Connecticut Green Living

I have been saying for years that our state claims to be green and blue yet its not so secret dirty habit is plastic bags. Plastic bags strewn all over the trees outside Stop 'n Shop. Plastic bags spilling out into the waterways. Plastic bags inevitably choking the life out of fish. It is with great relief to note that our ban goes into effect this Thursday. Here's what you need to know: For the period starting August 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2021, each store including supermarkets and drug stores will charge a fee of ten cents for each single-use checkout bag provided to customers at the point of sale. But, the exciting part is that on and after July 1, 2021, no owner or operator of a store will be allowed to provide or sell a single-use checkout bag to a customer. A "single-use checkout bag" means a plastic bag with a thickness of less than four mils (one-thousandth of an inch, or 0.001 inch) that is provided by a store to a customer at the point of sale. It...

I will admit, I find it laughable that we're worrying about mosquitoes in Connecticut. I spent seven months in South Texas and couldn't even venture outdoors to rake for 10 minutes without coming back looking like I had measles on my legs. Not just bites, but huge blotches. That said, I am aware that we do have mosquitoes in the Northeast and I do not want any of those nasty bites, especially considering the risks attached to them (e.g. Zika virus). Enter PARA’KITO™. That's a very fancy way to write the name of a product to keep bugs away, but I will indulge the company's creative team. I am told that it touts "a unique blend of essential oils, patented slow-release technology and super-smart product design" and PARA’KITO™ products "offer the ultimate mosquito protection in a stylish way". Stylish, yes. For example, the wearable bands and clips are waterproof, easily adjustable and offer a slow release of mosquito-get-the-heck-away protection over ...

Today I have to decide whether I'm up for the challenge of going out and waiting for the bus and schlepping out to my storage unit. I need to go out there and pick up my suit for my interview on Tuesday, but I also don't want to become overheated. In the past I have suffered from heat rash, and clearly today is one of the hot weather days to take very seriously. The feels-like temp will be over 110 F once humidity is factored in. But this is not just a blip, a heat "wave" that will hit us today and perhaps not again for many years. It is indicative of the plight we humans have put ourselves in, destroying the precious ozone layer with our assault of C02 pollution born of selfishness and laziness. That anyone would question a person's decision not to buy a car and bike or Uber instead is appalling. That anyone would throw her empty water bottle (it's bad enough to even buy them!) in the litter bin is appalling. That anyone would throw out food waste without so...