CT Green Scene

Welcome Collinsville Green Drinks!

ECO-LUXURY WITH TESLA!

We'll have TWO 2009 Tesla Roadsters, the world’s first high performance ALL electric sports car. The Telsa Roadster is a zero-emission, two-seater for sale now in the United States and Europe. With a 0-to-60 mph acceleration of 3.9 seconds, the Tesla Roadster is unique in providing super car performance, zero emissions and extraordinary efficiency. Test drives and a presentation from senior-level executives will be available.

So where can you check these two amazing machines out and meet lots of great people? At a luxury, green home, of course! Details to follow.

Guests will also be treated to a selection of organic beers, wines and CT GreenScene’s signature cocktails.

A silent auction during the event will raise funds for The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.

When: Thursday, November 20, 2008 from 6 to 9 p.m. Where: Details to follow shortly. Cost: $45 in advance; $50 at the door. Click here to purchase advanced tickets. 

Our platinum sponsor is Solar Wrights. Gold Sponsors are Ruff&Cut and Hybrid Homes Geothermal.

Sponsorships for this and other events are available. Call Heather Burns-DeMelo at 203-470-8020 or email info@ctgreenscene.com for more information.

Beer Brewed by the Sun

If you enjoy a cold brew with your favorite meal yet want to do your part for the planet, there is a new "green" beer. The Lucky Labrador brewing company installed their solar panels in December of 2007 and began production of the Sun Beer in February of 2008. They are the first brewing company to use the sun in quite this manner. Unlike other companies like Sierra Nevada, who use the sun hitting photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, Lucky Lab's solar hot water system installed by Ra Energy , heats the brewpub's water.

Although Lucky Lab uses the sun for the brewing, they still use natural gas to create the final product. The finishing product is a light summer ale and was released in the summer of 2008.

Behind the Green Scenes

Thursday, June 05, 2008
By Adam Bulger
Hartford Advocate

For a green-themed event, the May 29 Green Drinks at the University of Hartford was a black tie affair. The white tent on the West Hartford university campus was laid out more like a college graduation party than an environmental event, with several bottles of wine on ice and a plate of cut cheese and crackers. Attendees wore business casual attire, exchanged business cards and networked.

Describing the dress and décor might sound dismissive or petty. But, arguably, it was a sign of the evolution of environmentalism from fringe concern to mainstream business goal

"If they had this event a couple of years ago, everyone would have come in Birkenstocks and Volvos," Nathan A. Nunez said.

Nunez, the marketing director of Northeast Lamp Recycling, an East Windsor company he said was "green before there was green." They recycle lamps and light bulbs, offering ways to deal with potentially toxic materials like the mercury in energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs.

He said it was important for his company to attend events like this to exchange information. Despite the interest in green products and practices displayed both by consumers and by businesses, there are still a lot of faulty assumptions out there.

"I remember watching television when [television network] NBC 'went green' for a week," Nunez said. "They planted a tree — because it was supposed to be green, you know — and they poured bottled water on it."

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association was one of the co-sponsors of the Green Drinks event. The CBIA's involvement indicated that the underlying spirit of the event was a sense of marketing and business savvy, not moral high-mindedness.

"We're not doing this out of any sense of obligation," CBIA spokesperson Nancy Andrews said. "This is completely market-driven. We have customer surveys that show that the market is demanding this."

United Technologies Corporation also sponsored the event. Had the event been more activist-based, UTC's environmental history might have kept them off the roster: They paid $5.3 million to the Federal government for environmental penalties in a 1993 settlement. The company rehabilitated its reputation since then. They are founding members of the Pew Center for Climate Study's Business Environmental Leadership Council and have been at the forefront of research on fuel cell and other energy efficient technologies.

The Green Drinks event was organized by Heather Burns-DeMelo, the president of GreenScenes, a Connecticut-based environmentally-themed event planning and marketing business.

This was the second Green Drinks event coordinated by Burns-DeMelo, and like the earlier event at Hartford's Real Art Ways, attracted dozens of people. Previously, Green Drinks was organized by Connecticut Forest & Park Association Executive Director Eric Hammerling. Burns-DeMelo said Hammerling's background with non-profits brought in people from the nonprofit world, and that her business and marketing background attracted another group of people.

"We bring people from all different sectors into a common space," Burns-DeMelo said.                 ¦

Send comments to

abulger@hartfordadvocate.com

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!

Environmentally Minded Peruse, Schmooze at iPark

By Kerry Wills
Special Correspondent
Stamford Advocate

Published March 14 2008

NORWALK - In October, a writer named Heather Burns-DeMelo organized Fairfield County GreenDrinks, a mixer where folks with environmental concerns can swap ideas and phone numbers.

Sixty-five people showed up at the meeting place: a bar.

Even more people - about 150 - showed up Wednesday evening to check out the city's new i.park corporate complex, a green office park. They included builders, architects and students.

"The room is full of people who couldn't be more different, but one thing they share is an interest in the environment," Burns-DeMelo said. "People are waking up to it."

Norwalk Mayor Richard Moccia showed up, as did three boys from Cider Mill School in Wilton who enrolled people in Connecticut Light & Power's CTCleanEnergyOptions. The program allows customers to get their power from renewable sources, such as wind.

Fourth-graders Alex Scaperotta, 9, and Jordan Reichgut, 10, are the founders of Little People, Big Changes, a club for children who care about the environment. Last year, they pushed for a ban on idling cars in the school parking lot.

"If every person in the United States stopped idling for five minutes each day, it would save 32 million tons of carbon dioxide, approximately," Jordan said. "Not pounds. Tons."

The boys, with Jordan's 8-year-old brother, Ethan Reichgut, a second-grader at Cider Mill, said they have signed up more than 100 Wilton residents for clean energy, enough to earn the town free solar panels on a municipal building.

Moccia urged Norwalk residents to enroll in the program. The Norwalk Common Council this week passed a resolution to support using 20 percent clean energy by 2010.

Since the October launch, Fairfield County GreenDrinks events have showcased green products, businesses and initiatives, Burns-DeMelo said.

"It's a place where people can exchange creative ideas, brainstorm solutions, inspire each other, and maybe even start projects," she said.

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!

         

Have a Look: GreenDrinks at iPark!

Thanks to Bruce Feldman from AllGreen Magazine for shooting and posting these photos of the Fairfield County GreenDrinks event at Ipark.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PIX! 

We want to know what you think! Post your comments here about this or other GreenDrinks events.

The Right People, The Right Place

By Chris Gallagher

I knew I was in the right place when I pulled in to to the lot and a small, oddly shaped car cruised past nearly silently.  It was an electric car, and people were having a lot of fun taking it for a spin in the (i)parking lot.  Inside the iPark building the energy level was off the charts.  If there was a way to power the lights from human conversation we could have covered the electric bill for a year.  Glasses of organic wine or beer in hand, everywhere I looked people were chatting with one another, passing cards, gesturing and laughing, all clear signs that great connections were being made.

It's never easy to get into the swing of a networking event.  I never want to be rude and interrupt someone's conversation, nor do I want to bother someone by introducing myself and forcing them into a conversation they don't want to have.  I've been to tons of Chamber of Commerce meetings, luncheons, awards ceremonies and fairs so I know what it feels like to get stuck with that guy who only talks about himself and doesn't have a thing to say about what you are interested in.

At GreenDrinks it's different.  Walking in I know that everyone there is just as passionate about sustainability and protecting the environment as they are about finding new contacts and helping their friends make great connections.  Because we all share that perspective, striking up a conversation becomes far easier, and far more rewarding.  Just last night I made two great contacts, met another five or six people I will speak to again and reconnected with some new friends from last month, all while sipping delicious organic beer from Middlebury VT and biodynamic wine from Mendicino, CA.  I walked in a little apprehensive about another networking event, but walked out thrilled I had made the drive.

So let this be a call to all of you out there that have read the invitation, but haven't made the trip.  Come on out.  We need you.  We need your passion and your perspective, we need your friends, your ideas, we need to know what you do and how it will help make this planet just a little bit better off.  For those of you that were there, this is a call to you bring your friends next time, and to please tell us how GreenDrinks has helped you do great business.

Chris Gallagher sells locally roasted, organic, fair trade and ridiculously fresh coffee beans for
Bean & Leaf Coffee Roasters

Electric Cars? Cooler than You Think!

Imagine turning the key in the ignition and not hearing a sound? Or zipping around town on errands and not emitting ANY carbon! That's what it's like when driving an electric vehicle (EV). GEM (Global Electric Motorcars) are available for sale here in Connecticut for around $8,000 and they plug right into an outlet. If you're signed up for Clean Energy Options, you'll feel great about using this to run around doing errands.

The feel of the interior is similar to a VW beetle, with large windows, a sun roof and lots of light. The gas and break pedals are the same as any other car, but the noise--or lack of--is what I found most amazing.

The GEM I drove tops out at 25 mph, but is a perfect alternative to my other cars when doing errands or traveling short distances. The only hang up...while GEMS are street legal in all 50 states, you can't register them in Connecticut. Go figure. The one I drove was owned by EV proponent, John Papa. His property in New York state allows him to register his vehicle there. "It's great as a second vehicle to use instead of a SUV. The guys at the gas station love it when I drive by," Papa says.

Let's hope the guys who own the automobile industry feel the same way.

Come test drive one for yourself at the March 12th Fairfield County GreenDrinks event at iPark in Norwalk!