CT Green Scene

Social Media at Its Finest

I felt a bit like a little kid before Christmas this week, as I conjured up the idea that a Tesla Roadster would be fun to have at a special event we're having at Windermere on the Lake on November 20th (yes, mark your calendars).

The 100 percent electric sports car goes 0 to 60 in 3.9 seconds and over 200 miles on a single charge-which comes from a 220 v plugin.

A two-seater and priced at $100,000, it's well beyond my means, but some people in this area may be able to do the planet a favor and trade in their HUMMMER for one.

Well, I wasn't able to get a Roadster for the event...we're getting TWO...one for display and one to test drive around the Windermere Eco-Village grounds!

So how did I do it? Using social media, networking and groupsites. People from around the U.S. wrote back and gave me connections that I followed until I got an inside connection to Telsa Corporate.

It's amazing how connected we all really are, and what you can turn up if you only ask!

Let the Sun Shine, Let the Sun Shine In!

Nearly a dozen solar experts will be at Fairfield University Tuesday, September 23, 2008 to meet with the public and explain how to get started with residential or commercial solar projects.

The solar professionals are members of Solar Connecticut, Inc., a nonprofit, which promotes the solar power installation community.  Solar Connecticut, Inc. will be holding its quarterly meeting in the Oak Room of the Barone Campus Center in the afternoon.   Following the meeting, members will be available to meet with the public from 6:30pm -8:30pm.  The members will distribute literature, detail the state's new solar power system financing program and make appointments to view homes or businesses where solar power is being considered. 

It's expected to be largest gathering ever of solar power experts in one place in Fairfield County.

Contact Solar Connecticut Executive Director Michael Trahan phone: 860.256.1698 email: mtrahan@solarconnecticut.org.

Green Summit II Energy Fair: November 8th

via New Britain Herald

Mark your calendar for the second annual Green Summit Energy Fair in Wethersfield, Connecticut! The summit will take place at the Wethersfield High School, from 11 am to 2 pm.

Town Councilor, Matthew Forrest, set up the Green Summit last year in order to respond to the ever growing energy and gas prices in Wethersfield and to have his residents come up with ideas on living a greener life. The second annual event will include vendor and community booths giving more information concerning renewable energy and showcase experiments created by Wethersfield students. Key note speakers will talk about sustainability issues, fossil-fuel dependence, and energy conservation funding.

Attendees can also take part in workshops that will go over recycling, rain barrels, composting and describing various renewable energy sources. Attendees will also have the opportunity to give feedback back to the town on whether the town is headed in the right direction towards a greener future.

Celebrate theater, the great landscape of the Connecticut River Valley, and a very Green event!

Shakespeare in the grove is an annual event that runs from June 17th through  the 27th) at Middlesex Community College (100 Training Hill rd, Middletown, CT) The EcoFestival starts at 4 PM and features not only live circus performers and musical entertainment, but also over 20 green vendors selling their locally made and environmentally friendly wares and local farmers selling their fresh, organic produce!

We have live headliner musicians performing at 6 PM.

This goes on until around 7PM when the FREE performance of "Twelfth Night" starts. Suggested donation is 10 dollars. Feel free to bring lawn chairs and picnic blankets and food as this is an outdoor event!

For more info: www.art-farm.org or email info@art-farm.org. ArtFARM is a non profit organization that believes in affordable, high quality theatre for all and a dedication to simple, environmentally sustainable living.

Is China Going Green?

EARTH TALK
From the Editors of E/The Environmental Magazine

Dear EarthTalk: The 2008 Summer Olympics in China are drawing a lot of attention right now for political reasons. I’ve heard, though, that one ray of light is China’s effort to make the event as green as possible. What’s going on in that regard?        -- Josh Rogers, Concord, NH

It’s true that China is using the upcoming Beijing Olympics as a sustainability showcase, going so far as to dub the event the “Green Olympics.” Through a partnership with the U.S. government and the Maryland-based International Center for Sustainable Development, China is giving Beijing a green makeover to make the city a model for net zero pollution, green building and sustainable community development.

According to China’s Technology Minister Wan Gang, the Beijing Olympics are expected to generate some 1.2 million tons of carbon dioxide, in large part because of the flying the world’s athletes will do to get to and from the games. To offset these potent greenhouse gases, China will take a series of measures, Wan says, including planting trees, closing 1,000 small coal mines before and during the games and banning up to a million cars from city streets.

Beijing’s Olympic Village, where the Chinese government has been busy erecting dozens of stadiums and other structures according to rigorous green standards, is emerging as quite an example of sustainable community development. The steel-looped Beijing National Stadium, for instance, includes a rainwater collection arrangement, a natural ventilation system and a clear roof with inflatable cushions made from ETFE (Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene), a kind of plastic that increases light and heat penetration.

Come to GreenDrinks for Drama!

Join us Wednesday, April 9th for GreenDrinks at the Fairfield Theatre in downtown Fairfield.

We'll enjoy a 20 minute special performance of The Boycott, written and performed by Kathryn Blume. Here's what's been said about the play:

"Packed to the rafters with moxie and magic, The Boycott tells the story of the First Lady of the United States launching a nationwide sex strike to fight global warming and save the world.  Come for a raucous tour of Oval Office affairs, psychadelic absinthe trips, enchanted frogs, movie star cameos - and land in a heap of unabashed hope."

Afterwards, we'll network and enjoy organic beverages and food as usual!

We Are What We Drink

By Kia Martinson-Wenzel

ESTOccasions

We all love a perfectly made cocktail, but the art of making homemade, fresh cocktails has almost disappeared. Today, most party-throwers stop by a supermarket, wine, or liquor store and pick up a mix. Sure, mixes have been a great time savers for the majority of us--and of course there are a few good ones out there that are made with 100% natural ingredients--but when you see high fructose corn syrup as a top ingredient, it's clear you aren’t having an authentic Cuban Mojito.

We think it's time to host a real cocktail party, with cocktails from scratch, using fresh, organic ingredients, which can even come from your own garden. Sound too time consuming? It's much easier than you think! And if you're really adventurous, you can turn your party into a learning experience for your guests and have them make the drinks along with you.

Spice things up with a Cuban Mojito

For this tasty cocktail, be sure the first frost is gone, and go plant yourself some organic mint. If you don’t have a garden, you can grow this fragrant herb in planters by your window. To make a Cuban Mojito, you will need mint, limes, club soda, good rum, and some organic cane sugar. Follow these directions for the Perfect Mojito.

Simple and quick Lemon Drops

They don't get much easier than this old time favorite. Just mix organic lemon juice, organic cane sugar, and some Square One Vodka. Like your cocktails sour and sweet? Margaritas, frozen or on the rocks, are made with organic lime juice, Triple Sec and Tequila. Sea salt along the rim makes a nice topper.

Stir it up with an organic Sangria

The weather is nice; consider making Sangria, with fresh local wines. Connecticut has plenty of vineyards to choose from, and the selection of organic wine companies is increasing. Companies like Organic Wine Company will ship their wines to you. Choose your favorite wine, and use fresh berries picked up from your local farmer’s, Steaz lemon lime soda and mix it up. This is a wonderful treat with any barbeque menu!

         

SOLAR TOUR & SEMINAR FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS

Learn how doctors, dentists and others can “green” their offices

On Saturday, May 17, the first large new solar electric installation in a dental/medical office building, Dental Associates of Farmington, will be open for tours and seminars. Health professionals who own their own office buildings or can work with the owners to produce grid-tied solar electricity may attend tour/seminars at 12 noon, 1:30 and 3:00 .

Visitors in size-limited sessions will view the building’s 28.56 kilowatt solar electric installation and attend a seminar at which experts from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, the Connecticut Green Building Council, Solar Works (the installer) and a dentist from the office will explain the system and answer questions. Connecticut Clean Energy Fund rebate information and clean energy literature will also be available.

This installation of the photovoltaic panels, flat roof mounting system and web-enabled data system took only a few days, with little disturbance to the busy office. Offsetting 10 percent of the electric needs for this large practice, the solar electric system should pay for itself in only six years at current electric rates. Tax credits and the Connecticut Clean Energy rebate will cover 60 percent of the system cost.

The tour/seminars are sponsored by People’s Action for Clean Energy and co-sponsored by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. Reservations will be accepted in order of receipt for the space-limited tour, which will be held rain or shine. To order tickets, send $20 per person, indicating the preferred time, to PACE, c/o Donna Grant, 128 Melrose Rd., Broadbrook, CT 06016 .

For ticket processing information, call 860-623-5487. For tour information, call (860) 693-4813 or go to the PACE website, www.pace-cleanenergy.org.

Exhibit @ Fairfield's Earth Day

Join us at Fairfield's Earth Day Celebration on May 10th from 9:30 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. at Fairfield's Warde High School.

If you are interested in exhibiting, send an e-mail to ffldearthday@aol.com (attention Larry Kaley), requesting an application form by 3/14. Applications must be returned before 3/19 as an e-mail attachment.

 

Last year we had 2000 visitors and hope to have even more this year!