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30 ConneCTiCuT Green Guide • Fall 2014 www.CTGreenGuide.com advoCaTe Corner Being green Event shows how community must work together for environment By Daphne Dixon T he Live Green Connecticut! family festival has been celebrating green and local living since 2010. Over the past five years, the festival has provided more than 25 educational panels, more than 600 electric vehicle test-drives, educated more than 10,000 people, showcased locally sourced and organic food, and has provided more than 500 businesses and organizations throughout Connecticut an opportunity to reach out to and connect with families and homeowners who live throughout the area. Through marketing campaigns and the event itself, Live Green Connecticut! has helped to generate thousands of dollars of sales for Fairfield County businesses, provided lead generation, and has given enormous networking opportunities. The philosophy of the festival may surprise some peo- ple. We live in a world with many competing needs and values. People weigh buying decisions based on a variety of factors. All things being equal, most people will choose an environmentally friendly product or service. Sometimes cost or convenience prompts people to make a different choice. And on occasion, there is not a viable green option. The key to unlocking the growth of sustainability is not expecting to always have a perfect choice, but beginning to consider making the best choice at the time. It's also impor- tant to respect and understand that businesses are in differ- ent stages and not all businesses can go green overnight. There are also different ways to be a green business. There are businesses that have clearly defined sustainable products. Others will have green alternatives. But what about companies that sell products and services that are inherently not sustainable? There is not a quick fix for some products. Does that mean that people running those businesses can't take measures to be a part of a sustainable culture? While developing a long-range plan to transition products, there is the choice to create a sus- tainable philosophy in an office such as recycling, having an energy efficient building, or taking the train to work. At the heart of transitioning our neighborhoods and communities is the collective awakening that we all share our natural resources and need to learn from and support each other for the greater good. Along with businesses that have sustainable products and services, any business that is interested in becoming greener and is taking positive measures to become sustainable in any way is welcomed and encourage to participate at Live Green Connecticut! We want to avoid an us-versus- them mentality and work together to collectively shift our communities into building a greener future. Live Green Connecticut! is not about being perfect. Live Green Connecticut! is about bringing the community togeth- er around solutions that serve us all and the greater good. No matter what stage of green a business is in, we want every- one to feel welcomed at Live Green Connecticut! Live Green Connecticut! will take place Saturday, Sep.13 and Sunday, Sept. 14 at Taylor Farm Park, adjacent to Calf Pasture Beach, in Norwalk. Daphne Dixon is the co-founder of Live Green CT! here she is at the event with co-founder Scot Weicker (right) looking at automaker Ford's Go Further Tour display.