Sunday, April 13, 2008
Last updated: Sunday April 13, 2008, EDT 10:32 AM
BY EVELYN SHIH
With plenty of sunshine, tables of free handouts, balloons and crafts for the kids, it was almost as if the summer street fair season had begun early at Ridgewood Village Hall on Saturday afternoon.Recycling at Ridgewood High, courtesy of Ridgenet.org
The public event, complete with a small cluster of booths, a lineup of presentations and live music, was the second annual "Environmental Celebration" organized by Ridgewood's Environmental Advisory Committee to mark Earth Day and Arbor Day.
"It's bigger this year, and hopefully it will be even bigger next year," said Councilwoman Kim Ringler Shagin, the committee's chairwoman.
"It's good to find out about the recycling and other things going on about town," said Stacy Hermann, who moved to Ridgewood with her family one year ago. Holding a sheaf of informational fliers, Hermann commented that she "didn't know Ridgewood had so much to offer."
Hermann's daughter Sydney, 7, was eager to plant a free red oak sapling she had received from the village's booth. With her mother's permission, she procured a Norway spruce for her brother Kory, 11.
Nearby, the Interfaith Environmental League was giving out temporary Earth Day tattoos for children. The organization has participants from all over Bergen County, but houses of worship in Ridgewood anchor its efforts, said Jacqui Riordan of Christ Episcopal Church.
"We need to indoctrinate kids at an early age about the value of recycling," she said, adding that the league promotes both secular and non-secular initiatives.
Girl Scouts provided recycled material to children for craft activities and lent out tin-can stilts. Toyota brought in hybrid vehicles for test driving, and Whole Foods Market handed out sample snacks.
Inside the community center, presentations ranged from a live reptile showcase with Patrick Scheuer of the New Jersey Audubon Society to a composting primer by Jen McDonnell of Whole Foods.
Mayor David Pfund signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement at the Sierra Club booth and pledged to initiate efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by the village.
"It's a good thing to do," Pfund said. "Other towns should also consider it."
The Sierra Club's Cool Cities program has persuaded 973 mayors nationwide, and more than 80 towns in New Jersey, to sign the agreement. Other North Jersey towns that have made the pledge include Closter, Cliffside Park and West Milford.
"Signing is easy," said Stefano Crema, who runs the New Jersey Cool Cities program out of Denville. "It's figuring out the efficient way to improve the towns and implementing changes that is hard."
One action that is close to implementation in Ridgewood is an energy audit by Green Living Solutions, a Ridgewood company that had a booth at the celebration.
Owner Edward Schwartz, a certified energy professional, evaluates private homes and businesses for energy efficiency, and may soon do the same for the Ridgewood public buildings. The state Board of Public Utilities has committed to covering 75 percent of the audit costs for the village, but has not yet made an official announcement, Schwartz said.
"It's the cool environmental thing to do," he said. "But right now, the reality is that it's also cost-effective." Rising energy costs are a pain, but "the dollar factor" may finally move the average consumer to think about conservation, he added.
E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
The public event, complete with a small cluster of booths, a lineup of presentations and live music, was the second annual "Environmental Celebration" organized by Ridgewood's Environmental Advisory Committee to mark Earth Day and Arbor Day.
"It's bigger this year, and hopefully it will be even bigger next year," said Councilwoman Kim Ringler Shagin, the committee's chairwoman.
"It's good to find out about the recycling and other things going on about town," said Stacy Hermann, who moved to Ridgewood with her family one year ago. Holding a sheaf of informational fliers, Hermann commented that she "didn't know Ridgewood had so much to offer."
Hermann's daughter Sydney, 7, was eager to plant a free red oak sapling she had received from the village's booth. With her mother's permission, she procured a Norway spruce for her brother Kory, 11.
Nearby, the Interfaith Environmental League was giving out temporary Earth Day tattoos for children. The organization has participants from all over Bergen County, but houses of worship in Ridgewood anchor its efforts, said Jacqui Riordan of Christ Episcopal Church.
"We need to indoctrinate kids at an early age about the value of recycling," she said, adding that the league promotes both secular and non-secular initiatives.
Girl Scouts provided recycled material to children for craft activities and lent out tin-can stilts. Toyota brought in hybrid vehicles for test driving, and Whole Foods Market handed out sample snacks.
Inside the community center, presentations ranged from a live reptile showcase with Patrick Scheuer of the New Jersey Audubon Society to a composting primer by Jen McDonnell of Whole Foods.
Mayor David Pfund signed the U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement at the Sierra Club booth and pledged to initiate efforts to reduce the greenhouse gases emitted by the village.
"It's a good thing to do," Pfund said. "Other towns should also consider it."
The Sierra Club's Cool Cities program has persuaded 973 mayors nationwide, and more than 80 towns in New Jersey, to sign the agreement. Other North Jersey towns that have made the pledge include Closter, Cliffside Park and West Milford.
"Signing is easy," said Stefano Crema, who runs the New Jersey Cool Cities program out of Denville. "It's figuring out the efficient way to improve the towns and implementing changes that is hard."
One action that is close to implementation in Ridgewood is an energy audit by Green Living Solutions, a Ridgewood company that had a booth at the celebration.
Owner Edward Schwartz, a certified energy professional, evaluates private homes and businesses for energy efficiency, and may soon do the same for the Ridgewood public buildings. The state Board of Public Utilities has committed to covering 75 percent of the audit costs for the village, but has not yet made an official announcement, Schwartz said.
"It's the cool environmental thing to do," he said. "But right now, the reality is that it's also cost-effective." Rising energy costs are a pain, but "the dollar factor" may finally move the average consumer to think about conservation, he added.
E-mail: shih@northjersey.com
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