Paper or plastic?

I guess in the realm of, really why?  Soon you can buy a paper bottle to put your liquids in.  This was created by a company called "Brandimage" in answer to the ever growing number of plastic bottles that go into our landfill every day.  What I don't understand, and maybe I'm wrong here but if people are not going to recycle a bottle they are not going to recycle wet paper bottles.  I hope I'm wrong.  Really.  The 360 paper bottle is 100% renewable.  The article can be read by clicking the link below.  It was written in Nov 2008 and I haven't seen anything about it since.  But I'm glad that people are thinking about making a change.  Although I don't see this one catching on.

http://dvice.com/archives/2008/11/paper-water-bot.php

So now what are you gonna do?

10 ways the Big Apple is a Green Machine

Happy Earth Day Everybody!!!

What are you doing today to make this a greener world.  Start small and do a little something that you won't normally do, like recycle something.  When you realize that didn't hurt too much do a little more like buy a plant for your house or for someone you love.  If you want to go crazy and be adventurous join me in your local park and bring two bags, one for garbage and one for recycling.  I'll be in my park cleaning and enjoying the beautiful park hopefully for years to come.  Happy Earth Day, celebrate it anyway you can but celebrate if only for a moment.

Here is an encouraging article I read in the Daily News today.  Go Green NY!!!

Here are 10 ways NYC is setting a sustainable example.
1. We’ve planted 562,023 trees (and counting) since 2005. Trees clean pollutants from the air, cool streets and sidewalks, and boost property value, which is why the MillionTreesNYC initiative is dedicated to sprucing up the city with a million new trees over the next decade.

2. New York Harbor is cleaner now than at any time in the last century. More than 116 square miles (75%) of New York’s side of the harbor meets pathogen standards for swimming, and more than 130 square miles (95%) of the harbor is open for boating, according to the 2011 PlaNYC report. “You didn’t want to be near the water in the old days,” says Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “Now people swim in the rivers, which was unthinkable in the ’70s.”

3. Our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have fallen 13% below 2005 levels. A New Yorker’s carbon footprint is already one-third that of the average American because our densely populated city makes for an energy-efficient lifestyle. But now more than 100 buildings have had energy-efficiency retrofits to reduce GHG emissions 30% by 2030. Planting trees and adding hybrid vehicles to the mass transit fleet have also cleared the air.

4. New York is lit with energy-efficient bulbs. The Great White Way has seen the light, with 38 Broadway theaters converting to LED and CFL bulbs on their marquees, saving 2 million kilowatt hours of electricity a year, according to the Broadway Green Alliance. MTA bridges and tunnels have been replacing the old 100-watt necklace lights on the Verrazano-Narrows, Robert F. Kennedy and Throgs Neck Bridges with efficient LED fixtures since April 2008.

5. 29 of the NYC Green Codes Task Force’s 111 recommendations have been passed into laws and practices. By 2030, these new codes under the Greener, Greater Buildings Plan will cut citywide carbon emissions by almost 5%, lower daily water consumption by the equivalent of 30 Central Park Reservoirs, and divert 100,000 tons of asphalt from landfills every year — while also creating 18,000 construction-related jobs.

6. More than 30% of the city's yellow cabs turned green. There are 2,774 gasoline-electric hybrid cabs and 1,677 hybrid buses on the road, reducing GHG emissions from some of the city’s heaviest-used vehicles. NYC also boasts the largest municipal electric vehicle fleet in the country, with 430 in use by the police, fire, sanitation, transportation and parks departments.

7. NYC has the highest concentration of Certified Green Restaurants across the U.S. and Canada. The Green Restaurant Association says 71 local eateries (from the 5 Napkin Burger chain to Mario Batali’s Babbo) meet their standards for using sustainable food and building materials, water and energy efficiency, waste reduction and recycling.

8. Our recycling program will divert 550,000 tons (or 30%) of solid waste from our landfills annually by 2017. It’s also setting up 1,000 public recycling receptacles by 2013 (nearly 10 years ahead of schedule) and working to expand the types of plastics that can be recycled.

9. More than 1,000 community gardens are flourishing across the boroughs. Some 80% of these are growing food, mostly in neighborhoods with limited access to fresh produce and healthy food. GrowNYC has 61 registered greenmarkets around town, as well, with 41 accepting EBT.

10. The city added 200 miles of bike lanes in just three years. Now more than half a million New Yorkers are cycling across the boroughs, and commuter cycling more than doubled from 2007 to 2011. Every person on a bike avoids polluting the air in a vehicle while getting exercise, to boot.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/10-ways-big-apple-a-green-machine-article-1.1064791#ixzz1smDRz2OX

Wow for an iphone . . .

I saw this and needed to bring attention to this, This man was killed for an IPhone. An IPhone!

I lose a lot of faith in the world when I read stuff like this. It makes it hard to find hope in the world. Please read the article and help if you can in capturing the suspect.

Please Read Here

Rest in Peace Hwang Yang

Long time no see . . .

I know its been awhile, but I feel like now is the time more than ever to start talking about being Green again. Now that the environmental fad is almost done and the really Green people are still figuring how to make a change.

I live in a second floor apartment and if you know me I can not be trusted with plants. So I was looking for a way I can grow something and get positive aura in my apartment. I'm gonna try this.

WindowFarms.org

So take a look and tell me what you think. I'm gonna get the material and keep you updated. And you know what my question is, So what are you gonna do?

What is Greener a real tree or a fake tree?

Tis' the season to ask yourself a question. What is "Greener" a real tree or a fake tree. I have been asking myself every year. I have some friends that prefer real trees, the smell of the tree in the house makes the season special for them. And I have some friends that prefer fake ones, because of simplicity in an otherwise hectic time.

Of course an argument can be made for both and which ever you decide please keep in mind the following to make it a "greener" holiday.

For real tree lovers please try to buy locally and make sure to follow the rules of your area for tree disposal.

For people who like fake trees, purchase fake trees that are made in the US to off set gas house admissions of transportation. Properly store your tree after using to ensure a longer life span of the tree. Treat it well and it can last for years.

What do you prefer? What do you think? Do you have more tips?

Happy Holidays to all.

No bag refunds

I have to admit that I don't really look at receipts when I purchase things at the supermarket. I look at the register screen while I'm being rung up to make sure I'm not over charged. But I never look at the actual receipt. I made my purchase at the supermarket the other day and I bought the wrong item so I looked at the receipt for return policy on food items and found at the bottom of my receipt that I was refunded 2 cents for having my own bag. Now 2 cents is not going to make me a rich man but I was surprised that it was there. I usually go to the self check out aisle because the line is shorter but when you purchase loose vegetables you're better off at the regular checkout. When I returned my item to the store I asked about it and they said that when the cashiers see that the person has their own bag they give the refund. They will not ask, only if they see your bag. Some markets actually give up to a 5 cents refund. Again 2 cents will not put your children through college but it is a nice gesture. In this hard economy every penny counts, right? So bring your bags to the store the next time you go shopping, hold them up proud and get your refund. Learn how to make your own bags from old t-shirts HERE. Or join my friends at Bags for the People at one of their events and learn how to make a bag out of anything.

So now supermarkets are stepping up and doing their part to be "Green" and encourage their shoppers to do so as well, what are you gonna do?

It's never to early!

One of my favorite "Green" websites, Treehugger.com comprised a list of Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos. Most of us grew up on Sesame Street so a couple of the videos my look familiar. It's never to early to start teaching "Green". Take a look.

Sesame Street's Top 10 Environmental Videos

Bette Midler trash-talks Yanks

To my knowledge, Bette Midler hasn't put out a new album or been in a movie recently, but yet she is still adding fans to the millions she had already. She certainly has won me over. Her work that she is doing for the local area with her New York Restoration Project, has certainly been amazing. Through the Project she encourages others to use their celebrity name to do work in the community, even teaming up with people you don't expect, like Rapper 50 Cent. But also got the locals to do work in their community this past Earth Day. I myself, helped clean and plant trees in the very same Queens playgrounds that I grew up playing in. Now she takes on the 27 time World Champion New York Yankees.

If you've driven to a Yankee game in the last five years, you might have noticed that Adopt a Highway sign on the Major Deegan (pictured above). She has adopted a highway strip there as well as other areas around the city. However the past two years she says she's been trying to get the Yankees to clean up their own area. "I'm thrilled to death that they [the Yankees] won, but would they please in their win fork over - it's so cheap - like 25 grand for a whole year," she added. "They could have flowers that say "Go Yankees!" Read more of the article from Daily News Online here.

Interesting stuff from the Adopt-A-Highway website, Adopters are asked to commit to picking up litter along the section of state highway, which is usually two miles long, at least four times a year for two years. Adopters may mow the roadside or plant flowers and other NYSDOT-approved vegetation. Adopters may also keep the proceeds they earn from any recyclable trash. Only four times a year, but Bette sends a crew out once a week on the sections that she has adopted.

So thank you Bette for doing your part and challenging and inspiring others to be greener. So now 27 time World Champion New York Yankees, what are you gonna do?

Yankees go Green

It was hardly mentioned but the effort made a great impact. The Yankees traveled to Philadelphia after game two of the World Series by Amtrak. The Yankees arrived by bus at Penn Station right before their train was scheduled to leave before 2pm on Friday. Their journey to their 27th World Championships continued with a train ride to Philly that took just over an hour. "We would like to welcome the New York Yankees to Penn Station", was heard over the station PA and fans lined up cheering the Bombers on. Derek Jeter received the loudest cheers as well as A-Rod, who was last to exit the team buses. Good Luck Yankees bring home the Championship, by train of course!

The Yankees are doing their part and going green, what are you gonna do?

Brothel in Berlin, Germany, Maison d'Envie (aka House of Desire), cuts rates for 'green' customers

This is just to make you smile . . .

A brothel in Germany offers a discount to patrons who are green and arrive there on a bicycle. I know how funny is that! Apparently there is a terrible parking situation there and patrons have a hard time as they circle the block for parking. If they have to wait for parking most end up going to a different "House". Discounts are issued when patrons show proof of how they arrived. The discounts are also given for those who take public transportation. No discount is offered yet to those who walk because they haven't been able to figure out how to have them prove it. To find out more you are going to have to read more yourself (sorry).

So now German Brothels are going green, what are you gonna do?

Confusion, lack of space discourage New Yorkers from recycling more

I thought this was important enough to present the entire article whole. I read it on the Daily News website. http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/04/2009-10-04_how_green_is_my_city_not_too_much_pros_blame_confusion__lack_of_space.html



Reduce, reuse, recycle - well, not so much.

New Yorkers are still tossing out more than half the stuff they should be recycling, managing to go green only 42% of the time.

Recycling rates had been steadily improving since the program was first implemented 20 years ago.

But they've been flat ever since a big part of the city's recycling collection was suspended for two years in a post-9/11 budget crisis.

Plenty of the blame lies with confusion over what can be recycled and what can't:

Plastics labeled 1 and 2 - always; 3 through 7, never. Egg cartons - but only if they're cardboard. Milk cartons, for certain, but no yogurt containers. Glasses, but no glassware. Batteries, yes; rechargeable batteries, nope.

"The hard part is getting people to understand," said East Harlem building superintendent James Underwood as he sorted through the trash.

Joan Botta of the Bronx is a dedicated recycler and still can't keep everything straight.

"Once I put a yogurt cup in there and I got a ticket. I just don't understand that one," said the 60-year-old Pelham Gardens resident.

Another problem? There's just nowhere to store three or four different types of trash in cramped New York quarters.

"You have to put each thing in a different place, you can't put anything together and it's too much for me now," said James Harrison, 76, of Mott Haven, the Bronx, which has one of the worst recycling rates in the city.

Environmentalists wish the city would put more effort into educating New Yorkers about recycling.

"There's no reason why we can't do as well as San Francisco and Seattle, both of which have more items on their [recycling] list than we do," said Eric Goldstein, senior attorney for the National Resources Defense Council.

Robert Lange, director of recycling for the Sanitation Department, said New York does pretty well when compared with other huge cities with a lot of apartments.

The neighborhoods that recycle the most household paper, plastic, glass and metal have more single-family homes. Queens has the best residential recycling record, followed by Manhattan, Staten Island, Brooklyn and the Bronx, which recycles only 34% of what it could.

"I think we're a little more eco-conscious than other neighborhoods," said David Fullman, a homeowner in Bayside, Queens, which has one of the best recycling records of the city's 59 sanitation districts.

New Yorkers might be a little greener if the fines for ignoring the rules were bigger than $25, Lange said. "Twenty-five dollars is not a strong motivator for an apartment building to recycle," he said.

The economics aren't so great for the city, either. The city is paid between $5 million and $20 million a year by recycling companies for our paper, metal, glass and plastic.

It still costs more per ton to recycle than to ship garbage to an out-of-state landfill.

Still, environmentalists say, that shouldn't stop people from thinking about the biggest cost of all: the Earth's future.

Every New Yorker throws out 16 pounds of household trash a week - and only 15% of it is ultimately recycled.

"Many people here don't follow the rules," said Arif Mata, who lives in the northern section of Staten Island. "A lot of people just want to put all the garbage in one big bag and throw it away."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2009/10/04/2009-10-04_how_green_is_my_city_not_too_much_pros_blame_confusion__lack_of_space.html#ixzz0SzNt9JJG

Bamboo Bike Studio

http://www.bamboobikestudio.com/

I think you are gonna like this one. Three people in Red Hook Brooklyn are teaching people how to make their very own custom custom bike out of bamboo. I know how cool is that. A 16 hour, two day course is given every other weekend and costs $1250. You are measured and then taught step by step to build your own custom bike. There are several advantages of bamboo bikes such as they are more lighter, uses less steel, and offers a smoother ride. However the owners are doing this to perfect the technique to create more efficient bike-building methods for underdeveloped nations.

Take a look at the website, it's loaded with information about this. I think it would be an excellent gift for a a certain person "going green".

Kudos to the Bamboo Bike Studio for making a difference, so now what are you gonna do?

Julia Stiles Cares About The Environment More Than You

I like Julia Stiles, I think she's a good actress, she lives and goes to school in New York and she's green. But now I know she actually has a sense of humor. Just a little something to make you smile.

Chevy Volt thinks it can get 230 MPG . . .

I love progress! That said, GM claims that the Chevy Volt can get 230 mpg. I know, how cool is that! Currently the Toyota Prius averages about 50 city and highway combined. The Volt starts with a 40 mile range on electricity. So if you are only running local errands you can possibly do so using no gas. After that a small engine kicks in that generates the electricity. The battery packs can be plugged into a regular outlet and can be fully charged for about 40 cents a day.

So now the bad news. It probably won't be available till the end of 2010. There are still a lot of kinks they are working out in the battery and power cord. Also the first models are gonna cost about $40,000 base. So if you need some extras (sunroof, etc.) it's gonna cost you. But still very promising news. Ahhh taxpayers money making the rich richer, the American way.

GM is trying to do what it can to make a difference, what are you gonna do?

Earth Days Movie

From the press release of the Film, "Earth Days" due out August 14th.

It is now all the rage in the Age of Al Gore and Obama, but can you remember when everyone in America was not Going Green? Visually stunning, vastly entertaining and awe-inspiring, Earth Days looks back to the dawn and development of the modern environmental movement—from its post-war rustlings in the 1950s and the 1962 publication of Rachel Carsons incendiary bestseller Silent Spring, to the first wildly successful 1970 Earth Day celebration and the subsequent firestorm of political action.

Earth Days secret weapon is a one-two punch of personal testimony and rare archival media. The extraordinary stories of the eras pioneers—among them Former Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall; biologist/Population Bomb author Paul Ehrlich; Whole Earth Catalog founder Stewart Brand; Apollo Nine astronaut Rusty Schweickart; and renewable energy pioneer Hunter Lovins—are beautifully illustrated with an incredible array of footage from candy-colored Eisenhower-era tableaux to classic tear-jerking 1970s anti-litterbug PSAs. Directed by acclaimed documentarian Robert Stone (Oswald's Ghost, Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst) Earth Days is both a poetic meditation on humanity's complex relationship with nature and an engaging history of the revolutionary achievements—and missed opportunities—of groundbreaking eco-activism.

Toyota Unleashes Giant Solar-Powered Flowers On Unsuspecting Cities

You might remember that my first passion is Marketing. I find it interesting and stirs my creative mind. Some people don't even give it a second thought. However marketing and advertising is to true link to a company and it consumers. Why it's so interesting to me is a long story.

I especially love when a eco-friendly company creates an interesting ploy to generate a buzz for their product. Toyota has created these giant flower stations as a reminder that the earth is beautiful and can give something back. Anyone can use these solar power stations to recharge your laptop or get free WiFi. Currently the stations are only in Boston, but Toyota plans to build stations in New York, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

The Prius's new tag line is “Harmony between Man, Nature, and Machine.”

So Toyota is doing what it can to spread the word about the environment, what are you gonna do?

Ava Chin - The Urban Forager

I can't imagine anything greener than taking a walk in the park and enjoying the natural beauty that the earth has provided for you. But it gives so much more than people think. A long time friend, Ava Chin, writes a blog for the New York Times titled The Urban Forager. The blog features the area in which I use to live many moons ago, Fort Greene/Clinton Hill/Prospect Park area. I had a chance to meet up with Ava and do some foraging. When she said we were going to pick up some things for a salad, she headed straight for the park. Ava provided plenty of information that I became a little lost in, however we are lucky enough to have her blog to refer to. In the picture above you will see my favorite find, Lambsquarter. Very similar to spinach in taste but a higher nutritional value. Ava had made a Lambsquarter pie prior to our day of foraging that was simply amazing. We also found Violets that gave the salad a bit of zip. Two important things I learned is to try and find plants off the beaten path (cleaner and fresher) and only pick what you intend to eat. For much more information, take a look at her blog and enjoy the gift that the earth has given you. After that do something for the earth in return to show your appreciation.

Samaritan's Purse

I know you are all thinking, Wow three posts in a weeks time? Yes I just wanted to write about this charity organization that I was introduced to.



This past week I met the Rucci Family, but in particular Emma and her mother Mary. I was so impressed with them as they told me of Samaritan's Purse that within minutes I agreed to volunteer my time and efforts. The family themselves personally packed 89 boxes last year and are determined to do more this year.

Straight from their website, "Operation Christmas Child brings joy and hope to children in desperate situations around the world through gift-filled shoe boxes and the Good News of God’s love. Since 1993, more than 61 million shoe boxes have been packed, shipped, and delivered across the globe. People of all ages can be involved in this simple, hands-on missions project while focusing on the true meaning of Christmas." They collect donations throughout the year and will have a National Collection Week during November 16th to the 23rd. Collecting school supplies, toiletries and toys. Just a fair warning to all my friends out there I will be calling.

Emma and Mary Rucci are making a difference in the world, what are you gonna do?

Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson

Two Icons were lost this past week.
I did not have the legendary poster on my wall, however I did think she was a very beautiful woman. Later in life she used her fame for various charites and was actually a very good actress.



MJ, was a great entertainer and a humanitarian.




You will both be missed.

Bags for the People

This post is long overdue. Bags for the People had an event in the city back on Earth Day Weekend in which I had so much fun. If you read my post back in April I mentioned them briefly with the plan of writing a post just about them. Better late than never. Since Earth Day I've attended a couple of their "Sweatshop Socials" and a fundraiser event for them and always had a great time and met some cool people. But in particular Glenn and Megan are devoted and passionate people that made me feel as though I've known them for years. They work together at the Union Square Farmers Market and started Bags for the People because they hated giving out plastic bags when they sold things. "Sweatshop Socials" are every last Monday of the month in Brooklyn (go to the website for more information). And there are also other events throughout the month. If you look at my old post, look at the pictures. I made a big bag from an old shirt of mine and I was so proud it, it was hard to let go. I am not doing them justice with this post so check out the website for yourself. Go to an event and make some bags, tell Glenn and Megan I said hi, or better yet give me a call and I'll take you there myself.

So Glenn and Megan are making a difference, what are you gonna do?