CT Green Scene

Kimberly-Clark goes tubeless

Who doesn't enjoy a good roll of toilet paper? Kimberly-Clark's Scott Naturals hopes you will enjoy their new tubeless rolls. In what some are calling a much-delayed foray into the eco-friendly market, the company is launching this as a means to reduce waste. They will be testing the tubeless rolls here in the Northeast in chain stores like WalMart. See the excerpt below.

Roll with it: Scott's tube-free toilet paper
by Matt Hickman
Thu, Oct 28 2010 at 9:46 AM EST

"USA Today is reporting that on Monday at Walmart and Sam’s Club stores across the Northeast, Kimberly-Clark will introduce tube-free loo rolls through the Scott Naturals brand.

The "tube-less technology” behind the toilet paper is, not surprisingly, hush-hush. While the holes in the rolls may not be as round as we're accustomed to, they will fit over standard spindles and every last square of toilet paper will be useable. And to be clear, the toilet paper will not boast recycled content. But hey, it’s a start.

If the product performs well during the test run at Walmart and Sam’s Club, Kimberly-Clark may unleash tube-less toilet paper on a national — or even global scale — and extend the technology to paper towels."

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of Kimberly-Clark.

Lighthouse to Benefit from Massive Liquidation of Obsidium Antiques

This Friday October 29th through Sunday, October 31st  from 9 a.m – 5 p.m. each day, Beacon Preservation, Inc. (BPI) is hosting a  charity fundraiser to support Green Light Academy and The Penfield Lighthouse. Obsidium Antiques is liquidating their entire inventory of antiques in one, massive, three-day tag sale. Proceeds from the tag sale will benefit Beacon’s educational programs and the sustainable restoration of its Penfield Reef Lighthouse.

In a previous article on this site, we discussed the benefits the Green Light Academy in conjunction with Beacon Preservation has on the high school aged kids who help them preserve the area's lighthouses. 

Sale hours are Friday through Sunday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.
    Find us at: 157 Main Street, Ansonia, Connecticut 06401
    (Warehouse entrance between Senior Center & Wachovia Drive-Up)
    Friday, October 29th (20% tag price)
    Saturday, October 30th (25% off)
    Sunday, October 31st (30% off)
    Monday, November 1st (pick up day and make an offer!)
    CASH, PAYPAL, & CREDIT CARDS via ONLINE DONATION

Are you going the wrong weight?

by Chitra Esther Chelladurai

The holiday season is here and everyone knows what that means: Packing on those pounds with sweet and savory foods only to make New Year’s resolutions promising to lose them again. What if this holiday season you could avoid losing those extra pounds and go green by doing simple things?

Indeed, it is true that reducing your weight directly plays a hand in reducing your carbon footprint. Kate Geagan, the author of Go Green Get Lean, states that raising beef accounts for 18 percent of global warming emissions worldwide. If for one day you switch to the vegetarian meals Geagan suggests in her book, you’ll save roughly 890 calories and nine pounds of carbon. Do this for two weeks, and you’ll reduce your carbon footprint by 122 pounds and your calories by 12,460—leaving yourself about three and a half pounds lighter.

You don’t need to go gung-ho vegetarian or vegan but according to Planet Green cutting meat out of your diet reduces your carbon footprint by over 5,000 pounds annually. It can also reduce weight in actual pounds annually. As you many of you may have noticed you don’t often come across a hefty vegan or vegetarian. Also, eating organic foods is usually better for you than eating processed foods; they often have less packaging waste as well.

Personal and Planetary Health

by Angela Hotaling

Going for a hike or cooking and eating a fresh meal are things that make me feel good. Instead of driving to school, I decide to walk because it saves gas, reduces my daily carbon emissions, and feels great. The connections between taking care of oneself and taking care of the environment go hand in hand. The mission of Rodale.com aims to make people aware of this connection; it promotes sustainable living for oneself and for the planet.

Rodale is a multidimensional company that has confronted environmental issues for many years. It has authored and published books ranging from gardening to recycling, and even climate change. What’s special about Rodale is that its goal is to promote “healthy living on a healthy planet.” The website describes itself and its literature as focusing on the environment and “helps readers grow a better world, starting with their own backyards.”

101 Things To Do with Poop

by Eileen Weber

O.K., maybe not 101 things. More like a tiny handful. But poop is still poop, even when you repurpose it. In this case, jewelry made from moose droppings will probably be the most unusual gift item this coming holiday season. Made in Maine (of course), it’s clear Down-Easters have a lot of time on their hands.

These little beauties can be found as dangling earrings, pendants, tie tacks and even Christmas ornaments. But Mainers aren’t the only ones wondering what to do with poop. Alaskans are also proud producers of poop jewelry, called Moose Nuggets. Earrings, tie tacks, even swizzle sticks. They’ve got ‘em too.

Perhaps it’s the cold that makes them crazy…

NASCAR...Green?!?

This morning's Environmental News Network reports that NASCAR is greening it up these days. With 50 cars whipping around in races as long as 500 miles at five miles per gallon of gas, that sounds unbelievable. But the corporation has made a shift to use 15% ethanol made from domestic corn, planted trees to offset carbon emissions, and installed solar panels at their sports facility in the Poconos. Read the excerpt below.

The Greening of NASCAR
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published October 18, 2010 10:30 AM

"NASCAR is a sport that certainly burns a lot of fuel. Realizing this, management of the association, under CEO Brian France, is making efforts to offset their carbon emissions. They have joined forces with sponsors to set up the world's largest recycling program. They maintain the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility at the Pocono Raceway. They have also done a massive tree-planting which NASCAR claims neutralized all carbon emissions produced by the Sprint Cup Series racecars.

Their most recent step is to change the fuel used in all three major national series to Sunoco Green E15, a 15 percent ethanol blend made from domestic corn. While the benefits of corn-based ethanol are debatable, they will help NASCAR lower carbon emissions while not affecting engine performance, the sport's biggest concern."

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of NASCAR.com.

Practical Green Remodeling, by CT Author Barry Katz

Long time Connecticut resident, (and occasional CT Green Scene contributor) Barry Katz, has just published an informative new book: PRACTICAL GREEN REMODELING: Down-to-Earth Solutions for Everyday Homes.

Published by Taunton Press, the book offers a compelling argument for remodeling green, guiding readers through process with over 200 color photographs of green remodeling projects from across the country.

What sets this book apart from the many how-to books on the subject is the author's emphasis on the "what to" and the "why to" of going green at home.

Asked what inspired him to write this book, Katz said, "I wanted not only to show readers what is possible, and often easy, to achieve in terms of creating energy efficient, environmentally friendly, and healthy living environments, but to provide a clear explanation of the complex and interconnected issues that make going green such a compelling choice for a growing number of people around the world."

Excerpts from the book can be found on the author's blog, The Future is Green. You can also follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/FutureGreen

 

The President’s Push for Solar Energy

by Angela Hotaling

Last Tuesday, at the GreenGov Symposium at George Washington University the Obama Administration announced its decision to use solar panels and a solar hot water heater in the White House. This decision has generated a lot of media attention. John M. Broder, of the New York Times Green blog said in his October 5th post that “The announcement is part of a broader administration push to promote renewable energy and reduce emissions of climate altering gases produced by fossil fuels.”

Just a month ago Bill McKibben of 350.org attempted to convince the Obama Administration to reinstall President Carter’s solar panels. Broder mentions that McKibben’s feelings toward the decision are all positive, Broder says, “He is thrilled that the White House has finally seen the light.” It is an interesting choice of words considering the rays of sun that will soon heat parts of the White House Residence.

Wind Farming with Google

by Susan Torres

The Atlantic Coast is getting a makeover. Within the next decade, a recent proposal could bring the country’s largest wind farm to the coast of Northern New Jersey down to Norfolk, Virginia. The project, the Atlantic Wind Connection, just got a big boost from Google.
    



The ubiquitous Internet company, along with New York based investment firm Good Energies, have pledged 37.5 percent of the estimated $5 billion dollars needed to fund the project. It’s estimated the first phase, which will run from the top of New Jersey to Delaware, will be completed in early 2016, according to the New York Times. This section alone will cost $1.8 billion dollars. Once completed, the Atlantic Wind Connection will be the country’s first offshore wind collection project.
   

Save Some Green This Season

by Chitra Esther Chelladurai

Fall is in the air and all the vibrant colors of the season are slowly setting in. With all the preparations for Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's, everyone will be hustling and bustling! One thing you should keep in mind for the fall is to do a home inspection and winterization check for your home.

Environmentally friendly home winterization methods are becoming increasingly popular. According to The Daily Green, making a quick home checkup this fall will save you a roomful of money, not mention make your home safer and more environmentally sound.

Hungary Works Toward Emergency Dam by Tuesday

Here's the latest update on the toxic spill in Hungary courtesy of Reuters. Not surprisingly, human negligence is fingered as the culprit for environmental damage. Read an excerpt below.

Hungary state to take control of MAL after spill
By Gergely Szakacs
BUDAPEST | Mon Oct 11, 2010 9:23am EDT

"Disaster crews were racing Monday to finish an emergency dam to hold back a threatened second spill of the toxic mud, a by-product of alumina production, from the sludge reservoir owned by MAL.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban told parliament damages must be paid to those affected by the spill, jobs at the plant must be saved, those responsible must be held accountable and further risks at the company's sites should be identified.

'Hungary's largest ecological disaster was caused by human negligence, by allowing a hazardous material to escape from a plant built and operated by people,' Orban said.

'We need to bring the company responsible for the red sludge spill under state control, and its assets under state closure, until all of these four tasks are handled,' he told parliament.

Orban said a state commissioner would be appointed to take over control over MAL and manage its assets.

'In light of what happened, we have good reason to believe that there were people who were aware of the dangerously weakened state of the walls of the reservoirs, but driven by their private interests they believed they were not worth repairing and hoped that the trouble could be avoided.'"

To read more of the article, click here.

Image courtesy of Reuters.com.

Planning for a Green Baby

By Eileen Weber

A father asked his young daughter what she would like for Christmas. She said that what she wanted more than anything else was a baby brother. That Christmas Eve, her mother came home from hospital clutching a baby boy.

The following year, the father again asked his daughter what she would like for Christmas. "Well," she replied, "if it's not too uncomfortable for Mommy, I'd like a pony."

Most first-time parents probably know as much about caring for ponies as they do babies. Any veteran mom can tell you, having a family can be one of the most rewarding—and the most challenging—part of our lives.

That’s where Berkeley Murray comes in. A 15-year Fairfield resident, she has recently launched Bliss Baby Planning. She has a master’s degree in Elementary Education, certification with the International Baby Planner Association, and countless years working with families who just need a helping hand.

Murray, an easy-going mother of two, said getting her business off the ground has been years in the making. Parents struggle with the new responsibilities of taking care of a child. It can be a pretty daunting task taking care of a newborn, juggling the new baby with a toddler who has sleep issues, or becoming an adoptive parent for the first time.

Leaf Peeping Season Underway

by Angela Hotaling

Angela is a recent graduate from SUNY Oneonta where she earned a B.S in Philosophy. She is a native to southern Columbia County in New York and is there now working on her applications to graduate school. Angela is very passionate about the environment and enjoys hiking, playing, and promoting the protection of various places. One of her favorite places to visit is the Catskill Mountains. She also enjoys traveling, cooking fresh vegetarian meals, and reading. One of the accomplishments that Angela hopes to achieve within the next year is to master her downhill skiing abilities.   
   
It’s foliage season! All throughout the northeast, residents and visitors admire the yellows, oranges, and reds of giant oaks and maples. The trees are a significant tourist attraction throughout the area and people value the sensual autumnal stimulation that is flying through the air. Autumn is a period of transition between summer and winter and it contains feelings of reflection and anticipation. We miss the hot, languid days of summer as the days grow shorter. The winter will soon be here.