The Town of Ridgefield Connecticut has been extremely busy in the RACE to slow carbon emissions.  By RACE, we mean the Ridgefield Action Committee for the Environment.  This committee had challenged the town to get as many wind energy sign-ups as possible by April 22nd, 2008 – Earth Day. RACE has a mission to “encourage organizations to take on specific environmental works and to share their experience with others.”  With the voice of their First Selectman Rudy Marconi calling on residents to enroll in the CT Clean Energy Options Program, neighboring communities have heeded the call with friendly competitive spirit.  The communities of Danbury, Newtown, Redding, Stamford, Weston and Westport have joined Ridgefield in the competition to sign up the most people by Earth Day.

The Town of Redding is leading the enrollment list with Ridgefield in second at the time of this writing.  RACE is highly optimistic that Ridgefield will come in first by the close of the competition.  To see this happen, RACE is writing weekly letters to the editor and partnering with local grocery store Ancona’s Market to give a free reusable tote bag and a coupon for 5% off the next purchase to anyone who signs up.  Rudy Marconi has also written a letter to residents to encourage signing up and there have been a series of ads in the local newspaper.  The Town has also constructed a mock thermometer in front of Town Hall to measure the progress of each community.

Why are the towns doing this?  Why so much effort to go green?  Well, not only does this competition promote the development of more wind energy projects, but towns that get 100 CT CleanEnergy Solutions sign-ups are eligible for solar panels from Smart Power!  Ridgefield has enough sign-ups to receive 2 two free solar panels, which will generate enough solar energy to take their recycling center off the power grid.  Nice work Ridgefield!

For more information about RACE please visit: www.racefortheearth.com.  
To learn more about Smart Power please visit: www.smartpower.org.   
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