By Richard Kaufman
Sentinel Reporter
The 50th anniversary of Earth Day was commemorated in Greenwich on Wednesday, and this year certainly had a different feel to it.
With social distancing now the new normal, First Selectman Fred Camillo and Selectpersons Jill Oberlander and Lauren Rabin, along with Environmental Affairs Director, Patricia Sesto, gathered in Front of Town Hall — six feet apart from each other, of course — to issue a proclamation for Earth Day.
Earth Day is an annual event celebrated around the world on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. It was created in 1970 by former Sen. Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin, who had long been concerned about the deteriorating environment in the United States, especially after he witnessed the destruction caused by the 1969 oil spill in Santa Barbara, Calif.
“Earth Day coincides with a time when things are blooming, and the weather is getting warmer — which is to me, the happiest time of year. When things are growing, that’s the earth. Things are growing a new, and there’s new life. It’s so important to take this time and focus on things and policies that promote clean air, clean water, and clean soil,” said First Selectman Fred Camillo, on Thursday.
Camillo said he is starting his own composting pile at home this year. He noted that the town, along with support from the newly formed Sustainability and Enhancement Committee, which will be led by Selectperson Jill Oberlander, will begin its first food scraps program at the transfer station in a few weeks. Camillo also said there are plans to start the first ever textile recycling program for free, for Greenwich residents.
Oberlander said the Sustainability and Enhancement Committee will feature a “diverse partnership” between various town department members.
“We represent the combination of residents, RTM members, representation from our Town Hall department, and what we’re looking to do is educate the community about all the great work that’s being done by our departments, and leverage that work and enhance sustainability throughout Greenwich,” Oberlander said.
Oberlander said the committee is working into breaking out into sub-committees, and the town is looking at getting pilot projects up and running, such as an electric vehicle charging station at Town Hall, and a “share the road” concept for bicycles on heavily trafficked routes.
“This year, even during this unfortunate pandemic which has really shut down almost everything in almost every town, we’re still going forward with a couple of our initiatives right now,” Camillo added. “There’s no reason to slow them down or not do them, even if we have to deliver them in a different way. We’re going to get them done, and when we get on the other side of this pandemic, we’re going to really hit the accelerator on a lot of these initiatives.”
Rabin spoke during the Earth Day event at Town Hall, and urged residents to do their part in promoting sustainability.
“I think with the pandemic happening now, there isn’t a better time to remember to refuse, reduce, recycle and reuse,” she said.
Sesto spoke as well, and said the coronavirus has allowed people to think more globally about issues.
“The pandemic, as much as it is a very stressful occasion for us as a country and worldwide, it does cause us to think in a global sense, which is particularly appropriate on Earth Day,” Sesto said. “There’s so much on the internet right now where you can see the difference staying home has made not just in our town, but around the globe.”
Pictures from space have indicated clear air over major cities due to a decrease in motor vehicles on the road, and New York Harbor has looked like a still pond, free of ships and ferries over the last few weeks.
Camillo said that once the pandemic is over, the town will look at ways to be more efficient, effective and more environmentally friendly.
“We’ve come a long way in 50 years and we still have a ways to go. We’re on the right track. It’s a great time and a great day to not only reflect on where we were and where we are, but also to look at where we’re going in the future,” he said. “We want Greenwich to be the [environmental] leader it has been in the past.”
