CT Green Scene

Upcoming Green Events

Environmental Policy and Eco-feminism in China and India
Wednesday, November 30th from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., Fairfield University, Multimedia Room, DiMenna-Nyselius Library, Fairfield. 
Please join Fairfield University’s Program on the Environment for a panel discussion of global environmental issues among women in China and India. Dr. Danke Li will discuss her interviews with Liao Xiaoyi, winner of the Sophie Prize in 2000, awarded to her by President Bill Clinton for her efforts in building sustainable housing in China. Dr. Gita Rajan will discuss environmentally conscious companies among women in India, who are entering the global economy in a time of environmental crisis. The talk is free and open to the public.  Refreshments will be served. Please contact Professor Elizabeth Petrino at (203) 254-4000 x3014 or epetrino@fairfield.edu for further information.
 
Hear Commissioner James Redeker, Connecticut Department of Transportation 
Thursday, December 1st, 2011 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., 45 Church Street, New Haven. Commissioner James Redeker of the Department of Transportation will be speaking to the public on his agency's visions for creating a sustainable development model supported by smart land-use decisions that integrate rational mass transit, economic development, and smart-energy practices. Join 1000 Friends of Connecticut and learn more about the rare opportunities our regions face in curbing the sprawling development that has turned our highways into parking lots every morning and every evening during rush hour.  Register for free at http://www.1000friends-ct.org/2011-speaker-series-registration-redeker-conndot.html.

Congress and School Lunch: Are You Kidding Me?

by Eileen Weber

OK, this is where I get cranky. I can't keep my mouth shut when it comes to school lunches. I have three girls of my own in elementary school, so this means a lot to me. To call school lunches crap is being charitable. For way too long we have been feeding our kids the food equivalent of a pig with lipstick. And frankly, a little pork would go a long way. But instead of pork, we give them "pork product" and call it food. It is laden with high fructose corn syrup, preservatives, and food dyes. Then, we sit back and wonder why our kids are clinically obese and have diabetes. Huh, go figure.

When I saw this segment on Nightly News with Brian Williams tonight, I had to post it. It says everything that needs to be said: Congress considers pizza--hello???? pizza!--a vegetable because of the two tablespoons of tomato paste per slice. This is beyond idiocy. This is agribusiness greasing the palms of every Congressman with nothing better to do with their time. Let's go to the videotape!

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

Audubon Greenwich At Home Lecture Series

Looking for something to do tomorrow night? Head out to the Audubon Greenwich to find out how to insulate your home and still be green!

Green Homes, Green Buildings:
An "Audubon At Home" Series in Greenwich
 
Green Insulation Choices for Residential Architecture
Presented by Foster Lyons from Coastal Point Construction, LLC
 
November 17, 2011
6:00-8:30 pm
 
Foster Lyons is co-owner of Coastal Point Construction, LLC, in Cos Cob, CT.  Since entering the construction industry in 1988, he has been involved with the construction management of over 800 units of housing. He has served as Superintendent, Project Manager, Project Executive and company owner for many commercial and residential projects in Connecticut, New York City and its northern suburbs. Foster’s educational background, especially in the areas of heat and moisture transfer allows him a comfortable familiarity with building science and green construction. Foster holds a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Michigan State University and a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Georgetown University.

Lyons' lecture will be a detailed explanation of the numerous thermal insulation choices for residential architecture and a methodology for proper selection. It is suitable for both homeowners and building professionals.
 
Learning Objectives

• Learn about the various thermal insulation materials available for use in residential construction.
• Learn about the ideal exterior wall, roof and floor system.
• Understand how to calculate the code required insulation thicknesses.
• Understand how the code requirements relate to actual building performance.
• Identify the appropriate locations for the various insulation types.
• Identify the multiple pros and cons for commonly available thermal insulation materials
• Learn to calculate the cost differences between the commonly available thermal insulation materials.

1.5 Hours, 1.5 AIA Learning Units, HSW, SD
 
$20 per person. RSVP Required. RSVP to Jeff Cordulack at 203-869-5272 x239 or jcordulack@audubon.org.   6:00 pm: Wine & Cheese Reception / 7:00-8:30 pm: Presentation

Savoring Seaweed

by Dr. Amy Wiesner

Seaweed is being extolled as another superfood--and for good reason. It is not only highly nutritional, but has been shown to have health-improving effects as well.

Seaweed, or sea vegetables as they are also called, is a form of algae that grows in salt water. There are many thousands of varieties, many of which are edible. They are green, brown, red and black in color. We know mostly of the Japanese using seaweed in sushi, but it is used in food throughout Asia and even in the British Isles.

Traditional Chinese Medical doctors have been using sea vegetables to treat their patients for thousands of years. In other ancient societies, sea vegetables were used to bind wounds due to their anti-microbial properties. Types of sea vegetables include nori, spirulina, wakame, hijiki, Irish moss, chlorella and dulse.

Nutritionally, sea vegetables are abundant in minerals including iodine, sodium, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and selenium. Protein content varies by species, but red algae like nori and dulse generally have the most and it can equal the levels of protein found in soybeans. Vitamins in sea vegetables include B12, C and E, thus making it a good addition to a vegetarian’s diet.

Polysaccharides, which are fibrous and have been shown to have blood sugar and cholesterol-lowering properties, are also found in abundance. Due to the fiber content, they cause satiety and help keep the digestive tract healthy. Fucoidan, a type of polysaccharide found in brown sea vegetables, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-viral and immuno-modulating effects.  It also has anti-tumor and radioprotective properties.

Carotenoids, which are antioxidants, are found in green, red and brown algae, further making sea vegetables an excellent addition to the diet.

Eating sea vegetables regularly can both prevent and treat illness, thus making it an appetizing addition to the diet. Care should be taken however, in individuals with thyroid dysfunction as too much iodine, as found in sea vegetables, could exacerbate the condition.

Image courtesy of www.seaweed.ie.

Are Americans Greener Now More Than Ever?

While the Solyndra debacle may have cast a dull light on all things environmental, there is an upshot. According to a new study by GFK Roper Consulting in conjunction with SC Johnson via ENN, Americans are more environmentally conscious today than they were 20 years ago. OK, it took two decades to make a dent. But still, nice that it happened. 

Here are a few statistics: Seventy-three percent of Americans say they know a lot about environmental issues. Fifty-eight percent separate their trash and recycle on a regular basis. Eighteen percent have cut down on their regular automobile usage. Small things, big change.

A more comprehensive story was reported on PR Web. See the excerpt below.

Study Shows Americans Adopting Environment-Friendly Habits, Non-Profits Like Campus California Help These Trends by Bringing Together Business and The General Public
Richmond, CA (PRWEB) November 01, 2011

A new study published by GFK Roper Consulting shows that influencing mass behavior of Americans towards more environmentally friendly lifestyle is possible. The 2011 survey of over 2000 residents of the continental US shows positive changes in the knowledge and actions of Americans concerning the environment.

“According to the survey results knowledge about environmental issues and problems is on the rise and Americans are less likely to be confused over what is good and bad for the environment. About seven in 10 now say they know a lot or a fair amount about environmental issues and problems, up from about five in 10 during the mid-1990’s,” says in the conclusion of the GFK Roper Green Gauge study.

To read the original report, click here.

Farmageddon screening at Westport Cinema

Friday, November 18th
7:30 p.m.
Christ and Holy Trinity Church
75 Church Lane
Westport, CT

Americans’ right to access fresh, healthy foods of their choice is under attack. Farmageddon tells the story of small, family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by agents of misguided government bureaucracies, and seeks to figure out why.

Filmmaker Kristin Canty’s quest to find healthy food for her four children turned into an educational journey to discover why access to these foods was being threatened. What she found were policies that favor agribusiness and factory farms over small family-operated farms selling fresh foods to their communities. Instead of focusing on the source of food safety problems — most often the industrial food chain — policymakers and regulators implement and enforce solutions that target and often drive out of business small farms that have proven themselves more than capable of producing safe, healthy food, but buckle under the crushing weight of government regulations and excessive enforcement actions.

Farmageddon highlights the urgency of food freedom, encouraging farmers and consumers alike to take action to preserve individuals’ rights to access food of their choice and farmers’ rights to produce these foods safely and free from unreasonably burdensome regulations. The film serves to put policymakers and regulators on notice that there is a growing movement of people aware that their freedom to choose the foods they want is in danger, a movement that is taking action with its dollars and its voting power to protect and preserve the dwindling number of family farms that are struggling to survive.

The film is presented by Westport Cinema Initiative and the Westport Farmers Market. The event is sponsored by Whole Foods Market.

Snowtober signals Climate Change

The wrap-up from this weekend's freakish storm in the Northeast pretty much says it all: Climate Change is not a fantasy dreamed up by environmentalists with nothing better to do. It is very real and has a sizeable impact. This year alone, we have seen more damaging weather from horrendous storms causing massive power outages to year-long droughts in Texas. The handwriting is on the wall, people.

The excerpt below from The Washington Post puts it in perspective. The rumbling "thundersnow"--frankly, two words not often put together like "balanced" and "budget"--in New York City. The hundreds of damaged trees. The fact that many residents still have no power and will continue to be without power for several more days. School has been cancelled. And for some towns, so was Halloween.

Read more below.

Historic October Northeast storm: Epic. Incredible. Downright ridiculous.
Posted at 11:02 AM ET, 10/31/2011
By Andrew Freedman

"Coming in the midst of what is already one of the most extreme years in American weather history, the Snowtober event had a greater impact in some states than August’s much-hyped Tropical Storm Irene. It was the snowstorm, not Irene, which caused the largest power outage in Connecticut history, for example.

To put the storm into its proper meteorological context, consider these snowy facts.