We Green Westport

… and sign the We Green Westport pledge.

We will have an information table at Temple Israel’s Green Mitzvah Day on April 6th from 12 to 2. Temple Israel is located at 14 Coleytown Road in Westport.

We will also have our pledge cards at the screening of The Connecticut Plan to Fight Global Warming. This film, from the Connecticut Fund For The Environment, will be followed by a discussion with Julie Belaga. The event, taking place on April 9 (beginning at 7:30 pm) in the Westport Library is sponsored by the Green Energy Task Force and The League of Women Voters of Westport.

… and it’s good enough to drink.

City of Seattle Gives Bottled Water the Boot

First San Francisco banned it. Then Chicago started taxing it. Now, the city of Seattle is taking action against bottled water; last week, Mayor Greg Nickels signed an executive order to stop the city from buying bottled water. That means no more bottled water at city facilities and events, which may sound like a small step, but it’ll make a big difference; last year, the city spent $58,000 on the stuff (and that’s not including the true cost and carbon footprint of bottled water).

New York is trying a different tactic:

The City of New York is trying to persuade its people to give up bottled drinks and consume tap water instead to help protect the environment.

It has launched an advertising campaign to promote the cause, with local restaurants encouraged to join in.

City officials say their campaign will save people money, and reduce waste.

According to environmental groups, four out of five plastic water bottles end up on landfill sites and the production process contributes to global warming.

Open your tap, fill a clean glass, take a sip and taste…good right? Our water cannot be beat.  So, go buy a Sigg, fill it up, enjoy…make a difference.

At 8pm on the 29 March 2008 millions of people in some of the world’s biggest cities including Copenhagen, Toronto, Chicago, Melbourne, Brisbane, Tel Aviv and Manila will unite and switch off for Earth Hour.

Earth Hour 2007 was a Sydney event. Earth Hour 2008 is a global movement.

Earth Hour is about individual action and how together we can make a difference. Visit Earthhour.org and add your name to the Earth Hour movement.

If Sydney can do it, why not Westport? Turn off the lights on 3/29/08 at 8 p.m.

As you can see in the column at the right, Westport residents are signing the We Green Westport pledge.  Have you?

Why sign this pledge?  Sign this simple pledge because it serves as:

1. a means to let others know that you are trying to do your part in reducing global warming
2. a tool to measure the commitment of our residents
3. an educational piece increasing the awareness of the many different steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprints

By taking the pledge and completing the card, your name and efforts will be there for your neighbors and friends to see (and hopefully be inspired by). It is a simple step, yet very meaningful and significant.

Visit our Mapping the Green in Westport page and either download a pledge card or complete our online card.  We’ll note your commitment on our Westport Map.  You will also receive to tickets to the Green Earth Fair at Earthplace at the end of April.

Do something great for your family, future generations and the planet and be recognized for your efforts. Take the pledge today!

On Wednesday, April 9 (7:30pm – 9:00pm in the McManus Room of the Westport Library) The League of Women Voters of Westport and The Westport Green Energy Task Force will present a film from Connecticut Fund for the Environment.

The Connecticut Fund for the Environment is spearheading legislation to cap global warming emissions here in Connecticut.  The evening’s program will will also include a discussion of the legislation by Julie Belaga.

Ms. Belaga was the former COO of the Export-Import Bank, former Regional Administrator in the EPA for New England and held elected offices in Connecticut. She also serves on the Boards of The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters, Connecticut Fund for the Environment and others.

Come out, watch the short film and join in the discussion about how to support the legislation and other ways to help combat global warming.

Wednesday, April 9

Beginning at 7:30 (Westport Library)

Film and Discussion open to all

The Hartford Courant, in today’s editorial section, weighs in on greenhouse gases.

Obviously, Connecticut isn’t going to solve climate change on its own. But by committing now to meaningful cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions — standards that will change the way state agencies, municipalities, utilities, businesses and Connecticut residents use energy every day — Connecticut will reap the rewards in better energy efficiency, lower costs, cleaner air and a healthier environment.

There will be another benefit, too. By adopting rigorous standards sooner rather than later, Connecticut will be positioning itself to meet economic challenges in a world shaped by the dictates of climate change.

Think of it as creating a statewide economic climate for change.

The General Assembly is considering a bill that would put the entire state on a schedule for greenhouse-gas reductions. Specifically, it sets a target of 2020 for reducing greenhouse-gas emissions to 10 percent below 1990 levels. By 2050, emissions would have to be at least 80 percent below 2001 levels. Both goals are in line with the latest science on global warming.

The legislation also provides a road map for getting there.

For example, it would require low-carbon fuel standards for all motor vehicles and home-heating fuels sold in Connecticut. Energy standards in the state’s building code would be updated regularly. New power plants using fossil fuels would have ceilings on the amount of carbon dioxide they can emit.

The bill would also set up a statewide carbon registry and mandatory reporting system for businesses with emissions exceeding 10,000 tons. State agencies would also devise a model code for municipalities to encourage smart-growth land-use policies that reduce sprawl and foster transit-oriented development.

Four years ago, lawmakers committed Connecticut to a set of voluntary goals for reducing greenhouse gases. Environmentalists say the state is on track to meet only 63 percent of the goal for 2010 and 38 percent for 2020.

Connecticut has to do better.

By adopting rigorous standards and sticking with them, the state will encourage utilities, businesses and residents to invest in better, more efficient technologies. It will also create an economic climate where “green” jobs and clean-energy technologies — including Connecticut’s own fuel-cell industry — can thrive.

Improved efficiency will help residents and businesses save money. That should be a powerful incentive for a state with some of the highest energy costs in the country. It can also help insulate against the harsh price fluctuations of a global energy market.

Reducing emissions will also help clear Connecticut’s air, which is some of the dirtiest in the country. That will not only enhance our quality of life, but reduce rates of asthma and other respiratory ills.

Finally, the General Assembly ought to adopt this legislation because it committed the state to these goals in 2004.

Even more important, it’s the right thing to do. By adopting rigorous standards for greenhouse-gas emissions, Connecticut can become part of the solution to global warming. Along the way, it will also be helping to ensure a better, more prosperous future for the state and for future generations.

Your Connecticut Energy Guide is provided by The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters Education Fund.

This guide (PDF) provides a great list of sites for:

1. Incentives for increasing energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy in your home
2. Incentives for increasing energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy in your business
3. Incentives for increasing energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy in your community
4. The players in the State’s Energy Policy
5. Ideas for teachers, parents, students
6. Learn “Energy Speak”
7. Top 10 websites for Energy News

You really do not need an excuse to take our We Green Westport Pledge other than wanting to protect our environment. Just call this one a thank you gift.

On April 26 and 27, Earthplace will be holding its second annual Green Earth Fair. There will be activities for all ages, demonstrations of green products, lectures and vendors who will talk about their products and services that help make a transition to green living possible.

Take our We Green Westport Pledge and Earthplace will send you two tickets ($10 value) to their weekend event. A great way to find out about additional ways to reduce your footprint.

2008 Green Earth Fair Flyer

Communing without nature

As people spend more time communing with their televisions and computers, the impact is not just on their health, researchers say. Less time spent outdoors means less contact with nature and, eventually, less interest in conservation and parks.

“Declining nature participation has crucial implications for current conservation efforts,” wrote co-authors Oliver R. W. Pergams and Patricia A. Zaradic. “We think it probable that any major decline in the value placed on natural areas and experiences will greatly reduce the value people place on biodiversity conservation.”

“The replacement of vigorous outdoor activities by sedentary, indoor videophilia has far-reaching consequences for physical and mental health, especially in children,” Pergams said in a statement. “Videophilia has been shown to be a cause of obesity, lack of socialization, attention disorders and poor academic performance.”

The solution? Get out and take a walk in the woods. Listen to the birds. Touch the bark of the trees. Bend out and touch the soil. Connect with nature.

When we learn to appreciate nature, we will do anything to protect it.

Connecticut needs to do its part to fight global warming. The Connecticut Plan to Fight Global Warming tells how Connecticut Fund for the Environment is leading the way for a healthier future for our state, country and planet.

Paul Newman narrates this short film that discusses the consequences of global warming on Connecticut. Experts on climatology, health, biology and environmental justice give their opinions about the costs of not reducing the state’s carbon emissions.