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The Governor's Steering Committee is pleased to recognize and honor Connecticut's leaders in climate change action.
2008 CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Seven Connecticut leaders will be recognized for innovative efforts to address climate change on May 27, 2008. Check back for updates and further information on awardees.
- City of Stamford
- City Seed
- Curtis Packaging
- Green Council at Whitney Center
- ING
- Little People, Big Changes
- Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment
2007 CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERHIP AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Seven Connecticut leaders were recognized for innovative efforts to address climate change in May 2007 (press release).
- Andy Bauer, Portland
Andy Bauer teaches Technology Education at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury but when it comes to raising awareness about climate change, his classroom extends throughout Connecticut. As a result of Andy’s leadership, his hometown of Portland became just the second town in the state to commit to the 20% by 2010 Campaign, the first to make a municipal purchase under the CTCleanEnergyOptions program and one of the first to qualify as a Connecticut Clean Energy Community.
He has shared his expertise on the subject with many other communities, houses of worship and civic organizations throughout the state. He has become a “Johnny Appleseed of clean energy” in Connecticut. In addition, Andy has worked tirelessly to promote energy efficiency and reduce diesel pollution as a citizen leader of the Connecticut Climate Coalition and as Legislative Director for People’s Action for Clean Energy.
- Dr. Chales Button, Central CT State University
Dr. Charles Button, an assistant professor of geography at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU), is involved in several initiatives aimed at educating colleagues and students about climate change. He developed a coalition of students, faculty, and staff at CCSU to help educate the public and elected officials on the urgency of action to mitigate climate change. As member of the University’s sustainability committee, he is developing a campus sustainability plan that includes analysis of campus energy use and the creation of a campus wide waste reduction and recycling program.
Dr. Button has hosted and facilitated three showings of “An Inconvenient Truth,” created and taught a new course called “Energy Resources and Management,” served as faculty advisor for CCSU’s Earth Week festival, and is helping to coordinate “community conversations” on the role of sustainability in Connecticut schools.
On a personal level, Dr. Button has implemented a number of actions to reduce his own carbon footprint. These actions include the purchase of a hybrid vehicle, replacing all household lighting with compact fluorescent lights, installing automatic shutoff sensors for lights, purchasing 100% clean energy through the CTCleanEnergyOptions program, and planting 30 trees on his property.
- Timothy Cipriano, Bloomfield Schools Food Services
As Food Service Director for Bloomfield Schools, Timothy Cipriano is reducing greenhouse gas emissions by buying locally grown vegetables, fruit, and milk for the school cafeterias. Since produce travels an average of 1,500 miles from farm to table in the US, buying food from local farms significantly cuts emissions.
Tim works closely with local farmers and with students to integrate CT Grown foods into the school curriculum. Catering to the large population in Bloomfield from the West Indies, Tim buys produce such as calaloo, a green native to Jamaica, from Jamaican Farmer Mike Buchanan of Auer Farm in Bloomfield. The popularity of these ethnic meals inspired Tim to create a “Jamaican Me Crazy” themed lunch using locally grown products when available.
- Bryan Garcia, for work at CT Clean Energy Fund on the CT Clean Energy Communities Program & the CT Climate Change Action Plan
While working at the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, Bryan went well above and beyond the normal call of duty. He helped develop a program to educate state agencies and organizations about climate change issues and he contributed greatly to the development of Connecticut’s Climate Change Action Plan. Bryan also developed programs and established aggressive targets that encouraged the development and use of renewable electricity in Connecticut. One of many successful programs that Bryan developed was the Connecticut Clean Energy Communities Program. This program continues to result in additional solar photovoltaic (PV) installations throughout the state.
Bryan is an extremely dedicated individual who engages and commits to efforts that create an atmosphere encouraging sustainable and efficient behavior. Bryan drives a hybrid car and continues to educate others by being an example regarding simple steps that may be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Bryan recently joined Yale University as the Program Director of the Center for Business and Environment.
- Lynn Plant, Fairfield
Lynn Plant drew upon her experience as a marketing communications strategist to change the way people talk and act about climate change in her hometown of Fairfield. Lynn formed “Fairfield Town Green,” an ad hoc committee focused on facilitating, networking and collaboration among the many local groups that were addressing different aspects of climate change. The committee developed a page on the town’s website and sponsored a series of seminars on the impacts of consumer choices on global warming. Lynn’s crowning achievement, however, was the creation of “Tea Talk” parties at which citizens are encouraged to engage in a dialogue with their friends and neighbors about climate
change and sign a pledge card containing ten individual action steps for a “cleaner, greener tomorrow.”
- Yale University
Yale University and President Levin have taken a leadership role by calling upon institutions of higher education to take a stance on global warming and set greenhouse gas reduction targets for their campuses. Yale University has challenged itself to aggressively respond to global warming and has committed to the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 10% below 1990 levels by the year 2020 – consistent with the New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers mid-term target.
To accomplish its aggressive goal, Yale is replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, installing occupancy sensors, obtaining energy from a photovoltaic installation atop one of its buildings and powering its fleet of shuttle buses with ultra-low sulfur diesel and 20% biodiesel blend.
The University is also supporting and encouraging student efforts to reduce energy use in residential colleges by applying energy cost savings to the purchase of renewable energy certificates. Yale’s residential colleges reduced their energy consumption by more than 10%, and in return the university purchased RECs to cover 2/3 of the students’ remaining consumption Yale’s energy conservation efforts, coupled with the use of new technology, reduced Yale’s greenhouse gas emissions by 41,000 metric tons of carbon equivalent in fiscal year 2006.
- Imani Zito, Alchemy Juice Bar Cafe
Imani Zito, owner of Alchemy Juice Bar Café, runs a “green” business with a low carbon footprint and educates the community on actions to address climate change. Alchemy offers healthy foods grown in a sustainable manner, runs on clean energy, uses biodegradable take out containers, and makes deliveries in a bio-diesel vehicle.
In addition to modeling environmental stewardship, the Café offers educational film series and programs to inspire others to live greener lifestyles. Under Imani’s stewardship, Alchemy is a place of good food, good conversation and good education and has become a very popular community gathering place.
2006 CLIMATE CHANGE LEADERSHIP AWARDS RECIPIENTS
Five Connecticut leaders were recognized for innovative efforts to address climate change in April 2006 (press release):
- Sandy Fry of the Capitol Region Council of Governments for creating the Harford area’s “Bike to Work” initiative. The initiative promotes bicycling as a viable form of transportation and promotes and supports bicycle commuting. Participation has increased approximately 16% each year since the program began in 2000, building to 340 bicycle commuters in 2005. Commuters who switch from motor vehicles to bicycles eliminate greenhouse gas pollution from their commutes.
- Chad Vincente, a 7th-grade student at Mansfield Middle School, for encouraging fellow students, families, town employees, and the general public to sign up for Connecticut’s clean energy option. With Chad’s help, more than 100 Mansfield residents have signed up for clean energy, making the Town eligible for a free solar installation.
- Pitney Bowes, Inc. of Stamford for supporting renewable energy equivalent to 10% of Pitney’s U.S. and U.K. home office electricity use. In addition, Pitney Bowes is a founding partner of The Green Power Market Development Group, comprised of 12 leading corporations and the World Resources Institute, seeking to develop corporate markets for 1,000 megawatts of new cost competitive clean energy by 2010.
- The Town of Suffield for its action and commitment to preserve forest and agricultural lands. The Town’s 10-year goal is to preserve 55% of residentially zoned land (50% of the town). Since 2001 the Town has preserved over 700 acres. Trees and soil on preserved land sequester carbon from the atmosphere, valuably countering greenhouse gas emissions.
- Colin Bennett from Westbrook for educating students and the general public about climate change and clean energy. Colin’s efforts range from classroom teaching to organizing workshops and training sessions. He has helped organize workshops and environmental initiatives at many Connecticut campuses, including Wesleyan, Southern Connecticut State University, and a regional conference at Yale. His work has engaged many others in taking action to address climate change.
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