sustainableflatbush.org

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.

S.W.I.M.
(Storm Water Infrastructure Matters)

PLaNYC2030: A Great Step Toward a Greener More Sustainable City, but Where’s the SWIMming?

New S.W.I.M.Coalition
Says, “Where’s the SWIMming in the City’s Long-Term Plan?”

Quick. Look out the window. Now. It’s raining, and, guess what? More sewage is being swept into our waterways. Yes, sewage. Again.

Just before Earth Day, as you’ll remember, our city was hit with a nasty and very unusual Spring Northeaster, socking us with torrential rain. And we also watched, just days ago, as a whale lost its bearings and swam into the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. The Daily News named the whale “Sludgie,” and they did that for a reason. Many of our waterways, although generally improved in the last couple of decades, remain polluted. And one of the biggest sources of that pollution: CSOs (Combined Sewer Overflow).

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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 – totally biased – formatting)

NY Times April 20, 2007
Spitzer Unveils Initiatives That He Says Would Have State Consuming Less Energy in 2015
By Nicholas Confessore

Gov. Eliot Spitzer proposed one of the most ambitious energy conservation plans in the nation yesterday, pledging a package of legislative and regulatory measures that he said would allow New York to consume less energy in 2015 than it does today.

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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!

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This forward-thinking piece debunks the knee-jerk arguments that congestion pricing is bad for us “outer borough” folks.

http://bayridgebrooklyn.blogspot.com/2007/04/congestion-pricing-is-good-for-brooklyn.html

photo by Gowanus

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 technical expertise to further the practice of sustainable and integrated practices that create permanent abundance. We commit to using local knowledge, to connecting people to resources, and to training teachers and leaders of regenerative development in their communities and countries. We commit to listening to and giving you a place to share your knowledge.

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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.

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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 Cortelyou Road (at Stratford), Brooklyn
Q train to Cortelyou Road

As a preview to Bike Month NYC, Sustainable Flatbush Event #2 | Livable Streets features short films celebrating alternative transportation and pedestrian-oriented public spaces. Interviews with Enrique Peñalosa (former mayor of Bogota, Colombia), Jan Gehl (urban planner from Copenhagen, Denmark), citizens of Portland, Oregon, and local NYC activists will illustrate how cities can improve their quality of life by planning for people instead of for cars.

Special guest Clarence Eckerson is the Director of Video Production for NYC Streets Renaissance, a coalition that advocates for rebalancing our city’s public space away from private vehicles and toward community needs, including walking, biking, and public transportation. He is the creator of most of the films on this event’s program.

=:= Sounds and Visions =:=
Visual goodies from (VJ) Keka and musical treats from (DJ) Drummerman will be in ample supply.

plus, food and drink specials all night!