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...

Connecticut is getting better when it comes to recycling, reusing and repurposing , though we have a long way to go. The Yale campus boasts numerous recycling receptacles, but walk just a couple blocks off campus and folks are throwing their plastic Evian bottles in the gutter. To encourage greenness in the State, I am establishing the first annual Greenies: 1. Best Citizen: Milford resident and former teacher Tony Sam for walking along Edgewood regularly just to pick up litter. "People talk about global warming , but they aren't talking about all this litter." He agreed that litter is part of global warming/climate change. He does not expect accolades, just hopes folks will quit throwing cans out their car windows. 2. Best University Practices: Yale University for clearly labeling recycling matter from throwaway items, a practice ubiquitous across campus including in all libraries and other buildings. 3. Best Statewide Government Change: As of January 1, all those p...

This year sucked. The only redeeming portion of 2023 was the chunk dedicated to helping New Haven schoolchildren and teens turn on their Chromebooks and access the lessons their real teachers had provided them. I also lost 10 pounds. And in February I was offered an environmental reporting job in North Dakota that I, temporarily insane, passed up. Other than that, I did not find a permanent job, boyfriend or cat, nor undiscovered millions. Oh yes, I did fall in love with someone ELSE's cat, Laird, a sturdy white dazzler at a Hamden Airbnb. I also joined the club and caught C , after a mask was brought to a kid in class and an aide pushed her name and number my way. Paxlovid was gross, but it worked. I have spent the 10 months since carefully avoiding sniffling vectors unless you count yesterday when Amtrak diverted us to a bus and the guy behind me coughed his way from New Haven to Hartford . I spent a lot of time alone this year, at McDonald's in West Haven or Branford. Sp...

One of the most disheartening sights of (near) winter is seeing homeless individuals treated like garbage. At Union Station, New Haven security is tasked with ensuring folks do not fall asleep on the benches. You heard that right. Sleep is critical to sustain life, and by forcing humans to stay awake the City is promoting an unhealthy, even deadly alternative to a humane solution. I proposed sleep pods recently, an idea long overdue. I now propose providing sections of Union Station for homeless persons to sit and sleep, and not fear being kicked out from 1 to 4 when the station closes. (And if they fall asleep lying down on benches, so be it.) I understand the objections. I heard that an infestation of bed bugs resulted in a sanitization of the waiting area. It is perfectly reasonable to want paying travellers to feel safe from such peril. That is why a section makes sense, a section that would be sanitized at multiple times during the day. Sadly, an overwhelming percentage of friend...

I participated in a symposium on the BP oil spill in 2011 that sought to bridge the divide between entities after a disaster, be they universities, corporations, small businesses or individuals. Now, similarly, I am learning about how academia is researching and trying to solve a problem, while admitting boots-on-the-ground experience is necessary. When I heard the alarm sound at a New Haven school where I was subbing in April, I froze. The principal then began talking on the PA very calmly: students and faculty could go into the halls but only en route to another class. We were then supposed to loc k our doors and stay put till further notice. It turned out to be a "partial lockdown" in that there was still some movement allowed, but this did not lessen the terror. Indeterminate gunfire had been detected in the area -- then a few hours later, we got the all clear. A teacher told me quietly, "That's if it is the truth." This particular school had had to have a p...