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Dear Neighbors,
Happy Earth Day!
Earth Day was first recognized on April 22, 1970 to demonstrate support for environmental protection. Following the first Earth Day, President Nixon created the Environmental Protection Agency, and then passed laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act. Unfortunately, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution are making the need to protect our environment more urgent than ever.
Locally, we also face challenges because of climate change. Notwithstanding the frigid winter we just had, a report by Save the Sound notes that, “Connecticut is one of the fastest warming states in the region, with an increase of more than 2°C (that’s 3.6℉) since 1895—double the average of the lower 48 states… Winters are getting shorter and warmer, with less ice and fewer days below freezing, while summers are getting longer and hotter, with more prolonged heat waves and days of extreme heat.” In the next 25 years, sea level in our community is expected to rise by 20 inches.
The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Our Power, Our Planet.” We are fortunate that there are many organizations in town that are using their power to address these important issues, such as the Greenwich Sustainability Committee, Greenwich Green and Clean, Pollinator Pathways, Waste Free Greenwich, the Greenwich Land Trust, the Greenwich Tree Conservancy, among others. I urge you to look into some of these organizations and get involved because it is by working together that we can make change.
Conversation with the State Treasurer
I was honored to host a conversation with our State Treasurer Erick Russell. Treasurer Russell shared that Connecticut’s fiscal health is strong. Our budget reserve fund (also known as the rainy day fund) is maxed out at $4.8 billion and credit rating agencies have upgraded Connecticut’s debt, which saves taxpayers money in lower borrowing costs. The returns on the state’s pension fund investments over the past three year have put Connecticut in the top 17% of states with similar pension liabilities.
In addition to overseeing the State’s pension funds, the Treasurer manages several programs to invest in Connecticut’s residents, such as the CT Baby Bond program, the Early Childhood Education Endowment, and the Firefighter Cancer Relief Fund.
The Treasurer’s office also oversees unclaimed property and encourages every CT resident to search the database. Check it out. You may be surprised to find forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, or other assets in your name. To see if you are entitled to any unclaimed property, visit www.ctbiglist.com.
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