Tag: sustainable-development
November 3, 2020
Climate Week 2020 Highlight: Project Drawdown
By Tamanna Mohapatra Imagine a city as a sanctuary for nature, solar panels on all buildings, no need for cars, and regenerative farming practiced everywhere. So began “Drawdown 2020: The Time is Now,” a Climate Week NYC talk sponsored by Ethical NYC, Drawdown NYC, 350NYC, and Climate Reality NYC in September of 2020.
Founded in 2014, Project Drawdown is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to reach “drawdown—the point in the future when levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline, thereby stopping catastrophic climate change — as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.” The way forward consists of 100 plus solutions, each of which reduces greenhouse gases by avoiding emissions and/or by sequestering carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere.
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October 4, 2014
October Green Building Tours – Harbor School
INVITES YOU TO
A Sustainable School Tour: NY Harbor School
School is back in session! Join us on Thursday, October 23rd for a special morning tour of the New York Harbor School’s Billion Oyster Project! Date: Thursday, October 23rd 2014Time: 8:00 AM – 10:30AM (meet at South Ferry. Boat leaves at 8:15 AM sharp!) We will be returning on the 10:30am ferry back to Manhattan
Cost: $8.00
Billion Oyster Project (BOP) is a long-term, large-scale plan to restore one billion live oysters to New York Harbor over the next twenty years and in the process educate thousands of young people in New York City about the ecology and economy of their local marine environment. BOP is a partnership of schools, businesses, nonprofits, and individuals all working together to grow oysters and make our city a healthier and more resilient place to live. This partnership also includes local, state, and federal regulatory agencies – the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – with whom we work closely to certify and monitor our aquaculture methodology and ongoing habitat restoration projects.
About the Harbor School:
Located in the heart of New York Harbor, and accessible only by ferry, Harbor School offers a unique, on-water learning experience for all its students.
Students learn to build and operate boats; spawn and harvest millions of oysters; design submersible, remotely-operated vehicles; conduct real-life research; and dive underwater. Students go on trips, tour colleges, hear and learn from experts in science and industry, and participate in the school’s on-going oyster restoration research program.
October 1, 2013
The Green Spotlight: Jordan Bonomo
Jordan Bonomo is a Multifamily Energy Auditor at Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation (NMIC), a long time GreenHomenNYC volunteer, head of the Green Building Tours, and a Student in Columbia University’s Sustainability Management graduate program
GreenHomeNYC’s blog mentions that your interest in the environment was sparked while working on a climate change campaign for MASSPIRG. Please recount this experience as well as others that have contributed to your interest in the environment and sustainable building.
After college I was living in Boston for the summer. MASSPIRG, the state public interest research group there, was working on a climate change campaign to get Massachusetts to ratify the RGGI Bill. The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is a carbon cap-and-trade system for the Northeast states. I helped fundraise for that where I learned about the issue and the politics involved. It was also the summer that the Al Gore Movie, An Inconvenient Truth, came out. It was a very hot topic at the time. The initiative eventually went through in Massachusetts .
Living in New York City, obviously there are a lot of buildings. I know that buildings are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the city and a lot of the city’s energy use is from buildings. I thought that would be a great starting point for focusing on being more efficient and more sustainable.
Please describe how you became involved in GreenHomeNYC.
I randomly googled green buildings in NYC and came across GreenHomeNYC. I shot them an email and went to meetings and met other people that were interested in the topics. I didn’t know anything about it at all at the time but I started volunteering so that I would learn. One of my first assignments was to make informational note cards that we would post on the website. I did one about passive houses. I researched passive houses, passive lighting, and passive heating systems. This was a good way to learn about one aspect of green building and now it’s a pretty hot topic everywhere. It was cool, a good way to get my feet wet.
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March 7, 2011
March Green Building Forum: Sustainable Stormwater Management
Whether you’re a green building professional, student, or just plain interested in water, the March forum promises to open your eyes to a new way of thinking about those April showers. Our March speakers provide a wealth of knowledge on managing urban runoff, and promise to share exciting, creative solutions that will improve NYC. GreenHomeNYC’s invited speakers are experienced practitioners and researchers who have designed rainwater collections systems for buildings, created innovative public spaces to attenuate stormwater flows, and implemented new technologies in urban and controlled environments to help the green building community understand how we can reduce infrastructure costs and improve water quality. (more…)April 6, 2010
Green Career Profile: Catherine Ryan
Catherine Ryan, Sustainable Infrastructure Research Analyst, Terrapin Bright Green
In simple terms, what did your life look like before you worked with Terrapin?
I was a graphic designer for corporate identity and marketing for about 4 years before I just got tired of doing work that had no real social mission. So, I joined the Peace Corps and moved to Thailand. At least that’s the long story short.
Describe your “Ah-Ha!” moment that shaped your decision to work in this field?
I actually had three “Ah-Ha!” moments that formed my decision. Though they were more like puzzle pieces that had to all fit together before I could figure out my next step.
The first was when I realized that most of the social and economic obstacles encountered by the people I worked with in Thailand had distinct links to environmental degradation, both in their communities and across the greater landscape. (more…)