CT Green Scene

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

by Eileen Weber

Nearly four months into 2010, the economy seems to be picking up. There are signs of life. After such a steep recession with so many people losing their jobs, it remained to be seen which industries would blossom while others continued to dwindle.

Take the example of Alice Dinihanian Arcuri, a Stratford native who has a professional background as an IT project manager and lost her position with a consulting firm in November 2008. She was highlighted in today's Connecticut Post realizing her dream of becoming a florist. She recently bought a local flower shop and is excited at the prospect of making it grow.

But for many, going into business for themselves wasn't an option. Some have had to take jobs they are grossly overqualified for. In yesterday's New York Times, some have found a way to make the most out of lower positions simply because they are just happy to be employed.

While the financial market has plummeted, the green industry has continued to grow. For Bridgeport, green jobs may be where it's at. The Connecticut Post reported that U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis spoke at The Workplace, Inc. about Green-Up Bridgeport. The job training program is meant to make use of the $4 million provided by the government. The program's goal is to provide unskilled workers the training they need to get jobs in a growing industry that shows real promise for the future.

But not everyone is convinced that green jobs will help the economy. In yesterday's Inland Empire News, Republican Senator Bob Dutton proclaimed that in California green jobs have not "pumped up" their economy. They are still reeling from high unemployment rates and what California really needs is more jobs, not necessarily green ones.

Perhaps the focus should not be on green or un-green jobs. Maybe we need to focus on a way to make all jobs as green as they can be. The real point here may not be to segregate the green industry from other industries, but that all jobs in one way or another are environmentally friendly.

Image courtesy of Llenrock Blog.

A Kilowatt Hour Saved is a Kilowatt Hour Earned. The CT Home Energy Solutions Program

by Andrew Graceffa



As you may have heard these days, energy efficiency is in. President Obama has stressed the sexiness of efficient buildings and billions have been dedicated through various programs to help homeowners and businesses save energy (and of course dollars) through efficiency upgrades. Some programs may even have catchy names such as Cash for Caulkers. But when it comes down to it, many people are still left scratching their heads wondering where to go or what it all means to them. Many are unaware of how to take advantage of the various programs and what is involved when you decide to pick up that phone. As a proponent of energy efficiency, and an owner of a relatively inefficient home, I recently decided to walk the talk and give one of the many programs a shot. I received an audit, not from the IRS but from Connecticut Home Energy Solutions for a home energy audit. 



A quick little background: The term "negawatt", coined in 1989 by Amory Lovins of the Rocky Mountain Institute, refers to a unit of saved energy. "Producing" negawatts (and their sister in fossil fuels, negatherms) is the intention of a home energy audit. Everybody benefits: The homeowner reduces costs; the utilities and regional community add power "capacity"; The grid stabilizes and reduces the need for an additional plant or distribution capacity. It's a win-win.



The Connecticut Home Energy Solutions (CT HES) is sponsored by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, a partnership formed by the State's major utility companies and funded by a small surcharge on each customers electric and natural gas bills. The CT HES is a subsidized energy audit, approximately $750 in value, made available to qualified homeowners for a modest fee of $75. In a Fairfield Minuteman article dated February 17th regarding Rep. Kim Fawcett recieving an energy audit, I decided to give the provider, Green Star Insulation of Brookfield, CT, a call. They quickly got back to me and after asking a few questions about my house (age, type, size, heating & cooling types, etc), they scheduled my appointment. And with a special little nugget: Fairfield, CT, using Recovery Act funds, was subsidizing the full $75 cost!



Carpet Tile: Not Just Something To Walk On

by Simone Pipek

Carpet tiles are a good alternative for the savvy shopper. They are inexpensive and, if you spill red wine on your little beige beauty, all you have to do is exchange this one tile. The downside is that the glue that is being used to hold the layers of the tiles together is commonly made of PVC or other unrecyclable chemicals.

According to an article in Green Chemistry, a British publication focusing on cutting-edge research on the development of alternative sustainable technologies, that currently leaves about 154 MILLION pounds per year of used tile to clog our landfills in Europe alone. This number can be doubled or tripled for the US.

But help is on the way. The Green Chemistry Center of Excellence in Great Britain, which is part of the University of York, conducted a study to get to the bottom of the problem. The powerful adhesives used to bind the layers of carpet tiles are so strong they can’t be separated. But the researchers, supported by the British division of InterfaceFlor, a U.S.-based manufacturer and distributor of carpet tiles, developed a new starch-based adhesive that is just as strong as established products. But, it still allows the layers to be separated and recycled for roofing materials or backing layers for new tiles, for example. Also, its resistance towards fire and extreme heat accounts as a huge success.

Four-Day School Week

by Eileen Weber

Today’s Headline News reported Illinois school districts were considering a four-day school week. This was a move, in part, to save money for some starving school budgets. But, it was also stated that there would be a side benefit to one less day for school children: Energy savings.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. DOE) and their EnergySmart program, schools spend more of their budget on energy costs than any other expense besides personnel. They estimate that the average school district spends $175 per student on energy costs per year. By being more energy-efficient, a school can cut its costs by as much as 30%. Can cutting one day a week serve that purpose, or present more problems?

The U.S. DOE will tell you that energy is one of the few expenses a school can reduce without sacrificing educational quality. The sad thing is, most school officials don’t realize that. Making energy-efficient choices in lighting, heating, and water usage can go a long way.

More to the point, schools that are energy efficient can use that to their advantage as a teaching tool. What better way to build future environmentalists than to start their learning process in an environmentally friendly school?

Event: Green Fair Stonington, CT - 4/10/10

Visit the GREEN FAIR, sponsored by Stonington Community Center and Stonington Farmer’s Market where you will find green businesses, non-profits, and educational groups. Great opportunity for visitors to become aware of Stonington’s environmental issues. Exhibitors will have information on green building supplies, alternative health care, organic clothing and food, personal development, yoga, eco-tourism and more.

When: 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
Where: Stonington Community Center, 28 Cutler Street, Stonington, CT

Contact: Emily Lewis (860) 535-2476 or emilylewis@thecomo.org
www.thecomo.org

Forgotten Factories in Our Backyards

by Michelina Docimo

It’s difficult not to notice the puffs of white smoke pouring out of a smokestack skyline while driving through Bridgeport on I-95. Passing through, abandoned factories blur into the background, edges fading on the coast’s cargo docks. Confused images of production and malfunction begin to mix.

Set in the outskirts in an area of Bridgeport that used to be buzzing factory businesses, The Gallery at Black Rock is hosting Industrial Strength where it becomes difficult to distinguish art from reality. Gallery director and owner, Eileen Walsh, has always had a fascination with factories, their simple exterior structure and the complex processes occurring inside. Assembling fifteen local artists, the show has a taste of what Bridgeport used to be and makes you wonder what it could become.

Walsh recalls how in the 1980s, Bridgeport was affected by drugs taking over the city. “It was a time when no one felt safe driving through the streets. But as the 1990s came, cocaine went out of fashion, which resulted in less crime.”  Urban planning and politics helped build Bridgeport’s self-esteem and now feels on the brink of something good to happen. The stigma still remains though, not only in the residents’ minds, but in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and soil we build on.

Fairfield U Paves Paradise to Put Up a Parking Lot

by Courtney Dumais   

Just two weeks ago, I wrote with pride and enthusiasm when sharing Fairfield University’s efforts to reduce its’ carbon footprint. Today, however, I write with sadness—even a sense of embarrassment—as I return to a less-green campus. While student were away for Spring Break, the University moved forward on new construction plans, commencing with the expansion of a parking lot and the subsequent slaying of trees.

The plans include the construction of two new dormitory buildings and the renovations of two older buildings. Together, the projects will cost $60 million and will result in the addition of 232 more beds on campus. The large-scale plan, announced to students on December 15th in the form of an e-mail, will help Fairfield University adequately accommodate student housing needs. However, most knew nothing of the plans to expand the parking lot until it was too late. When concerned students and faculty began expressing opposition to the parking lot expansion, the lot had already received approval by the town conservation and zoning commissions.

The Plastiki: An unconventional ship sets sail

by Simone Pipek

Don’t be fooled by its cute name! The Plastiki catamaran has a serious message. Everything on this boat is made out of reclaimed plastic. For instance, the hull is made of PET (recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate), which is widely used in plastic bottles, and an experimental fabric called self-reinforcing PET (srPET), woven from recycled fibers.

Unlike fiberglass boats, which cannot be recycled, Plastiki’s hull, deck and cabin are completely recyclable. The boat uses wind, solar and pedal power to move, and the roof of the cabin captures rainwater for showers. Over 12,000 plastic bottles were collected and filled with powdered dried ice for this project. Once the ice turns from a solid structure to gas it becomes carbon dioxide, which keeps the catamaran afloat.

Why build a boat made of recycled plastic?

First of all, I don’t think I have to tell you that recycled is always better than new materials. Secondly, the unconventional catamaran is drawing attention to the millions and millions of plastic bottles and plastic bags that flood our oceans. Starting at the San Francisco Bay, it will cross the 11,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean to eventually reach Sydney harbor in Australia. Three months of an exciting journey!

Green Beer, Food Coloring Not Included

by Eileen Weber

Growing up an Irish Catholic in New England--and certainly spending four years of college life in New Hampshire about an hour and a half outside Boston--St. Patrick’s Day was a big deal. And, it always included the ubiquitous green beer. Some slob handy with a keg tap would douse a mug o’ suds with green food coloring. The beer of choice was usually mass-manufactured (read: cheaper than dirt) and tasted not unlike rat urine in a cup.

(Please keep in mind, I’ve never tasted rat urine. I simply have an active imagination.)

Today’s handcrafted brewed beers are often green, minus the food coloring. Many of the brewers have taken the environment into consideration. Brewing is not just a funky job, but also a way of life. People who brew tend to be interested in their health as well as their surroundings.

According to an article dated June 24, 2009 from Wend Magazine online, a growing number of brewers have put sustainable practices in place. They recycle products and use organically grown ingredients. They use renewable energy in their manufacturing process and even try to find appropriate ways of eliminating the waste products after brewing. In general, some really great beers are green and it doesn’t take a food dye to make that happen.

“I think part of it is that you’re bringing people with a discerning palette into an industry that is very particular, which brings a mindset to production,” Jamie Emmerson, Brewmaster of Full Sail, recently named one of the 100 Best Green Companies to Work for in Oregon by Oregon Business magazine, was quoted as saying. “People who are focused on good quality are also focused on good quality of life.”

The Greener Coast

by Courtney Dumais

Hello from San Francisco!  I arrived here in the Bay area a week ago and have been greatly surprised and impressed with the city’s eco-friendliness. San Francisco seems one step ahead of the green curve, encouraging conservation and passing laws to ensure the future sustainability of the city.

Immediately I noticed the crisp, clean air and, at a closer glance, saw electric buses, hybrid cars and compost bins. That’s right, compost bins. In addition to the trash and recycling bins, San Francisco residents also place a green compost bin at the end of their driveways.

These bins are only one of the city’s many initiatives to reduce its’ carbon footprint and become more sustainable. The San Francisco Department of the Environment and Commission on the Environment work together to develop programs and suggest policies to reduce wastes, toxic material and emissions as well as to improve air and water quality and to increase efficiency in transportation and energy use.

The Mandatory Recycling and Composting Ordinance, effective in October 2009, requires residents to separate trash, recyclables and compostables into respective bins. This ordinance is part of the city’s goal of diverting 75% of waste from landfills by 2010 and achieving zero waste by 2020.

Underwear goes bananas

by Simone Pipek

The banana is a healthy snack, filled with dietary fiber, low in cholesterol, and a good source of vitamin D, potassium and vitamin B6. But there is much more to this beautiful yellow arch than just that.

Considered a waste product of harvesting, the stem of the banana plant is filled with fiber and is used for various textile products. From bags, rugs, and coasters to table mats and tablecloths, the banana fiber does it all. In Japan, banana fiber has been used for making kimonos since the 13th century. This lightweight fabric is known for its durability. Most importantly, it is 100% biodegradable without a trace of chemicals.

So it comes at no surprise that visionary manufacturers are trying to find a way to refine the fiber. Because banana fiber has a very small price tag attached to it, making it suitable for clothing can be especially attractive.

Electric Bus

by Eileen Weber

Getting from Point A to Point B may be a little greener these days for some schools and universities. Hybrid buses are being used for transportation here in Connecticut and as far away as Wyoming.

According to IC Bus, an Illinois-based subsidiary of Navistar, Inc., the largest manufacturer of school buses in the country, the average school bus uses over 1,700 gallons of fuel annually. The average hybrid, however, uses less than half that at 600 gallons. The hybrid buses also reduce emissions up to 40%.

Here are some other amazing statistics IC Bus would like you to know: The daily fuel cost of transporting a child to school by private vehicle costs $3.68 while the same child taking the bus only costs 73 cents; One school bus has the capacity to take 36 cars off the road, with a total of 17.3 million cars every year; If 10% more children rode the bus, another 300 million gallons of fuel would be saved annually.

These quick, little facts may not pop into your head when you see a big yellow bus belching exhaust in front of you at the stoplight. But many school officials are seeing buses as a way to be greener and cleaner.

GREEN HOME TOUR – 4/10/10 – New Hartford Connecticut

Support People’s Action for Clean Energy and learn about cutting edge green building technologies first hand including:

· low-budget, cost-efficient financing
· passive and active solar
· 7.6Kw grid-tied roof-mounted PV system (Connecticut Clean Energy leasing program)
· box design with open floor plan
· cupola (summer heat-release chimney effect)
· structural insulated panels (SIP) and pre-cast foundation
· three-foot thick sand earth-box heat sink (under slab)
· four evacuated tube solar collectors (hot water & radiant floor heating)
· Anderson 400 series low-e windows
· bamboo floors (second floor) · interior no-VOC paint (Harmony)
· waterless urinal
· Hardie Panel vertical cement siding · Energy Star appliances · motion sensor lights
· salvaged wood, doors & cabinetry · back-up water heating (small propane on-demand Takagi)
· LED and CFL lighting · Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score of 4

COST: $15.00 per person;  $10.00 for 2010 PACE members

Send a check to: PACE c/o Donna Grant, 128 Melrose Road, Broadbrook, CT 06016;
visit www.pace-cleanenergy.org and click on Events or call (860) 623-5487 for information.

This solar house tour is sponsored by PACE (People's Action for Clean Energy) and co-sponsored by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund.

Raw Deal - A Global Battle Over Fish

by Michael A.  Cuomo

Snow leopards, pandas, and chimpanzees, oh my! But bluefin tuna? Could a fish frequently served at local restaurants deserve the endangered species list? That question is to be decided at an upcoming conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). CITES members are meeting in Doha, Qatar from March 13-25 to vote on a proposal by Monaco to list bluefin tuna on Appendix I to the Convention, the result of which listing would be a complete ban on international trade of the fish. Conservation groups such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) say this is a last ditch effort to prevent extinction of the species, while fishing industry groups argue that a ban would wipeout the livelihoods of fisherman in the U.S. and Europe. Thousands of tons of bluefin are shipped each year to buyers in Japan and elsewhere. 

The bluefin population in the western Atlantic and Mediterranean has been devastated by relatively unchecked commercial fishing. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), chief overseer of the species, confirms that stocks have declined precipitously in the last forty years due to more effective fishing methods, such as purse seining and longlining, and an increased demand by consumers. 

VIDEO: Simple Complexity at Its Best

Help Save Clean Energy Rate Payer Funds - Again!

Breaking News from Connecticut Fund for the Environment : The Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing on the Governor's latest deficit mitigation package on Thursday, March 11, at 3:00pm.

This important hearing will impact the future of the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund and the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, ratepayer-funded programs that save money for homeowners and small businesses while cutting carbon emissions and supporting the state's growing clean energy industry. Contact Tisha Ferguson Outreach Director, CFE 203-787-0646 x108 tferguson@cfenv.org for more information.

Upcoming Events: Yale Center for Business and the Environment

MIT Enterprise Forum of CT - Concept Clinic for Earth Markets - An Energy Related Social Venture
March 10, 2010
5:00PM – 7:30PM
New Haven Lawn Club - 193 Whitney Avenue

Municipal Summit on Climate Action
March 13, 2010
9:00AM – 3:30PM
Kroon Hall - Burke Auditorium (195 Prospect Street)

Environmental Economics Seminar: Recidivism, Enforcement, Compliance
March 24, 2010
4:00PM – 5:30PM
Horchow Seminar Room - 55 Hillhouse Avenue

Green innovations, One gadget at a time

by Simone Pipek


On Tuesday, March 2, the CeBIT in Hannover, Germany, the world’s biggest tradeshow for the digital industry, opened its doors for its annual showcase of everything that’s new and newsworthy. Whereas a lot of products on display may make our lives easier, they might not necessarily be environmentally friendly.

One application though, developed by the renowned Fraunhofer Institute, might become a go-getter. This has been the coldest February in many years. This winter’s electric bill could send chills down your spines.


So imagine a world where you could literally see how much energy your washing machine uses—and at what cost—in real-time. And all you need is your beloved cell phone (it has to be a smart phone, though), which functions as a control device.

Fairfield University Goes Green

by Courtney Dumais

For the last five years, students, teachers and administrators at Fairfield University have joined together in an attempt to reduce the school’s carbon footprint. A major step took place in about three years ago with the installation of a Cogeneration power plant, known on campus as the “COGEN.” The plant, referred to by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as a combined heat and power plant (CHP), cleanly and efficiently generates and produces power and thermal energy. In the University’s case, the COGEN produces almost enough electricity to power the entire campus.

As a result of the COGEN, Fairfield University has reduced its’ emissions of three major greenhouse gases: sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide.  The plant is an integral part of the University’s sustainability initiatives and it successfully embraces the Jesuit mission to be good stewards of the Earth through social awareness and moral responsibility. 

In a previous article on this site, we discussed the Jesuits commitment to the environment with their recently renovated residence. The building incorporates closed loop geothermal heating and cooling system 400 feet underground, a roof garden that can absorb up to 95% of rainfall, and sustainable bamboo flooring.

Tool Belt Recession

by Eileen Weber

A plumber was called to a neurosurgeon’s house to fix a leaky faucet. After a few minutes, the plumber finished and gave the neurosurgeon the bill. The total was $150.

A little hot under the collar, the neurosurgeon exclaimed, 'I don't even get this much as an hourly rate!"

The plumber replied, "I didn't either when I was a surgeon. That's why I became a plumber."

Cute. But not necessarily accurate. Plumbers, electricians, and builders alike have all been hit hard with the recession. And, it looks like it may take a while before that changes.

According to a recent press release from the Center for American Progress, Connecticut’s construction industry has been reeling since December, 2008. While reports that the economy is starting to percolate, there are many who aren’t feeling any financial impact. With the national unemployment rate peaking at 10%, the unemployment rate for construction, both commercial and residential, is more than double.

The statistics are alarming: The unemployment rate for experienced workers in construction was 24.7 percent in January 2010; Total construction payroll employment has dropped by 2.1 million jobs since 2006, with residential construction down by 1.3 million, or 38%; For 2009, 12.4 percent of all unemployed workers were previously employed in the construction industry; There have been 134,000 jobs lost (10%) in construction-related retail, such as building supply stores and lumber yards, since December 2007, with 186,000 lost (14%) since July 2006.

USGBC National Talent Design Competition Registration: March 2 - May 31, 2010

For the first time the Connecticut Emerging Green Builders will be bringing USGBC’s NTDC to Connecticut and the surrounding areas. Students and merging Professionals will design a small, affordable, LEED Platinum-rated home for New Orleans, LA. Two winning teams from our area can expect generous prizes and will advance to the National Level Competition! Four National Winners will have their houses built in New Orleans and will win the chance to travel to GreenBuild this year in Chicago. Register your team online today!

Student Teams $50 Total.  Emerging Professionals $75 Total.

For more information, click here.

A Meeting of Sustainble Minds at The Art of Sustainable Architecture

by Michelina Docimo

In the film, A Beautiful Mind, the character of Nobel Prize winning mathematician and economist John Forbes Nash Jr. says, “In competitive behavior, someone always loses.” So true on all fronts of survival of the fittest whether the conversation matter is Democrat versus Republican, Yankees versus Mets, man versus nature, form versus function. Who wins? 

Our ordinary lives can sometimes feel like a struggle weighing the pros and cons – we ask ourselves, who do we believe?  What should I buy?  How much should I save? Where should I live? How will this make my life better? Everyday, we make choices in a fast changing world. Keeping up with the challenges of the economy, health, war, and global warming can feel like a race against time. Sacred Heart University’s Gallery of Contemporary Art current exhibition, The Art of Sustainable Architecture, addresses how we can come to a meeting ground by thinking collaboratively rather than competitively.

Why Wait? E-Cycle Now!

by Margaret Bota
 
On January 1, 2011, there will be a disposal ban for all e-waste in Connecticut. This means that you will no longer be able to throw your e-waste in the trash. Why have a restriction like this? Because too many people are dumping their electronics in the garbage. But the good news is we don't have to. Environmentally conscious citizens and businesses unite! E-cycle now!
 
The State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) plans to implement the bill for four years. While still in progress, this bill will do two things: Ban all covered electronic devices (CEDs) larger than a pager from landfills and incinerators; Change the way companies and consumers will dispose of their e-waste.
 
The reason for this ban is that lead, mercury, cadmium and brominated flame retardants are among the toxins in e-waste. When these electronics become obsolete at the end of life (EOL), they can cause waste problems if not properly managed.