The Underlying Structure of Green
Monday, January 31st, 2011Please join us for the second installment in the NYC Future Metropolis series on the evening of February 17 where we will talk about the infrastructures necessary to make New York a more sustainable city. For more information about the event, please click HERE.
What will NYC look like in twenty years? Will our city become more sustainable and efficient with the resources it consumes as its population reaches nine million in 2030? Is green really the new black – as in the new norm – for New Yorkers?
We New Yorkers can do a lot to live up to the green potential offered by the history, the geography, and the ingenuity of our city. Sustainability is not a goal but a process, and in order to be most effective, it should shift all aspects of society onto a greener course. From projects affecting the whole city, like the smart electric grid, to small adjustments to personal habits, like recycling, change for the greener must be systemic in order for sustainability to take root in New York.
The systems that run New York – or any other city – are not just physical entities. They are best identified by asking not “What?” but “How?” For example, the question, “What can make our building systems more resource efficient?” can be answered simply: “Do an energy audit and fix the problems that are found.” However, if we ask, “How do we stop the building from being wasteful from now on?” the answer becomes a lot broader: “We do an audit, fix the building, teach the owner, the operators, and the tenants how to use it properly, and establish protocols for checking that everything is running smoothly from now on.” That second answer shows that to fix our carbon problem we need to establish new systems, both hard and soft infrastructures for living and working in a more sustainable way.
The ideas for smarter, cheaper, and more environmentally responsible methods to run a city like New York should inform the evolution of existing infrastructures or establish the necessary new ones. Infrastructures, by definition, have a broad reach, from the generation and delivery of electricity to getting rid of waste water; from food supply to waste disposal; from growing our businesses to deconstructing our buildings; from teaching our future designers, engineers, and other creative professionals to incorporate the triple bottom line into their visions of the future, to preparing the workforce for making those creative visions come to life in a way that works. And perhaps most important of all is the infrastructure offered by our growing collective certainty that we can achieve our goals in a smarter, cheaper, and yet more environmentally responsible way.
In trying to catch a glimpse of the transformation of New York over the next twenty years, we at Solar One decided to put together an evening with the experts who are currently working on developing new (or improving old) infrastructures. Whatever our city looks like and however it functions in twenty years, right now we can only see it through the lens of today’s innovative ideas and discoveries. However, concrete plans have already been put forth by the city government, starting with PlaNYC to give the framework for moving New York towards sustainability. More specific objectives have been set forth in city-wide governmental plans as well as smaller scale private-sector and academic projects. Examples of such forward-looking projects include water quality management through green infrastructure; waterfront revitalization and improving the city’s sustainable food supply through short-sea shipping; and creating ecological art both as a form of expression and means to raise public awareness.
The speakers invited to NYC Future Metropolis vol. 2 will address these and other infrastructure-related topics directly and in discussion of their projects. Please visit the NYC The Future Metropolis section for more information.
Posted in Energy, Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, New York City, NYSERDA, Solar One, Sustainability, Water | Permalink
Intro To Green for Building Operators & Supers – February 8
Sunday, January 30th, 2011| February 8, 2011 | ||
| 6:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Intro to Green workshops break down costs vs. savings, government and utility incentives, new green laws and codes, and ways to engage building residents and staff.
This introductory course will help building operators manage their buildings in a more energy efficient and cost effective way. The three-hour course will orient building operators to green terminology and concepts; inform superintendents about NYC’s new green laws for existing buildings; discuss NYSERDA incentives available for New York buildings; and determine if future education and/or certifications may be right for the attendees.
INTRO TO GREEN FOR BUILDING OPERATORS
Tuesday, February 8, 6-9pm
Our Lady of Good Counsel
230 East 90th St., NY NY (Basement)
The course is $50. Please pre-register by visiting STA’s website: nycsta.com
Questions, please visit the Intro To Green section of this website, or email Peter Grech at PGrech4214@aol.com
Posted in Solar One Events | Permalink
Solar One in the Snow- Great Pics and Big Thanks!
Friday, January 28th, 2011
It snowed 21 inches in Stuyvesant Cove Park yesterday! Combined with the Great Boxing Day Blizzard, there’s been a lot more shoveling going on than usual. Chris Fowler, our Park Maintenance superstar, has been getting quite the workout- but many people don’t know that Chris is also a great chronicler of the Park and its many changes. In addition to the one of the building practically buried, check out this gorgeous shot of one of the park beds:
One of the most wonderful things about Solar One and Stuyvesant Cove Park is the dedication of our volunteers who do so much to help make both Solar One and the Park so special. Here are two of our Park Angels, Wendy Byrne and Geoffrey Berresford, pitching in to help Chris shovel all that snow this morning (all photos by Chris Fowler):
Snow Angel Wendy
Snow Angel Geoff. Amazingly, he feels no need for gloves…
Thanks to both of you, and to all the Park Angels and Program Volunteers who donate their time, energy, enthusiasm and skills year after year! We could never do it all without you!
Posted in Art, New York City, Solar One, Stuyvesant Cove Park | Permalink
The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Green Screens Program and Solar One Co-Present Carbon Nation
Tuesday, January 25th, 2011| February 10, 2011 | ||
| 6:30 pm | to | 10:00 pm |
The Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Green Screens program and Solar One Co-Present Carbon Nation at the Walter Reade Theater on Thursday, February 10 at 6:30pm
Screening followed by a Q&A with the director Peter Byck, Solar One Executive Director Chris Collins, Solar One Green Workforce Development Director Diallo Shabazz, and a reception.
On Thursday February 10, Solar One is proud to be co-presenting the film Carbon Nation with the Film Society of Lincoln Center’s Green Screens program at the beautiful Walter Reade Theater. Carbon Nation is a film by Peter Byck that explores potential alternatives to carbon fuel from one-armed Texas cotton farmer Cliff Etheridge’s efforts to pull together an enormous wind farm, to green jobs innovator Van Jones. This inspiring film presents vital solutions to a thorny problem and in the process reveals a thriving tradition of American ingenuity.
Friends of Solar One may purchase tickets at the $9 Affiliate price, a $3 discount off the general admission price. Film Society members purchase tickets at the $7 Member price. A great bargain for a great film!
Purchase tickets online by selecting the “Affiliate” ticket type HERE.
You can use this link that goes straight to the online purchase page for CARBON NATION:
http://www.filmlinc.com/tix.php?p=22298&b=1
Or purchase in person at the Walter Reade Theater’s Box Office:
The box office opens at 12:30 PM Monday-Friday, and one half hour before the first screening on Saturday/Sunday. It closes every day 15 minutes after the start of the last show. If there are no evening screenings, the box office closes at 6pm. For more information call 212-875-5601 during hours of operation.
IMPORTANT: Please printout this page! You will need to present the printout at the Walter Reade Theater Box office to purchase tickets or redeem an online order at this discount price.
Visit FilmLinc.com for more information about Carbon Nation. http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/gs/carbonnation.html
View the trailer for the film: http://carbonnationmovie.com/
Thursday, February 10 at 6:30pm
The Film Society of Lincoln Center
Walter Reade Theater
165 West 65th Street, Upper Level
Bet Broadway & Amsterdam Aves
Posted in Economy, Energy, Film, Global Warming, Solar One, Solar One Events, Solar Power, Sustainability, Technology, Transportation, Waste, Water | Permalink
NYC The Future Metropolis Volume II
Monday, January 24th, 2011| February 17, 2011 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 9:00 pm |
Do you ever wonder what New York City will look like in 20 years? If so, please join us on February 17 at 7pm for the second NYC The Future Metropolis event, an exciting, fast-paced look at some of the new technologies, projects, and ideas that are shaping the future of our city.
Volume II of this series will explore the physical infrastructures and shifting networks of ideas that are enabling the green transformation of NYC. The invited speakers will address topics such as the smart electric grid, NYC food supply, and the importance of human capital to the greening of our business, buildings, and society.
Thursday, February 17, 7pm
The Educational Alliance
197 East Broadway, Mazer Theater, NYC
Click here for directions.
Reserve your spot by registering now! $5 per person (through Click & Pledge). $10 cash at the door.
No more free spots available via MeetUp RSVPs, but you can still buy tickets online or at the door. And you can always RSVP on our MeetUp page to stay informed about future events! www.meetup.com/Solar-One-Energy-Connections/
Please visit the full NYC Future Metropolis website for profiles on the speakers.
Posted in Energy, Energy $mart Communities, Energy Efficiency, New York City, NYSERDA, Other Events, Solar One, Solar One Events, Sustainability | Permalink
