Results tagged “environment”

Mayor Bloomberg will be in Times Square today, to celebrate Earth Day (which is 40 years old) with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, City Council Quinn, and others, including a virtual Vice President Al Gore. Which makes it perfect timing to look back at Earth Day 2007, when the mayor announced PlaNYC 2030, his list of 127 initiatives for the city to achieve sustainability by the year 2030. (Hey, the Mayor's Office Tweeted this morning, "Welcome to NYC, where every day is Earth Day.") And, for what it's worth, that 2007 speech is also the one where he broached the topic of...congestion pricing. more ›

Yesterday a group comprised of community leaders and elected officials got together to discuss small business owners going green. NY1 reports that the meeting took place in front of Camilo Grocery store in Washington Heights—one of the many businesses that could benefit in the long run from becoming more energy efficient. Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer said, "We need to make sure that people who fed our city for generations get to have the economic benefit of turning green." Congressman Steve Isreal has introduced legislation that would provide funding to help businesses like bodegas reach a greener goal—this would help with their own skyrocketing electricity costs, as well as be beneficial to the environment. Now, how about getting rid of those plastic bags? more ›

Even though the average New Yorker has a smaller carbon footprint and uses about one-half less energy than other Americans, our Mayor — who has been widely praised for his ambitious environmental agenda — might be one of "the worst individual polluters ever to hold public office," according to the Times. more ›

Yesterday, the City Council passed legislation "to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing government, commercial, and residential buildings." Mayor Bloomberg praised the Council's work and said, "By requiring buildings to conduct energy audits and improve their energy efficiency, the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan will reduce the city’s total greenhouse gas emissions while creating thousands of jobs and dramatically reducing annual energy costs. I thank Speaker Quinn and the members of the City Council for their efforts to make New York a greener, more sustainable city.” more ›

Mayor Bloomberg loves to travel, so it should come as no surprise that he and aides are going to Copenhagen next week for the U.N.'s climate change conference. The NY Times reports, "His schedule, for now, includes delivering a speech at a reception for mayors and other delegates, and attending another reception for 100 mayors from around the world who are taking steps locally to address climate change." more ›

Mayor Bloomberg has abandoned the most ambitious part of his plan to reduce greenhouse gases, which would have required the owners of the city's largest buildings to undergo mandatory energy audits to determine green renovations — and forced the landlords to pay for the improvements. more ›

A network of earth-loving organizations (Waterkeeper Alliance, Rainforest Action Network, Sierra Club, and Friends of the Earth) descended upon 270 Park Avenue early this morning with a bevy of costumed demonstrators. more ›

According to CBS News, data from a British team of explorers suggests "the Arctic will be ice-free in summer within 20 years, and that much of the decrease will happen within 10 years." The Catlin Arctic Survey was working with the World Wildlife Fund, and the WWF warns, "Such a loss of Arctic sea ice cover has recently been assessed to set in motion powerful climate feedbacks which will have an impact far beyond the Arctic itself...This could lead to flooding affecting one-quarter of the world's population, substantial increases in greenhouse gas emissions from massive carbon pools and extreme global weather changes." more ›

Since time immemorial, the only thing protecting the world's precious banana fruit from contamination has been the boring old peel. Well, Momma Nature, it's a new millennium, and it's time for a brand new bag! So 7-Eleven has come up with a new twist on an old classic: The company will now begin individually wrapping each banana sold in its stores in plastic. It's a start, but ultimately we'd like to see each banana also packaged in a bruise-resistant Styrofoam shell. more ›

It's been a couple months since we last checked in on the Waterpod, "a sustainable, sculptural art and technology habitat, with 4 artists living on and off it, generating food, water, and power in a contained and self-sufficient environment." The floating experiment is currently in Brooklyn Heights, so if you're nearby check it out on Pier 5 (where it will be docked through August 17th). Visitors are welcome Fridays from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. While on the shore, you can track the Pod here. more ›

After the AP blew the whistle on Mayor Bloomberg's SUV idling away as he attends various events, Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser says the mayor "made it clear" to his police detail that the administration "should set a better example." The administration being one that has supported laws for tougher restrictions on vehicles idling and touted reducing carbon emissions by 30% by 2030. The AP points out that "the city's three-minute idling limit ... does not legally apply to the mayor's SUVs, which are classified as emergency vehicles," but adds, "The mayor isn't just violating his own environmental agenda when he lets his SUVs idle. He's wasting fuel and money." We'll keep an eye on Idle-gate. more ›

Forget about that depressing national debt ticker, there's a new way to track our nation's (and planet's) inevitable collapse: the real-time carbon counter ticker! Yesterday Deutsche Bank "launched the world's first scientifically valid, real-time carbon counter, displaying the total of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere." It's located at 33rd Street and 7th Avenue, outside of Madison Square Garden and Penn Station. Maybe you'll see it as you pass by in your cab or SUV! more ›

It's been months since we last heard about Bloomberg's plastic bag tax plan, which was officially proposed last week—and since November the fee has gone down one cent (from 6 to 5 pennies). As the mayor seeks approval from Albany, CityRoom takes a closer look at some questionable figures estimating just how many plastic bags we use in the city. more ›

Solar One, the non-profit Community Environmental Center here in New York, is raising some funds for the new year. Their latest $100 donation plan is dubbed Environmental Health on a Half Shell. It's simple...if you donate 100 bucks, they'll plant 100 oysters in the East River for you. They explain: "The lowly oyster provides a natural filtering system - they eat algae, and well, raw sewage. They purify our waters. When the Dutch arrived, the lower Hudson River Estuary contained 350 square miles of oyster beds. These many millions of bi-valve beauties cleaned the lower Estuary in a single day. They contributed mightily to the wealth of New York as well - pickled oysters became important trade with the British West Indies. Oysters were produced in all 5 boroughs...sold on every corner. Sadly, sewage and pollution exhausted the last beds in 1927." Last year they planted 3,000 oysters, and this year they have a goal of 10,000 (you can help). Just imagine a swimmable East River! And quick, someone dump some oysters in the Gowanus. more ›

As mentioned yesterday, the New Year's Eve 2009 sign is being powered with a little help from Times Square visitors. The Duracell Power Lodge has been set up to accommodate snowmobiles, that are really stationary bikes with a snowmobile shell around them. When passerby pedal the snowmobikes, it will generate electricity that will in turn be stored to help power the lights on their big night. more ›

This is Greenhouse, a new 6,000 square foot, bi-level club that opened last week in Soho in the former Club Shelter space. As the name suggests, they're working the eco-friendly angle here with (deep breath) high-efficiency heating, an LED lighting system, fabrics made from recycled materials, bamboo floor and wall coverings, and furniture made with FSC wood. Owner Jon Bakhshi, who is applying for more ›

The MINI people have announced their 100% electric, zero-emissions car, and a New York field trial program to go along with it. They're looking for 500 people in the area who want to be "motoring pioneers" -- sounds pretty exciting, right? Wrong. While the prospect of electric cars hitting the streets is exciting, one look at the laborious application and FAQ section and you'll quickly learn that the trial will cost you no less than $850 a month. That's just for the car. On top of that, you'll have to get yourself a garage and update the electrical wiring in your home. By the end of the year, you'll be broke, but the company declares that "as motoring pioneers, you'll proudly go down in MINI history as a widely respected group who helped pave the road to the future for us all." They will then take your MINI away. If you decide you want to take part anyway, be sure to read the fine print before signing up. more ›

This morning the Today Show took a look at the subway cars that retire from the underground of New York, and (at the cost of the MTA) are sent to create artificial reefs off the coasts of other cities. (The program may soon benefit us as well, however.) Consider the below clip subway-reef-porn, with footage of the old cars being made suitable for the sea, and dumped off barges to meet their final watery resting place. more ›

Will the plastic bag controversy ever end? With the recent news of Bloomberg pushing a plastic bag tax, The NY Times is the latest to take a look into the sordid grocery packaging habits of New Yorkers. Perhaps as some believe cigarettes should be, instead of a tax, they just need to be made illegal; even reusable grocery bag users are finding they accept a plastic bag here and there.

“I’d pick up 50 bags a week instead of 2 or 3 if I wasn’t conscious of it,” said Mr. Thrasher, 31, a freelance writer from Fort Greene, Brooklyn. “You’re always having a plastic bag put in your hand.”

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Generation Green is growing up fast and keeping a watchful eye on the polluting parents of the world. The NY Times reports that the eco-kids have different wishlists from those who came before them; they want their household equipped with reusable shopping bags, energy-saving lightbulbs, solar panels and a hybrid car. Their eco, and sometimes expensive, demands are a product of everything from their education to pop culture--and they're spouting out phrases like, "Every day is Earth Day" whenever they hear the car idling for too long (good thing Santa runs on reindeer power!). One parent thinks his son "takes it too far," as he's even foregone using his precious night lights! Will these miniature eco-troops grow out of their militant standards, or will they keep going until they save the world, one parent at a time? more ›

The City Council voted by an overwhelming margin to pass the bill requiring chain stores to shut their doors when their air conditioners are running, leaving many small business unhappy. Cookie Falack, the owner of six Cookie's clothing stores called it "anti-business" and claimed that when they closed their doors earlier this summer, business went down almost 25 percent. But Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign the green initiative, saying "We are trying to take some reasonable measure to reduce energy consumption at a time when the systems are most strained." more ›

Last year City Councilwoman Gale Brewer proposed a bill that would fine establishments $200 per open door/window in air conditioned spaces (as well as heated spaces in the winter), the bill wasn't fully backed by the Bloomberg administration and never saw the light of day...until now! The NY Post reports that the environmentally friendly bill is now supported by Bloomberg and "is expected to win council approval tomorrow." more ›

Yesterday Inhabitat reminded us about that River Gym idea that was, er, floated back in 2005 as part of New York Magazine's contest for forward-thinking gym concepts. Dr. Mitchell Joachim and Douglas Joachim's idea for a floating gym is premised on "transforming wasted human mechanical energy into a useful kinetic gymnasium." Their eco-friendly gym would harness the energy usually lost during New Yorkers' workouts and use it to power boats back and forth across the Hudson and East Rivers. more ›

Yesterday, President Bush discussed the end of the G8 talks held in Tokayo, Japan, saying they were "very productive." Specifically, he felt they "made progress, significant progress, toward a comprehensive approach" on climate change. more ›

At this year's CitySol event, which took place over the weekend, Baltimore resident Dan Deacon (pictured) was set to perform after making a last-minute announcement following another New York show last week. BrooklynVegan notes that Deacon was a no-show, however, "thanks to some airline screwup that sent his equipment to Cincinnati." See, in order to play the solar-powered show, Deacon had to first unleash no small amount of greenhouse gas. After playing McCarren Pool last Thursday, Deacon flew to Atlanta Friday, only to have to turn around and fly back to New York for Saturday's show. more ›

At a rally in Michigan, Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama picked up an endorsement from Al Gore, the former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate. Gore said, "Looking back over the last eight years, I can tell you that we have already learned one important fact since the year 2000. Take it from me, elections matter. If you think the next appointments to the Supreme Court are important, you know that elections matter.” more ›

A week ago, Alain Robert scaled the New York Times Building to make a statement about the lack of government action on environmental issues (here's his website). Naturally, a stunt like that got Robert arrested, but a grand jury has dismissed the misdemeanor charges of trespassing, graffiti, reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. more ›

The city has a new message to spread: "Take the Stairs!" As part of an effort to get people to "Burn Calories, Not Electricity" the city's health officials are putting the posters up everywhere, hoping to get you to think twice before hopping on the elevator. more ›

With all the alarming facts about catastrophic climate change at our fingertips, most of us know by now that every day needs to be Earth Day. And one of the easiest ways to start minimizing environmental impact is by considering what goes into our own mouths. Here in New York, Broadway East, a new “plant-based” (but not strictly vegetarian) restaurant, has made sustainability a top priority. more ›