Promoting sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.
After the torrential rains of last week, I received an email from an organization called SWIM (StormWater Infrastructure Matters). If you are not yet aware of the major problems New York City faces regarding stormwater runoff, read on.
I am happy to see our Governor prioritizing energy efficiency in his proposals outlined last week; clearly this will only multiply the benefits of simultaneously pursuing more renewable energy options. (this article has been excerpted for easy consumption! the bold text is my own – […]
As a co-op board member I am always on the lookout for new energy efficiency strategies, including ways to fund them. So I was thrilled to discover a program called Operation Kill-A-Watt, which installs energy-efficient lighting in commercial and residential buildings, with most of the cost underwritten by Con Ed. Less thrilling was the discovery that my building is not in the area they cover – yet. (Eligible neighborhoods in Brooklyn include Lefferts Gardens, Crown Heights, Bed-Stuy, Wyckoff Heights, Cypress Hills, East New York, Brownsville, Greenpoint, Brooklyn Heights, Williamsburg, and Bushwick.) Although it seems that they are currently focusing on expanding in Queens and in Manhattan north of Columbus Circle, I told the rep to contact me as soon as they come to 11226. In fact, I promised to spread the word when Operation Kill-A-Watt comes to Flatbush… so stay tuned!
“… This looks like a back-door way of putting tolls on the free East River bridges -Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and the 59th Street Bridge. And only during rush hours. What’s the big deal? I think that’s good.
There are larger traffic issues that can be discussed, but allow me to focus on one thing only.- the “free toll” policy, especially during rush hours, is strangling traffic on the Gowanus and Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Every hour during the day, hundreds of vehicles from Brooklyn/SI/Long Island bypass the Battery Tunnel in order to get to the free bridges. Which causes traffic on the three-lane BQE to slow to a crawl, often to a dead stop during the daylight hours. Think what this means for the Brooklyn economy.
I work downtown now. I have a ringside seat to the traffic that is not going anywhere. This strangles the traffic arteries within Brooklyn, to/from LaGuardia, from Brooklyn to the Bronx and points north.
If it did nothing else, Bloomberg’s plan would divert many Manhattan-bound vehicles to the Battery Tunnel. Which would allow the Gowanus/Battery traffic to flow much better during the work day. Which is good for every Bay Ridge and Brooklyn resident, and ultimately to every Bay Ridge and Brooklyn ( and other ) motorist.
Bay Ridge is stuck at the nexus of the “Axis of Evil” of bad roads: the Gowanus, the Belt Parkway, and the Staten Island Expressway. Something needs to be done right now. All credit to Mayor Bloomberg for having the guts to propose this necessary legislation now.”
This looks like a really great local event for permaculture fans! Sponsored by Permaculture Across Borders, Tri-State Food Not Lawns, and our friends at Neighborhood Energy Network. Celebrate with us as we launch Permaculture Across Borders, a globally-focused permaculture non-profit. PAB’s aim is to provide […]
Yesterday I attended the 20th Annual New York Cooperator’s Expo, a real estate trade show catering to the co-op/condo marketplace. In addition to the expected glut of insurance agencies, management companies and gym equipment peddlers, there were a number of vendors offering energy efficient products and services. This is only my second year attending the expo so I cannot speak on what their presence represents as a “trend”; but particularly in light of the Mayor’s recent environmental proposals, including his Earth Day speech and the PlaNYC sustainability initiative, this seems like a very good time to be on the forefront of helping New York City’s building’s “go green”, regardless of which green is the motivator.
=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:= each month (or so) Sustainable Flatbush will present a workshop, lecture, or film on a sustainability-related theme that can benefit our neighborhood… … and then, we party! Sustainable Flatbush Event #2 | Livable Streets Friday, April 27th 2007 8pm-midnight at Vox Pop Cafe/Bookstore 1022 […]
