be done for the environment in Connecticut. He feels so strongly about it, CT EarthNet, an interactive, web-based network for environmental groups Hanrahan founded, has produced a summary of the 2009 legislation for environmental practices that were not passed this year. The summary also includes visualizations of the legislative session data such as issue heat maps, voting outcomes, and legislator similarity comparisons. The bills touched a variety of environmental topics from toxic chemicals to wetland management to energy efficiency and everything in between.

Thirty-six bills were presented about renewable, clean energy. None became law. Thirty-two bills were presented on various points of energy efficiency. None became law. With thirty-two bills on public transportation, only one became law. Out of the twenty-four bills presented for recycling and waste measures, two passed and became law.

And the list goes on. What this says, at least in Hanrahan’s eyes, is that Connecticut may give lip service to the environment. But when all is said and done, the state may actually fall a little short.

So are we just becoming a bit too complacent about the environment? Has “going green” become so mainstream that we’re not taking it as seriously as we should?

Fairfield Farmer

by Eileen Weber
 
Most people in Fairfield know Wyatt Whiteman. They just don’t know they do. He lives in an old farmhouse that dates back to 1760. He raises chickens, rabbits, ducks, and horses. He even has a tiny Dexter cow named Bridey. He grows an organic garden. He has his own beehive. And, all of this farm activity is done on one acre of land on a busy street.

But that’s not what people know Whiteman for. They know his house because of the gigantic carved pumpkins he puts out front every October. But his neighbors know him as the guy who sells them organic produce. They also know him as the guy who cooks meals over his fireplace and doesn’t use electricity periodically.

“Imagine what this was like even one generation ago, living off the land with an outhouse in back,” Whiteman said of the property he inherited from his family.

Standing tall not unlike a grizzly bear recently awakened from a long winter’s nap, he will tell you he prefers to live a simpler life from a simpler time. He remembers when life was without its technology and its gadgets. Today, however, his house comes equipped with computers and DVD players. He’s even got an above ground pool out back. “It’s for the kids,” he said of his three children, the youngest of whom is a toddler.

Governor Rell: $4 Million in Stimulus Funds to Help Homeowners ‘Go Solar’ With Hot Water Systems

Businesses Also Eligible for Solar Thermal Grants

Via Debra Caviness

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the state is dedicating $4 million in federal stimulus funds to help homeowners and businesses pay for the installation of solar-powered hot water heating systems, an investment that will lower utility bills and promote the use of alternative fuels.

“I am proud of Connecticut’s leadership in promoting and using greener, cleaner technology,” Governor Rell said. “This incentive will help hundreds of families and businesses make the switch to renewable energy by saving them money on installation costs and ultimately their hot water bills. It would also be a much-needed boost in business for those who sell and install these systems.”

The new Solar Thermal Incentive Program is part of the comprehensive State Energy Plan that has qualified for $38 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The broad-based plan includes programs that:

    * Provide incentives to use alternative energy in homes and businesses;
    * Expand fuel cell initiatives;
    * Make state buildings more energy efficient;
    * Create green collar jobs needed for emerging technologies.

The incentive program will be administered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), a ratepayer fund that promotes, develops and invests in clean energy resources for the benefit of Connecticut’s electric ratepayers.

CCEF officials say there is enough funding available to support installations of 600 residential solar heating systems and about 120 non-residential systems. The systems can supply up to 80 percent of a customer’s annual hot water needs.

Vegetarian What? (Part I of at least II)

by James Simpkins

I had a bowl of “vegetarian chili” this past week and thought twice about the nomenclature—something about it wasn’t right. When I looked in the dictionary for the word “chili” I discovered why dictionaries are sometimes not the best place to go for a definition—it said “a sauce made of meat and beans”. As definitions go, this one borders on the ridiculous.

First of all, chili is NOT a sauce except maybe for coney dogs; and it is NOT a soup. It is chili—a dish in and of itself, not just to be lumped in with vichyssoise or queso dip. Some folks from certain parts of the country will tell you that real chili doesn’t even have beans in it. Take that, Merriam-Webster!

What really stokes my ire, though, is when dishes that traditionally have meat are made vegetarian but look and taste like meat. Isn’t this some sort of ethics violation? Or could we make it one? And carnivores, you (for once) are off the hook. Why, oh why, if you don’t eat meat do you want the flavor of meat? Over the next two weeks I’m going to be writing about it even more—today’s article is just an introduction to the topic. First, I have a confession to make.

Greener Cleaners

by Eileen Weber

A candlelight dinner. A succulent dish of penne puttanesca. Chianti breathing in a Riedel glass. As you gaze longingly into your lover’s eyes, he slips a forkful of the saucy pasta into your open, waiting mouth…and it lands on your lapel.

I don’t know about you, but I dread having to take my clothes to the dry cleaners. In fact, I specifically buy clothes that don’t require it. It’s expensive. It’s inconvenient. And most of all, it uses hazardous materials that are harmful to the environment.

Studies have shown that the chemical perchloroethylene, or “perc” as it’s generally known, is not only harmful to the environment but also to your health. The chemical leaches into the soil. Certain cancers have been linked to the substance. For those who work in the industry, handling that kind of substance on a daily basis can be a major hazard. And for the customer, traces of perc still cling to those lovely blouses and crisply tailored shirts you drop off every week.

But in the last several years, the Environmental Protection Agency has mandated a change in the industry. Some dry cleaners, however, have heeded their own call on making a switch from perc to something much more environmentally friendly.

No Impact Man Video Chat 5 pm 10/11

At 5 pm EST TODAY, No Impact Man aka Colin Beavan will hold a video chat, visible here and on his blog, about his recently launched book.

For those of you who don't already know, here's Colin's story: A guilty liberal finally snaps, swears off plastic, goes organic, becomes a bicycle nut, turns off his power, and generally becomes a tree-hugging lunatic who tries to save the polar bears and the rest of the planet from environmental catastrophe while dragging his baby daughter and Prada-wearing, Four Seasons–loving wife along for the ride. And that’s just the beginning. Bill McKibben meets Bill Bryson in this seriously engaging look at one man’s decision to put his money where his mouth is and go off the grid for one year—while still living in New York City—to see if it’s possible to make no net impact on the environment. In other words, no trash, no toxins in the water, no elevators, no subway, no products in packaging, no air-conditioning, no television . .

What would it be like to try to live a no-impact lifestyle? Is it possible? Could it catch on? Is living this way more satisfying or less satisfying? Harder or easier? Is it worthwhile or senseless? Are we all doomed or can our culture reduce the barriers to sustainable living so it becomes as easy as falling off a log? These are the questions at the heart of this whole mad endeavor, via which Colin Beavan hopes to explain to the rest of us how we can realistically live a more “eco-effective” and by turns more content life in an age of inconvenient truths. Join us Sunday October 11th (today) at 5 p.m. to see what Colin has to say.

Julia Bond: Don't Sacrifice a Mountain for Your Electricity

Coal generates a whopping fifty-five percent of the electricity we use in the United States, and blasting the tops off mountains is the cheapest, fastest way to get it. Right now, the EPA is reviewing 79 new mountaintop removal coal mining permits, and 470 mountains have already been decapitated. If you don't want another mountain destroyed for the sake of your electricity, join renowned environmentalist Julia Bonds, profiled in National Geographic and Newsweek, for

Burning the Future: Dirty Coal From Cradle to Grave on Thursday, October 15th, 7:00 PM, at The Loomis Chaffee School Gilchrist Auditorium, Clark Center4 Batchelder Rd., Windsor, CT 06095. For more information call, 860-255-7663.

 

FIRST BRANFORD LED LUMINATA DRAWS LARGE CROWD TO GREEN

(Branford, CT)  During a brisk autumn night crowds of families gathered on the Branford Green, blankets across their laps.  Most weren't exactly sure what they were going to see, but were intrigued by the massive lighting and music rehearsals taking place on the green all week.  The crew, led by Jamie Burnett, worked from dusk until dawn for several days in preparation for this historical presentation, to present the Branford Town Hall and Green in a "new light". 

Projects2k, a non-profit group of artists, scientists, & environmentalists,  The Town of Branford and the Branford Historical Society collaborated on this unique event to present an educational and beautiful depiction of Branford History in typical Projects2k fashion.  They are widely known for the Terra Series in the Stony Creek Quarry, often times straying outside of the lines, exposing people to science in a theatrical style.

Branford Luminata's program depicted an historical narrative through beautiful lighting effects (mostly low energy LED lighting), old images and photos projected onto the facade of the town hall and even a group of Branford High School students with full-sized clear models of themselves, named The Light Brigade.

If you missed last nights, you have one last opportunity to see it. Sunday nights program begins at 7:30 on The Branford Town Green!

Food for the Whole Family

by Eileen Weber
 
In an earlier post this week, I wrote about the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County’s “Healthy Eating” program targeting low-income women at the Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport. The event was meant to promote the healthy benefits of fresh produce. Today, I had the privilege of witnessing it.

Wrapping light sweaters around their shoulders and bristling at the thought of a five-block walk, about twenty-five women made their way to the Marina Village Farmers’ Market for a field trip to the south end of town. They listened to a short lecture by Heather Harrington, an assistant extension instructor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She and her assistant talked about ways to use healthy foods in cooking. With paper bags donated by Trader Joe’s, they loaded up on poblano peppers, broccoli, tomatoes, end-of-season corn, apples and pears.

Peanut Butter: The Best Food In The Whole World

by James Simpkins

Growing up, peanut butter was my favorite food right out of the jar. It still is. Honestly, there has never been another food that ever came close. Usually when I share this bit of information someone will inevitably ask me the two-for-one question: “What brand?...Crunchy or creamy”? The first part is not that simple. The latter I will answer later on.   First-off, I am about peanut butter as I am in many other pursuits - moody. Naturally, then, I have more than one brand of peanut butter that I eat according to whim, but I have a clear favorite—Smucker’s Natural (it's made in Ohio a couple hours from where I grew up). Here I almost always get one of two responses that sound something like: 1) “Great!, I love natural peanut butter, too!”, or, 2) “Oh…really? I can’t stand stirring it--and there is SO much oil in it.” Rarely is there a fair-weather friend to stirring; and to be fair, it is kind of a pain. But, it’s clearly worth it to some of us. You don’t stir, you buy something else. However, like most things, there are exceptions to the rule of my favorite peanut butter. **By the way, don’t try and stir natural peanut butter in the jar. This never works and it may be the biggest foible to the path of the natural peanut butter neophyte. I can’t say I don’t understand: If I had tried 100 times to stir natural peanut butter in the jar, I wouldn’t eat it anymore either. What a mess. So what do you do? You need to know The PB Secret. That’s coming up.

Meatless Mondays - Coming to a School Near You

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

I often wonder how old my son will have to get before his peers notice he's a vegetarian. He's in kindergarten, and so far, no one's the wiser that his "turkey sandwich" is made from spelt and soy-beans and his "hot dogs" are SmartDogs. It was no big deal last year when I could afford to send him to Waldorf, but this year we headed to, gulp, public schools.

Even so, I keep thinking that with a little luck (and global warming + overpopulation = not enough land for raising animals) being vegetarian will become the norm and he won't have to cope with being seen as different (doesn't every family have a bug relocation program?) Well, the Baltimore school system is one of the first to introduce Meatless Mondays, where they'll serve 80,000 kids up an all veggie menu. 

And they're not stopping there. From The Green Fork, "BCPS has teemed up with local farmers and distributors to provide students fresh, locally raised fruits, vegetables and milk. They’ve also introduced Great Kids Farm, a 33-acre teaching farm, home to chickens, goats and a variety of fruits and vegetables. Educators on the farm teach kids and adults how to produce home-grown fresh food, even in an urban setting."

I'm staying the course and letting the tides turn - and if they don't, he can go to therapy like nearly everyone else.

Community Food

by Eileen Weber

There are some women in this community who struggle to put food on the table. They are often single moms trying to make it on $8.00 an hour and still feed their families. And in such a tight economy, dollar menus at fast food joints and a couple of boxes of processed foods go a long way.

But none of that food is healthy. For the women and their children, the Junior League of Eastern Fairfield County (JLEFC) wanted to do something about it. So for 25 students at the Mercy Learning Center in Bridgeport, a non-profit organization that focuses on women’s literacy, they will have the chance to learn how to be healthy.

“This year, the JLEFC’s community outreach programs focus on improving health, nutrition and literacy for women and children,” said Susan Zaveruha, President of the JLEFC, in a recent press release. “We are so pleased to collaborate with such outstanding community organizations in this pilot program and look forward to giving other students at Mercy Learning Center a similar opportunity to access and learn the benefits of fresh, local produce.”

The JLEFC has teamed up with Michel Nischan, President and CEO of the Wholesome Wave Foundation and Executive Chef at famed Westport restaurant the Dressing Room, along with the help of Analiese Paik, founder of the Fairfield Green Food Guide, and Heather Harrington, an assistant extension instructor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut. With this “Dream Team” of foodies, the Junior League hopes to make a difference with their pilot program, “Healthy Eating.”

Websites to Find a Green Job

By Heather Burns-DeMelo

It's no surprise that with so many people out of work and looking for work that supports their values, lots of people are hoping to find a "green job".

And with clean tech having surpassed all others as the number one in world wide investments, sectors that support a sustainable future are clearly poised to grow. We've rounded up a few websites to help in your search. Good luck!

http://www.bsr.org/resources

http://www.idealist.org/en/career/career.html

http://www.stopdodo.com/

http://ecoemploy.com/ (USA)

http://www.ejobs.org/states/ctgov.html

http://www.ecojobs.com/

http://www.ejobs.org/

Race For Space

by Eileen Weber

There are some people who give a lot of thought to the open space available in Connecticut. One of those people is Karl J. Wagener, Executive Director of the Connecticut Council of Environmental Quality, an organization that objectively monitors the state’s environmental progress.

Last night at the Pequot Library in Southport, Wagener lectured that Connecticut may be doing a lot of things right when it comes to the environment. But when it comes to land conservation, we still have a long way to go.

“Land is one of those things that Connecticut can’t seem to do right,” said Wagener. “A lot of land conservation is unaccounted for. We don’t really know how much we’ve got.”

Wagener says the biggest problems center around a lack of money to fund the inventory of available land, a good strategy for better land conservation, and looking at the land acquisition as a unified whole rather than as a compilation of separate, individual acquisitions.

While the state does have a Green Plan to reach a land preservation goal by 2023, Wagener says it’s hard to get people excited about something that has no plan of attack and no way to pay for it.