Connecticut Green Living

We could do better but we could also do a lot worse. A couple weeks ago, personal finance website WalletHub released its report on the year's Greenest States. "In order to showcase the states doing right by Mother Earth , WalletHub compared the 50 states in terms of 28 key metrics that speak to the current health of the environment and residents’ environmental-friendliness," their press release says. "The data set ranges from green buildings per capita to the share of energy consumption from renewable resources." Our 10th place ranking mirrors a similar ranking from SmileHub , 11th in sustainable development. Unfortunately, we are slipping: in 2023 we ranked sixth , in 2024 ninth . Asked to explain why we've been slipping, WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo told me, "While Connecticut continues to do well in addressing climate change , ranking second in that category, its overall environmental quality has slipped noticeably, from eighth in 2023 to 11th i...

I loved the recent Blue Origin all-female trip to space and even consider Katy Perry an astronaut now. But then, I was that kid who raced to watch Man land on the moon in July 1969, nerdily pushing my way from the confines of friend Stephanie's house up the street. Today on Earth Day , no doubt the Blue Origin ladies are thinking of Earth much differently than you and I are. I can only imagine the thrill of seeing our planet even from 62 miles above sea level (still well above the Kármán line ). I ask that you close your eyes and imagine Earth in a similarly special vein. Buying green products won't necessarily change the world but if you only buy sustainably, your carbon footprint at the time of your death will be a source of pride. Not to you, who is dead , but to your family. Imagine knowing your mom or grandmother had composted their entire adult lives? So here is a smattering of products I have enjoyed and do enjoy: #1: Oceanfoam rollers . These eco-conscious foam rolle...

Every Earth Day my in-box overflows with press releases - everything from sustainable city lists to eco-friendly underwear. But this year, my heart was urging me to do something different. My maternal grandmother, whom I called "Mama Sue", was born and raised on a farm in Garner, Texas. She had 10 brothers and a little sister named Jessie, who died at just 10. Because of her upbringing Mama Sue behaved in ways that sometimes embarrassed me or made me laugh. I regret that. She became a respected geometry teacher in Alice, Texas and made delicious apple pies. Her only daughter, my mom - who went by Kathie, then Kathy, then Kathleen - also became a teacher. she married a New Jersey Jew, and I grew up on Walt Disney and dreidels, not the morning milking. Mom had great style, but never lost her country girl ways. She once had to kill a Buick-sized cockroach in my room in Alice because her citified daughter was squealing. Mom was 77. Here are their 22 lessons: 1. Be frugal - Mama...

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...

Five million plastic straws are thrown away in the U.S. every day, according to GoSili, a brand promoting reusable silicone drinkware in its "Ocean Collection". Moreover, they cite that 100 bilion disposable cups go into landfills annually; the average person consumes 1,769 particles of plastic every week just from drinking water (ugh!); and by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish. This Earth Day, April 22, let’s make a commitment to helping the planet. And the plastic in the ocean is a smashing start. I have written before about reusable straws , which I wholeheartedly endorse. Straws are helpful for many of us who have dental issues and don't want juice or soda to stain our teeth. Sometimes they help older people with more sensitive digestive systems or young children drink their milk - so I am not anti-straw. This brand is sustainable and fun - I received artsy blue and seagreen “Arctic” and “Indian” Ocean 20-oz reusable cups. One perc...

Due to Covid-19, this Earth Day, the 50th, is sad and challenging but it is also a perfect time to reflect upon ways to protect and honor nature. And while every Earth Day means 102 press releases in my email inbox, on everything from clean make-up to rainforest protection, I was particularly attracted to the birds and the bees this year. Being sequestered in my home for weeks on end - what week is it? what day? - is only counterbalanced by the walks I take here in Branford. Blooming cherry blossoms interspersed with hydrangea, dogwoods and yellow loosestrife explode with color. Dizzy from the beauty, it is easy to forget that we're living in Plague times. Take a look around - from a safe distance. It's gorgeous. What all this floral beauty means is that the bees are in hog heaven. In normal years I'd be getting ready to pad down to the local farmers' markets for some homespun honey. It is delicious, but I didn't know too much about it until I decided to explore ...

On Earth Day there's no better time to watch a gripping documentary called "Tomorrow" . It shines a light on how both overconsumption and overpopulation have dovetailed at a time when climate change is threatening the planet. The film, first released in France at the end of 2015, stars French actress Mélanie Laurent ("Inglorious Basterds") and Paris-based activist Cyril Dion, whose message highlights a need to make the planet more livable not only now, but yes, tomorrow. Dion, who's also a director, co-wrote the film with Laurent. "Tomorrow" has won awards abroad, including France's equivalent of the Oscar, the Cesar, in 2016. Laurent as narrator explains how worried she is about her children's future following the 2012 publication of a Nature study from 20 researchers who show just how threatened planet Earth including we humans are. Stanford and U.C. Berkeley -based paleoecologist Anthony Barnosky , one of the lead researchers, ...

Connecticut recently ranked fifth in the country for greenness — so why aren't we always acting green? We're particularly lax when it comes to giving up our one-person-per-auto mindset. This reporter wholly believes that the greatest impediment to getting more folks to share a ride, or get on the bus or train is reversing a stigma. Being a bus rider is even fodder for comic effect in movies. Women walking to the bus in the 'burbs sometimes get propositioned as ladies of the evening! It's the bus, people, not a meth deal. The reason to reverse the stigma is clear and urgent: we are on a collision course with climate change and the planet isn't winning. From coral bleaching to cites choking on air pollution, climate change -- a laughed-off topic by Donald Trump -- is the plague that keeps on giving. Thought last summer was too warm? Just wait till the next hurricane hits us and everyone's remarking how severe the weather "suddenly" is. So here are ...