Connecticut Green Living

For years, I was a fan of Elm City Market, conveniently located for the train commuter (i.e. me) on State and Elm in New Haven across from the Metro station. When I found out it was closing but moving after Christmas (January originally, but now finally set on the day after tomorrow) I was thrilled but worried. For when one has their favorite places, they include not only products but sense memories - the first coffee on a cold morning, the taste tests before holidays, learning to pronounce 'quinoa' correctly (this really happened, but I cannot remember whether I taught myself or just heard a fellow shopper pronounce it.) Elm City Market reopens 7-11 at 275 S. Orange in New Haven, with a PR blitz - giveaways, 'meet the vendors', New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker and might I add air conditioning. I spoke to the CEO, Kurt Luttecke yesterday about the new digs. "So it's been really hot, I'm not embarrassed to say I'll be coming for the AC." (chuckles) ...

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...

If you have ever taken a stroll around New Haven, you may have been treated to one of our dozens of green spaces. I was so struck over Christmas when I wandered blocks from the Yale campus to find the Farmington Canal Greenway. It is part of the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile bike and pedestrian route that aims to connect Maine to Florida. Visit Milford, for example, and you can bike along part of it as it skirts by Gulf Beach. Elsewhere, find Edgewood Park , for example, with its bocce court ensconced by buttonbushes and dogwoods, which help guard against erosion. The park also showcases shagbark hickory, black birch, kousa dogwood, and weeping blue spruce. These are but two examples of our embarassment of riches in the Constitution State, where green spaces in a city are not a one-off but a way of life, lifting spirits while promoting a healthier lifestyle: from running and rollerblading to simply walking alone or with a loved one. It turns out, Connecticut has a special place...

"You Can Save The Earth - An Adult Coloring Book for Environmental Awareness, Conservation, and Sustainability " is a different kind of read. That's because it's also an adult coloring book with messages both poetic and simple enough for children to understand. So share it with them and you'll see their eyes light up - not only when they color the stunning drawings of wildlife and fauna, but when you explain the messages. From our limited resources and need to use less, to the reality that greenhouse gases are burning through the atmosphere so fast that if we don't do something, our grandchildren will not enjoy the same world. What's unique about this book is that it not only instructs, not only offers pages to color, but offers prompts to make one think. For example, under "Choose to Reduce", the author quotes Pope John Paul II: "The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love...

Energize Connecticut is more than a mantra we shout during a thunderstorm, for United Illuminating in conjunction with Eversource has sponsored a competition to promote sustainable homes in the state. This year, the seventh annual competition, the Energize staff cite 17 remarkable green Connecticut homes that were entered in the competition, and each touts an inspiring story about how it became what's called "zero energy" (one hundred percent sustainable). Some placed a large emphasis on renewable energy and others on highly efficient design, says Energize Connecticut . Five winners have been plucked for the statewide design and build competition for single and multi-family homes. This year’s competition featured homes from across Connecticut built between June 1, 2016 and January 31, 2017. In this national initiative, participants built high efficiency homes that consume little to no energy by using sustainable building practices. “With new renewable energy techn...

What's refreshing about Sustainability Made Simple: Small Changes for Big Impact is that it doesn't talk down to the reader, nor does it assume the reader knows anything more than that the climate is changing and everyday citizens should do their part to slow the process. The young authors, fairly recent University of California San Diego International Affairs grads, met on campus when they were studying environmental policy. Laurèn DeMates now works in sustainability in San Francisco at a tech startup, and co-author Rosaly Byrd, who blogs on sustainability for the Huffington Post, was calling in from her role as a sustainability professional for the UN in Rio de Janeiro. DeMates told me recently that the idea for the book arose naturally. "We definitely knew we wanted to do something about the polarization about information on sustainability. There was nothing in the middle that was helpful to individuals who don’t necessarily call themselves environmentalists. We wan...