In honor of GreenDay, a number of organizations, groups and random folks pitched in to clean up Westport today.
Sherwood Mill Pond Preserve — the former Allen’s Clam House on Hillspoint Road — drew Staples High School grads and students, Coleytown Middle School students, volunteer residents and members of the Sherwood Mill Pond Advisory Committee.
(Photo/Carol Swan)
Steve Gustafson is in the foreground, in the photo above. Other volunteers are behind. And yes, the guy on the bench was just relaxing, as others worked all around him.
Meanwhile downtown, the Y’s Men picked up a year’s worth of trash from the Baldwin parking lot:
Among the other activities: Westport VFW and Auxiliary members cleaned up Riverside Avenue, from Treadwell all the way to the Sunoco station.
Well, actually, they’re encouraging drivers to turn off their car engines.
Nearly 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Connecticut are transportation-related. Turning off an engine, then back on again is more fuel efficient than idling for just 10 seconds.
First Selectman Jim Marpe urges all Westporters to sign a “No Idling Pledge” (click here for the environmentally friendly online version).
(NOTE: State law prohibits “unnecessary idling” for more than 3 minutes. Provisions are made for weather extremes, certain service vehicles and health-related conditions.)
Other GreenDay activities tomorrow include a cleanup of Parker Harding Plaza and the riverfront; family events and a talk about the town’s new arboretum at Earthplace; a tour of Westport’s wastewater treatment plant; activities at Wakeman Town Farm, and a 3:30 p.m. library talk about Westport’s Net Zero goal for 2050.
Tomorrow afternoon, electric vehicles are on display at Jesup Green, and a few lucky folks can test drive Teslas. There’s also a free EV shuttle service from the library to Town Hall, where the Westport Cinema Initiative sponsors the film “Who Killed the Electric Car?” at 6 p.m.
It should be a great Green (if gray) Day.
And if Westporters don’t take the “No Idling” pledge to heart, “06880” will start posting photos of drivers sitting in their cars, while their engines run.
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