Connecticut Green Living

I'm a stickler for details. "Why is everyone doing their year roundups several weeks before the end of the year?" I asked my friend Len. "Well, because it's the way they do it, you know, the year's almost over." I can't remember exactly what he said. "But something incredible - good or bad - could still happen in these, let's see, 12 days." "Then write your roundup and add something in if that happens." So here we are. This was a difficult year, though not without its share of excitement and joy. The principal excitement came when I bussed off to D.C. as I have been wanting to do for a couple years, and attended the National Press Club Career Day . We got free profile pictures courtesy of a wonderful photographer by the name of Melissa Lyttle and I met with representatives of the AP, Washington Post and regional publications around the country. My favorite part of the day was probably "Nail the interview: Advice for succ...

There are creeps then there are plant creeps. A plant creep wants to upset the environment, ultimately usurpring economic stability on a region. Lawn Love has come out with a list showing we are ranked fourth for invasive plants. The top five in order are California, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and North Carolina. (Note: our geographical proximity to New York and Massachussetts obviously means greater overlap in areas such as northwestern and southeastern Connecticut .) The breakdown is as follows: No. 4: Connecticut | Overall score: 65.87 Number of Invasive Plant Species ( National Invasive Species Information Center ): 47 | Rank: 10 Number of Invasive Plant Species Reported ( University of Georgia ): 702 | Rank: 18 Percentage of Sunshine: 58% | Rank: 29 Average Monthly Inches of Precipitation : 3.6 | Rank: 17 National Association of Exotic Pest Plant Councils Membership: 0 (No) | Rank: 1 UConn has put out a helpful list of reported invasive plants. Listed by common nam...

My late mother was fond of saying she must come to terms with having lost most of her classic beauty. Yet even on my last visit with her, at age 78 she was still turning heads. I have enjoyed a fair amount of continuing interest even at 62, but as of last Thursday night that quickly changed. I am generating interest, but of a different kind. I can read the stares. 'Who beat her?' 'What's wrong with this woman?!' Sometimes, I am wearing my mask so people cannot see my broken nose or most of the huge purple bruise from the eye socket down to the nose. I have never enjoyed mask-wearing more than I do now. Sometimes I talk about it. Other times I address questions, such as the boy who asked his mom, "Why is that lady wearing a Band-aid on her nose?" I turned and told him. I have also offered the story when I see The Stare because I want to offset their impression. Other times, I have seen this as an interesting social experiment. Far more interesting than the ...

If you are surviving the "heat dome", that's wonderful, but if you are thriving you must be locked in a meat cooler somewhere. Yesterday , I had to walk several blocks because of the arts festival in downtown New Haven, and became intimately familiar with the 'heat index'. It felt like 104 according to the heat index, which factors in humidity, even though it was in the 90s. There was not an inch of clothing that was not doused in sweat when I arrived at my destination. I then slept a solid 12 hours. Dangerous weather such as we are having is nothing to take lightly. I reported Friday that the CDC documented over 700 annual U.S. deaths between 2004 and 2018. I can only imagine that from 2024 forward, that number will spike considerably. U.S. News & World Report just reported that Phoenix has suffered six heat-related deaths as its temps have soared to 115 in recent days. One hundred fifteen degrees. The only upside is humidity is low (as I write, it is 107...

During 2004–2018, an average of 702 heat-related deaths (415 with heat as the underlying cause and 287 as a contributing cause) occurred in the United States annually, according to the CDC in its "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report". In it the CDC states that natural heat exposure was a "contributing cause of death attributed to certain chronic medical conditions, alcohol poisoning, and drug overdoses." But it is not 2018 anymore, and heat deaths along with extreme heat, are accelerating. (As if on cue, a few hours after I published this the BBC and CNN reported that 1,000 persons have died from the heat on a Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.) At least as importantly, areas with high humidity such as ours - particularly over the past several days - are fraught this time of year. The higher the humidity, the less we are able to sweat and cool ourselves. CDC's health scientist Ambarish Vaidyanathan, of the Climate and Health Program with the National Center for Envi...

Yesterday I began this list from the bottom up. Today I'll roundout my top 10 eco-friendly staples. #5 #1 Cafe Bustelo This supertasty espresso coffee in bold yellow and red foil bags is addictive. And at a modest price (as cheap as $4 at Walmart) it won't break the bank. Do not buy the Kpods (the opposite of eco-friendly) but brew it yourself in either a single Melita #4 filter over a Fino Coffee-Brewing filter cone or in your coffeemaker of choice. You are supporting an original concept, a homespun business from Harlem with its tentacles and heart in Latin America, South America and Cuba. #4 Kiss my Face Triple Action toothpaste with tea tree oil & aloe A recent discovery, I am in love with the fresh, naturally minty sensation after brushing. Cursed with teeth like an eighteenth-century British Low Life, I will take all the enticement I can get to BRUSH. Its tube touts "100% vegan, triclosan and SLS free, BPA free, no artificial colors or flavors. Buy it at Elm ...

When scrolling, I recently came upon Jerry Seinfeld's GQ interview, "10 Things Jerry Seinfeld Can't Live Without". Besides recommending you view it, I suggest creating your own list. Mine has a twist-each item is eco-friendly, or lends itself to an eco-friendly choice/lifestyle. #10 The SoapStandle. I have written about it before, and honestly cannot live without it. When I travel, it goes too. I pick up bars of soap I like at hotels and rather than toss them, stick 'em to the Standle and throw a compostable baggie over it. You will never waste soap again - and it won't slither to the edge of the tub, either. #9 Matter compostable garbage bags. A recent discovery makes them no less valued. Kudos for not only being compostable but attractive and handy. I love the smooth, not sticky feel of the bag as well as the everyday ease of its pull string that loops through. #8 Fenrici sweats When I say I wear them every day, I mean they are my go-to yoga-cum-sweatpa...

Besides being National Bike Month it is New Haven Bike Month, a celebration of eco-friendly travel and recreation throughout the Elm City sponsored by New Haven Coalition for Active Transportation. According to the Connecticut Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan: "In Connecticut, bicycles are considered vehicles and are allowed on all public roads except controlled access highways such as expressways and the Interstate system..." Events scheduled include this Saturday's "Almost Perfect Rides ", where cyclists will pedal from 5 to 120 miles or the May 11th "Dream of the 90s All Terrain Poker Ride " touting a cool hand, Luke in Woodbridge. Many other cycling events entice seasoned, newbie and middling peddlers to hop on their Schwinns. Community partners have supported Bike Month since its genesis in 2015. Riders can suggest/add events - such as earth-themed rides, bike decorating events, film screenings and neighborhood block pa...

Sustainable cups, straws and storage bags may not sound as sexy as hunky deep-sea explorers saving coral reefs, but all play a part in the effort to protect Earth . Matter Compostable and Earth Friendly Tru-Genuity, LLC of Maple Plain, Minn. touts these products as they are made from plants and natural fibers instead of plastic (including plastic coatings on paper plates), so they are biodegradable. They are part of a happy trend this Earth Day, as companies are realizing it is not only an environmental payoff but a financial boost to go green(er). I love the feel of the utensils, which also look classier than something you'd pick up at most fast food restaurants. The bags feel nice and sturdy -- my dentist said his family uses compostable bags for pet waste -- while also being attractive and easy to split apart from the roll. "Matter's products are BPI and/or TUV (an international, independent certification process) -certified compostable so you can be confident that ...

I am a native Californian so cannot help but enjoy a little pride in the Golden State's #1 green status. But like activists and earthquakes, it is not a surprise. Connecticut, on the other hand, has a looser relationship with environmental policies and commitment. WalletHub has ranked us #9, sliding from #6 last year. This points out our volatility and unevenness in green practices. It named us #10 for eco-friendly behaviors like gas and water consumption, but a soaring numero dos for climate change contributions, such as nitrous-oxide and methane emissions. A tip of the hat to our neighbor to the north, Vermont, for snagging #2 and New York for securing #3. Vermont has the most organic farm acreage per capita, and New York boasts low gas consumption. In New York, 3.2x as many folks do not drive to work as do in Mississippi, the state with the most drive-to-workers. Vermont also has over 8x as many alternative fuel sites per 100k residents as Louisiana, the state with the lowest...

This was my second eclipse, and though I got to see 91% versus the 81% in DC Aug. 21, 2017, it was not quite as thrilling as before. Perhaps there is nothing like the first time when it comes to love and eclipses, or maybe I bemoaned my laziness for not getting up to Buffalo or Niagara Falls for totality. Or perhaps I just missed my mom, who died suddenly in 2018 and had been a part of my first eclipse experience, if only from a distance ("thank you for sending the eclipse glasses," she had said; "you are a terrific person and I admire you.") What I did see was a shrinking sun behind the moon, not obscured by clouds, and quite lovely. A quick, dramatic cool-down accompanied by wind gusts was thrilling , though. I was grateful that the kind folks at Blackstone library in Branford had distributed one pair of ISO-certified eclipse glasses "per family", which meant 100% of my "family" getting one since I was flying solo. Five year-old Ramona lov...