by Megan DiPerri Restaurants everywhere seem to be turning over a new leaf; a green leaf. I'm not just talking about the salad specials either. The term "green certified" is becoming ever popular among restaurant owners and dishing up a healthy, locally grown, organic menu is only the tip of this iceberg. Reducing energy, increasing recycling and composting, eliminating the use of polystyrene foam products, implementing green construction and green energy practices; restaurants are... Read Full Story

by Eileen Weber The high cost of fuel and the strained economy have made homeowners look for better options this coming winter. Many consumers are turning to solar power. We’ve all seen the occasional home with solar panels on the rooftop. These days, the solar panels available create energy in a clean and efficient way. The semiconductor materials in the panels convert the sunlight directly into electricity, significantly reducing the amount that the average home uses. According to... Read Full Story

School is in full swing and that means so are all the school buses. They’re big. They’re bulky. They belch exhaust. So, what’s an environmentally-conscious parent to do? In a press release from the EPA, the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (CT DEP) was awarded close to $500,000 for their Clean School Bus project. This initiative specifically targets school buses and the exhaust these buses create. Each year since its inception in 2006, money has been allotted for school... Read Full Story

by Heather Burns-DeMelo Being an entrepreneur isn't easy, and being an eco-preneur presents a whole other set of challenges. While it's invigorating to do what you believe in, rewarding to be an innovator, and gratifying to contribute to positive change, entrepreneurs in the green space need courage, commitment and patience to make it. Here are some who have inspired me over the past year: 1) Jay Whelan, CEO The Green Revolution. Jay took a break from the fast paced world of Wall Street... Read Full Story

Read more posts on motherhood and the environment on Eco-Mamas.com My last post, before the haze of a holiday weekend set in, focused on the reauthorization of The Child Nutrition Act in 2009. I asked readers to comment on the USDA's public comment website to make their voices heard. We want fresh fruits and vegetables! We want increased funding! We want standards for "snack line" foods! And, then I got to thinking. I asked all of you to comment, I commented, but then I stopped there. Today... Read Full Story

Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Willie Nelson and Neil Young have teamed up with Whole Foods Market and Horizon Organic to present Farm Aid 2008, a concert to raise funds to keep farm families on their land. The organization has raised more than $30 million since 1985 in its quest to promote a strong and resilient family farm system of agriculture. Read Full Story

                     Credit: Nick UT/AP Photo)    No matter where you live in Connecticut, HYPE has got your chance to register to vote in the November 2008 Presidential Election. Head down to the Hall of Flags at the Connecticut State Capitol Sept. 24 to meet representatives from various political parties, listen to Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz and tap your toes to live music from the Teague McDonald Band. Enjoy refreshments courtesy of Liquid Assets. Free parking after 5 p.m... Read Full Story

By now, you probably get the idea that our planet's resources are finite, but many people are beginning to catch on to the fact that our need to design, plan and build communities that are "smart" and conserve our limited natural resources, while creating a strong sense of community is imperative.  On the financial side of the coin, developers, architects, builders and real estate agents are seeing great investment potential in smart growth, even in a slowed up economy. So what is Smart... Read Full Story

by commonweal Via CT Smart Growth Sat Sep 13, 2008 at 09:56:26 AM EDT With state legislative elections coming up, you can find out where the candidates stand on smart growth issues.  1000 Friends of CT will be holding a series of legislative candidate forums over the next several weeks to help us find out where the candidates stand on such issues as property taxes, land use, regional cooperation, and strategic investment.  Here are the dates and locations: Branford: September 27, 11AM... Read Full Story

Food waste composted into nutrient rich soil By News Channel 8's Chris Velardi Posted September 18, 2008 4:55 PM Northford (WTNH) -- One company is collecting food waste and composting it into a nutrient rich soil to sell it to farmers around the state. It's time for the weekly pick-up at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford. A truck is coming for a specific type of trash -- the 'food waste' from Choate's cafeteria. "We measured it for a couple of meals and we said, okay, one meal was 170... Read Full Story