Get your spooky fun on this Friday at BuildItGreen!NYC’s brand-new space in Gowanus, Brooklyn! From 3-6pm, kids can stop by the BIG!NYC/GrowNYC costume swap and trade their old finery for new, plus watch family-friendly Hallowe’en films, do some eco-crafts (Solar One will be making cardboard animal masks), play games and much more!

Then at 7pm, it’s time for more adult fun at BIG’s costume fundraiser. Tickets start at just $10 and are available HERE!

BIG!NYC Costume Swap and Fundraiser
Friday October 28, 2011
Costume Swap at 3pm, Fundraiser at 6pm
69 9th Street, Brooklyn
Get directions HERE!

The City Council has been taking steps to correct that situation though, and starting in April 2011, electronics manufacturers will be required to take back their products for recycling, and by 2015, it will no longer be legal to leave consumer electronics for residential trash collection. The city is also trying to find ways to expand the municipal composting program- as Lucy Siegle, environmental journalist for The Observer newspaper, explains in the introduction to Recycle The Essential Guide, organic material in the landfill is actually worse than inorganic material , because it leaches toxins into the ground, and also releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. Currently, the nearest commercial composting center to NYC is in Delaware- no wonder it’s so difficult to get rid of our compostable plastic cups every summer!

All of which is to say, if you are interested in sustainability, creative reuse and waste management, you are probably already quite busy recycling everything you possibly can- and you will definitely enjoy this book.

Published in a new edition by Black Dog Publishing, this well-designed and information-packed guide makes a clear argument for increased recycling. Organized into sections by material, the book covers paper, plastic, glass, e-waste, textiles and metals with eye-catching graphics, bold colors and case studies from around the world.

While much of the information and resources focus on the UK, there’s still plenty to interest an American reader, including detailed explanations of the recycling processes and a fair evaluation of the resources expended in the various recycling schemes explored in the book. I also enjoyed the pull quotes that featured prominently throughout- well-known thinkers and activists in the climate crisis field providing clear, inspiring soundbites that articulate the need for more extensive recycling, especially here in the US.

As the stories in Recycle The Essential Guide show, recycling is not only a vital part of a total sustainability plan in any community, taking on waste issues head-on is a great relationship builder in communities around the world. Recycling means cleaner environments, increased job opportunities and fewer landfills. Recycling FTW!

Available from Black Dog Publishing. Click here!

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

New grants are available for Manhattan community associations, gardens, friends of parks groups, housing developments, schools, college/universities, hospitals, or private businesses who plan to start or expand a small scale composting program. These grants range from $100 to $750.

The Manhattan Solid Waste Advisory Board (SWAB), Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer, and Citizens Committee of New York City have made these grants available to help provide funding assistance for community small-scale organic waste programs in the borough of Manhattan. Additional goals are to encourage projects that utilize environmentally preferable alternatives and to promote plans that generate soil amendments for gardens, parks, street trees, landscaping and/or are marketed as a product.

Manhattan Community-Scale Composting Grant proposals are due by February 4, 2011. Please click here for more information about the grants, proposal process and other requirements.

If you have any questions, please contact Cuong Nguyen at 212-669-7664 or CNguyen@manhattanbp.org

Happy composting, Manhattanites!

Green Your Home From the Inside Out!

Thursday, May 20th, 6:00pm – 8:30pm
City College of New York
North Academic Center (Ballroom)
Convent Avenue and 138th Street New York, NY

Solar One, in partnership with GrowNYC presents Green from the Inside Out on Thursday, May 20th, from 6-8:30pm at the City College of New York in the North Academic Center (Ballroom), located on Convent Avenue and 138h Street. This event gives coop and condo owners, building managers, landlords, and tenants the tools, resources, and information they need to green their multifamily building through presentations on recycling, energy efficiency, and rooftop possibilities for multifamily buildings in New York City. Exhibitors of green products and services will also be present to answer technical questions.

Please RSVP to Celia Salgado at 212-505-6050 or celia@solar1.org.

PRESENTATION DETAILS:

A Survey of Solar Energy Roof Applications for NYC: Solar Thermal, Photovoltaics, Green Roofs and White Roofs

In this workshop Solar One will introduce, define and discuss the economic and quality of life implications of three solar rooftop applications that have considerable promise in the five borough area: solar thermal technology, photovoltaics and white roofs.

Combating Rising Energy Costs with Energy Efficiency for Multifamily Buildings

Find out how to reduce fuel and utility costs while improving resident comfort and building performance. Solar One’s NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator will present cost-effective ways for residential building owners and managers to make lighting, appliances, heating and cooling more energy efficient. Learn about the government and utility incentives that are available for your building, as well as the Community Preservation Corporation’s new Neighborhood Energy Loan Program that provides financing for retrofitting multi-family apartment buildings for energy efficiency.

Navigating NYC’s Recycling Landscape

Hear about new recycling laws and old misconceptions. Find out how to avoid fines, improve your recycling program and get your tenants to recycle. Learn about other ways to reduce waste, recycle more and help make NYC a little greener. GrowNYC is a program of the Council on the Environment of New York City.

Vendors will be available to answer any technical questions about energy audits, different roof applications, and recycling.

Free event! Refreshments will be provided!

GREEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT is a product of Solar One, in partnership with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education, a program of GrowNYC (formerly Council on the Environment of New York City). This series was made possible by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

NYU Earth Matters is throwing a party for Earth Day’s 40th birthday, and you’re invited! Check out a fabulous exhibit of eco-art from the NYU community and beyond, eat delicious food from the Dosa Man and check out some exciting live entertainment from MC Andrew WK, Cold Cave, Oberhofer and North Highlands, plus a Special Secret Guest so exciting we won’t be able to reveal their name until Saturday morning!

This event is free and open to the public, rain or shine! We hope to see you there!

Green Your Home from the Inside Out!

Saturday, March 27th, 12pm – 3pm
Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden, Building P
1000 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island

Solar One, New York City’s green energy, arts & education center, in partnership with the NYC Compost Project and the NYC Department of Sanitation, presents Green From the Inside Out on Saturday, March 27 at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden.

Green From the Inside Out gives Staten Island homeowners the knowledge and resources they need to make their homes more environmentally friendly by saving energy (and money!), reducing waste, and recycling correctly. Come test your recycling knowledge, find out about composting, learn what incentives are available for your home improvements, find out if solar power and green roofs are right for you, and talk to vendors of green products and services. Featuring presentations by Solar One, the NYC Compost Project, the NYC Department of Sanitation, and New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Energy $mart Communities.

Please RSVP to Celia Salgado at 212-505-6050 or celia@solar1.org.

Presentation Details:

Composting 101

The NYC Compost Project on Staten Island will discuss the simple steps involved in creating rich compost from household food scraps.  Learn about the different ways to compost at home, how to effectively maintain a compost bin, troubleshoot common issues, and utilize the finished product in your garden.

Recycling and Beyond

Learn the basics and the fine print of New York City’s curbside recycling program.  Best practices in waste prevention and reuse, as well as legislative updates on materials not collected curbside, such as plastic bags and rechargeable batteries, will be discussed.

Reducing Energy Costs Through Energy Efficiency

Find out how to save money, help the environment, and make your home even more comfortable. Learn easy tips for energy savings, as well as cost-effective ways to make a big difference in your home energy bills.  Government and utility incentives for homeowners to make energy-efficiency improvements will be discussed by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) Energy $mart Communities Coordinator for Staten Island.

A Survey of Rooftop Solar Applications in NYC:  Solar Thermal and Photovoltaics

Learn the difference between the two most common kinds of solar power used in New York City homes, and how to determine which application is right for you.   Solar One’s Chris Neidl will review the generous government incentives currently available for solar and discuss how homeowners can find a solar installer.  “White roofs” and “green roofs” will also be discussed.

Free event! Refreshments will be provided!

Tonight’s Event is full. Space is still available for the 1/25 Green From the Inside Out.

Solar One in partnership with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education will be touring Green from the Inside Out, a three-part workshop on recycling, energy efficiency, and rooftop possibilities for multifamily buildings, throughout New York City.

These workshops are designed to give building owners, shareholders, and managers the tools, resources, and information they need to green their multifamily building.  Look below for the workshop descriptions, to see the date and location of the next workshop, and to reserve your spot.

If you would like us to bring these workshops to your neighborhood, contact Celia Salgado at celia@solar1.org, or 212-505-6050.

A Survey of Solar Energy Roof Applications for NYC: Solar Thermal, Photovoltaics, Green Roofs and White Roofs

In this workshop Solar One will introduce, define and discuss the economic and quality of life implications of three solar rooftop applications that have considerable promise in the five borough area: solar thermal technology, photovoltaics and white roofs.

Navigating NYC’s Recycling Landscape

Hear about new recycling laws and old misconceptions. Find out how to avoid fines, improve your recycling program and get your tenants to recycle.  Learn about other ways to reduce waste, recycle more and help make NYC a little greener. OROE is a program of the Council on the Environment of New York City.

Combating Rising Energy Costs with Energy Efficiency for Multifamily Buildings

Find out how to reduce fuel and utility costs while improving resident comfort and building performance. Solar One’s NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator will present cost-effective ways for residential building owners and managers to make lighting, appliances, heating and cooling more energy efficient. Learn about the government and utility incentives that are available for your building, as well as the Community Preservation Corporation’s new Neighborhood Energy Loan Program that provides financing for retrofitting multi-family apartment buildings for energy efficiency.

WHEN:  Wednesday, January 20

6:00pm to 8:30pm, plus post-event mixer!

WHERE: Central Park Arsenal

830 5th Avenue, Suite 318, NY

RSVP’s required.  Send email to celia@solar1.org to RSVP.

And from 8:30-10:00pm we are hosting a special event! Only on this special evening we will be hosting a Winter Networking Mixer overlooking Central Park! Invite your clients and business partners to partake in this unique networking evening. Find out what’s going green, and who’s going green in the Upper East Side! Entrance is free and drinks can be purchased.

RSVP’d guests can arrive at 6:00 to speak with Vendors about products. Presentations will start at 6:30pm and run until 8:30pm. There will be breaks in between presentations to talk to Vendors.

Free!  Refreshments will be served.  Vendors will be available to answer any technical questions about energy audits, different roof applications, and recycling.

GREEN FROM THE INSIDE OUT is a product of Solar One, in partnership with the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education. This series was made possible by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Saturday, September 12th, 7pm

Short: Loyale (taken from From Elegance to Earthworms)

Feature: FLOW: For Love of Water

Experts are calling the World Water Crisis the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century. This film presents the case against the growing privatization of the world’s dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching eye on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Speaker: John Mundy, Project Manager, Majora Carter Group

John Mundy serves as Project Manager for the Majora Carter Group. The Majora Carter Group is a pioneering consulting group that builds highly productive relationships between organizations and across sectors to help civic, business and nonprofit organizations understand how to meet their needs by working together through green economic avenues.

Sometime in the near future, you won’t even need to think twice about frying up that prize striper you hooked out of the Hudson.

After twenty-five years of court appeals and other evasive measures employed by General Electric, the first of what will be many scoops of PCB-laden sludge was dredged from the Hudson River this past Friday as the result of a “good-faith” agreement with the EPA.  The massive effort, only Phase One of the project, is expected to require the around-the-clock operation of twelve dredges six days a week through 2015; assuming this phase runs its course, this would equal 48,672 hours for the removal of sediment that has been accumulating since the end of the Wisconsin glaciation period around 12,000 years ago, but took two GE plants and other chemical facilities only thirty years to contaminate.  The dried sludge will then be trucked to a landfill in Texas, while the river water will be pumped through a filtration plant and returned to continue its meandering course.

Nearly 200 miles of the river from Hudson Falls to the tip of Manhattan, just under two-thirds of the Hudson’s total length, was declared a Superfund site in 1984, and though GE has now adopted a veneer of compliance, it also continues to challenge the constitutionality of the legislation – the 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) -that determines Superfund status and culpability.  As part of the agreement, GE has also given itself an out clause – it will review the status of the project in 2010 and can then decide to opt out.  The total cost of this phase is estimated at $750 million but could be much greater, though GE has declined to provide an estimate, a decision that, compounded by these other compromises, does little to alleviate the pervasive skepticism within the environmental community.

Still, the fact that the clean-up project is now more than simply a contentious point of debate is cause for at least tepid celebration.  I imagine most of those keeping a close eye on this will remain patient until the 2010 review process is complete before any claims of restitution will finally be made.  Meanwhile, for the past quarter century, those PCBs and their fellow contaminants have been just sitting there in the river bottom ooze, waiting for the party responsible to own up and make that first move.

Sources: “Dredging of Pollutants Begins in Hudson”, The New York Times, May 15, 2009;“”Reclaiming a River”, The New York Times, May 16, 2009; “Shaking Off “Man’s Taint, Hudson Pulses With Life”, The New York Times, June 9, 1996; “What was the Wisconsin Glaciation?” Wisegeek.com;“25-Year-Old Hudson River Cleanup Plan Starts Today”, Running Scared (blogs.villagevoice.com), May 15, 2009; “Pollution and the Hudson River”, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies (www.ecostudies.org); Hudson River Sloop Clearwater (www.clearwater.org).

In this workshop Solar One will introduce, define and discuss the economic and quality of life implications of three solar rooftop applications that have considerable promise in the five borough area: solar thermal technology, photovoltaics and white roofs.  Note Location:  University Settlement, 273 Bowery (at Houston)

6:00 PM -  Navigating NYC’s Recycling Landscape

Recycling: it’s good for the city, benefits the planet and is required by law, but many find the reality of recycling challenging.  How does your building’s program measure up and how can you improve your recycling performance? 

Residential building managers, superintendents, board members and others will benefit from this presentation from the Office of Recycling Outreach and Education (OROE).  Hear about new recycling laws and old misconceptions. Find out how to avoid fines, improve your recycling program and get your tenants to recycle.  Learn about other ways to reduce waste, recycle more and help make NYC a little greener. OROE is a program of the Council on the Environment of New York City.

7:00 PM – Combating Rising Energy Costs with Energy Efficiency for Multifamily Buildings

Concerned about the increasing costs of energy in your building?  Green from the Ground Up presents a workshop for Energy Efficiency in Buildings that offers tips on reducing your building’s energy use while making an environmental impact.  Learn how to improve your building’s energy efficiency in lighting, appliances, and heating systems, thereby lowering your fuel and utility bills. 

In this workshop, Solar One’s NYSERDA Energy $mart Communities Coordinator will discuss government incentives available for your building such as the Multifamily Performance Program, and weatherization programs.  Vendors will be available to answer any technical questions, and to sign up your building for an energy audit.

8:00PM – A Survey of Solar Energy Roof Applications for NYC: Solar Thermal, Photovoltaics, Green Roofs and White Roofs

Over one million buildings make up New York City’s one of a kind built environment, and the nearly one billion square feet of largely vacant roofscape that mark its vertical border amount to what is perhaps our most underutilized asset.  Our roofs have an enormous potential to accomodate clean solar energy applications and therefore to address a number of our most pressing local energy challenges, including the urban heat island effect, escalating household energy costs, power failure, growing carbon emissions, and poor air quality.

This past Friday, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer and State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced an innovative plan that will help curb NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously providing jobs for those most in need of them.  The Go Green! Cooking Oil Recycling Program will employ formerly homeless and incarcerated individuals to pick up used cooking oil from local city restaurants free of charge; the oil will then be sold to companies that conduct biodiesel conversion, cutting down on the use of standard diesel gasoline – among the dirtiest of hydrocarbon-based fuels – in commercial vehicles in and around the city.

The service will be conducted by RWA Resource Recovery, a venture of The Doe Fund and its Ready, Willing and Able Community Improvement Project.  To date, RWA Resource Recovery has collected nearly 725,000 gallons of biodiesel since its inception in early 2007, an amount that should increase at a substantial rate under the new agreement; in March alone, RWA added 50 new client businesses around the city.  Overall, through this community improvement project, The Doe Fund has aided more than 3,000 formerly destitute New Yorkers in their quest for self-sufficiency.  The program will also partner with the Lower East Side Ecology Center, which will conduct education and outreach by training local students to serve as “eco-consultants” to help recruit other businesses into the program.

In addition to this venture, which will expand to neighborhoods in upper Manhattan over the next few weeks, the state will provide further incentives for biodiesel through tax credits for users and producers of the alternative fuel.  Given current economic and employment trends, the Go Green! Cooking Oil Recycling Program will provide much-needed hope and opportunities while at the same time making progress towards a cleaner city.

Sources: “Speaker Sheldon Silver and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer Announce Free Cooking Oil Recycling Program for Local Restaurants”, press release – 4/24/09, Manhattan Borough President’s Office official website (www.mbpo.org); RWA Resource Recovery website (www.rwarr.org); The Doe Fund website (www.doe.org); Lower East Side Ecology Center website (www.lesecologycenter.org).

This is what the flowers look like:

On Thursday March 19 at 6pm, bring yourself, your crochet hooks and knitting needles, your old plastic bags and your ingenuity. The flowers in the pic were made with a D crochet hook and the pattern will be available next Thurs, but if you’d rather knit, or have another idea for a flower pattern, well, bring it on! The more variety, the better. We’ll be meeting at Sustainable NYC at 139 Ave A between St. Mark’s &  9th St. There will be free snacks and tons of fun!

For those who are interested in the design/construction aspect of the display, please email Events & Marketing Coordinator Dina Elkan at dina@solar1.org for more info on where and when we’ll be putting it all together. We’d like to have the display in the window by April 1.

To recap:

What: Create flowers out of plastic bags by crocheting or knitting

Where: Sustainable NYC, 139 Ave A between St. Mark’s & 9th Street

When: Thursday, March 19 at 6pm

Bring: Old shopping bags (transluscent plastic only, please! The opaque, shiny bags get too sticky to work with easily), crochet hooks and/or knitting needles, your friends, your brilliant ideas and lots of enthusiasm!

We hope to see you there!

Imagine a technology that not only generates energy with minimal greenhouse gas emissions, but that can even remove existing emissions sources while also solving the problem of garbage disposal. If St. Lucie County in Florida proves correct, plasma incinerators may be one more option in our growing sustainability portfolio. Instead of dumping its trash in landfills, St. Lucie County hopes to blast it with streams of superheated gas (known as plasma) at temperatures of 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit. At this temperature, organic matter vaporizes into a form of gas that can be used to power turbines, generating waste steam that could be then be used to create more energy. Inorganic matter such as aluminum cans could be used as recycled material for construction and infrastructure, including filler for roadbeds.

Not only does St. Lucie County hope to provide power for 50,000 homes in the process, but, by keeping trash out of landfills, it would significantly curb methane emissions that would result from decomposition. In addition, the plasma process itself (also known as plasma arc gasification) apparently generates far fewer emissions than standard incineration, and the county administration expects that the resulting energy will be no more expensive than natural gas.

Though plasma plants have been around since the 1980s, St. Lucie’s will be the first intended specifically for waste disposal. Expected to go on-line in 2011, city planners anticipate that it will process 1,500 tons of garbage daily and will supply the local energy grid with 60 MW of electricity (though some sources claim that public outcry (see below) and other logistical difficulties have caused GeoPlasma – the plant’s owner and developer – to propose a scaled-back verison that will process only 200 tons per day).

The plan is not without controversy, however. Skeptics claim that the technology is unproven and may release unsafe amounts of dioxin and other cancer-causing particulates into the community. Others claim that the proposed benefits may be overblown; a study of a similar plasma arc waste disposal facility in Honolulu concluded that the technology actually increased waste disposal costs while providing little if any environmental benefit. Until such concerns are abated, our trash isn’t likely to go anywhere but into the ground.

Sources: “Plasma Turns Garbage Into Gas”, Scientific American; “Doctors Say: Be Careful, St. Lucie County; make Geoplasma prove its claims about proposed arc incinerator”, www.tcpalm.com; “City to Brief Council on Plasma Arc Recommendations For Landfill Reduction”, City of Honolulu Department of Environmental Services (press release); “Can We Turn Garbage Into Energy? The Pros and Cons of Plasma Incineration”, www.slate.com; “Plasma arc waste disposal”, “Plasma (physics)”, www.wikipedia.com; “How Plasma Converters Work”, www.howstuffworks.com; “The Prophet of Garbage”; Popular Science; “Generating Power From Waste”, www.recyclingexpert.co.uk; www.geoplasma.com (Geoplasma homepage).

By now you’ve probably heard most of the doomsday scenarios regarding global warming. Temperatures and sea levels are rising, glaciers and ice caps are melting, and shifting weather patterns are wreaking havoc with ways of life that have otherwise changed little for centuries. Climate change has been connected with everything from water-rights squabbles to failing crops to an increasing prevalence of malaria and dengue fever. Some scientists have speculated that these scenarios may be avoided by sequestering greenhouse gases in large bodies of water, but this short-sighted approach begs the question: what exactly are these emissions doing to our oceans?

“Ocean acidification” was a hot topic at the recent meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). According to researchers, our oceans have lower pH levels now than at any point in the last 40 million years, and at the present rate these levels will drop by another .3 units by the end of the century. This is due to the chemical reactions that result when carbon dioxide is dissolved in water, forming carbonic acid. Over the long term, this process could affect the food chain in significant ways. First, many organisms will not grow as large or will produce fewer offspring, as increased levels of CO2 render respiration and other physiological processes less efficient. Also, the absorption of greenhouse gases is likely to create dead-zones at some depths where the CO2-oxygen ratios are too low to support life. This is apparently already happening and is somewhat similar to the poisonous volcanic crater lakes that exist in central Africa, where high levels of CO2 and other gases are kept at the lake bottom due to water pressure — until something stirs up the water, leading to the release of noxious plumes that can have lethal, large-scale consequences, such as the 1700 people killed in Cameroon in 1986.

It is unlikely that the presence of such dead-zones in the oceans will present any significant danger to human populations, except in that such zones will lower the productivity of the ecosystem, affecting subsistence fishermen and others who rely on the sea for their sustenance and livelihood. But there is one more way in which ocean acidification could have serious consequences. Shellfish, coral and echinoderms may not be able to form their exoskeletons, as the calcium carbonate on which they depend dissolves during carbonic acid formation. One researcher referred to the massive volcanic explosions at the end of the Permian period 250 million years ago which caused oceanic pH levels to change suddenly, leading to the extinction of 90% of oceanic species, particularly those that make shells from calcium carbonate. Another researcher, looking into the combined effects of acidification and temperature increase, conducted experiments on purple sea urchins that replicated the ecological conditions that will exist in 2100 if emissions levels continue unabated. Her results indicated that the urchins had to work up to three times harder to create their shells, and that these shells were often deformed.

All this goes to show that you can’t simply shrug off greenhouse gases by pumping them underwater.

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.

Our friends over at INFORM have started a new series called The Secret Life. First on the agenda: cellphones. These devices that have totally transformed communication over the past 20 years have also become too-synonymous with “disposable” leading to their being sent by the millions to landfills and incinerators. And yet, many, if not all, of the materials used to make them are reclaimable and/or recyclable.

INFORM has put together a great 5 minute video about the need for more cellphone recycling, while also showing in some detail what happens to these phones during the recycling process. We encourage you to check out their website, watch the video, and then take those old phones out of your junk drawer and find a way to recycle them (they provide the info on how to do just that, of course).

In addition, this seems like a great time to remind everyone about the Greener Gadgets Conference coming up this Friday, February 1st. Our recent Green Renter with conference co-chairs Marc Alt and Jill Fehrenbacher was a great overview of the need to re-think the design process for digital technology, complete with some great examples like the BOGOlight that the audience got to pass around and test out. We’ll have a video version of their presentation on our site soon, but you can register for the conference right now.

Cellphone image by Chris Jordan, taken from inhabitat.com

Eyebeam, 540 W. 21st St. (between 10th Ave. and 11th Ave.), NYC

At a public reception at Eyebeam Saturday, December 15, Executive Director Amanda McDonald Crowley announced the winners of Eyebeam’s two-part, online Eco-Vis Challenge competition. Oz Etzioni’s Unrecyclable Icon was awarded a $2000 grand prize in the Eco-Icons category, and the Studio for Urban Projects’ In Popular Terms, the Evolving Language of Ecology was awarded a $2000 grand prize in the Eco-Visualization category. The winning projects will be previewed during the month of January, and exhibited as part of Eyebeam’s Feedback show in March 2008.

With all the new gizmos coming into apartments as holiday gifts, an equally impressive stream of outdated electronics gets jettisoned to make room in tight apartments. The toxic metals in these throw away items is something we have written about before, and are something that politicians are taking more notice of.

We wrote about the bill in October, and it looks as if City Council is nearing a decision on a great step forward to making electronics recycling easier and more widespread. It would require manufacturers to be responsible for the recycling of increasing percentages of their products–25% in 2012 and 65% in 2018 (NYT). Many people are very excited about this and are encouraging emails and phone calls to the City Council. Heads up from no less than No Impact Man himself. (Read his post for the contact info)

From the American Institute of Architects: Top 10 Green Building Projects of 2007

Designed to foster an ethic of social and environmental responsibility in each student, the facility demonstrates a responsible relationship between the natural and the built environment.

Bicycle storage and showers are available, and the building is located within walking distance of a subway stop and several bus stops. Parking is available in an underground lot. A green roof and constructed wetland reduce stormwater runoff, improve the quality of infiltrated runoff, and reduce municipal water use. The wetland treats wastewater for reuse in the toilets and cooling towers.

The building was sited to take advantage of passive solar design. Together with high-efficiency electric lighting, photosensors, and occupancy sensors, daylighting minimizes lighting energy use. Solar-ventilation chimneys, operable windows, and ceiling fans minimize the need for mechanical cooling. Rather than develop a utility plant for this building alone, a central plant was created to serve the entire campus. A photovoltaic array generates about 5% of the building’s electricity needs.

Reclaimed materials include exterior cladding, flooring and decking, and the stone used for landscaping. Interior finishes were selected for their high levels of recycled content, low chemical emissions, and use of rapidly renewable materials. [ continue reading ]