Editorial

It is difficult to find a town in America that tries as hard to be environmentally friendly as Westport does. Even the New York Times has said so.

The “green” groups that call Westport home are some of this town’s gems, and they deserve recognition for their commitment to their world-changing cause.

The RTM’s proposal —now fully enforced—to ban plastic bags from Westport was controversial when it was first proposed. Businesses complained about the undue costs it could incur and consumers did not see its necessity. But after Westport became the first town in Connecticut to ban plastic bags, it has become a trend setter. Shopping with reusable bags is now thankfully the norm.

Concerned citizens have had a powerful effect as well. Green Village Initiative (GVI), run by a dedicated group of Westporters, has undertaken a number of initiatives that can truly change the way people think about their environment. From trying to help people eat local foods to building the Edible Garden at Staples, GVI has been at the forefront of environmental action. More people should commend its devotion to changing the world, beginning in Westport.

However, this paper’s faith in an environmentally friendly future is most buoyed by the people and groups that have started right at school.

Michael Aitkenhead,  Heather Morley, and their AP Environmental Science classes, Club Green, Soil Yourself Composting, and countless other school-born organizations have already made a tangible impact on the lives of many students.

Enrollment in AP Environmental is at an all time high. Club Green has been at the forefront of promoting student environmental awareness. Soil Yourself Composting has taken an old but often ignored idea—composting—and made it accessible to the masses.

While it is difficult to make people change ways in order to save our planet, a number of Westporters have been successful in beginning to do so.

This paper respects them immensely, and the rest of the town should do so as well.