Tips and tricks for going green, at Feb. 20 summit

KENT — The Kent Energy and Environmental Task Force is sponsoring a summit to be held at Kent Center School on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Selectman Karren Garrity is the chairman of the task force, and she said the goal of the summit is to inform participants about pressing environmental issues and discuss what kinds of actions can be pursued in an effort to resolve them.

“A summit is a great venue to reach out to people and to provide information,†Garrity said. “We want to give people real things they can do on a day-to-day basis and in their everyday lives so they can make a difference.â€

Topics discussed at the summit will include: conservation, alternative energy, legislation, waste and recycling, transportation, and land and water use.

The opening of the summit will include remarks from state Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, who has also announced he will run for the U.S. Senate this year as a Democrat, seeking the seat that will be vacated by retiring Sen. Christopher Dodd.

Also participating in the summit will be Congressman Chris Murphy, state Sen. Andrew Roraback (R-30) and state Representatives Mary Ann Carson (R-108) and Clark Chapin (R-67).

There will be an “expo floor†at the summit, with green and organic vendors, and there will be green workshops held throughout the day.

Garrity said that she wants to help move the town forward into a more environmentally healthy future.

For example, she noted, “The recycling rates at the transfer station are still poor. Only a third of the residents are doing a good job at recycling. Certainly there is a growing number of individuals and families that are embracing the recycling concept — while others are not doing it at all.â€

The task force Web site says that only 17 percent of the trash being brought to the transfer station is being recycled. The committee’s goal is 35 percent. To achieve that goal, members are recommending that the Board of Selectmen institute a new user’s contract for the transfer station and that station users eventually begin using clear bags for all trash.

“We want to educate people about how to take better care of the environment,†Garrity said. “We have a lot of information we want to share.â€

Admission is $12 in advance, $15 at the door. A pre-ordered lunch is $8. Admission and registration forms are available at kentEdrive.org.