Promoting sustainable living in our Brooklyn neighborhood and beyond.
This photo by Flatbush Gardener illustrates how NOT to dispose of your unwanted electronics items! Instead, bring them to the First-Ever Flatbush Electronics Recycling Event this weekend. Details below: When: Saturday June 30, 10am – 4pm Sunday July 1, 10am – 4pm Monday July 2, […]
I for one will be eagerly following the Q&A taking place on the Times’ City Room blog with newly-appointed Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan. Part one of six is up now, and I almost can’t believe what I’m reading… she is talking about the […]
Obviously this post is a little late for most people to get to the rally (I just heard about it), but I wanted to give some visibility to the topic; I had no idea New York public schools were still using styrofoam trays, so perhaps some of you didn’t know either. Certainly there are more environmentally-friendly options available, and the school system is a huge market for them. Thanks to RecycleThis! NYC for the tip.
NY City Councilperson Bill De Blasio and Parents Rally to Tell NYC Department of Education (DOE) to Stop Using Styrofoam Trays in Our Public Schools
Did you know that each day, NYC public schools serve meals on Styrofoam trays?
It is estimated that 850,000 trays are used daily throughout the public schools– that’s 4,250,000 trays during one school week!
These trays are then thrown out, discarded, into our already overused landfills. These trays do not decompose. These trays, as they fall apart, prevent other trash from decomposing. These trays cannot be recycled. Additionally, studies suggest the possibility of chemical migration into the food our children eat each day.
When: Tuesday, June 26th at 1pm
Where: Steps of City Hall
Who: Public School Parents and Councilmember Bill de BlasioPlease call Jean Weinberg at 212-788-6969 or email deblasio@council.nyc.ny.us with any questions. We hope you can join us on Tuesday!
The NY Times editorial quoted below spells out the current stalemate on congestion pricing and consequences of NOT passing this much-needed piece of legislation (including a subway fare hike as high as 50%). I am thoroughly embarassed by the Democratic Party “leadership” that could cost […]
Yesterday I attended the NYC Solar Summit 2007, sponsored by CUNY’s Center for Sustainable Energy. The event’s focus was on how to enable the growth of solar power as a renewable energy resource here in NYC, discussed from many angles. I will try to provide […]
I was in Soho yesterday afternoon and passed by the shop that sold out of 800 of these bags in three hours. Hopefully this will result in 800 fewer black plastic bags hanging from trees and ending up in the landfill.
Here’s a surreal image from Soho this morning: People are lined up for a city block waiting to purchase a limited-edition tote bag emblazoned with the slogan “I Am Not a Plastic Bag”. photo by Keka Here is a blurb from the company’s website: How […]
These bins are in Borough Hall Plaza, by the farmers’ market. A peek inside revealed excellent recycling compliance. Go Brooklyn!
We had a full house for Friday’s lecture by Wilton Duckworth and Joan Ewing of Green Phoenix Permaculture.
Wilton provided some fascinating historical perspective on New York City’s infrastructure; I was particularly intrigued to learn of our transition from a city that was once able to sell its “night soil” (waste from outhouses) to farmers on Long Island for fertilizer, to our current garbage situation requiring massive daily truck caravans to cart our waste to faraway locations, at huge municipal expense. Joan also spoke eloquently of the city’s human resources – energy of youth, wisdom of elders, richness of cultural diversity, etc. – and the need to reclaim our time so we can better utilize them.
photo by Chris Kreussling aka Flatbush Gardener
Harvesting rainwater to mitigate Combined Sewer Overflow and promoting community composting to turn organic waste into nourishment for the city’s gardens and parks were just two of the ideas discussed on what Urban Permaculture might look like; both exemplify perfectly the Permaculture philosophy of turning problems into solutions. It is worth noting that these activities make sense financially as well as environmentally (homeowners, checked your water bill lately?) and are relatively simple to implement.
Sustainable Flatbush would like to give big big thanks to Joan and Wilton for coming back to the neighborhood to share their knowledge and experience with us!!
more photos from Event #3 can be seen at Flatbush Gardener’s Flickr gallery.
Event #3 also provided a special treat for the late-nighters who stayed to hear Cacau Arcoverde and Ileana Santamaria perform music and dance from Pernambuco, Brazil! We even had a roda de capoeira going for a minute (thanks to Samir). DJ Drummerman (Jeff Duneman) and […]
