Get Out Your Brushes

How white paint could help postpone climate crisis

Could the planet’s rising temperatures and tides be stemmed by something as simple as white paint? Of course not. But according to a soon to be published study in the journal Climatic Change, a few million buckets could buy the world a few crucial years.

Here’s the premise: if all the rooftops and paved surfaces in the world’s major cities were painted white or replaced by more reflective material (like roads made of concrete rather than asphalt), the global cooling effect would be enormous. Big enough, the study shows, to delay climate change by about 11 years.

They started off by calculating that changing a 1,000 square foot roof—the average size on an American home—from black to white would essentially offset the heating effects of 10 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. (Conveniently, and coincidentally, 10 metric tons is about the amount that a typical American home emits over the course of a year.) And that’s just one building. Collectively, the concentration of hard, dark surfaces causes the “urban heat island” effect, which can make cities an average of 5 degrees Fahrenheit—and up to 20 degrees F—warmer than surrounding areas. And even though cities cover less than 1 percent of the world’s land surface, Dr. Akbari and California Energy Commissioner Arthur Rosenfeld, two of the country’s leading experts on urban heat island mitigation, emphasize that the collective impact is significant. A global “cool roofs and cool pavement” strategy, they argue, would increase the global albedo (or reflectivity, if you’ve forgotten your high school physics) enough to reduce planetary warming by the same amount that releasing 44 billion tons of carbon dioxide released to the atmosphere would increase it.

Read Ben Jervey's post (including cool graphs) at Good.is

Sierra Club's Video on the National Day of Service

WATCH THE VIDEO.

Be a Part of History, Be a Part of Your Community

There are two important events on the horizon: the observance of Martin Luther King, Jr day and the swearing in of the first African-American president.

Since 1994, MLK day has been regarded as a day of service. Our new president wants to take it one step further and have it not be just a day, but a new commitment to be involved in your community in a sustainable way.

Visit the new site of the president and vice-president elects, www.usaservice.org, to find an event or find out how to host an event on January 19th that gives back to your community.

For a longer term commitment to service in the New York City area, visit the websites of New York Cares or the Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service. Or do a google search for volunteer programs in your area. Hmmm, sounds like a challenge...

Special Guest Blog Interview

Urban Environmentalist NYC: Interview with Josh Nachowitz

The Center for the Urban Environment (CUE) had an opportunity to speak with Josh Nachowitz, NYS Policy Director for the New York League of Conservation Voters on the subject of the economy and the environment. To learn more, come to CUE’s Third Thursday on January 15th where Josh will be speaking along with Rob Crauderueff, Policy Director for Sustainable South Bronx. The forum will take place at 6pm @ CUE (168 7 Street, Brooklyn, NY). Call 718.788.8500 x263 or email rwelch@bcue.org for more information.

CUE: Critical parts of President-Elect Obama’s energy and climate plan link directly to his economic stimulus package and other items on his economic agenda—are New York legislators poised to do the same at the local level?
Nachowitz: NYLCV has long argued that environmental protection and economic growth are intimately linked. We believe that our elected officials now understand this message. On Wednesday Gov. Paterson delivered his first State of the State speech and we were pleased to see that he listed building a clean energy future as one of the top priorities for his administration. The Governor reconfirmed the State’s commitment to an aggressive energy efficiency and renewable energy plan and in fact further strengthened the State’s goal for renewable energy despite the economic crisis. We expect both the Governor and the Legislature to take action on this and other proposals in the upcoming session. Policy makers across New York State seem to have finally recognized the link between climate action and economic prosperity. Ending our dependence on foreign oil, creating clean, reliable and cheap domestic energy sources and fighting climate change are critical to leading impoverished areas of the State (such as large swaths of upstate New York) back to economic prosperity.

CUE: What are the unique environmental challenges facing Kings County—compared to other counties in the State?
Nachowitz: Brooklyn is one of the most densely populated urban communities in the United States. Yet the environmental problems facing the borough are similar to those experienced by many communities in New York State. Key issues in Brooklyn include the clean-up of contaminated “brownfield” sites and heavily polluted waterways, the enhancement and protection of vitally important parkland, investment in improving and expanding our mass transit network and efforts to control congestion and remove toxin spewing vehicles from our already overburdened streets. Supporting the borough (and the city’s) continued growth is also important for the environment. It is somewhat counter-intuitive to think of an urban environment like Brooklyn as “green.” But due to its very density and our reliance on mass transit, Brooklynites (I am proud to be one myself!) are consume far less energy and natural resources and emit fewer greenhouse gasses than average Americans. We support concentrating growth in transit rich and energy efficient urban areas like Brooklyn instead of sprawling and wasteful suburbs.

CUE: How will the current economy affect New York City—from initiatives like PlanNYC to citywide recycling services?
Nachowitz: New York City is currently faced with a serious budget crisis which may turn out to be one of the most difficult since the 1970s. The economic collapse will certainly effect the city government’s ability to carry out wide-ranging and ambitious plans. The current budget already calls for cuts to recycling education programs. We plan to fight these proposals. In 2002, Mayor Bloomberg suspended the city’s metal, glass and plastic (MGP) recycling program. This action had disastrous consequences for recycling in New York City. We are hopeful that the mayor will not go down the same road again. Other PlaNYC initiatives, however, have even more importance during a budget crisis. The Mayor has committed about $80 million to energy efficiency initiatives. The city spends close to $1 billion in energy costs a year, and reducing this substantial and inflexible yearly cost could not only help the environment, it could also reduce the burden on the city’s budget.

CUE: How can Brooklyn residents get involved in local environmental policy and advocacy?Nachowitz: There are countless opportunities for New Yorkers to get involved. One of the easiest is to check out the websites of advocacy organizations such as mine (www.nylcv.org) which will help you stay abreast of legislation and news concerning the environment. I also encourage you to contact your local legislators and make them aware of your interest in the environment and environmentally friendly legislation.

(Interview conducted by Rebeccah Welch, Senior Associate Director of Communications at the Center for the Urban Environment. As a guide to a more sustainable New York City, the Center is dedicated to educating individuals about the built and natural environments. For more about our work visit www.thecue.org.)

A Contest for Green Businesses!

In a move aimed at spurring New York’s emerging green economy and proving just how profitable going green can be, doors opened today on the first Green Business Competition. The contest invites New York’s green start-ups who are shaking up their industries to compete for packages worth over $30,000 in investment capital, green office space and other business support. The competition kicks off today and closes March 22, 2009.

Presented by Green Spaces, a socially conscious company that works to grow today’s burgeoning green economy by providing work space, administrative services and networking opportunities for green entrepreneurs in New York City, the Green Business Competition will look for innovative start-ups that not only accelerate positive social change and protect the environment – but also prove they can effectively make money in the process. In order to attract a wide variety of green businesses across all sectors, the Green Business Competition’s criteria are broad; entrants need only to be for-profit, in New York State and have revenue numbers less than $10 million.

First place winners will receive a package worth $24,000, including $8,000 in investment capital, one rent-free year in at a Green Spaces valued at $6,000, and a package of marketing, legal and financial services valued at $10,000. Second place business winners will receive $1000 and a similar prize package which has a total value of $4,000, and third place is a package worth $675.

Con Edison will serve as Prize Sponsor and The Nature Conservancy will serve as the Non-Profit Sponsor of the competition. Other sponsors include SquareSpace, EcoFusion, The Park Avenue Bank, Core Industries, Impact International, Citrin Cooperman & Company LLP, Plenty Magazine, Grist.org, NYU Stern School of Business, Treehugger, Tishman Speyer, Mintz Levin, Greenopia, Net Impact, Kinetix, Marc Alt + Partners, Method, Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP, The Sustainable Business Network of New York City, the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and Group SJR. The Green Business Competition will host a launch party on February 9, 2009 at 92Y Tribeca in New York City and an awards ceremony on April 30 to announce the business winners.

Green Spaces brings together leading green entrepreneurs by offering affordable work space, shared resources and a community to launch their businesses.

iStoreGreen, formerly Hall Street Self Storage, opened last spring in BK as the first green self-storage space in the country. How? by using Green-E certified energy, a solar water heater, wood beams from the building turned into chips for packing materials, shredded paper rather than bubble wrap, you get the idea.  Now the concept may be going national. iStoreGreen is looking for its next location - probably Manhattan - and beyond. In the future, owner Jeffrey Sitt says, the stores will be greener from the ground-up. It started with them...

Learn More at the Brooklyn Eagle

What NYC Educators are Up To, Greenwise

An Interview with Micki Josi, Co-Founder of the UFT Green Schools Committee

Q: What is the UFT's Green Schools Committee all about? 

A: The UFT Green Schools Committee was formed by two teachers, Coquille Houshour and Micki Josi, in order to encourage the UFT and DOE to adhere to the city’s recycling laws and bring together like-minded teachers who are working to “green” their schools through recycling, composting, and planning lessons on sustainability.  Micki and Coquille also have a blog atwww.educatingtomorrow.org.

Q: What are the biggest challenges facing schools who want and must (accoding to NYC law) recycle?

A: Some of the biggest challenges facing schools that want to recycle include is a lack of funds to purchase recycling bins, institutional apathy, lack of public education on recycling including students, staff, and custodial engineers, and infrequent department of sanitation collection.  In most cases it is one or more teachers in a school that take this project on voluntarily, writing grants to purchase supplies, and starting students clubs to collect materials and educate their community.  Our group does not see this as a sustainable way for the entire Department of Education to adhere to the recycling laws since it relies to heavily on one individual to do a voluntary job, thus nearly 90% of NYC school do not currently recycle. 

Q: What is the best piece of advice you can give an educator or parent looking to enforce recycling efforts at their school?  

A: Speak up at school about the importance of recycling, find allies, start an environmental club or recycling program.  We started out by doing these things so eventually they will want to join our group to meet a network of like-minded individuals who share their passion for recycling and waste reduction education and practices in schools.  We think recycling education needs to be mandatory and wasteful practices, such as Styrofoam Trays in the cafeteria, need to be eliminated.  It’s hard work if you try to do it alone, but together we can form a strong voice to push for strict regulation of the mandatory recycling laws in schools.

Q: How can folks get involved in your committee or support your efforts in some way?

A: They can contact us through our website www.educatingtomorrow.org.  At the website they can read our blog, find resources, sign our petition, email us, join our google group and learn about upcoming meetings and events.  They can also contact their local city council person, write a letter to the chancellor and/or mayor to let them know that they think recycling in schools is important and should be a priority. 

Thanks Micki

TIP FOR THE DAY

Many times while you're out and you purchase a canned or bottled beverage there is no place to recycle it. Consider taking the extra step of carrying it with you till you get home so you can recycle it and keep those reusable resources out of the waste stream.

Don't Forget This Weekend!

Chip in! Mulch your tree! Help NYC grow!

Saturday, January 10 and Sunday, January 11, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Bring your holiday tree to a designated city park to be recycled into mulch that will nourish plantings across the city! Remember to remove all lights and ornaments before bringing the tree to a Mulchfest site. You are encouraged to bring bags to take advantage of the free mulch provided at sites.

FIND YOUR NEAREST SITE

Anyone Can Start a Green Movement

Starting in early December a new organization in Maui began collecting the unwanted fruit from the backyard trees of local donors and distributing it to low income communities and senior citizens with the help of the local Food Bank.

The volunteer group, Waste Not, Want Not was started by Suzanne Frietas and her brother James Mylanek Sr. after they began collecting and donating lemons, tangerines and oranges from Freitas' own property. They are now a "fruit cycling" organization working on obtaining federal non profit status.

"Waste Not Want Not"collected about 153 pounds of fruit on New Year's Eve, with the help of only five volunteers! "Wasting large amounts of food is no longer acceptable, and so it's time to act. The fruit is ready and waiting, let's cycle it," Freitas said.

The Waste Not Want Not website is currently under construction, but add it to your favorites and check back in with them soon!

The Flea is on the Move

Organizers of the popular Brooklyn Flea — the Sunday outdoor arts, crafts, antiques and vintage market in a Fort Greene high school backyard — will unveil a scaled down, up-market indoor version this Saturday in DUMBO. “It’s for Brooklyn Flea vendors who never wanted to bring their best stuff to an outdoor flea market,” said organizer Eric Demby. “There will be some overlap, but because it’s DUMBO, it’s less of a flea market and more of an antique and vintage clothing shop. “It’ll be more like a store and less like a ‘happening,’” added Demby.

On weekends through March, the DUMBO version will set up shop in vacant space at the corner of Washington and Front streets owned by neighborhood real-estate titan David Walentas.

Brooklyn Flea’s Winter Market [76 Front St., at Washington Street in DUMBO, (718) 935-1052], Saturdays and Sundays through March. 11 am–6 pm.

Source: The Brooklyn Paper

Water, Water Everywhere

Are you experiencing the steady drip, drip, drip of a leaky faucet in your home? Why not take care of it as a resolution for 2009?

Visit the USGS website. U.S Geological Survey is a science organization that focuses on biology, geography, geology, geospatial information, and water. They are dedicated to the study of the natural hazards that threaten the landscape and our natural resources.

Click on this link to find out how much water is being wasted in your home. All you have to do is time the drips for one minute.

Take a few minutes to explore the rest of their site. Really interesting stuff!