Connecticut Green Living

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...