New Haven Independent

The workshop, called “Home Front: Saving Energy and Money at Mome,” was one of four presented by City Hall as part of the National Conversation on Climate Change in honor of Earth Day on Wednesday.

The connection to climate change seemed fuzzy at first, as health department sanitarian Brian Wnek (pictured on the right) ran through a PowerPoint presentation of all the toxins that might and do dwell in the air in one’s home — mercury (including from energy-efficient light bulbs, or CFLs), lead, radon, mold, dander and otheroften invisible, threats.

The threats loomed even larger when he noted that most Americans spend 98 percent of their time indoors, and that indoor air is often more toxic than outdoor (“fresh”) air, even in cities (although New Haven’s outdoor air is notoriously dirty).

Wnek zeroed in on radon, a colorless, odorless gas. Itt can be identified with a radon detector. He said the Environmental Protection Agency ranks New Haven as a radon hotspot, although its occurrence in homes around the city is unpredictable. He added that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

After giving tips for cleaning up those various contaminants (and sending attendees to websites, such as this one at the EPA, Wnek relinquished the floor to Kathy Fay (pictured with Wnek above), a rehab specialist with Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS).

Here the climate connection became clearer, as Fay discussed ways to improve energy efficiency, thus putting less carbon — which causes global warming — into the atmosphere. She invited audience members to check out the Home Ownership Center at NHS. And she implored them, “Don’t be afraid of CFLs. They save a lot of energy. You just have to dispose of them properly.” Someone noted that Ikea and perhaps other stores will accept burned out CFL bulbs.

Then it was Chris Ozyck’s turn. The greenspace manager of Yale’s Urban Resources Initiative and all-around community activist, Ozyck (pictured at top of story), urged his listeners, “Make your yard a sponge.” He explained how to create as much porous, absorbent surface as possible, by using stones or bricks instead of pavement for driveways and using mulch instead of grass on the soil. Besides creating a lovelier, easy to maintain yard, these steps keep the most toxic stormwater from seeping into Long Island Sound. He even suggested ways they could save rainwater for recycling into the landscape. And he cautioned against ever having bare soil on one’s property, which could be tracked into the house and which could contain toxins like lead from flaking old exterior paint.

The 15 or so people at the workshop left with visions — and specific ideas — for saving money, saving energy, saving water and making their urban neighborhoods greener.