Okay, So Congesting Pricing Didn't Happen...

All Right Mayor Mike!

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that the City Department of Administrative Services (DCAS) would issue an RFP for private solar developers to purchase, install, own and maintain solar panels on city-owned buildings in all five boroughs as part of PlaNYC. The plan would more than double the City’s current solar electric capacity.

Eleven potential sites have been identified for the developer to choose from, including five schools and a community college. The City and the developer will enter into a 20-year power purchase agreement for the electricity the solar panels generate. The Mayor made the announcement during a keynote address Newsweek’s 2nd Annual Global Environmental Leadership Conference.

“New York City is moving ahead vigorously on our PlaNYC agenda, especially in the all-important area of reducing our reliance on the carbon-based fuels that contribute to global warming,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We’ve set a target of shrinking our carbon footprint by 30% by the year 2030. Increasing the use of renewable energy, like solar power, is a key strategy in that effort. Using solar power decreases demand for electricity from the power grid, which is typically generated by burning the fossil fuels that contribute to climate change.”

How cool is that?

Source: NYC.gov

Being green in NYC? Easy!

If you happen to live in the New York City area, check out the 4th Street Food Co-op. You do not need to be a member to shop there, but members do get discounts, and the store is run almost entirely by volunteers.

Why shop at the 4th Street Food Co-op?

*They support local farmers and communities by buying as local as possible, as organic as possible, and by stocking fair trade products.

*They are 100% vegetarian.

*They use 100% wind power to run their refrigerators, lights, and electronics.

*They have a huge selection of bulk products; grains, beans, pastas, snacks, pet food, nuts, cleaning supplies, and body care products (you can refill your shampoo bottle again and again! I've used the same bottle for almost two years!!!)

The Co-op is located at 58 4th Street(between Bowery and 2nd Avenue)
New York, NY 10003
212-674-3623

Hours: Saturday-Wednesday 11am-9pm
Thursday 9am-9pm
Friday 1pm-9pm

Fancy-pants and Fancy T's

Starting April 13, you can bring in T-shirts to all Barneys locations which will be “re-fashioned” into limited edition T-shirts sold exclusively at Barneys over the 2008 holidays.

The program is a partnership between Sundance Channel’s “The Green,” Barneys New York and Loomstate (they make eco-friendly jeans). Barneys will collect the T-shirts, and Loomstate will re-style, re-dye and re-print to create new shirts. Participating consumers will receive a 20 percent discount on both men’s and women’s Loomstate merchandise. nice deal!

There has been no announcement in regards to restrictions on types of T-shirts accepted or required quality of the shirts.

*speaking of The Green, click here to watch lots of videos, ranging from a cartoon, Go Green or Else! to a video that describes cutting edge production of drinking water from the ocean!

Source: Earth911

Pick Your Paper Wisely

Since the paperless office has yet to become a reality, the world's forests continue to be under threat from logging, and scientists understand better than ever how important forests are not only to wildlife and clean air, but also the global climate, companies need to make responsible choices.

The World Resource Institute and the World Business Council recently published a list of 10 questions that should be asked before making paper purchases:

Origin: Where do the products come from?
Information accuracy: Is information about the products credible?
Legality: Have the products been legally produced?
Sustainability: Have forests been sustainably managed?
Special places: Have special places, including sensitive ecosystems, been protected?
Climate change: Have climate issues been addressed?
Environmental protection: Have appropriate environmental controls been applied?
Recycled fiber: Has recycled fiber been used appropriately?
Other resources: Have other resources been used appropriately?
Local communities and indigenous peoples: Have the needs of local communities or indigenous peoples been addressed?

Take that, Staples.

Source: Daily Green

BGT Highlighted in Cloud Institute's Newsletter

The Brooklyn Green Team is featured in the Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education's Spring 2008 Newsletter. Here is what they had to say:

The Brooklyn Green Team is quickly becoming a force on the NYC environmental scene. Combining hip parties with green goals, this team is bringing change to the emerging Brooklyn scene. For their first challenge all six founding members vowed not to purchase any new clothes for a year. The Team recently launched a water bottle challenge in which members pledged not to purchase bottled water from February through April. To date, more than 70 people have taken the water bottle challenge. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY EMAIL US NO MORE BOTTLES TO SIGN UP!

Check out the Spring newsletter

Thanks to our friend Rebecca Schept, Executive Assistant at the Cloud Institute, for spreading the word about what we do!

The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education is a New York-based organization that works with school systems and educators K-12 to develop and implement innovative ways to teach about and promote a sustainable future for our planet. Two of their programs have already been introduced to 130 NYC public schools, thus reaching over 30,000 students.

Source: The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education

Idling Away the Hours (and precious resources)

This past weekend, as in a number of weekends past, the MTA has beenrunning shuttle buses on the F line between 7th Ave andHoyt-Schermerhorn. Many of these buses as they wait for passengers are idling for long periods of time.

In order to NOT cause unnecessary pollution and impact the health of others (you've heard of asthma) and waste money, try shutting it off!

SHOULD I SHUT OFF THE MOTOR WHEN I'M IDLING MY CAR
If you're in a drive-through restaurant/business line or waiting for someone and you'll be parked and sitting for 10 seconds or longer... turn off your car's engine.

Why??
For every two minutes a car is idling, it uses about the same amount of fuel it takes to go about one mile. Research indicates that the average person idles their car five to 10 minutes a day. People usually idle their cars more in the winter than in the summer. But even in winter, you don't need to let your car sit and idle for five minutes to "warm it up" when 30 seconds will do just fine.

If you are going to be parked for more than 30 seconds, turn off the engine. Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. And when you start your engine, don't step down on the accelerator, just simply turn the key to start.

Here are some other Myths associated with idling.

Myth #1: The engine should be warmed up before driving. Reality: Idling is not an effective way to warm up your vehicle, even in cold weather. The best way to do this is to drive the vehicle. With today's modern engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.

Myth #2: Idling is good for your engine. Reality: Excessive idling can actually damage your engine components, including cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust systems. Fuel is only partially combusted when idling because an engine does not operate at its peak temperature. This leads to the build up of fuel residues on cylinder walls that can damage engine components and increase fuel consumption.

Myth #3: Shutting off and restarting your vehicle is hard on the engine and uses more gas than if you leave it running. Nope: Frequent restarting has little impact on engine components like the battery and the starter motor. Component wear caused by restarting the engine is estimated to add $10 per year to the cost of driving, money that will likely be recovered several times over in fuel savings from reduced idling. The bottom line is that more than ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting the engine.

Source: Brooklyn resident Gideon, California Energy Commission

Green Dining

Enter Manhattan's Union Square Greenmarket in the early morning, and you'll likely trip over a chef from one of the city's top restaurants. Fifteen years ago, though, most chefs sourced their produce from fancy distributors, who hauled in perfect-looking ingredients from hundreds of miles away. Not Peter Hoffman of Savoy. Since starting his much-loved Soho restaurant in 1990, Hoffman has been a familiar figure among the stalls, stuffing his dramatically oversized bicycle basket with the flavorsome produce of New York City's surrounding foodshed. And his commitment to sustainably produced local food doesn't end in the kitchen -- Hoffman served on the advisory board of the Union Square Greenmarket for 15 years, and has also been executive director of the Chef's Collaborative, which aims to build a more sustainable food supply.

Source: Grist

Other Green Restaurants

Birdbath Bakeries

Habana Outpost (Brooklyn)

Eat Fresh (Brooklyn)

Flatbush Farm (Brooklyn)

Teany

Candle 79

The Organic Grill

Quintessence

Blue Green Organic Cafe (Brooklyn)

Pure Food and Wine

Souen

Blanche's Organic Cafe

Organic Harvest Cafe

Herban Kitchen

Spring Street Natural Restaurant

Le Pain Quotidien

iCi

Superfine (Brooklyn)

The V Spot Cafe (Brooklyn)

Earth Tonez (Brooklyn)

What To Do? What To Do?

The weekend is here and naturally you're thinking, what can I do this weekend that is both fun, and low-impact on the planet? Well, seeing as its going to be pretty nice out, here are some suggestions:

Sit in the Park. (for example, it's Opening Day at Prospect Park with a host of activities during the day)

Read a book. (self-explainatory)

Go to the greenmarket and make dinner for your friends. (find your greenmarket, if outside NY, go to the national directory)

Go shopping without buying anything new. (for example by hitting up the launch of Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene)

Plant your Garden.

Ahhh, the life.

Ikea to Ban All Plastic Bags

Effective October 1, Ikea will no longer be offering plastic bags in-store.

In the last year, Ikea has been weaning its customers off of plastic bags, charging a fee for each plastic bag and encouraging the purchase of reusable bags.

Ikea reports that 92 percent of its customers have stopped buying plastic bags. Ikea does not offer paper bags, so starting in October it appears that reusable will be the only option.

Yipee! (Do we hear a future challenge?)

Source: www.earth911.org

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

What could be greener than a patch of green?
Many of us are antsy to get ouside and began anew with our backyards or more likely, 4X4 garden squares in front of our apartments. Either way, here are some tips to green your garden:

Use organic soil amendments
Test your soil. If needed, add organic soil amendments or fertilizer.

Get Compost for your Garden
If you live in NYC – you can buy it for cheap at the greenmarket in Union Square or at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden; if outside of the City, lots of municipalities have free compost giveaway days

Use natural pest control
Choose natural remedies and organic treatments for insect pests. You can get rid of bugs by picking them up yourself, repel pests with hot pepper spray (buy a commercial spray or make your own: Combine 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, 2 tablespoons of hot red pepper sauce, and one quart of water in a spray bottle), attract birds and animals that feed on pests by providing shelter, water, food, and nesting sites.

Use natural disease control
Choose natural remedies and organic treatments for plant diseases.

Choose the correct watering system
An effective watering system can save water, time, and money.

Apply Lots of Mulch
Mulches prevent weeds and conserve water. Many cities give away free mulch on designated days.

Grow seeds and plants suitable for your climate
Choose plants and seeds appropriate for your climate: they'll grow better and require less water and fertilizer.

Practice Xeriscaping - we know you're all over this one...
Xeriscaping is environmentally friendly landscaping that uses native and drought-tolerant plants, shrubs, and ground cover. The word xeriscape is a combination of the Greek word xeros (meaning "dry") and landscape. Cuts down on your water useage.

Introduce beneficial predators to keep pests away
Beneficial predators keep insects away from your home, garden, yard, or farm, thus eliminating the need for toxic pesticides that can harm people, pets, and the environment. You can use ladybugs, caterpillars, lady beetles oh my (you can buy at Gardens Alive!) or hope they stop by.

Use Natural weed Control
Prevention is the best medicine when it comes to weed control. To do so, disturb the soil as litte as posible, destroy them before they flower and go to seed, don’t leave areas of bare soil, and use mulch. Get a head start on eliminating weeds, and use natural remedies for weeds that have taken hold. If you don’t want to pull them out yourself with a hand or a hoe (best to do in the rain), look for non-selective weed killers made from vinegar and citrus or vinegar and clove oil, suggested brands are: Gardens Alive! WOW! Supreme Pre-Emergent Weed Control, Burnout 2 Weed & Grass Killer Concentrate

If you don't have a garden of your own, try houseplants, window boxes, or fire-escape plants. You can even volunteer and work on a really big garden - your local park.

Learn more at www.greenyour.com

April is Million Trees NYC Month!

Yesterday, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg proclaimed April as MillionTreesNYC Month, kicking off four weeks of special events and activities to get more New Yorkers involved in planting and caring for trees throughout New York City than ever before. Opportunity for New Yorkers of all ages to get involved in include: volunteer tree-planting projects, tree care workshops, nature walks and talks and Earth Day festivals, as well as a variety of Arbor Day celebrations on April 25.

Event Highlights:

Hands On New York Day - April 12
New York Cares's annual "Hands On New York Day," as part of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation's reforestation project, volunteers will plant 20,000 trees in 12 different sites throughout the City. Additionally, 5,500 volunteers will give our city's public spaces their annual spring-cleaning by working to revitalize local parks, gardens, playgrounds, community centers, homeless shelters and schools throughout the City.

3rd Annual NYC Grows Festival - April 27
Come celebrate National Garden Month with the Parks Department and the National Gardening Association. Get some fresh spring air and learn about your favorite plants, the newest tools and how to grow your best garden ever! The festival will be located in Union Square Park South. Make sure to stop by the BNP Paribas MillionTreesNYC Greenhouse, where you can learn more about MillionTreesNYC and make a donation to plant a tree on public land, including schoolyards or public housing properties.For more information visit http://www.nycgrows.org/.

April 19: Go Green! Go Greenpoint! - Earth Day Celebration at McCarren Park and Bloomin' Hike in Prospect Park. - BROOKLYN GREEN TEAM WILL BE THERE!

April 20: Earth Day Celebration - Marine Park.April 24: Arbor Day Eve Street Tree Gardening - celebration and workshop, Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

April 17: New York Trees - book talk and slide presentation by Edward Barnard, author of New York City Trees, Central Park Arsenal.

Learn More

What Can You Do? No matter if you are in NYC or not you can Plant a Tree. Volunteer. Donate Money to an organization that plants trees. We guess you could even hug a tree if you're so inclined. . .

Curbing the Water Bottle in NYC

Many of you are signed up for or at least know about Brooklyn Green Team's No Disposable Water Bottle Challenge! (if you're signed up - keep up the good work - one month to go!). Our friends at Corporate Accountability International launched the Think Outside the Bottle campaign, and as a result here in New York City, here are some related initiaties to kick the disposable lifestyle:

New York, NYCity's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Department of Environmental Protection are sponsoring a $700,000 campaign to promote tap water over bottled water.

Del Posto, New York, NY Owners Joseph Bastianich and Mario Batali plan to serve filtered tap water in containers etched with reasons why unsustainable practice of serving bottled water was ceased.

Hunter College launched an on-campus Think Outside the Bottle Campaign

Birdbath Neighborhood Green Bakeries, East Village and Greenwich Village, New York, NYOwner Maury Rubin banned bottled water at his bakeries, starting with the East Village location in 2005.

NYU has an on-campus Think Outside the Bottle Campaign

What can you do?
Join the Brooklyn Green Team challenge (email No More Bottles! to brooklyngreen@gmail.com or learn about actions you can take by visiting Think Outside the Bottle)