Cranford Chronicle
By Carolyn Freundlich
CRANFORD — “I was in the grocery store and saw apples from New Zealand,” Cranford Green Team leader Mary Riley said. “Do you know how many carbon tons it took to get apples from New Zealand to Cranford?”
Riley said that people not knowing is one of the biggest threats to the environment, and explained there would have been minimal gas, energy, and carbon tons expelled if the store had chosen to sell locally grown apples. Every day these seemingly small decisions have large effects, and the Green Team wants to make sure people know the consequences that their choices have.
The Cranford Green Team is a group of environmental advocates committed to certifying Cranford in the Sustainable Jersey Program. They held a meeting on Oct. 15 to plan the prerequisite programs, activities and policies, most of which require an ordinance. Admittance would make Cranford eligible to receive grants and other incentives from the state.
First the Cranford Town Council has to pass specific Green Team resolutions, like the Municipal Energy Audit. “Most of the town’s municipal buildings were built in the ‘40s or ‘50s,” Riley said. “There is a good chance they aren’t as efficient as we can make them.” Auditing the buildings would provide information on how to make them more energy-efficient.
“For example,” Riley said, “if there was a chance to change a ventilation system from an old one to a new one, we would be able to save a lot of energy and the bills would go down.”
The Council has also been working with Green Team on a Sustainable Land Use Pledge, a municipality’s promise to only pass land use policies that favor sustainable development. Town officials are currently reviewing the Sustainable Land Use Pledge, as well as the Municipal Energy Audit.
“In general, the Council has been very supportive,” Riley said. “They want Cranford to be more sustainable.” The Council recently passed the Rake For The Planet resolution. On Saturdays, Oct. 31, and Nov. 7, residents were asked to rake during fall leaf clean up instead of using power blowers. The town also took part in the Mayors Wellness Campaign, which fulfills certain requirements of Sustainable Jersey because it supports a commitment to healthy living. Participants are weighed and measured monthly.
The Green Team is currently encouraging residents to sign up for the Green Challenge. The goal is for at least 2.5% of the community to sign up to do something green like change to energy efficient light-bulbs, buy a compost system, ride a bike or stop watering their lawns. When you sign up for the challenge, based on what you pledge, Green Team will calculate how much energy you save.
For Riley, “it’s most important to bring issues to people’s attention and through that, certification will happen,” she said. “The Green Team’s focus is to keep putting the ideas of sustainability in the front of peoples minds.” This is enacted through its agenda. The group sponsors educational programs like talks about toxins in the home, sustainability and composting. Marching in parades, hosting tables at local street fairs and entering town-wide competitions like the Scarecrow Stroll, Green Team makes its message public.
Future projects are being planned as the Green Team continues to grow — a community garden, a map of Cranford’s bike paths, a town-wide carbon dioxide audit and a tighter partnership with the schools, municipal groups of faith and businesses.
“Pooling together to raise awareness would be huge,” Riley said, acknowledging the publicity as another chance to educate.
“I just want to make sure everyone has the knowledge,” she said, “because once people understand, it’s up to them to make decisions.”
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