Connecticut Green Living

How can I describe my 2022? It was one of the worst years of my life, yet interspersed with moments of beauty and hope. I gave up Twitter and took up whiskey, which I had not drunk in my fifties! January I was enjoying tutoring one of my favorite students ever. This young man inspired me to teach Shakespeare, which I had not done before. I also ghostwrote an article on healthcare disparities during the pandem ic for a Black doctor. It broke my heart to hear he wasn't well himself. The weather was nasty, but these experiences helped the year get off to a rewarding start. February : I finished off a round of press releases for a Hispanic client, which was muy interesante. There would be communication challenges, though, and down the road we'd part ways. I fell apart when I heard Tom Brady was retiring, but was wildly relieved when he changed his mind a few months later. (I even made a video of my tearful self yearning for him to return!) March : It is excrutiating to write thi...

Happy holidays! If you are like me, you are enjoying Christmas or Hannukah with a huge cup of joe. All that running around, gift buying and cheesy smiling in Christmas PJs for the J.C. Penney photographer makes this mandatory. My favorite eco-coffee brand is from my home state of California, nestled along the mighty Pacific in Santa Cruz. For Christmas, they have concocted a slew of recipes to go with their sustainable brand. You will not only enjoy top line coffee, but feel assured you are helping your carbon footprint. Steeped is certified as a "farm-to-cup" B Corp, meaning it has met standards for transparency, accountability and charitible giving. This is 100 percent ethically-sourced coffee, roasted in small batches. And it comes in cute compostable bags that mimic the tea experience. The company is offering its holiday samplers of premium coffee, the "Seasonal Sampler Set", for 24.95. It comes in a holiday-themed box and boasts coffee strengths from light-t...

Although I applaud the droves of young peoole helping put clim ate change on the map, I bristle whenever someone says Boomers or even Gen X don't care. I interviewed senior scientist Jane Go odall in 2021, and arguably, she cares more about fighting climate change than the average teenager. In fact, those slightly younger were teens during the hippie era. I once lived beneath the home of a lady five years older than I, whose ripe garden in the outer avenues of San Francisco informed many of my views on sustainable living. Ageism, I often say, is one of the most popular "acceptable" isms (when was the last time you heard ageism discussed on the same level as racism?) Late night talk show hosts make money off the laughs they get joking about octogenarian politicians. Even supposedly proper journalists aren't being taken to task for their slurs against our President. Last I checked, his list of accomplishments was long; and though he once fell off his bike, at least he...

Christmas begins with coffee. I don't care if you are "a tea person" or some phony "just water for me" whiner, java appears on every family's kitchen counter Christmas morning. This is because Santa was up all night delivering presents to Rome and Bali and now he/she's back, having just wrapped Junior's bike. Santa is knackered. I buy Steeped coffee from Santa Cruz whenever I want a quick, eco-friendly way to get my fix. "The Lineup" features several types, with names like "California Blend", a gentle everyday choice, and the bolder "Breakwater Blend". There are even decaf packets for you of the sensitive stomach. The company is certified as a "farm-to-cup" B Corp, meaning it has met standards for transparency, accountability and charitible giving. This is 100 percent ethically-sourced coffee, roasted in small batches. It comes in cute compostable bags that mimic the tea experience. I recommend reusing your ba...

In keeping with the spirit of National Energy Awareness Month, WalletHub has released its annual state rankings for home energy and auto efficiency, excluding Hawaii and Alaska. Top spots went to Massachussetts, New York and Rhode Island; the bottom rungs belong to West Virginia (46), Alabama (47) and South Carolina (48). No doubt, Hawaii would have enjoyed a spot very near the top, as it consistently ranks very highly for energy efficiency and overall environmental responsibility. Connecticut only ranked 15th for home energy efficiency, but can be very proud of its position in vehicle efficiency. Take a drive down the Post Road in Milford and you will be struck by the number of EV charging stations in front of the Post Mall. Similar 'burbs are seeing such an influx. Driving a Tesla or Toyota Highlander is no longer the purview of the "tree hugging" elite or mocked, but a sign of civic and environmental responsibility. I sent WalletHub 's analyst Jill Gonzalez a...

I was first approached to write about this product just as Covid struck in March 2020. I am happy to revisit now, especially because Vlada's Mitty Pout reusable makeup cleaner is not only glamorous but environmentally responsible. Parent company Take My Face Off also touts an array of other products, from Mitty Mini for eyes and toner to Mitty Max for face and body. Use these red lips to wipe off your lipstick or gloss, applying any cleanser. Then, just toss your Mitty in the wash and voila! Think of all the trees or cotton plants you'll save forgoing the usual cleaning subjects! Plus, it's a lovely addition to your vanity. The fabric is velvety soft, so rub generously on or around lips. Named after a make-up artist, you will feel like a Hollywood star (or at least an extra) using it. And, you'll feel good about your investment: the company gives generously to Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit dedicated to protecting pollinators . Take my Face off operates enti...

At a job interview, a woman was told by the interviewer that not only had she had Covid, but it had been virulent. "I ended up in the hospital, felt like I couldn't breathe." The applicant wanted to feign sympathy, but was only feeling fear. 'How do I get out of here?' The interviewer continued: "But that was months ago. I'm fine now." Relief? Another time, an employee questioned a hybrid work policy. "You are to come in more than once a week," she and her colleagues were told in a Zoom call. When she asked what that meant, the manager shot back, "just what I said." We are living in an age none of us imagined, and the business world is not out to protect us any more than it has protected coal miners from pneumoconioses and silicosis, explosions or chemical hazards. In 2019, who among us would have considered a food service or reporting job risky, let alone a trip to a largely unmasked Walgreen's or Kroger? At the start of the...

"We always have to be on the lookout for a variant that might ... seriously evade protection from prior infection." - Dr. Fauci Dr. Anthony Fauci , the nation's preeminent infectious disease expert, just spoke remotely for an hour with the National Press Club in Washington. He discussed issues such as his decision to forgo attending the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday, the speed of a toddler-friendly vaccine and how the insidious nature of SARS-CoV-2 variants is making herd immunity all but impossible. "How we think of herd immunity is likely unattainable in Covid-19," Fauci said, in response to a question posed by Club President Jen Judson. "So I think we have to realize that. It was what we did with measles, what we did with polio. You had enough immunity in the population with a stable virus. That’s classical herd immunity. It makes it very problematic to get herd immunity, though, [with Covid] - meaning there is enough protection in a c...

HARTFORD-APRIL 22, 2022: Last year there was enough solar power produced by Hartford's converted 4,000-acre closed landfill to power a thousand phones at full capacity. If you want to get geeky, it equated to 1 megawatt of electricity. This is one of many reasons that the city has ranked #18 per capita nationwide in a new report , Shining Cities 2022: The Top U.S. Cities for Solar Energy , when it comes to solar adoption. This is divided between both business and residential users. Johanna Neumann , senior director for renewable energy with Environment America, explained the methodology in their rankings. While Hartford is #18 for per capita solar use, it does not rank in the top 20 for overall solar output, an award that goes to Los Angeles. There is value, she explains, in both measurements. "So there are a lot of ways to slice and dice. How much solar per capita and overall [solar use]." She adds that it's equally important to look at small cities that are do...

Update: Feb. 1, 2023. My hero, Tom Brady, has announced his retirement "for good". I wrote the following after his last "retirement", though this time I know it is true. Couldn't love you more, Tom. Thanks for showing millions of us how the game should be played, for providing a beacon during hard times, for being you. I will miss you. February 5, 2017 I had been watching Superbowl LI in my mom's man cave. She was, of course, back in her room. She wasn't a football fan, but told me she loved my enthusiasm for Tom Brady and (at the time, before he left them) the Pats. So when they pulled out a victory and I ran screaming into her room, seeing her face light up with sheer joy was its own kind of success. I had made my late mother happy just by being happy myself. The end of that game sticks with me because I was worried about Tom's mother Galynn - whom he was hugging, and who was suffering from breast cancer at the time. I worried she might pass away,...