Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Passport to Volunteerism
Okay, so we're onto tackling reducing our packaging intake with the No Take-Out Challenge, but we still like volunteerism...
TogetherGreen is an alliance between Audobon and Toyota and is all about acting today to shape a better, healthier environment tomorrow. I’m very excited to invite you and your readers to join that journey by volunteering in your community as part of the brand new volunteer program, TogetherGreen Community Passport!
How does it work? First, start thinking about what types of volunteer activities you’d like to participate in. Next, click here to learn how it works.
By logging on, you’ll be able to download your Community Passport, which will allow you to get involved in as many different unpaid conservation volunteer activities as possible
Participants need to be over the age of 18 and log participation in a variety of conservation categories, called Pursuits. After that, it just comes down to who has the most volunteer hours logged!
As you know, volunteering has great benefits for you, your community, and conservation. Over time, your “Community Passport” will become a record of your great volunteer contributions and a first hand account of how your efforts have helped your community.
Your efforts can win prizes, online recognition and downloadable Passport certificates. The most committed volunteer will win a grand prize of two LL Bean bicycles for emission-free traveling fun. Other prizes include a Sierra Designs Tent, an REI Trail Pack and water bottles, and TogetherGreen t-shirts.
TogetherGreen is an alliance between Audobon and Toyota and is all about acting today to shape a better, healthier environment tomorrow. I’m very excited to invite you and your readers to join that journey by volunteering in your community as part of the brand new volunteer program, TogetherGreen Community Passport!
How does it work? First, start thinking about what types of volunteer activities you’d like to participate in. Next, click here to learn how it works.
By logging on, you’ll be able to download your Community Passport, which will allow you to get involved in as many different unpaid conservation volunteer activities as possible
Participants need to be over the age of 18 and log participation in a variety of conservation categories, called Pursuits. After that, it just comes down to who has the most volunteer hours logged!
As you know, volunteering has great benefits for you, your community, and conservation. Over time, your “Community Passport” will become a record of your great volunteer contributions and a first hand account of how your efforts have helped your community.
Your efforts can win prizes, online recognition and downloadable Passport certificates. The most committed volunteer will win a grand prize of two LL Bean bicycles for emission-free traveling fun. Other prizes include a Sierra Designs Tent, an REI Trail Pack and water bottles, and TogetherGreen t-shirts.
Monday, May 11, 2009
No Take-Out Challenge Hits Brooklyn and Beyond...
Brooklyn Green Team Presents
In partnership with GreenEdge Collaborative NYC
No Take-Out Challenge
3 months. 3 meals a day
Do it for your wallet! Do it for the planet
In partnership with GreenEdge Collaborative NYC
No Take-Out Challenge
3 months. 3 meals a day
Do it for your wallet! Do it for the planet
SIGN UP! Email brooklyngreen@gmail.com and write "I Take No More!" (include first & last name and zip)
PACKAGING STATISTICS: What are we doing?
Almost 1/3 of the waste generated in the US is from packaging! Plastic takes 1,000 years to decompose (and really it just keeps getting smaller and smaller)
The US population tosses out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. Read that again
Paper comes from trees. Plastic comes from oil. To obtain either one, worldwide forests are being contaminated and destroyed
Almost 1/3 of the waste generated in the US is from packaging! Plastic takes 1,000 years to decompose (and really it just keeps getting smaller and smaller)
The US population tosses out enough paper and plastic cups, forks and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. Read that again
Paper comes from trees. Plastic comes from oil. To obtain either one, worldwide forests are being contaminated and destroyed
RESOURCES: Can I?
This great article from Greenbiz suggests ways your company can begin to use eco-friendlier take-out packaging.
Eco-to-go.org is also an excellent resource for statistics on take-out containers.
This article from Treehugger.com gives helpful tips on what to do with the glut of take-out containers piling up in your cabinets. It also describes an initiative by the New York based group, The Eco-Agents, in which customers can request to use their own take-out containers from Restaurants.
This article from The Daily Green lists the ten most (and least) green containers. It contains the pluses and minuses on take-out containers from Styrofoam (Least Green) to Cardboard Boxes (Not As Green As You Might Think) to Edible/Inedible Containers Made From Food (Cha-Ching!).
This article from Diamondback Online describes an initiative at the University of Maryland to reduce take-out container uses and discusses the difficulties and successes they had in attaining their goals.
SOLUTIONS: Sure You Can!
Breakfast at Home. Pack Your Lunch. Stay at the Restaurant.
Breakfast at Home. Pack Your Lunch. Stay at the Restaurant.
If you must take something to go, get a sandwich or burrito wrapped only in foil (and reuse it) and put in your own bag or tote.
Check our blog for suggestions on restaurants that use eco-friendly packaging.
*We define take-out as either delivery or going into a restaurant and having it wrapped up "to-go." We're not in this case referring to taking your left-overs with you - although we encourage you to try brining your own tupperware.
New Eco Beauty Bar Opens in Prospect Heights
W!NK Eco Beauty Bar is a green nail and day spa that is dedicated to providing eco-chic beauty that is good for you and the earth. They offer nail and skin care, body treatments, massage, waxing, and detox treatments for women and men. All of the products they use are natural, organic and vegan.
602 Vanderbilt Ave (corner of St. Mark's Place)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718.230.3443
www.WinkBeautyBar.com
Hours: Wed-Fri 11-8, Sat 10-7, Sun 11-5
602 Vanderbilt Ave (corner of St. Mark's Place)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
718.230.3443
www.WinkBeautyBar.com
Hours: Wed-Fri 11-8, Sat 10-7, Sun 11-5
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day
Did you remember your mama this year? If not you still have a few hours to send her something. Instead of wasting precious resourses on a paper card that by next week will probably end up on top of her refrigerator or under a pile of magazines, try an Ecards. They not only have Mother's Day greetings but you can find an Electronic Card for any occation. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Get Well, Congratulations, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa - you name it. I even found a card for Chinese Valentine's Day!
Here are a list of some of the most popular ecard sites. Most have a big variety of free options but will require a membership if you want to send a more complicated card (ie: with your own music, photos or recorded greetings).
http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home%7c10001%7c10051%7c-1
http://www1.bluemountain.com/index.pd
http://smilebox.com/
Here are a list of some of the most popular ecard sites. Most have a big variety of free options but will require a membership if you want to send a more complicated card (ie: with your own music, photos or recorded greetings).
http://www.hallmark.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/home%7c10001%7c10051%7c-1
http://www1.bluemountain.com/index.pd
http://smilebox.com/
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Progress on Bottle Water Reduction in NYS
This week Corporate Accountability International heard an exciting announcement from Governor Paterson’s office that New York State will be cutting spending on bottled water across all state agencies! We're happy, as you know, we launched the No Water Bottle Challenge earlier this year.
No more water-cooler chat in state offices? Gov. David Paterson will announce this morning that the state is phasing out its bottled-water spending, which will eventually bring an end to the maintenance of water coolers and the purchase of bottled waters for meetings.In addition to the green argument that the bottles create unneeded waste, there’s a common-sense argument: The state is already paying for the public water system and its water purchases amount to the Ford company buying a fleet of BMWs for its employees.
Corporate Accountability International, which has been urging the state to make this move as part of its Think Outside the Bottle initiative, praised the governor’s action, which makes New York the third state to implement a bottle reduction. The executive order, it says, “is the furthest reaching of the three state actions taken to date (Illinois cut bottled water spending a year ago but did so through its executive branch procurement office, Virginia cut bottled water spending in the governor’s budget).” This action sends an important message that in these difficult economic times, state government can both cut waste and invest in shared public resources, like water, upon which local economies rely.
Earlier this year, the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign, a Corporate Accountability International-led initiative, issued a letter to all 50 governors encouraging them to stop spending state dollars on bottled water. Organizations and thousands of individuals nationwide joined the call. Today, New York became the first to answer it, acting at the urging of the grassroots. Recently, Paterson also signed into law a “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” which includes a five cent deposit on bottled water sales, which is returned when the bottle is turned in for recycling. This executive order, however, goes one step further by reducing the overall amount of bottles that need to be recycled in the first place.New York State is famous for its high-quality tap water, yet nearly 2.5 billion bottles of water are sold statewide.
Nice work! Learn More.
No more water-cooler chat in state offices? Gov. David Paterson will announce this morning that the state is phasing out its bottled-water spending, which will eventually bring an end to the maintenance of water coolers and the purchase of bottled waters for meetings.In addition to the green argument that the bottles create unneeded waste, there’s a common-sense argument: The state is already paying for the public water system and its water purchases amount to the Ford company buying a fleet of BMWs for its employees.
Corporate Accountability International, which has been urging the state to make this move as part of its Think Outside the Bottle initiative, praised the governor’s action, which makes New York the third state to implement a bottle reduction. The executive order, it says, “is the furthest reaching of the three state actions taken to date (Illinois cut bottled water spending a year ago but did so through its executive branch procurement office, Virginia cut bottled water spending in the governor’s budget).” This action sends an important message that in these difficult economic times, state government can both cut waste and invest in shared public resources, like water, upon which local economies rely.
Earlier this year, the Think Outside the Bottle Campaign, a Corporate Accountability International-led initiative, issued a letter to all 50 governors encouraging them to stop spending state dollars on bottled water. Organizations and thousands of individuals nationwide joined the call. Today, New York became the first to answer it, acting at the urging of the grassroots. Recently, Paterson also signed into law a “Bigger, Better Bottle Bill” which includes a five cent deposit on bottled water sales, which is returned when the bottle is turned in for recycling. This executive order, however, goes one step further by reducing the overall amount of bottles that need to be recycled in the first place.New York State is famous for its high-quality tap water, yet nearly 2.5 billion bottles of water are sold statewide.
Nice work! Learn More.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
The Green Effect
Sun Chips and National Geographic are sponsoring an initiative for individuals to help create green changes in their communities. Submit a description of your GREEN EFFECT by June 8, 2009. Five lucky winners will win $20,000, be featured in National Geographic, and go to Washington D.C. to share their ideas with leaders in the environmental movement.
Click here for more information or to enter the contest.
Click here for more information or to enter the contest.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Earth Celebrations: Hudson River Pageant
When we see the word pageant, some of us are reminded of dear sweet Pollyanna wrapped in an American Flag at the big event, but that's something else all together...
Hudson River Pageant:
ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE ART EVENT FEATURING:
PARADE OF GIANT PUPPETS & SPECTACULAR COSTUMES
Hudson River Pageant:
ECOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE ART EVENT FEATURING:
PARADE OF GIANT PUPPETS & SPECTACULAR COSTUMES
TO RESTORE THE HUDSON RIVER & ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE
OYSTER GARDEN PLANTING, DANCE OF RIVER GRASSES, LIVE FISH RELEASE
RIVER CLEANSING CEREMONY & WATER DANCE OF BOATS
OYSTER GARDEN PLANTING, DANCE OF RIVER GRASSES, LIVE FISH RELEASE
RIVER CLEANSING CEREMONY & WATER DANCE OF BOATS
SATURDAY MAY 9 (raindate Sunday May 10)
1-6pm
Downtown Section of the Hudson River Park
Volunteers Needed (we always like to see that)
Costume Performers in spectacular river species costumes
Puppet Marshals
Parade Marshal
Crowd Control etc...
Program Marshals to hand out programs
Make-up Artists/Body Painters
Call (212) 777-7969 or email: mail@earthcelebrations.com
Volunteers Needed (we always like to see that)
Costume Performers in spectacular river species costumes
Puppet Marshals
Parade Marshal
Crowd Control etc...
Program Marshals to hand out programs
Make-up Artists/Body Painters
Call (212) 777-7969 or email: mail@earthcelebrations.com
Monday, May 4, 2009
Home Depot Vs. Green Depot
The low-down on Green Depot's stuff from Good.is
Ever since the environmentally friendly building supply store Green Depot opened in New York, we have wondered: Is it worth it—financially, environmentally, and for your own health—to make your renovation more sustainable? A homeowner and his contractor weigh in.
That’s why my contractor Mike Borcina loves to mock the green movement. Contractors, Borcina explains, balance a customer’s desire for real sustainable building with increased labor costs. It’s often cheaper to send perfectly good materials into landfill than to take the time to prepare them for re-use. We know this, but what should we do about it?
Given his choice, Borcina would way rather not use the toxic product. “Years ago, when I came up and got all my habits, these things weren’t important,” he says. “Now whether or not we like them, we should be using them. We have to. It needs to be done.”
But following sustainable principles while renovating a home can still cost whole lot more. How much more? To find out, we visited Manhattan’s sexy new Green Depot and compared their products to conventional choices at Home Depot, their more conventional competitor. Here’s what we found.
Green Depot FSC 3/4-inch plywood ($0.72 per square foot) Vs. Home Depot 3/4-inch plywood ($0.65 per square foot)
Conventional plywood contains formaldehyde, which according to the EPA, “causes cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.” Green Depot wood is Forest Stewardship Council certified and formaldehyde free.
Adam’s Pick: I’d choose the Green Depot product. Formaldehyde scares me. Simple as that.
Mike’s Pick: Green Depot. I always buy the best plywood. I’d spend an extra 3 to 5 percent to make it greener.
AFM Safecoat® Zero-VOC Custom Color Paint ($45 per gallon) Vs. BEHR PREMIUM PLUS Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel Paint ($23 per gallon)
Volatile organic compounds are the chemicals in paints that produce that dizzying smell. The Green Depot’s Safecoat series contain none, so homeowners can use their paints with the windows closed.
Adam’s Pick: My wife and I just used Safecoat to paint the bathroom and it did drip a little more than the higher VOC paints. That said, we enjoyed using a product with no discernible smell. It’s odorless and free of toxics.
Mike’s Pick: If that gallon of paint doesn’t cover as well, it’s going to cost you more money in labor. Are you willing to live with that? I have used an environmentally friendly paint and they don’t cover as well.
Green Depot Icestone ($119 per square foot, installed) Vs. Home Depot Silestone ($56–94 per square foot, installed)
Brooklyn-based Icestone assembles their countertops from glass waste: they contain 70 to 75 percent recycled glass content. They’re pricey, though. Silestone, meanwhile, may be produced in an emission-free way, but it’s often combined with petroleum-based resin.
Adam’s Pick: Icestone is a beautiful product; I just think it blows our budget. I can get remainders of Silestone for as little as $50 per square foot and still score points for keeping waste out of a landfill.
Ever since the environmentally friendly building supply store Green Depot opened in New York, we have wondered: Is it worth it—financially, environmentally, and for your own health—to make your renovation more sustainable? A homeowner and his contractor weigh in.
That’s why my contractor Mike Borcina loves to mock the green movement. Contractors, Borcina explains, balance a customer’s desire for real sustainable building with increased labor costs. It’s often cheaper to send perfectly good materials into landfill than to take the time to prepare them for re-use. We know this, but what should we do about it?
Given his choice, Borcina would way rather not use the toxic product. “Years ago, when I came up and got all my habits, these things weren’t important,” he says. “Now whether or not we like them, we should be using them. We have to. It needs to be done.”
But following sustainable principles while renovating a home can still cost whole lot more. How much more? To find out, we visited Manhattan’s sexy new Green Depot and compared their products to conventional choices at Home Depot, their more conventional competitor. Here’s what we found.
Green Depot FSC 3/4-inch plywood ($0.72 per square foot) Vs. Home Depot 3/4-inch plywood ($0.65 per square foot)
Conventional plywood contains formaldehyde, which according to the EPA, “causes cancer in animals and may cause cancer in humans.” Green Depot wood is Forest Stewardship Council certified and formaldehyde free.
Adam’s Pick: I’d choose the Green Depot product. Formaldehyde scares me. Simple as that.
Mike’s Pick: Green Depot. I always buy the best plywood. I’d spend an extra 3 to 5 percent to make it greener.
AFM Safecoat® Zero-VOC Custom Color Paint ($45 per gallon) Vs. BEHR PREMIUM PLUS Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel Paint ($23 per gallon)
Volatile organic compounds are the chemicals in paints that produce that dizzying smell. The Green Depot’s Safecoat series contain none, so homeowners can use their paints with the windows closed.
Adam’s Pick: My wife and I just used Safecoat to paint the bathroom and it did drip a little more than the higher VOC paints. That said, we enjoyed using a product with no discernible smell. It’s odorless and free of toxics.
Mike’s Pick: If that gallon of paint doesn’t cover as well, it’s going to cost you more money in labor. Are you willing to live with that? I have used an environmentally friendly paint and they don’t cover as well.
Green Depot Icestone ($119 per square foot, installed) Vs. Home Depot Silestone ($56–94 per square foot, installed)
Brooklyn-based Icestone assembles their countertops from glass waste: they contain 70 to 75 percent recycled glass content. They’re pricey, though. Silestone, meanwhile, may be produced in an emission-free way, but it’s often combined with petroleum-based resin.
Adam’s Pick: Icestone is a beautiful product; I just think it blows our budget. I can get remainders of Silestone for as little as $50 per square foot and still score points for keeping waste out of a landfill.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Rethinking Pizza
On average an America eats 46 slices (23 pounds) of pizza a year. That is a lot of pizza boxes! Unfortunately even though pizza boxes are generally made out of cardboard they cannot be recycled if pizza grease and cheese are left behind. So a new company called e.c.o. Incorporated have come up with a revolutionary new design for the pizza box that is not only environmentally friendly but convenient too.
But until this new box makes it to your local pizza joint you could consider making a solar oven out of your take away packaging. Here is a step by step guide on how to do this. Enjoy.
But until this new box makes it to your local pizza joint you could consider making a solar oven out of your take away packaging. Here is a step by step guide on how to do this. Enjoy.
New Upscale Vintage in BK
m.a.e., a vintage and luxury consignment shop just landed in Park Slope. Even superheroes need a nice shirt. . .
435 7th ave
718.788.7070
info@buymae.com
Friday, May 1, 2009
Have Some Cloth Scraps? Be Part of an Art Project
303GRAND is working with artist Amanda Browder, "mad scientist of scavenger art assemblage, uses hundreds of fabrics to stitch together a surreal and disorientating world in which anything seems possible," on a dream of creating a blanket that is big enough to cover an entire building in Greenpoint. It has the working title of “House Blanket.” She has been known to do such things before, like create a 4 story high pencil that she guerilla style leaned up against bridges, buildings, etc.
“After living in Greenpoint for 2 years, and feeling sick with how many apartments have that god-awful aluminum siding on them. The project will be a warm wake-up to the monochromatic droll of beige siding...ugh!” says Amanda.
Over the next two weeks, we are teaming up with clothing recycling company, Wearable Collections to do a clothing drive for the “House Blanket” project Amanda is working on. So this is a call for action. We need anyone and everyone to swing by 303GRAND in the next two weeks to donate any left over clothing, blankets, funky fabric scraps etc toward the project! The show will end on May 5th and that’s when the sewing for House Blanket begins for Amanda!
May 1
Over the next two weeks, we are teaming up with clothing recycling company, Wearable Collections to do a clothing drive for the “House Blanket” project Amanda is working on. So this is a call for action. We need anyone and everyone to swing by 303GRAND in the next two weeks to donate any left over clothing, blankets, funky fabric scraps etc toward the project! The show will end on May 5th and that’s when the sewing for House Blanket begins for Amanda!
May 1
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