Dan's Papers - April 4, 2008

When I first heard about a party called "Green Drinks," I thought it would be a crowd of health-conscious people drinking some kind of algae or freeze-dried spinach concoctions. When I entered 75 Main Restaurant in Southampton, I saw about 70 people around the bar drinking normal cocktails - but they wore name tags, and talked about green building, hybrid cars, recycling, non-toxic cleaners and energy-saving light bulbs.

This was the third monthly "Hamptons Green Drinks," a social networking event that I attended on March 6. It was preceded by two similar events held at Town Line Barbecue in Sagaponack in December and January. Chuck Schwartz, owner of LI Green, a non-profit Southampton company that aims to reduce energy usage in households, started this East End chapter of Green Drinks Long Island with Catherine Bedard, an "eco-broker" of Southampton.

"I heard about this group that meets in the Huntington area, which is an offshoot of Green Drinks International and has 348 chapters all over the world, and we decided to bring this phenomenon to the East End," said Schwartz, who owns a hybrid car, and claims he can reduce energy use in any house by 30% for a modest investment. "But since we started, we've attracted people from all over the Island."

A green designer in London founded Green Drinks International in 1989 after he attended a gathering at a local pub. He came up with the idea that people with similar interests in saving the environment should meet at the same time, every month, and network to make friends, find employment, do business deals and develop new ideas. This concept spread to other cities, and now there are Green Drinks chapters throughout Europe, from Switzerland to Scotland, and from Botswana to Brazil.

Catherine Bedard of Century 21 Agawam Albertson in Southampton was recently certified as an "eco-broker" specializing in green building and alternative energy sources. She said since most homes contribute a huge amount to the depletion of natural resources of our planet, she thought she could have a big impact on the choices her customers make for heating, cleaning and furnishing their homes. For example, Bedard, who also drives a hybrid car, said she helped a homeowner purchase a solar pool heater instead of a gas one, which saved the homeowner money and helped the environment.

"I've helped people buy floors of bamboo, which is renewable, and also buy non-toxic fabrics and paint," she said. "I help with water treatment systems and in changing light bulbs to CSL energy efficient lights. There's an alternative to everything that you buy."

Russell Blue, an architect in Southampton who also attended the party, said he has long been into "green architecture," using solar and wind energy designs to reduce the impact on the environment. Eva Growney, another "green" architect of Amagansett, is creating the Duck Project in Flanders, a model for a sustainable community. Growney said that most of her projects are focused on this important movement. "I recently attended an AIA Convention on green architecture in Texas, where Al Gore was the keynote speaker on this subject, before a few thousand architects," she said. "This shows how major this movement is in our country today."

Frank Dalene, President and CEO of Telemark, a Bridgehampton construction company, builds luxury homes. "We believe in incorporating the green energy and materials into our homes as much as possible, so I came here to meet other like-minded people in this field," he said.

Hugh McIvor, of Motorworks Clean Vehicles, Inc. in Amityville, came to promote his line of electric cars, which use no gas and have no emissions, on the East End.

"I wanted to be among people of similar interests, who could see the benefits of our vehicles," he said. "Our key mission is to reduce the dependency on foreign oil, and also reduce the emissions in our environment." He said there has been a great demand of his 30 mph utility wagons at Queens College and Farmingdale University campuses, and that he is looking to bring them out to Stony Brook Southampton campus as well. Later this year, his company will release a new electric sedan model that goes 80 to 120 miles on a single charge.

Matt Doris, executive chef at Stony Brook Southampton, said his college has gone green in every aspect, including the food management. "Our mission is to work with local farmers and merchants, to use local products, and to grow as much of our produce as we can," he said. "We are building a greenhouse and an herb garden for our dining facility. We are purchasing coffee from the Shinnecock Indian reservation, apples from the local fields, and non-toxic cleaners from local vendors."

Steve Cea of East Quogue, owner of Organically Green professional lawn and tree spraying of Nesconset, said he and his partner, Diana Aronica, are trying to provide a healthier alternative to harsh pesticides and chemicals. "This organic alternative is safer for children, pets and property," he said. "We treat lawns all over the East End."

Matt O'Grady and Tom Pellicane, publishers of Canvas, a green lifestyle magazine in Huntington, founded the Long Island Green Drinks chapter along with David Sibek, also of Huntington, about a year ago. There are also Green Drinks chapters in Manhattan and Brooklyn.

The next Hamptons Green Drinks event will take place at 75 Main Restaurant on April 8 from 6-9 p.m. For more information, visit www.greendrinks.org.