CT Green Scene

The Skinny On…The New “It” Books!

by Courtney Dumais

A unique book series, The Skinny On, has emerged and is rapidly receiving rave reviews from readers around the world. The series began two years ago right here in Connecticut. What sets this new series apart from ordinary books is not only its ability to deliver concise, factual information, but to do so in an entertaining and easily digestible manner. The books, which range in topic from the housing crisis and credit cards to persuasion and will power, provide readers with a vast amount of knowledge.

The Skinny On series addresses and adapts to the modern way in which people read, collect and comprehend information in the age of instant communication and the Internet. Few people who grew up in such an age have the time, patience or attention span to read long pages of tiny, single-spaced text in a giant book.

Water With a Side of Bubbles

by Chitra 'Esther' Chelladurai
 
Like America, France has been making an effort to reduce their carbon footprint. According to The New York Times, Eau de Paris has inaugurated the first bubbly water fountain in a wooden hut of the Jardin de Reuilly, in eastern Paris. The City of Light has decided to use the tactic of putting bubbles in their drinking water. A peculiar way of approaching the green scene? Maybe. 



This particular idea was conceived in Italy but influenced the public water company Eau de Paris. Italians are the world's biggest consumers of sparkling water. Each of them averaged to more than 920 gallons of which half is sparkling water, so it means saving approximately 2,300 plastic bottles of 1.5 liters each a day. With these figures, the Italians have installed 215 sparkling water fountains in the country's northern regions. 



Visit a Dig In! Near You

by Eileen Weber

If you happen to be in the New Haven area on Saturday, you may want to stop by the lot next to Chabaso Bakery on James Street. Volunteers and staffers from the Fair Haven Community Health Center (FHCHC) will be participating in the Slow Food USA movement called Dig In! While there are events like this happening all over the country on Saturday, this is the only event of its kind in Connecticut.



The whole point of a Dig In! project is to share in the joys of working together as a community to grow food and then break bread afterward. From school gardens to backyard harvest to wherever local projects unite a community, Slow Food wants people to act like a community locally on a nation-wide scale. Much like the events sponsored by 350.org, this is Slow Food USA’s “day of action.” The FHCHC members along with staff from the bakery will join together to paint a mural, plant perennial flowers, and share in a delicious potluck meal.


Just What The Doctor Ordered

In recent news as cited in a previous article on this web site, organic produce is not only more nutritious for you but tastier too. In today's New York Times, it was reported that one doctor at the Kaiser Permanente medical facility in Oakland, CA has taken that information seriously. Since 2003, there has been a weekly farmer's market at the facility for doctors, patients, and hospital workers alike to enjoy.

His main point is that doctors need to know as much about nutrition as the rest of us do. And that starts from what you put in your mouth. All illnesses, in one way or another, have something to do with food: What you eat, how much you eat, what's in it. The kind of foods we eat have a major impact on heart disease and diabetes, two illnesses that affect millions of U.S. residents.

Eating a high fiber diet can lower cholesterol. A diet rich in olive oil can lower risks of certain types of cancer and heart disease. And need I mention avoiding high fructose corn syrup?

Read the excerpt below. For more of the article, click here.

Dirt! The Movie

by Eileen Weber

If you haven’t seen this movie, you should. On Wednesday evening, the Pequot Library screened the documentary Dirt! The Movie with a homemade pie auction and an awards ceremony celebrating local environmentalists afterward.

The event was sponsored by The Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm and emceed by Fairfield Green Food Guide’s Analiese Paik. The film, pardon the pun, digs in deep about all the things that happen to dirt—how we often disregard it, abuse it, ruin it, and fight over it. Produced and directed by Bill Benenson and Gene Rosow and narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis, it illustrates that what could be our most valuable resource is our most under-appreciated one.

Are you under 30? Have you done something amazing to make a difference in our environment? Then this contest is for you! Sponsored by Ecover, a California-based company launched in 1980 that produces sustainable cleaning products, it ends in another 15 days. There's still time to enter! See details below.

Grand Prize
The grand prize winner of the Thirty Under Thirty contest will receive a choice of a 6’ Santomer Dining Table + 2 Paulista benches or a Santomer Bed + a 2 Drawer End Table by Environment which are made from pieces of Peroba Rosa recovered from an old Brazilian coffee factory. To learn more about Environment and the grand prize, visit http://environmentfurniture.com.

2nd Prize
Our Thirty Under Thirty finalists will win Ecover products for a year! Visit our website to pick your favorites: http://www.ecover.com/us/en/

Prize Eligibility
Only persons residing in United States who are between 18 and 29 years of age can enter.

Contest Starts
September 01, 2010 @ 12:00 am (EDT)

Contest Ends
September 30, 2010 @ 11:59 pm (EDT)

For more information or to enter the contest, check out their web site.

Solar Roadways?

by Heather Burns

Returning from a trip to Washington, DC to meet with legislators and understand more about the mission of the American Business Council, led me to realize the influence that public policy has - particularly on ushering in and ensuring which innovative ideas rise to the top and take hold. Take this one for example: solar roadways that end our addiction to fossil fuels and pay for themselves. Is it really that simple, or do we need to consider whether our fossil fuel addiction could be replaced by a lithium addiction. Techy experts, please weigh in...

GREENING AMERICA'S CAPITALS - BOSTON AND HARTFORD

Two GreenScene cities, Boston and Hartford, selected for inaugural award

By Dan Burgess

As recently reported by GreenBiz, Boston and Hartford have been chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as two of the five cities that will partake in the Greening America’s Capitals program. This is great news as it means a team of EPA backed designers will visit each city and will create and design plans that promote smart growth and will help ensure the future sustainability for both capitals.

In conjunction with the U.S Department of House and Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the EPA will provide all five cities with plans for “high-quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, accessing and improving waterways, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs.”

Two GreenScene cities, Boston and Hartford, selected for inaugural award

By Dan Burgess

As recently reported by GreenBiz, Boston and Hartford have been chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as two of the five cities that will partake in the Greening America’s Capitals program. This is great news as it means a team of EPA backed designers will visit each city and will create and design plans that promote smart growth and will help ensure the future sustainability for both capitals.

In conjunction with the U.S Department of House and Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the EPA will provide all five cities with plans for “high-quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, accessing and improving waterways, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs.”

Two GreenScene cities, Boston and Hartford, selected for inaugural award

By Dan Burgess

As recently reported by GreenBiz, Boston and Hartford have been chosen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as two of the five cities that will partake in the Greening America’s Capitals program. This is great news as it means a team of EPA backed designers will visit each city and will create and design plans that promote smart growth and will help ensure the future sustainability for both capitals.

In conjunction with the U.S Department of House and Development and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the EPA will provide all five cities with plans for “high-quality green development that includes cleaning up and recycling vacant lands, accessing and improving waterways, providing greater housing and transportation choices, and reducing infrastructure and energy costs.”

Hot Summer? It’s About to Get a Whole Lot Hotter.

by Chitra Esther Chelladurai

Chitra is a sophomore at the University of Connecticut. She is highly interested in environmental science and fascinated by how the world works. Even though we are in the 21st century, she thinks more people should show concern for the earth and how we impact it. She would like to promote more awareness to illustrate why we need to care.

If you’re one of those that still deny global warming, take a closer look at Greenland. According to the Environmental News Network, the country's ice sheet is an extensive frozen body covering 660,235 sq mi, which is roughly 80% of the country’s surface. Scientists and researchers led by the University of Bristol say that their analysis on the geophysical and hydrological conditions beneath the Greenland massive ice sheet will help understand how it will respond to the climate change. In addition, this analysis will fundamentally help create a computer modeling of the ice sheet and foresee possible changes due to its erratic environment.  

Cohabitation in the New Haven Area

by Eileen Weber

I grew up in Easton on three acres of land with apple, pear and peach trees in the far field. It was an idyllic setting that my parents adored. There was one teensy-weensy problem with it, as far as I was concerned: Where were all the freaking neighbors?!?

I seethed with jealousy at my friends who had close-knit neighborhoods. They could just flop in any direction and there were kids to play with as far as the eye could see. While I had to arrange with my parents to drive me 15 to 20 minutes away for a play date, my friends could trick-or-treat within yards of their homes. I had the old guy in the far field across the street that, not surprisingly, wasn’t very fond of children.

Wouldn’t it be great to have the best of both worlds: An affordable home in a community setting? That’s exactly how the members of Green Haven Cohousing Community feel. For the last few years, they have been working toward building a sustainable existence in the New Haven area. They have hired sustainable business consultants, architects, and permaculture experts. They are planning for 33 single-family units that they hope will include a community garden and the ability to raise animals.

Originally, the group of cohousing members looked in downtown New Haven to make the community more accessible to the city center. But they couldn’t find a tract of land big enough to support their needs. Now, they’re looking at seven acres in Milford.

Fairfield Musician at New Haven Festival

by Eileen Weber

What could be better than a little hometown music mixed in with promoting a sustainable existence? This weekend, make your way to Edgerton Park in New Haven for the CT Folk Festival & Green Expo.

Now in its second decade, the New Haven-based CT Folk is the parent organization for the Connecticut Folk Festival & Green Expo, which is nonprofit and primarily volunteer. CT Folk is dedicated to traditional and contemporary roots music and to caring for the earth.

The festival and expo will have over 75 exhibitors, workshops and activities for both kids and adults, food from local vendors, and live music on their world stage from local musicians.  Starting at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, the first ever CT Folk Songwriting Contest will feature the competition’s finalists.

Out of over 75 musicians, only five were selected based on their abilities in songwriting and overall performance. One finalist will be chosen and asked to join the program scheduled for the Main Stage later that evening. That musician will share the stage with such professional peers as Susan Werner, Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, and the CT State Troubadour Lara Herscovitch

The finalists are Sam Chase and Walter Rodriguez of Massachusetts, Rebecca Pronsky and Allison Tartalia from New York, and Fairfield native Brian Dolzani.

The Organic Debate

by Susan Torres

These days, there are more health stores, organic markets, and natural products available to the average consumer. Many people question whether going organic is really all that beneficial or economical. A new study shows that it may very well be worthwhile. Your purchase power from the organic food aisle might just mean the difference between more nutritional food and an unhealthy meal for your family.

Researchers found that organic farms produced fruit that was more nutritious, flavorful, and had healthier, more diverse soil than conventional farms. The study focused on organic and conventional strawberry farms specifically in California because the state takes up 90 percent of the strawberry market in the United States. It compared 31 chemical and biological soil properties on 13 organic farms and 13 non-organic farms that used standard pesticides. Soil DNA, taste, nutrition, and quality were also examined, making this one of the most thorough and comprehensive studies of its kind.

Are you a Parent? Are you Awake?

by Heather Burns

I only needed to open the door a few days ago to my child's gymnasium and take one whiff of the newly polished floor to be reminded of how much work still needs to be done to create awareness, turn inaction into action and create real change when it comes to the toxic environment our children are exposed to.

And while I may not be able to instantly control what school administrators put on floors, on the lunch menu, or on the school yards - I can create change to the degree I feel comfortable, have time for or feel compelled.

Healthy Child, Healthy World is a stand up organization helping keep "conscious" parents like me well informed so I can make sound choices on behalf of my children.

Take An Autumn Stroll

Don't miss some of the fabulous nature walks and bird watching planned for September at the Audubon Greenwich. Visit their web site for more details or call them at 203-869-5272.

Saturday, September 4
TRIP: Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge
8:00 am-3:00 pm
Jamaica Bay on Long Island is a 'Mecca' of New York City barging areas.  Join Luke Tiller for a trip to this "birder's paradise" in search for shorebirds, herons, waterfowl, terns, raptors and songbirds. Bring lunch. Van leaves Audubon promptly at 8 a.m. $20/person. RSVP required to store: x221.

Autumn Morning Bird Walks:
Saturdays: September 11, 18, 25 & October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30.
Wednesdays: September 22, 29 & October 6, 13
Birders will meet at 7:30 am sharp, in front of the main building (613 Riversville Road) to start a walk there or to depart for other locations. No charge but RSVPs are appreciated. Leave a message at 203-869-5272 x221.

Saturday, September 11
Hawk & Raptor ID During The Migration
10:00 am - 1:00 pm
The hawk migration has begun and Luke Tiller will host an in-depth raptor ID class for anyone interested in learning more about how to put a name to those wings that are spotted over the center from August to November. Wing shapes, flight patterns and other ID clues will be reviewed during this class. $5/person. RSVP to store: 203-869-5272 x221.

Saturday, September 11
Spider & Late Summer Insect Hike
2:00-3:00 pm
Explore Audubon's fields, woods and pond edges for an amazing and wonderful variety of spiders, their webs, and signs of their insect prey. All ages. $3/person. RSVP to store: 203-869-5272 x221.

Wednesday, September 22
Nocturnal Migration with Luke Tiller and Benjamin Van Doren
7:30-9:30 pm
Discover the wonderful world of nocturnal bird migration. Just after sunset every fall and spring, millions of birds take off south to cross North America and head to wintering grounds in the southern US and in South & Central America. Learn more about this amazing phenomenon - detectable by sight, sound, and even radar - and then enjoy a walk outside to listen for migrants' calls and search for their silhouettes against the moon. $5 per person. RSVP to store: 203-869-5272 x221.

Predators in Peril on Land & Sea:
Poisoned Lions & Overfished Seas
Saturday, September 25
6:00-9:00 pm
Top predators are declining sharply in oceans and African ecosystems and something can be done. Learn what is needed to save these irreplaceable resources when two experts come discuss these tough topics. Jamie Pollack, co-founder of 'Shark Savers' will detail the Pew Charitable Trust's 'Federal Fisheries Reform Project' efforts to protect top predators in the sea and Brian Gaisford, renowned safari guide and partner with www.DefendersOfWildlife.org and National Geographic's 'Big Cat Initiative', will explain the fight against 'Furadan'-a pesticide made in the US, banned by EPA and in the EU, but still sold widely abroad, decimating wildlife populations in Africa. $20/person includes wine and cheese reception. Space limited. RSVP required to Jeff at 203-869-5272 x239.