CT Green Scene

S510: Much Ado About Nothing?

There was an interesting article in The New York Times on Sunday. It was Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser's review of what the Food Safety Modernization bill (S510) will actually mean to consumers. There has been much debate about the bill, especially how it will fare in the "lame duck" government we now have since the early November elections.

If the thousands of people affected every year from food-borne illnesses are any indication, food regulation is obviously a necessity. The question is can the FDA handle it? To some, as in Jim Prevor's article in The Weekly Standard today, the FDA is a slow-moving behemoth that won't do much more regulation than it already does and will simply increase costs for the average consumer.

The point of the bill is for the FDA to become a proactive agency, rather than a reactive one. Instead of waiting until people get sick, why not protect against the source of contamination before it becomes a problem? It's kind of like safe sex for food groups. Sounds good in theory, but can it be done? Only time will tell.

See an excerpt below from Pollan and Schlosser's article:

A Stale Food Fight
By MICHAEL POLLAN and ERIC SCHLOSSER
Published: November 28, 2010

"THE best opportunity in a generation to improve the safety of the American food supply will come as early as Monday night, when the Senate is scheduled to vote on the F.D.A. Food Safety Modernization bill. This legislation is by no means perfect. But it promises to achieve several important food safety objectives, greatly benefiting consumers without harming small farmers or local food producers.

Thanksgiving: One More Reason to Become Vegetarian

I came across Sarah Silverman's heartwarming story of watching her Thanksgiving turkey get slaughtered. Her rendition was reminiscent of Dav Pilkey's children's book 'Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving, in which a bus full of school children take a pre-holiday field trip to a turkey farm only to realize that turkey really doesn't come from styrofoam and plastic packaging. Here is Silverman's video clip below and a link to her site (on the off chance my technical prowess eludes my video embedding capabilities).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sarah Silverman's Thanksgiving Special from Sarah Silverman

 

Going Green with Google

by Chitra Esther Chelladurai

Google is an American public corporation that controls and researches many computing technologies. According to Wikipedia, Google hosts and develops a number of internet based services and products, and generates profit primarily from advertising through its AdWords program. 
   

Google has many green initiatives and is one of the leading organizations in developing green technologies and encouraging their use. Their main initiatives are to reduce their carbon footprint, ensure efficient computing, and help their employees be green. In addition, they are trying to research and develop more efficient tools to enable their users to make their lives more green.

New Exhibit Coming Soon at the Maritime Aquarium

Seasons of Change: Global Warming in Your Backyard is a new exhibit coming soon to the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. It will show you how climate change is already affecting the plants, animals and environments of New England.

The new interactive exhibit will feature:

• Computerized “fly-overs” of Boston and New England illustrating the effects of flooding and sea level rise.
• Terrariums illustrating how our local flora can be affected by having more carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air.
• Global climate-change simulation models and much more.

The exhibit encourages visitors to become a “Citizen Scientist” and develop their own projects to study the environment. Projects could range from bird watching to water testing or temperature tracking.
 
Seasons of Change was developed by the Center for Environmental Studies at Brown University, and funded by the National Science Foundation. The presentation of Seasons of Change is made possible at by the generous support of the Betsy and Jesse Fink Foundation of Norwalk.

Members of the Aquarium can preview the exhibit on Sunday, December 12th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. For more information, visit their web site or contact them at 203-852-0700.

Bad News for the Birds and the Bees

According to a news release from Environmental New Network, the bird and bee populations have been dwindling because of pesticides containing nicotine. Neonicotinoids, a derivative of the substance, are essentially glued onto plant seeds which are then ingested by insects. When the insects die off, a primary food supply disappears for the birds. Bees are also affected because it interferes with their navigational systems so they neglect feeding and tending to larvae. See an excerpt below.

Modern Insecticides' Devastating Effects
From: David A Gabel, ENN
Published November 16, 2010 09:30 AM

"Like DDT before it, a new class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids is believed to be causing drastic population declines in bird species. It is so effective at killing insects, that it has deprived birds of their basic food. Some scientists also believe they are behind the decline in bee populations in Europe and the United States known as honey-bee Colony Collapse Disorder...

The effectiveness of this pesticide has certainly taken a toll on insects, but has taken a much more noticeable toll on birds. In Britain, the house sparrow population has declined by 68 percent since 1977. Since 1994, the common swift population has shrunk by 41 percent and the starling by 26 percent. Other birds affected include the spotted flycatcher, wood warbler, snipe, and song thrush.

Neonicotinoids are used on a level far lower than DDT was used back in its time, but since it is so efficient at killing insects, it is having the same effect. For that reason, it is loved by farmers in protecting their crops. The chemical also makes the plants more resistant to drought, low pH levels, heat stress, and viral infections."

To read more of this article, click here.

Image courtesy of ENN.com.

New CT Young Birders Club to visit Hammonasset this weekend

Audubon & Partners Launch A New Young Birders Club in Connecticut

Realizing there was a great deal of interest from younger birders and hawk watchers, the Audubon staff in Greenwich launched a new club for Connecticut’s young birders on October 16, 2010.  Similar clubs already exist in New York, Vermont, Ohio, and other states and provide a great opportunity for both new and more experienced young birders to teach and learn from each other.  When several other organizations expressed support for the idea and a desire to be involved, the staff got the ball rolling.

The kick-off event was a great success, with eleven members age eight through 15 joining us for the inaugural meeting and walk here at Audubon Greenwich.  The club was extremely privileged to have legendary birder and author Kenn Kaufman join our meeting and lead our initial trip.  On their walk, Kenn fielded the huge numbers of questions from the kids, which ranged from separating the calls of White and Red-breasted Nuthatch to the decision making process on English bird names at the International Ornithological Union.  Their excitement and enthusiasm for the birds they saw and their time with Kenn was the perfect start to this initiative!

Reusable Bags the New Environmental Evil?

Can it be? The very bags we strut around town with believing we're doing good for the planet may contain harmful levels of lead, according to an article in yesterday's New York Times. More often than not, the bags are manufactured in China. The carbon footprint alone may be problematic for some. But many are afraid the lead may leach into the food we put inside them. We posed this same environmental question in a previous article on this site in January, 2009. See the NY Times excerpt below.

Even Reusable Bags Carry Environmental Risk
By MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM
Published: November 14, 2010

"They dangle from the arms of many New Yorkers, a nearly ubiquitous emblem of empathy with the environment: synthetic, reusable grocery bags, another must-have accessory for the socially conscious.

But the bags, hot items at upscale markets, may be on the verge of a glacier-size public relations problem: similar bags outside the city have been found to contain lead...

There is no evidence that these bags pose an immediate threat to the public, and none of the bags sold by New York City’s best-known grocery stores have been implicated. But reports from around the country have trickled in recently about reusable bags, mostly made in China, that contained potentially unsafe levels of lead. The offending bags were identified at several stores, including some CVS pharmacies; the Rochester-based Wegman’s grocery chain recalled thousands of its bags, made of recycled plastic, in September."

To read more, click here.

Image courtesy of GoGreen-Bags.com.

Get Your “Fracks” Straight

by Angela Hotaling

A biting controversial issue about the environmental impacts of hydraulic fracturing has recently caught my interest. Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is the process of extracting natural gas from under the earth’s surface. Wells are drilled deep into the ground and then water, sand, and chemicals are pumped at high pressures to break shale formations and release pockets of natural gas. The gas industry has exploded over the past several years creating jobs and supplying energy; however not without stirring up some very hot debate in the process.

Last week, The New York Times published an article about hydraulic fracturing. The article, written by Clifford Krauss and Tom Zeller Jr., says, “Natural gas currently satisfies nearly a quarter of the nation’s power needs. And with vast methane reserves now available in previously inaccessible layers of shale deep underground, its position as a cornerstone of the domestic energy supply may well be secured for decades--if the public supports it.”

"Living Downstream" ... Coming this Friday night!

A film about toxins in the environment and the cancers that affect everyone's lives

Friday, November 12
6:00-8:30 pm
Audubon in Greenwich

Living Downstream is a powerful movie about the intimate connection between the health of our bodies and the health of our air, land, and water. Through the story of one woman, Sandra Steingraber, filmmakers follow invisible toxins as they migrate to some of the most beautiful places in North America. See how these chemicals enter our bodies and why scientists believe they are making us sick.

6 PM Reception / 7 PM Screening. $15 per person includes wine, cheese and snacks during the reception. Space is limited and RSVPs are required. To sign up, leave a message for Jeff Cordulack: 203-869-5272 x239 or sign up via email.

For more information about the film and about Sandra Steingraber, visit Audubon Greenwich's website for the film.

Connecticut Bike Walk Summit 2010

Saturday, November 13, 2010, 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Central Connecticut State University
New Britain, CT
 
Early registration for the Summit is recommended as seating is limited.

Please go to www.ctbikewalksummit.org for payment and registration.

Cost is $15 for Bike Walk CT members; $25 for non-members.

Questions? E-mail bikewalkct@bikewalkconnecticut.org or call 860-904-2420.

A Green Guide to Thanksgiving

by Chitra Esther Chelladurai

The holiday season seems to go by pretty quickly preparing for one after another. With all the planning, cooking, and cleaning, the last thing you want to think about is how to save mother earth in the process of it, right? With Thanksgiving coming up this is the perfect time to reflect and reassess your holiday preparations!

For most families, tradition sets the precedent for future Thanksgiving meals and a simple phone call, email, text, or even a hand-letter invitation on recycled paper can easily confirm the details. Whatever mode of communication you choose, it’s will be a much better way of making sure if any of your guests have special food needs. For example, if they are vegan, vegetarian, pescetarian, or even have food allergies. Simple questions like these asked at least two weeks ahead of time can save you a world of last-minute headaches.

Kitchen Confidential

by Eileen Weber

I hear the aching crack as the wood slats are torn from their sockets, like the gaping maw of a pulled tooth. As the remnants hit the inside of the metal dumpster, there is a deep thud sounding much like a low moan from the weight of it. The waste piles up, day after day. I feel an inner cringe…

That’s just a little taste of what it’s like to have your kitchen renovated. While I’m pleased with the final result, I’m wondering if the end justifies the means. Every day, more junk got thrown into that dumpster than I would like to admit. The final resting place would, of course, be a landfill. And there it will sit. And sit. And sit.

I take some comfort in the fact that I had my fir flooring salvaged. (Joe DeRisi from Hamden’s Urbanminers helped me out. I had written an article about him previously on this site and I knew he did what he called “deconstruction.”) I also used Green Demolitions to remove the old cabinetry and appliances. The donation will be a tax write-off.

Eco-Snow Blower

Looking for a stress-free way to shovel the snow this winter? Why not try the Sno Wovel? This contraption made by New Canaan-based Structure Solutions II, LLC, clears snow away three times faster than snow blowers and does it without the fumes. See an excerpt below from a press release posted on the Environmental News Network.


"Structured Solutions II announced the launch of their newly-designed wheeled snow shovel this fall. The all new Folding Frame Sno Wovel® debuts in a new category of hybrid tools, combining safety for the user, protection of the environment and high-performance. The Sno Wovel is the only human-powered snow removal device performing equal to or better than a snow blower. No fuel, fumes and deafening noise to harm the environment or the operator. The Sno Wovel's zero-carbon footprint and maintenance-free design makes it a formidable competitor to noisy combustion engine snow blowers."

To read more of the press release, click here. For more information about the Sno Wovel, visit their web site or call their customer service at 877.699.6835.

Donate Food : Save Energy

Otto’s Market: A Small Store With Big Messages

by Angela Hotaling

In upstate New York there sits a small country style market named Otto’s. Hudson Valley Magazine awarded Otto’s with the title of best, new, local food market. The mission statement says it all: It aims “to be the best small grocery store in the Hudson Valley.” With a diversity of clientele ranging from farm families to New York City tourists, a good thing about Otto’s is it aims to “give the customers what they want!” This means that Otto’s shelves need to be stocked with a wide range of products at a range of approachable prices.

In order to be a long lasting business in such a small town, it really boils down to supply and demand. Otto Leuschal, the market’s owner, says that before he opened in the winter of 2008, he gathered a panel of Germantown residents to question them about what kinds of products they’d like to see in the store. He says before he consulted the panel, he would have had no idea to stock some of the items that were mentioned. This kind of dedication is what counts. With so many stores that have superfluous products overflowing the shelves, Otto’s gets to the point of grocery shopping.