Sustainability coordinator Beth Fiteni informs us of how to go green and help the environment and your own family.

Beth Fiteni, Sustainability Coordinator, Community Development Corporation of Long Island

There are many ways to go green and you don't have to feel alone.

Want to save energy in your home?

As the Sustainability Coordinator for the Community Development Corporation of Long Island, I help administer energy programs such as LongIslandGreenHomes.org through which you can sign up to have a state-approved professional come assess your home's efficiency for free.  They'll check your lighting, heating & cooling systems, and insulation, and recommend ways for you to save energy. Once you're energy efficient you may want to consider solar panels. If so, go to Renewable Energy Long Island's website SunshineisFree.org for a list of pre-screened solar contractors.

If you want to have a nice yard, realize that many pesticides you buy at stores may impact your family's health, or may contaminate our drinking water. Many safer alternatives are available at local nurseries. You can learn more about these issues from Long Island environmental groups like Citizens Campaign for the Environment and the Neighborhood Network.

And what about your kitchen? Plastic food containers may contain the hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A. If you want to know more about which plastics are safer to use than others, contact the Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition.

Many types of greener products can be purchased from a LI company called Greener Country.com, or at health food stores. And beyond the individual level, organizations like Sierra Club provide ways for you to get involved with local government policy campaigns too.

We can all make a difference. Make use of the resources we have right here on Long Island, and we can keep our island clean and green.


For more information visit: www.CDCLI.org

or

www.EnergeiaLI.com