CT Green Scene

The New York Times Covers Fairfield County GreenDrinks

An important omission has been made from this article in The New York Times--Remy Chevalier, whose name is not mentioned, has been instrumental in the creation and growth of Fairfield County GreenDrinks, particularly concerning the funky and fun event last month at Pirate.

The omission was unintentional, and not performed by the writer and photographer who covered the story.

Environmentalists

Hi. Buy You a Drink? Save the Planet?

By WENDY CARLSON
Published: January 20, 2008

NY TIMES - CT SECTION

Norwalk

IT was a typical pub scene at the Pirate Night Club and Restaurant in Norwalk on a recent evening, except that the banter around the bar was about bamboo, not baseball, and the drinks were green in the organic sense.

“The environment is on a lot of people’s minds,” said Heather Burns-DeMelo, 37, the founder of Fairfield County Green Drinks, a social networking group of eco-minded professionals, which held its fourth monthly meeting here on a recent Wednesday evening.

On this occasion, the mixer drew about 100 people, uniting a wide range of environmentalists, including business executives, members of the Green Party, carpenters, chefs, makeup artists, architects, fashion designers and schoolteachers.

Ms. Burns-DeMelo, the editor of the Hartford-based AllGreen Magazine and the Web site CTGreenScene.typepad.com, said she learned about Green Drinks International when she was working as a freelance writer covering environmental issues.

Well, Why Not?

How does a Connecticut goat farmer go from tending his herd to a lobbyist, new legislation creator, and biodiesel producer? One Connecticut man began by asking why not?

Christos Glynos and his partner, George Linardos, Sr. began the planning phase to build a biodiesel production facility on Mr. Glynos farm nearly four years ago. After the arduous task of locating a company willing and able to design and build such a unique project, they applied for a permit only to have Bethlehem, Connecticut, building officials turn them down.

"Anytime you want to start something new or foreign to people, road blocks pop up all over the place and people all around you say, You can't do that! I just looked at them and kept asking, "Why not?" Most of the time the people in government agencies admitted they didn't know why, so I set up round table discussions to make them tell me exactly what they needed me to do to make it happen," Glynos said.

That laundry list--changing legislation, rewritting building codes, creating tax incentives for schools who use biodiesel in their buses, and finding the funding for research and development and educational programs about alternative energy options--would chase many people off and back into a cushy job in corporate America.

But they had a dream and believed in an opportunity. "When we started thinking about BioPur, gasoline was $1.25 a gallon. People looked at me and said, Why would you bother, gas is only 1.25? I told them I didn't think it would stay that way and besides, we were too dependent on foreign oil."

So he and his partner set off to overcome every obstacle that appeared in their path and today, they're producing 400,000 gallons of locally manufactured biofuel with plans to double that amount in the next year.

Green-E Profile of a CT Riverman

What is the name of your organization and what is its mission? The Farmington River Watershed Association was established as a 501©3 non-profit conservation organization in 1953 with a mission of protecting the Farmington River and its watershed forever through implementing research, education, and advocacy programs.

What is your day-to-day role in the organization? Every day I am involved with directing programs, making public presentations, responding to questions about the watershed, developing ideas for new programs on emerging environmental issues, serving as a liaison with our Board of Directors, working with other local and statewide groups trying to make a difference, and raising funds to support our activities.

What prompted you to become eco-conscious? I grew up in Pittsfield, MA near the Housatonic River.  As a kid, I went to the Pleasant Valley (Audubon) Wildlife Sanctuary day camp in Lenox and learned about pond, river, and meadow ecology.  In High School, I started hearing and learning about PCB’s and other environmental contaminants that were added to the River by a local business, and my AP Biology teacher inspired me to think about a career in science.  After graduating from the University of Michigan with a History degree, I went to work for Congressman Silvio O. Conte in Washington, DC serving as his legislative aide handling elderly, environmental, health, and women’s issues.  With Conte, environmental issues quickly became my favorite and I worked with a team of people to write legislation that created the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge along the Connecticut River.  When Conte passed away in 1991, I went to work for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, then got a Master’s degree in environmental science at U.C. Berkeley, and I haven’t looked back since.  I have been FRWA’s Executive Director since January, 2003.

What do you see as the most pressing environmental issue in Connecticut? Why?

Many environmental issues are connected but I would say that one of the prime drivers of environmental problems is sprawl (a.k.a. unwise land use).  This leads to a bevy of problems:  an increase in impervious/paved surfaces which leads to more stormwater run-off pollution and flooding as well as less groundwater/aquifer recharge; an increase in commute times which are connected to increased consumption of fossil fuels and a worsening of global warming and air pollution; and the loss of key habitats and species due to fragmentation by roads and poorly planned developments.

Race for the Earth--A Global and Local Challenge

It's no coincidence that James Whelan heads up a Ridgefield, Connecticut-based environmental organization called RACE. In 1999, a heightened sense of eco-consciousness propelled him to buy an electric car, even though the price was high and several Connecticut car dealerships refused to fill his order. Who would have guessed that his penchant for a nifty, guilt-free electric car would foreshadow a full time commitment to the environment nearly ten years later? 

Whelan says, "Global warming and climate change are upon us and virtually all scientists agree that human activity is a primary cause. Global temperatures and sea levels are rising.  Storms are increasing in frequency and intensity, causing both floods and drought.  Carbon emissions and other pollution are fouling the air we breathe, the water we drink, and endangering food stocks.  These events are also damaging human health and driving many species to extinction." But it's not all doom and gloom for this Ridgefield resident, nor for other members of the Action Committee.

"Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment was founded on the premise that “a few thoughtful, committed people can change the world”. In that spirit of Margaret Mead, we raise awareness about how to notice and change our ways and coordinate and communicate the actions of town government, schools, library, faith communities, business, and civic groups. By doing this, we hope to encourage these organizations to take on specific environmental works and to share their experience with others," Whelan says.

 

When asked how other Connecticut residents can change their corner of world Whalen replies, "If there is a local task force, contact them to see how to help.  Become a member of the executive team; volunteer to help out at events; or add your list to the e-mail distribution list to stay in the loop. If your town doesn't have a local task force, think about starting one. You can also call up your representative in Hartford and voice your opinion on an upcoming bill. Whatever you do, there is always interest and you meet wonderful people while doing something good for your community and the world."

Profile of a Late Bloomer

Welcome to our first Green-E profile. The Green-E profiles are intended to give you an inside view of the people behind green movement in Connecticut. Learn which issues Green-E's are passionate about, what led them to where they are now, and what motivates them to get up every morning and do what they do...beyond paying the bills! If you're a Green-E and would like to have your profile included, Contact Us.

What is the name of your organization and what is its mission? The mission of CT Green Scene is to bring environmentally conscious or curious people from all corners of the state together by providing news, events, and education related to air quality, arts, business, citizen action, CO2 sequestration, ecology, energy, family, food, gardening, government, green building, house and home, investing and finance, low impact land development (LID), profiles, reduce-reuse-recycle, schools, tips to b-greener, transportation, urban planning, and volunteer opportunities.

What is your day-to-day role in the organization? Jack-of-all-trades. For me, CT Green Scene is a labor of love. I consider myself a late bloomer and it took me longer than most to find what I want to do with my life. My parents raised me to believe that satisfaction in life comes from making our corner of the world a better place, but for a long time I didn’t know how to do that. In fact, I wasn’t even sure which corner was mine! So now that I’ve found it, I suppose I have to work harder than most to make up for all the years I bummed around the beaches of Southeast Asia.