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Topic : new-york-city Empire State Building lauded for energy-saving retrofitMarch 1st, 2010From Green Right Now Reports Retrofitting doesn’t always get the attention that new green building generates, with its “net zero” and passive solar designs. [caption id="attachment_9488" align="alignright" width="198" caption="Empire State Building (Photo: Empire State Building Co.)"] [/caption]
But the impact of retrofitting can be great, and it comes with the bonus of preserving historic and treasured structures — like the Empire State Building. Related Topics: · Clinton Climate Initiative, Empire State Building, Johnson Controls, Jones Lang LaSalle, LEED, New York City, Rocky Mountain Institute, U.S. Green Building Council Green stores spring forth, from New Jersey to CaliforniaJanuary 14th, 2010 By Barbara Kessler Everyone knows you can’t shop your way to green. A true greenie is always looking for ways to reduce and reuse. That line of thinking generally doesn’t propel you to the mall, at least not often. BUT…you knew there was a but… eco-conscious consumers still have needs. Their motivations are just different. They look to buy lower impact, organic products from like-minded companies and retailers. They want fairly produced goods to create a less-toxic home environment, with healthful food, that supports sustainable practices. Over the past two years, we’ve noticed that the market is bringing us more and more small, green stores that aim to be a nexus for this movement. Take it back. Some are large, like the home supply Green Depot in New York City. They sell lotsa stuff that can really help you dig in to cut your energy bills and remodel greenly. Related Topics: · Allentown, BarbaraKesslerBlog, Chicago, Earth Goddess, eco-friendly retailers, Green 11, Green Depot, green stores, Greenheart Shop, Houston, Minneapolis, New Jersey, New York City, One Green Street, organic clothing, Organic Food, recycled products, San Francisco, Twin Cities Green Rooftop Farms in Brooklyn plans for busy next seasonDecember 28th, 2009 By Sommer Saadi Brooklyn’s Rooftop Gardens, run by Ben Flanner and Annie Novak, has seeded more than produce. It is helping an urban neighborhood develop its own food network. This past October, as Annie Novak delivered her final workshop of the season, about 30 loyal volunteers and green roof enthusiasts sat atop the warehouse and listened in to the lessons learned from Rooftop Farms’ first harvest. Novak says these plants grew well: peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, kale, swiss chard, and the herbs And these not so much: The squash did terribly, Novak says, and she warns that the shallow soil (an average of 6 inches) reduced the number of fruits per plant She shared lessons learned, like the tangles involved in mulching with organic hair. Related Topics: · Brooklyn, green rooftops, local agriculture, Local Food, New York City, Rooftop Gardens, urban farming Report says some of NYC’s most iconic buildings are big pollutersDecember 18th, 2009
[caption id="attachment_7606" align="alignright" width="141" caption="The Flatiron Building was identified as one of NYC's top polluters."]
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From Green Right Now Reports About 9,000 large buildings in New York City are spewing out about 1,000 tons of toxic soot pollution every year because they burn the dirtiest heating oils available, according to a new report released today by Environmental Defense Fund. Eighty-seven percent of NYC’s heating oil soot pollution is created by only one percent of all buildings in New York City, the report said. Soot pollution has been shown to aggravate asthma, increase the risk of cancer, exacerbate respiratory illnesses and cause premature death. EDF’s study, “The Bottom of the Barrel: How the Dirtiest Heating Oil Pollutes Our Air and Harms Our Health,” shows that the city’s levels of nickel — a heavy metal that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease by thickening the walls of arteries — are nine times higher than other U.S. cities. Related Topics: · Environmental Defense Fund, Flatiron Building, Isabelle Silverman, New York City, San Remo, Soot pollution, The Beresford, The Bottom of the Barrel: How the Dirtiest Heating Oil Pollutes Our Air and Harms Our Health, The Dakota NYC passes city’s first energy code with eye to greener buildingsDecember 10th, 2009From Green Right Now Reports New York City has passed a package of legislation that established the city’s first energy code for buildings and requires building owners to conduct energy audits. The the new laws stop short of requiring that building owners make fixes based on the energy audits. Because buildings are the New York City’s largest source of heat-trapping gases, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said the legislation will help achieve his goal of reducing the city’s carbon count by 30 percent by 2030. He also said the laws will dramatically reduce the city’s energy usage, saving consumers $700 million annually in energy costs, while creating 17,880 jobs. Related Topics: · Energy audits, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City, New York City Energy Code New York City residents can switch to green power easierDecember 1st, 2009Green Right Now Reports Depending on where you live, it can be a relatively painless process to switch to a greener power company, or virtually impossible.
Consumers can follow the guidance of a new website, launched Monday and created by the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Alliance for Clean Energy in New York. Related Topics: · ALliance for Clean Energy New York, Con-Edison, green power companies, Green Power NYC, Natural Resources Defense Council, New York City, Sterling Planet, switching to green power, Wind Power DOE funding solar projects in 16 citiesOctober 16th, 2009From Green Right Now Reports The Department of Energy announced $10 million has been awarded to 16 cities for 40 new Solar America Cities Special Projects. The funds, made through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will enable the cities to increase solar energy use in their communities through innovative programs and policies that the government believes can be replicated across the nation. The cities chosen for these awards came from the group of 25 large U.S. cities that are part of the DOE’s Solar America Cities program, which recognizes the participating cities as partners highly committed to solar technology adoption at the local level. Those cities already have been given millions of dollars in funds and technical assistance to accelerate solar adoption. Related Topics: · Austin, Berkeley, Boston, Department of Energy, Madison, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York City, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, Seattle, Solar America Cities Special Projects, Tucson In NYC, more dancing (and running and walking and cycling) in the streetsAugust 19th, 2009
By Sommer Saadi You’ve only got one weekend left to witness the near impossible: a car-free street in New York City. Summer Streets is back for its second year and is once again offering New Yorkers three weekends in August to play, walk, bike and breathe on a nearly seven-mile stretch of city streets void of any motorized distractions. Related Topics: · Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City, New York City Department of Transportation, NYC Subway, Summer Streets 300-mile NYC charity ride will fight climate change, support renewable energyAugust 16th, 2009
Bitches on Bikes and the Wind Power Pedalers Climate Ride Team will hold a benefit event at New York City hot spot The Eldridge on Thursday from 9-11 p.m., featuring a silent auction of art, curated by Gitana Rosa Gallery. Climate Ride is a 300-mile bicycle ride from New York City to Washington, D.C. to raise money to address climate change and promote renewable energy. The silent auction curated by Gitana Rosa Gallery will feature artists including Tom Bob, Tom Billings, Andrés García-Peña, Michael Krynski, Graham T. Slick, Jodi Taylor, Brett Wintle and Suzy Q. Related Topics: · Bitches on Bikes, Brita Climate Ride, New York City, Wind Power Pedalers Fashion-forward cycling in NYCAugust 5th, 2009From Green Right Now Reports Fashion Institute of Technology student Jessica Velasquez can soon cycle in style, her own style, after winning a contest to design a jacket, poncho and bag suitable for fashion-conscious bike commuters.
Related Topics: · Bike in Style, Biking, fashion, New York City, Summer Streets, walking New York City’s High Line, a park built from industrial ruinsJune 26th, 2009 By John DeFore This June may have given New Yorkers an unseasonably rainy stretch crummy enough to keep them inside whenever possible, but it has also delivered a novel way to exploit the rare sunny day: A new park built upon industrial ruins, sustained by both citizens and government, and (to judge from its opening week) enjoyed by all.
Known as The High Line, the park sits upon a long stretch of elevated train track running down the west side of the city’s lower end. The nearly 80 year-old tracks once carried freight through industrial areas, running straight through some warehouses to allow for easy loading and unloading of goods. Related Topics: · green parks, High Line, Manhattan, Native Plants, New York City, railroad tracks, reclaimed land, urban park, urban renewal Grant will connect NYC’s low income workers to green jobsJune 5th, 2009From Green Right Now Reports Seedco announced today it has received a $500,000 grant from the Starr International Foundation in Switzerland to launch an effort to help New York City’s low-income workers train for and connect to jobs in the emerging building energy retrofit industry. An organization focused on initiatives that help low-income people, Seedco also will create opportunities for small businesses to enter and expand into the energy retrofit field. In the coming years, the industry is expected to expand as a result of government-regulated efficiency mandates and demand for energy efficiency buildings. Related Topics: · American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, New York City, Seedco, Starr International Foundation, Weatherization Assistance Program |
New York City residents can switch, if they choose, and now a new environmental collaboration is making the process easier than ever.
