CT Green Scene

Greening the Holidays

by Eileen Weber

Now that the holidays are upon us, it’s time to reflect on ways to be green. I know, I know. We do this every year. But it’s always nice to have a refresher course. Even the White House has gone green this year. So if Michele Obama can do it, so can the rest of us.

To some, these recommendations may be new or interesting information. To others, it will seem like common sense. Like suggesting one should bathe frequently and floss often. (There are some people I know who actually need those little pearls of wisdom on personal hygiene.)

Here are some fabulous options if you haven’t thought of them already:

1)    Cut your own tree. Nothing beats a local Christmas tree. We buy one every year at the Jones Family Farm in Shelton on the second Saturday in December. We’ve been doing that for almost the last ten years—ever since I was pregnant with my first child, who was nearly two weeks overdue, and I thought the hike up the hill would induce labor. (It didn’t.) And don’t forget to recycle. A fake tree can’t be recycled and is, frankly, just an environmental nightmare. But a live tree can be repurposed as mulch or even a handy homemade bird feeder. (A little peanut butter and bird seed go along way.) And if you’re lucky enough to live out west, try CarbonSync.com. They are a Canadian company that will “rent” you a potted Douglas Fir Christmas tree (up to 6 feet). They pick it up when the holiday is over and replant it. Et voilà. Christmas accomplished.

Governor Rell: $4 Million in Stimulus Funds to Help Homeowners ‘Go Solar’ With Hot Water Systems

Businesses Also Eligible for Solar Thermal Grants

Via Debra Caviness

Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced the state is dedicating $4 million in federal stimulus funds to help homeowners and businesses pay for the installation of solar-powered hot water heating systems, an investment that will lower utility bills and promote the use of alternative fuels.

“I am proud of Connecticut’s leadership in promoting and using greener, cleaner technology,” Governor Rell said. “This incentive will help hundreds of families and businesses make the switch to renewable energy by saving them money on installation costs and ultimately their hot water bills. It would also be a much-needed boost in business for those who sell and install these systems.”

The new Solar Thermal Incentive Program is part of the comprehensive State Energy Plan that has qualified for $38 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). The broad-based plan includes programs that:

    * Provide incentives to use alternative energy in homes and businesses;
    * Expand fuel cell initiatives;
    * Make state buildings more energy efficient;
    * Create green collar jobs needed for emerging technologies.

The incentive program will be administered by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), a ratepayer fund that promotes, develops and invests in clean energy resources for the benefit of Connecticut’s electric ratepayers.

CCEF officials say there is enough funding available to support installations of 600 residential solar heating systems and about 120 non-residential systems. The systems can supply up to 80 percent of a customer’s annual hot water needs.

Greener Cleaners

by Eileen Weber

A candlelight dinner. A succulent dish of penne puttanesca. Chianti breathing in a Riedel glass. As you gaze longingly into your lover’s eyes, he slips a forkful of the saucy pasta into your open, waiting mouth…and it lands on your lapel.

I don’t know about you, but I dread having to take my clothes to the dry cleaners. In fact, I specifically buy clothes that don’t require it. It’s expensive. It’s inconvenient. And most of all, it uses hazardous materials that are harmful to the environment.

Studies have shown that the chemical perchloroethylene, or “perc” as it’s generally known, is not only harmful to the environment but also to your health. The chemical leaches into the soil. Certain cancers have been linked to the substance. For those who work in the industry, handling that kind of substance on a daily basis can be a major hazard. And for the customer, traces of perc still cling to those lovely blouses and crisply tailored shirts you drop off every week.

But in the last several years, the Environmental Protection Agency has mandated a change in the industry. Some dry cleaners, however, have heeded their own call on making a switch from perc to something much more environmentally friendly.

Trash-Free Lunch

by Eileen Weber

I don’t know what it is. Every year when September starts to roll around, I suddenly feel the urge to dash out and buy a pack of loose leaf paper and a pencil box.

It’s the pencil box that makes me giggle. You know the kind—it has a pair of scissors that won’t cut dirt but a compass with a point so sharp you can kill a horse. Add to that a protractor for all that geometry homework assigned in kindergarten and you’re starting the school year off right.

Back-to-school always means shopping for supplies. And most importantly, some of those supplies will go in your child’s lunch box.

Now there’s a can of worms. If you give your child a homemade lunch, too often your child is throwing away excess waste with plastic bags and tin foil. If you allow your child the hot lunch from the cafeteria, you’re dealing with a sticky issue about the actual nutrition your child receives. Those lunches consist of processed foods with way too much sodium and high fructose corn syrup, which only adds to our juvenile diabetes and obesity rates. School lunches are not so easy.

Chemical Cocktail

by Heather Burns-DeMelo

The cleaning products we use in our homes contain pesticides, neurotoxins and other poisons that are giving us cancer, respiratory illness, ADHD and more. Pets and children are particularly sensitive, as their systems are still developing. And after they're finished wreaking havoc on us in our homes, they make their way to our water supply. Did you know that you can't just throw away your laundry detergent because it's considered HAZARDOUS WASTE?!

This news segment had my mouth gaping open.

Green "Toys" for Big Kids

by Eileen Weber

I have a confession to make. I went to a sex shop. Now, I know what you’re thinking. No, it wasn’t one of those seedy little holes-in-the-wall with darkened windows displaying triple neon X's. It was more of a boudoir novelty store that was actually quite tasteful and fun.

The host was Margaret Wagner, CEO and Creative Director of Bedroom Matters in Westport. I went with a dozen other women like me, married with kids looking for a little “sexploration” to spice things up.

“People come into the store looking for permission to feel good and comfortable about themselves,” said Wagner. “They’re looking for something like that in a safe environment.”

The store’s biggest sellers are lingerie, candles, books, and toys. While only some of the products she sells can be considered eco-friendly, she said she is aware there’s a growing market for it. Of the adult toys she sells, she prefers those with rechargeable batteries. “I’m always looking for high quality toys that last a long time.”

With this recent visit to Wagner’s store, it got me thinking: has the sex industry gone green, too? Why yes, indeed. A quick Google search turned up tons of sites completely devoted to the green experience between the sheets.

For Worst Perfomance by a Recycling Committee

by Elizabeth G. Howard

So I live in Stratford, a smallish town of 50,000, here in our fair state, New England. Since I am not from this part of the country, I have discovered a curious quirk of the New English people -- they take political landscaping to an entirely different level than anywhere else I have ever lived.

In Connecticut there is no real county government, and the State government is mostly ignored. Instead, there are 169 “municipalities” that all have their own way of doing things. Actually, that is putting it lightly. Town governments in Connecticut are more like rivals on "Survivor", where the shared dialect across townline is usually "F--- you! We're the REAL Daughters of the Revolution and we're preserving our individual, municipal rights, even if we have to use canning jars and vinegar!"

For example, in the case of road maintenance, for example, the municipalities, in total, have 17,115 road miles that they are required to maintain… 4.5 times the number that the State maintains. As a result, the sheer cost of road maintenance (hmmm, every town has their own rules, storage sheds, equipment, crews, etc.) is enormous.

As far as I can see, the only thing consistent across the municipalities is enforced by the State law requiring that a very bored looking police officer be on every roadwork site, either sitting in his squad car reading a Harlequin Romance, or chatting with one or more of the otherwise-idle workers about the imminent threat of terrorism in Haddam Neck.

So, fast forward to this week, when I started to research the RECYCLING PROGRAM in Stratford...