Green Renter: Greening NYC’s Transportation System - with Dani Simons, NYC Department of Transportation
Sunday, February 10th, 2008| February 25, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
Join Dani Simons for an insider’s look at the “new DOT,” and how the agency is working to promote sustainable modes of transporation, improve air quality, and slash CO2 emissions. Hear about NYC DOT’s initiatives on bikes, bus rapid transit and reducing traffic congestion.
Posted in New York City, Solar One Events, Transportation | Permalink
Green Renter: Infrastructure and Environmental Health Risks in the South Bronx: A Review of the South Bronx Health and Policy Study With Dr. Carlos Restrepo, New York University
Sunday, February 10th, 2008| February 18, 2008 | ||
| 7:00 pm | to | 8:30 pm |
Drawing on the findings of a collaborative research project completed by New York University and the South Bronx community, this discussion will focus on waste management, traffic hotspots, highways, and zoning in the South Bronx and how the environmental health risks associated with them can impact sensitive populations such as asthmatic children attending schools located in close proximity to major highways. Understanding the spatial relationships between these environmental health risks and land use could be an important input to environmental policy in the South Bronx.
Posted in New York City, Pollution, Solar One Events, Sustainability, Waste | Permalink
Newsflash: NY State Solar Incentives Not Right for NYC
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008
NYTimes author Jim Dwyer wrote an article (also there is an entertaining video) about his experience getting solar panels installed on his Washington Heights co-op building. After incentives, low-financing, and a very competitive bid from AltPower, he says they will roughly break even throughout the life of the loan and be in the black for the remainder of the life of the panels, which are guaranteed to last for at minimum 25 years.
But the real juice to his story comes from his retelling of uncooperative incentive policies, complicated regulations, and unnecessary ConEd needs. Solar could be a real boon for NYC because of our huge demand and very restricted supply (all of our blackouts are because of high demand and not enough electrons flowing through the wires). The problem is that obviously (except maybe to Albany) incentives that are appropriate for single-family suburban homes are not for the big city.
This is why we started our I Heart PV program, to get grassroots support for proper solar incentives for NYC. Head over there to read all the great arguements and what you can do to help.
Posted in Energy, New York City, Politics | Permalink
Looking for a Job? Try Green.
Friday, January 18th, 2008
It would be difficult to think of one sector with more growth prospects than services, products, and construction in the environmental sector. 80% of the carbon dioxide emissions from NYC is the result of building use. The retrofitting of hundreds of thousands of buildings to use less resources is a good financial investment–and can’t be outsourced. All kinds of products and services will be–and are–undergoing a redesign to focus more on resource consumption and environmental impact. This ranges everywhere from your brokerage firm to your dry cleaning to your contractor.
There was a recent summit in San Francisco called Advancing the New Energy Economy where attendees discussed advancing the long-term growth, financial stability, and job prospects of the new green economy. Read more in a Sustanablog post.
Posted in New York City, Products, Sustainability | Permalink
Preferential City Parking to be Limited by Bloomberg
Tuesday, January 8th, 2008
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced on Friday that he was going to be limiting the permits that the city gives as perks to employees for free curbside parking. What started as underground pressure from blogs like Uncivil Servants–a not-so-friendly name for a blog that has photographed and documented hundreds of instances of government employees breaking the parking laws (they also photo delivery trucks, taxis, and other common offenders)–has put enough pressure on the city government to create a centralized tracking program for all permits issued, and an to curtail by approximately 20% the permits available. The city has no legal control of the permits issued by the state and fed, but will try to include them in the initiative.
Bloomberg is trying to implement a congestion charge for Lower Manhattan drivers, and initiatives like this will show the public he means it to be a fair policy.
Posted in New York City, Transportation | Permalink
New Video of Green Renter Lecture Up Online
Thursday, January 3rd, 2008
For the past three years, our Green Renter lecture series has drawn New Yorkers from all over the five boroughs to Solar 1 to learn about green issues that confront urban dwellers, including programs on recycling, local food, urban planning and the redevelopment of New York Harbor’s native oyster population, among many others. Now, even if you weren’t able to attend in person, you can see the presentation and hear the lectures online! The first available Green Renter is the Sheridan Swap, a plan for transforming the Sheridan Expressway into green space, presented by the South Bronx Watershed Alliance. You can check it out here, and we encourage you to come back often as we’ll be adding more Green Renters very soon.
The next Green Renter will be held Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00pm. The topic is “NYC Greener Gadgets Conference Preview”; come see the fantastic new green electronic products that will be shown at the conference being held in NYC on February 1, and get tips on how to recycle your old cell phone and iPod.
Posted in Education, New York City, Recycling, Renewables, Solar One | Permalink
Gateway National Park Thinking About a Redesign
Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008
Gateway National Park… Ever been there? It’s one of the largest urban national parks, but a full half of New Yorkers don’t even know it’s there. It stretches around much of Queens and Brooklyn along the waterfront, as well as parts of Staten Island. Chronically underfunded, but culturally significant, Gateway is headed for a redesign. The National Parks Conservation Association is showcasing five of the competing design ideas and asking you to vote on them and submit comments. All the comments will then be given to the National Parks Service on January 31. Some of the designs have new ideas about water, some, new ideas about land. All take an advanced approach to materials used, native plants, and the usual.
Posted in Native Plants, New York City, Water | Permalink
NYC Taxis Go Hybrid
Wednesday, December 12th, 2007 
Say goodbye to the Ford Crown Victoria. The TLC announced today that it will definitely be increasing fuel efficiency standards for NYC taxicabs purchased after October 1, 2008 to 25 mpg, and then to 30 mpg for new cabs in fall 2009. To meet these standards, fleets will probably be buying hybrids, making NYC’s taxi fleet “the cleanest, greenest large city taxicab fleet in the world”, according to Matthew Daus, the TLC chairman. The NYT reported last May that replacing the 13,000 yellow cabs currently on the streets will have the same air-quality effect as eliminating 32,000 private vehicles from the road. Not bad.
Posted in New York City, Pollution, Transportation | Permalink
The Brooklyn Bridge Goes Green, and Not Just for the Holidays!
Thursday, December 6th, 2007
With support from the city council, Mayor Bloomberg announced yesterday his energy conservation plan for all city owned buildings and operations to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 30% over the next ten years. The short term action plan include 132 improvements, one of which is replacing the Brooklyn Bridge’s 100-watt mercury vapor lamps that make up its necklace lighting with 24-watt LED lamps. Other improvements include replacing approximately 25,000 street lights with more efficient bulbs, replacing NYPD’s and FDNY’s emergency response vehicles with hybrids, and upgrading some of the city’s aging heating and cooling systems.
Watch Mayor Bloomberg’s press conference announcement here.
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Legislation, New York City, Politics | Permalink
Union Square Holiday Market Offers Some Nifty Options
Monday, December 3rd, 2007
While the Union Square Green Market is not has hopping as it is during the summer, the Holiday Market will be with us through the end of the season. There are over 100 vendors, and some decent options for local and environmentally conscious goods and toys. Explore them for yourself–and do some of your shopping out of a store and away from the computer.
Photo by ShellyS on Flickr
Posted in New York City, Products | Permalink
