US Military Goes Green

April 28, 2009
Military Adopts Green Technologies

The U.S. military is implementing several green initiatives including the use of alternative energy such as solar and wind that officials estimate could save millions, cut their heavy environmental boot-print and save lives in war zones where fuel convoys are frequent targets, reports the Los Angeles Times.

The testing ground for these green initiatives is Ft. Irwin in San Bernardino Country, which houses the Army’s training center for troops deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.

When oil prices spiked last summer, the Defense Department’s energy budget rose from about $13 billion per year in 2006 and 2007 to $20 billion in 2008, consuming 4 billion gallons of jet fuel, 220 million gallons of diesel and 73 million gallons of gasoline, reports the LA Times.

As a result, reducing consumption and embracing energy alternatives became national security imperatives by defense officials. At Ft. Irwin, they are testing ways to power the desert training area — which replicates combat conditions — using wind, solar and organic waste-to-fuel technologies, reports the LA Times.

READ MORE at EnvironmentalLeader.com

Marion Webb on Going and Saving Green

My friend and colleague in Georgia, Marion Webb, was featured on CNN for Earth Day. Marion is an expert at saving money through inexpensive energy and resource saving measures.

History of Earth Day

From TreeHugger.com
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California on 04.13.09

For anyone in the green movement under 30 in the US, Earth Day has always just...been. It's existed as a day when you head to the park or zoo with your parents for activities that have to do with recycling, gardening, and saving endangered animals. Or if you're in high school or college, it's the day you go plant trees or participate in a river clean-up and get some extra community service credits. But, how did it start? Really, it's an example of grassroots environmentalism at its best.

In 1962, Senator Gaylord Nelson decided the environment needed to take a bigger priority in politics, so he convinced President Kennedy to do a national conservation tour. It was a five-day, eleven-state tour in September of '63. And the result...a big, “So what?” from every other politician.

On to plan B.
Six years later, in 1969 when war protests were all the rage, Senator Nelson came up with the idea of holding a national protest against the destruction of the environment.

"I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try."

He was right. The event, held on April 22, 1970 and organized through grassroots, word-of-mouth methods, was a massive success with over 20 million people taking part across the nation. Imagine that...20 million people gathering around green, and all well before Twitter and its Twestivals, or Facebook and its Cause Badges.

CLICK HERE to read more at TreeHugger.com

Shop Amazon.com for Earth Day Discounts

Fairfield Celebrates Earthday

Residents of Farifield will have a busy schedule this week if they plan to attend all of the Earth Day activities in the area. Here is a small sample of some of the major events to celebrate the planet.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, will participate in a discussion on energy and environment from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Greenfield Hill Congregational Church. The town hall-style meeting will include Roger Smith, executive director of Clean Water Action; Richard Johnson, president of the Fairfield Prep Political Awareness Club; and Kathleen Casey, president of the Fairfield Ludlowe Democrats.

Fairfield University will host "More Green Cleaners Party," a free event to educate the public on why it's a healthy and smart move to whip up eco-friendly homemade cleansers using benign components, such as olive oil and castile soap. The event will take place from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. April 21 in Bannow 319 on the university campus. To reserve a spot, contact msregan@mail.fairfield.edu.

The Sacred Heart University Marketing Club is hosting an Earth Day celebration from 11:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. April 22. There will be a number of demonstrations, and one of the highlights will be the planting of the "Giving Tree" in the garden outside of Seton and Merton halls.

The Watermark at 3030 Park is hosting Tisha Ferguson, director of outreach at Connecticut Fund for the Environment, who will lecture on the need for clean water in Bridgeport and Long Island Sound, storm water, legislative help given to older cities regarding watershed lands and the protection of river banks. The lecture will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. April 22 in the auditorium. To reserve a seat, call 374-5611.

The Fairfield and Sasqua Garden Clubs are sponsoring the symposium "Going Green in Your Own Back Yard" at 7 p.m. April 22 at the Southport Congregational Church. The event will feature Jay Feldman of Beyond Pesticides and Chip Osborne of Osborne Organics. For information, call Alice Cooke at 847-7109 or Courtenay Hardy at 259-7865.

Ecologist and economist Robert Constanza, Ph.D., will deliver Fairfield University's Earth Day lecture on April 23 at 6:30 p.m. in the Kelley Center.

The Sasquanaug Association for Southport Improvement will conduct its annual cleanup of Southport Village on April 25 starting at 10 a.m. at the entrance of Southport Park.

And finally, the town of Fairfield's annual Earth Day celebration will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. May 9 at Fairfield Warde High School. The event is still being organized but it will include a number of exhibitors as well as demonstrations and entertainment. One of the highlights is the Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority's residential electronics collection, which will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. More information on the town's annual event will be published in the Fairfield Citizen in the next few weeks. Residents can visit www.fairfieldearthday.wordpress.com for more information.

For more information go to the Fairfield Citizen online
Fairfield Earth Day logo courtesy of http://www.fairfieldearthday.wordpress.com/

Ideas for Greener Home Finishes

This is a fantastic, relatively short, video about a home in the San Diego area that was built with Green Building techniques and earth-friendly products as interior finishes. It is brought to us by Kohler who has been a leader in developingwater conserving and eco-friendly products for the home.

Remember that these greener products can be used in any home, newly built or remodeled. The "style" of the home is not important. Green homes look no different than others unless you can spot a solar panel or two on the roof or in the yard.

In Love....With A Car

And so it begins, a love affair with my new car. It has happened before and will likely happen again. But there is something different about this time.

This time, the object of my affection is a hybrid vehicle. I have been waiting for a hybrid car to be introduced that stirred my emotions. The Prius, the goddess of all green cars, just didn’t do it for me. I am getting old and fat and the idea of getting in a gas sipping Mini Cooper never worked. Camry and Altima were nice. Honda is good and Lexus Hybrids are just plain expensive. Hybrid SUV’s, puh-lease.

Then came the Ford Fusion Hybrid. I read about it while reading about new energy-efficient vehicles. I saw it on American Idol. I contacted my local dealer via the internet*. I went for a look and test drive. I bought it.

The Fusion Hybrid has good looks, est. 41mpg city driving, loads of gadgets, plenty of room, good acceleration (which I thought would be a fatal issue for me with hybrids), and it teaches you to drive in ways that save gas. I could go on about the fantastic gadgets but I am going to have to spend a day or two at the wheel in the driveway to figure them all out. I love new technology and this vehicle is packed with it.

But….what I am in love with is the feeling I get while I’m driving it. Driving it makes me feel Responsible, Hopeful, Proactive, Humble, Giddy, and Proud that an American company came up with this car. (OK, so it’s assembled in Mexico by Ford but I try not to let that get me down,)

More to come I am sure….

*Congrats and thanks to Richard Agudo at McMahon Ford for working my internet lead and actually following through. I first inquired weeks before the first Fusion Hybrid hit the lot in CT. He kept me informed and let me know when it finally arrived. Excellent internet customer service!

Eco-friendly News for Chocolate Lovers

This Easter Cadbury unveiled a range of ‘eco-eggs’ called Cadbury Treasure Eggs, which rather than being sold in a box is simply foil wrapped. The Treasure Eggs represent a reduction of over 75 percent plastic and 65 percent less cardboard than previously used in standard eggs, according to the company.

As well as the new range of eco-eggs, the company has also pledged to cut packaging in its existing range of small and medium boxed eggs.

Cadbury says that the amount of plastic used this Easter will be reduced by 247 tonnes and cardboard by 115 tonnes, saving over 2,000 trees as a result. In total, as a result of the combination of launching the un-boxed Treasure eggs to avoid excessive packaging and reducing packaging on the standard eggs, Cadbury will save 1130 tonnes of packaging this Easter.

READ MORE.....

GO GREEN EXPO IN MANHATTAN

The GoGreenExpo is coming this weekend in Manhattan. It is the largest environmentally-focused consumer show in New York’s history. Big name exhibitors such as Disney, Honda, DELL, Home Depot, Sundance Channel, Food Network, Con Edison and the Sierra Club will all be there. Actress and Eco-celebrity Mariel Hemingway will be discussing "How To Green Your Life."

The Expo is scheduled for April 18th and 19th at the Hilton New York located at 1335 Avenue of the Americas / 6th Ave at 53rd Street. The hours for Saturday are 10am-6pm and Sunday 10am-5pm. The Expo also catrers to businesses with a green minded philosophy. There is a Business to Business event on Friday April 17th from 12pm to 6pm.

Tickets are $10.00 which covers entry for the entire weekend. Seniors and Students are admitted for free.

Click here for more info on the Expo and to register.

Easter Eggs = Less Energy Use?

From NYTimes.com, Green Inc.

By Kate Galbraith

On the evening of March 28, people around the globe turned off their lights in observation of “Earth Hour” — an event aimed at drawing attention to energy conservation.

But it’s actually a bit later in the year — usually April or May — when Americans, with little fanfare, use the least amount of energy. Indeed, in terms of daytime usage between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., the day of the year with the lowest electricity consumption has fallen in April or May every year since 2000, according to New England’s grid operator.

The single lowest energy-use day has coincided with Easter Sunday on three of those years.

“Temperatures moderate and the daylight hours grow longer in the months of April and May,” said Erin O’Brien, a spokeswoman for I.S.O.-New England, the grid operator, in an e-mail message. “This combination prompts customers and business to use less electricity for heating, cooling and lighting.”

Because of the lull in demand, many power plants often shut down for maintenance, ahead of the hot, air-conditioned summer.

Said Paul Rosengren, a spokesman for P.S.E.G., an energy company based in New Jersey: “Spring is a time when you try to get a lot of your summer prep done.”

CLICK HERE to go to the article in the NY Times.

Survey: Do You Care about the Earth?

In a recent survey from Pangea Media and Quibblo, less that 20% of teens reported that they or their families are doing enough for the environment. While it appears we are teaching our children well, we adults are not leading by example.

Click here to take the quiz yourself and see how you compare to others in terms of how you care about the Earth!

Energy Overhaul at Empire State Building

April 6, 2009 courtesy of http://www.environmentalleader.com/

The mother of all office buildings is getting the mother of all energy retrofits.

To make an example of how existing structures can be refitted to improve energy efficiency and sustainability, the Empire State Building is receiving a $20 million overhaul. Planners say the upgrades should result in $4.4 million in energy savings annually, or a 38 percent energy reduction.

The energy upgrades are part of a larger $500 million refurbishing of the building, which was constructed in 1931.

CLICK HERE TO READ FULL ARTICLE

Weatherizing older homes: a win-win-win stimulus that creates jobs, cuts carbon emissions, reduces energy consumption, and revitalizes neighborhoods

The following is a blog post from Barry Katz of GreenWorks Consulting in Westport, CT. You can read his blog at http://www.greenworks.typepad.com/

Weatherizing older homes: a win-win-win stimulus that creates jobs, cuts carbon emissions, reduces energy consumption, and revitalizes neighborhoods

Posted using ShareThis

Click here to read the NY Times Op/Ed that inspired this conversation.

Green Remodel Video

This is a wonderful 15 minute video presentation about doing a Home Energy Remodel on your current or future home. It has tips and information on ways you can save $$$$$$$$ in reduced energy costs. It is one of the first steps to living a more comfortable, healthy, properous and earth friendly life. Enjoy!

The video is courtesy of www.gogreentube.com

Eco-friendly Landscape Options for Spring

The local nurseries along Bronson Road in Fairfield, CT are brimming with the promise of spring. In the past week, truck loads of greenery have been unloaded and placed on nursery lots awaiting the rush of garden enthusiasts and landscape experts to begin the planting season. As you think about your personal landscape projects this year, be aware that with landscaping and gardening you can reduce your energy costs, avoid overconsumption of water resources, save money on your food bill and help the planet.

Reduce your home heating and cooling costs by planting trees and evergreens on the east, west and south sides of your home. Trees planted in strategic locations help create a windbreak for the home from the cold winter winds. In addition, well-placed deciduous trees can shade your home during hot summer months while allow warming sunshine to enter a home when warmth is needed in the winter.

When planting beds and gardens consider trying Xeriscaping. Using native and indigenous plants that are accustomed to the local climate can significantly reduce the need for watering, fertilizers and herbicides. Also, consider reducing the amount of grass on your property. Having that big, beautiful green lawn takes its toll on the earth’s resources and the environment.

If you really want to keep that lawn there are a few tips that can lessen its negative environmental impact. Switch to a push-type mower instead of a power mower. Lawn mower engines emit high levels of carbon monoxide and produce up to 5 percent of U.S. air pollution. Avoid cutting the lawn too short. The shorter the grass the less shade it provides the soil and increases the need for watering. Taller grass has a deeper root system which results in less water required to keep it healthy. Finally, leave the grass clippings on the lawn after you mow it. You won’t add to the town’s landfill and the clippings decompose and put nutrients back into the soil for a healthier lawn.

If you have a nice, sunny and protected area in your yard, consider planting a vegetable garden. The Obama family, taking the lead from former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt, is planting a vegetable garden on the White House lawn to remind us all that “growing more food locally, and organically, can lead to more healthful eating and reduce reliance on huge industrial farms that use more oil for transportation and chemicals for fertilizer.” You also save money at the grocery store produce aisle!

Now go out and get dirty………….



Please visit:

Oliver's Nursery, 1159 Bronson Rd., Fairfield, CT 203-259-5609

Colonial Gardens, 1174 Bronson Rd., Fairfield, CT 203-259-2722

Greenfield Hill Garden Center, 1285 Bronson Rd., Fairfield, CT 203-259-6828