A mother in Fairfield finds out how to grow her own vegetables from a farmer in California. A homeowner in the suburbs of Chicago gets information on natural building materials from a store in Bridgeport. This is the future of sustainable living envisioned by Fairfields Daphne Dixon and Ted Buerger and their team at GreenTowns.com.
Right now in Fairfield, theres a group of people who are really trying to get this moving, said Dixon, director of GreenTowns. And because of GreenTowns now, they can not only connect with people in town, they can connect with people all over the country and share whats working with others.
GreenTowns officially went live May 3. Founded out of the Fairfield-based AmericanTowns.com, the collection of sites taps into environmentally conscious movements in each of the network's 18,000 towns across the United States.
On those pages, anyone can submit information about their own green initiatives. This section includes projects that help drive sustainable living. Currently, the programs on Fairfields site range from simple things such as local farmers markets, to wide-reaching programs such as the towns clean energy campaign.
GreenTowns isnt going to solve the problems. Its not going to be the answer, Buerger said. But it will be a part in helping all the great ideas and all the great people out there work together.
But perhaps the sites key component is a nationwide discussion forum, where anyone who wishes can ask questions. Other GreenTowns users who have tried similar projects may answer those questions. But a few dozen experts have also joined the cause to offer their advice as well. For example, anyone in the country could ask Fairfields Dan Delventhal about carbon-free lawn care, or talk to home repair authority Bob Vila about how to better insulate their home.
The thing thats been most fulfilling to us has been the general reaction of people to the site. People want to be involved, Buerger said. Were all trying to create really sustainable communities, and this is a really efficiently way for people to make a difference.
What green initiatives do you know about in Fairfield? Tell us about them in the comments below or send story ideas to [email protected].
Click here to follow Daily Voice and receive free news updates.
