Connecticut Green Living

You may have first seen the red and black-winged creature fluttering about your lawn, or outside the store or on a walk with your family. You didn't think too much about it, but one day you mused, 'I don't remember seeing this insect in Connecticut before.' Then it gets worse: you are outside Market 360 or Elm City Market in New Haven and you see a horde of them, most still alive, some smashed dead on the sidewalk. (I have wondered if these critters are coming in on the packages to these markets, but more on that in the future.) I wanted to investigate, first speaking to people off the cuff — from a young woman at the train station to my dentist — and they too have seen them .Turns out these seemingly innocuous creatures are a serious threat to our environment , even while benign to humans. They harm crops including grapes and other fruity plants, and spread a type of sticky substance that produces mold on outdoor equipment, vehicles, clothing, pets and even your hai...

This morning I coughed up some phlegm. Is this the detritus of my Covid that ostensibly ended a couple weeks ago? Or did I catch something this week? I don't feel safe in New Haven schools because I am not. Before I get hate mail: I know what the rules are. It's who-gives-a-hoot in terms of masking in America. Young Americans have decided the pandemic is over, so those of us over 50 can just grin and bear it and hopefully not end up in hospitals gasping for air. Yesterday, a teen was coughing. I put on a second mask as I sat at the desk, nervously wondering if she were ill. I decided to call Admin and ask that a mask be sent up. The teen agreed to wear one, then as she became more and more lethargic, soon asked if she could go to the nurse. Of course, I said, of course. I heard a few coughs from the other side of the room, an animated boy "working" in a close group. Did he have Covid? I counted: maybe three masks in class. It should be noted, often I see more kids t...

Five students and their teacher from West Haven, Conn., have been recognized as winners of the 2016 President’s Environmental Youth Award (PEYA). The program recognizes outstanding environmental stewardship projects by K-12 youth. These students demonstrate the initiative, creativity, and applied problem-solving skills needed to tackle environmental problems and find sustainable solutions, according to an EPA press release issued June 8. The students – Arya Bairat, James Rodrigues, Eran Avni-Singer, Sebastian-Morelli Peyton, and Jonathan Yun – started a team at the Engineering and Science University Magnet School (part of New Haven Public School District) in West Haven. They conducted their project with the support and guidance of their biology teacher, Ginger Meetze, and parent sponsor, Dhanahree Bairat. Their project addressed the problem of excessive plastics in the waste stream and air pollution, and their impact on the environment. “Today, we are pleased to honor these imp...