Earth Day Panel: Local Efforts to Combat Climate Change

When Earth Day was founded in the U.S. in 1970, it was not only with the intention of celebrating the beautiful planet on which we live. Rather, it was a call to action – to educate about the environment and how everything is interconnected, so that we may preserve the planet and its natural bounty. The concept spread and Earth Day is now an annual worldwide event.

We are fortunate in the Northwest corner to have much natural beauty, and also to have many individuals residing here who are experts on environmental topics. On Earth Day this year, the Cornwall Library has invited our first selectman, Gordon Ridgway, to speak on a panel with esteemed historian, author, and activist Jeremy Brecher, along with solar energy expert James Laporta. These three will present on different aspects of local initiatives to combat climate change.

Brecher will begin by providing some historical context and speak about what other nearby areas are doing. He will also discuss some national and state level issues. Ridgway will focus on the impact climate change is already having in our region and what our response as a community can look like. Cornwall’s longstanding commitment to conservation, emphasis on education, and excellence at recycling (think: rummage sale and swap shop) will be more useful than ever now to move us forward with forethought and strategy. Energy independence, as we are seeing play out across the globe, is critical, and Ridgway is dedicated to Cornwall leading the way with transportation initiatives such as electric vehicle charging stations and encouraging the use of bicycles and e-bikes. Rounding out the trio, Laporta will report what he sees in the field, since he is out every day, implementing hands-on changes, designing and installing solar panel systems to make people’s homes as energy efficient and “green” as possible. He will suggest small ways that we can each make changes in our lives to lower our impact with waste of all kinds.

Gordon Ridgway was elected to be First Selectman of Cornwall in 1991 and has held that role ever since. He is an active community member, especially with the Cornwall Volunteer Fire Department and with his wife Jayne and three adult children, also runs the organic farm he founded with his late father Bruce, in 1980. In 1981 he authored a book called Renewable Energy in Northwest CT with drawings by Marc Simont.

Jeremy Brecher is a lifelong Cornwall resident and the author of more than a dozen books on labor and social movements, including three books on climate change. He is co-founder of the Labor Network for Sustainability and board member of the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs.

James LaPorta is the owner of Litchfield Hills Solar, a Cornwall-based solar and photovoltaic company. During college at The University of Vermont, he held internships at Motorola and GenRad, and graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering. He then worked in California at Hughes Aircraft / Raytheon as an electrical engineer in their space program. His interests led him to the field of green energy. To date his company has completed over 250 solar PV installs across Litchfield County. James has served on the board of Women’s Support Services, is a member of Cornwall’s Planning and Zoning Commission, and is proud to own a Cornwall-based green energy business.