sustainableflatbush.org

City Room reports that yesterday’s public hearing on congestion pricing at Hunter College placed two more groups on the supporting side: the Transit Workers’ Union, and a coalition called Communities United for Transportation Equity (aka CommUTe). Representatives of the latter group presented strong arguments for charging private motor vehicles to enter Manhattan’s Central Business District and allocating the revenue toward public transit improvements:

“The mass-transit system is failing those of us who need it the most, while truck and car-related infrastructure running through our neighborhoods wreaks havoc on our health. Having a long commute takes away time from families and communities, and poor transit access means poor job access because you can’t take a job that you can’t get to,” said Silvett Garci­a, an official at Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, a nonprofit group in the Soundview section of the Bronx.

The group called not only for congestion pricing as a way to finance mass transit and reduce traffic, but also for the city to hasten its plans to start a bus rapid transit program. Bus rapid transit, or B.R.T., is a catch-all term for innovations like bus designated lanes, special traffic signals that are programmed to prioritize buses, and bus stops that are few in number and spread out across high-volume stations where passengers pay their fares before getting on board.

“A congestion pricing plan increases investment while reducing pollution, and B.R.T. is the fair, fast and necessary way to reach the transit dependent – those who live or work in the gaps of the subway system and who cannot afford a car, cab or premium commuting fare, the elderly, and the handicapped,” said Cynthia Doty, organizer for the West Harlem/Morningside Heights Sanitation Coalition, another community organization. “As the congestion pricing debate moves from the commission to the city and state legislatures, we should focus on the half million working-class New Yorkers with treacherous commutes.”

It’s been said here before: 97.3% of Brooklyn’s workers (those who do not commute alone to the Central Business District in Manhattan by private car) would be positively affected by the transit improvements that revenue from congestion pricing is targeted to fund; and B.R.T. is a quickly-implementable transit innovation — already hugely successful in Curitiba (Brazil), Singapore, and Bogota, amongst other cities — that would be life-altering for many New Yorkers. Hopefully this re-framing of the debate will reveal politicians’ disingenuous “pro-working class” rhetoric for the smokescreen that it is, and shed some light on the reality of who stands to benefit most from congestion pricing.

For the transportation geeks among us (yes, I’m one!), this should be a very interesting panel discussion coming up on January 28th. I am familiar with the work of Aaron, Christine and Elizabeth, and those three alone are worth the “price” of admission.

Moderated by Aaron Naparstek of Streetsblog, this panel discussion featuring New York City’s most successful neighborhood change-makers will provide inspiring and practical lessons about how New Yorkers can transform the public realm.

Panelists include Christine Berthet (Clinton Hells Kitchen Coalition for Pedestrian Safety), Joshua David (Friends of the High Line), Penny Lee (Department of City Planning), Milton Puryear (Brooklyn Greenway Initiative), Paul Steely White (Transportation Alternatives), Robert Witherwax (Grand Army Plaza Coalition), Elizabeth Yeampierre, (UPROSE) and Chauncy Young (Highbridge Community Life Center).

New York Historical Society, 2 W. 77th St.
January 28th
6pm Panel
8pm Reception and Exhibit

Seating is very limited; please RSVP at nycstreets.org/uws
This event is free and open to the public.

The NYC Streets Renaissance Campaign, a partnership between Transportation Alternatives, The Open Planning Project and Project for Public Spaces, is committed to inspiring and engaging New Yorkers to reclaim their streets as the core of healthy communities where individuals of all ages can safely walk, play and gather

The Sustainable Flatbush calendar will now include “Recommended Green Events” happening all around NYC. Basically anything that makes me say “wow, I’d like to go to that!” will end up on the calendar, in case you’d like to go too and just hadn’t heard about it. We’ve also got Flatbush Gardener’s calendar feeding into ours, so you will know when the next composting workshop is along with that lecture on solar panels… so many choices! Check in often, and enjoy!

Our friends at Green Map System are involved in a fundraising challenge:

America’s Giving Challenge will award $50,000 prizes to the eight non-profits that receive the greatest number of unique $10 donations this month. Each donation must come from a different person and a different credit card to count. Anyone in the world can contribute, and all donations must be made at Green Map’s specific Challenge webpage. It’s tax-deductible, too! All donations of $10 (by 3PM, EST on January 31) or more will be used toward the great Green Maps, mapmaking resources, multi-lingual websites, tours and events that Green Map System creates to engage communities worldwide to chart a sustainable future.

Support locally-led Green Mapmaking projects that connect, engage and empower communities across the US and worldwide as they promote green living, nature, social and cultural resources and eco-education for all. Think Global, Map Local!

Over 300 GreenMaps have been published to date, promoting sustainable communities by connecting both residents and tourists to environmental resources all over the world (including Energy, Composting and Youth-oriented editions of New York City’s Green Apple Map series). Green Map Project is currently active in 400 cities, villages and neighborhoods in 50 countries! If you have ten bucks to spare, these are good people to support.

In case anyone had any doubts, I present this news from the Earth Policy Institute:

2007 SECOND WARMEST YEAR ON RECORD
Northern Hemisphere Temperature Highest Ever

Frances C. Moore

With the record for 2007 now complete, it is clear that temperatures around the world are continuing their upward climb. The global average in 2007 was 14.73 degrees Celsius (58.5 degrees Fahrenheit) — the second warmest year on record, only 0.03 degrees Celsius behind the 2005 maximum. January 2007 was the hottest January ever measured, a full 0.23 degrees Celsius warmer than the previous record. August was also a record for that month, and September was the second warmest September recorded.

Looking at the northern hemisphere alone, 2007 temperatures averaged 15.04 degrees Celsius (59.1 degrees Fahrenheit) — easily the hottest year in the northern half of the globe since the record began in 1880, and more than a degree warmer than the 1951–80 average…

(Entire text available here. Data available here. Index of Earth Policy Institute resources related to Temperature and Climate here.)

The way this month has gone, including last night’s failed Nor’Easter (see Brooklyn Junction’s proposed temporary — we hope! — ban on the term), 2008 may prove to be the new hottest January. While it is difficult to imagine how this trend can be reversed and what we as individuals can do, the aforementioned Earth Policy Institute offers direction based on their vision of a sustainable economy. What’s the weather got to do with the economy? “Eco-Economy Indicators are the twelve trends the Earth Policy Institute tracks to measure progress in building an eco-economy. Taking the earth’s temperature tells us about the relative health of the planet.” (Well, yes!) The EPI website has videos, podcasts, and a library of articles with the appropriate mix of urgency, guarded optimism, and concrete suggestions:

The Earth’s capacity to support the economy continues to deteriorate. The gap between what we need to do to arrest the deterioration of the Earth and what we are doing continues to widen… Somehow we have to turn the tide. The purpose of the Earth Policy Institute is to provide a vision of what an environmentally sustainable economy will look like and a plan for how to get from here to there.

Highly recommended.

WHAT: Making Solar Happen in NYC
How you can help remove legislative barriers to solar energy

* Why is it easier to install solar panels on Long Island than in NYC?

* Is funding available?

* How will PlaNYC2030 affect permits for solar?

* Why is energy efficiency so important to installing solar panels?

* Solar experts from Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan will share their experiences regarding installations in the metro area.

* Audience Q & A to follow.

WHO: Richard Klein, Quixotic Systems Inc., Manhattan
Tom Gately, Green Power Solutions, Queens
John Siciliani, Duce Green Building, Brooklyn
Anthony Pereira, Alt-Power, Manhattan

WHEN: Wednesday, January 9, 2008

7 p.m.

WHERE: Friends Meeting House

15 Rutherford Place, Manhattan

(15^th Street between 2^nd & 3^rd Avenues)

COST: free

Last weekend was a big one for Reuse and Recycling here in Brooklyn!

2008’s first Saturday Greenmarket in Grand Army Plaza began a series of textile recycling events called “Second Chance Saturdays” (acceptable donations include used clothing, shoes, boots, hats, jackets, towels, bedding, and linens). These collections will continue at the Greenmarket every Saturday until March 29th; details from Council on the Environment are here .

“We are thrilled to be expanding this very successful clothing collection program to Brooklyn,” said David Hurd, OROE (Office of Recycling Outreach and Education) Director. “Some 193,000 tons of clothing and textiles that could be recycled end up in the landfill each year. By bringing these materials to the Greenmarket on your way to shop, New Yorkers help save these valuable commodities.”

Greenmarket Textile Recycling photo by Gowanus Lounge

Saturday and Sunday were Mulchfest days at Prospect Park and many other locations, where Brooklynites brought their Christmas trees to get chipped into mulch for gardens. I was fortunate enough to ride by on my bike and savor the lovely evergreen scent while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate, served up by our own Gardening Committee co-chair, Flatbush Gardener (aka Santa), who covers the event here. Apparently this is the first year the city has had two drop-off locations in Prospect Park (previously the only one has been at the Prospect Park West and Third Street entrance); the new Park Circle location, which is much more accessible for residents of Flatbush, Kensington, and other neighborhoods south of the park, collected 784 trees. This success speaks to the importance of providing convenient locations for recycling opportunities, particularly in New York City, where many people don’t own cars but are very creative at coming up with short-distance transport options.

Mulchfest photo by Flatbush Gardener

Back in the neighborhood, Sustainable Flatbush held our own Post-Holiday Electronics Recycling Event . As with the Christmas tree drop-off, we feel that providing a convenient location is key to local participation. 50+ visitors and three cargo vans filled with “electrojunk” (a new term coined by 3R Committee chair Mark Levy, host of the event) seem to prove our point. We delivered our goods to Lower East Side Ecology Center’s massive year-end e-waste collection at Union Square. Look for a repeat of this event every few months, due to popular demand.

Printer Recycling photo by Flatbush Gardener

I just read about this on a blog called Community Based Planning, where the question is posed: “Could Formula Retail Zoning be in NYC’s Future?” A group called the East Village Community Coalition is spearheading an effort to protect their neighborhood from further takeover by Starbuck’s et al.

Since commercial uses in NYC are already regulated by zoning, and considering the recent attention to this issue and concerns that chain stores are pushing out small businesses and causing NYC to lose its character, is this an idea whose time has come?

Zoning has proven to be a hot topic around our area these days, as the recent Imagine Flatbush 2030 community visioning meetings have illustrated. Landmarking vs. no landmarking, upzoning (denser development near transit, generally perceived as sustainable) vs. downzoning (preserving century-old Victorian homes, generally regarded as an asset even by us apartment dwellers), more/different amenities vs. retaining the neighborhood’s diversity and character… similar conflicts and discussions are taking place all over the city. What’s your view?

photo by Community Based Planning

2007 was the first fully operation year for Sustainable Flatbush, and I must say we accomplished a lot. Starting with our Kickoff Meeting on March 16th at Vox Pop Cafe/Bookstore, the goal was to find people in the neighborhood who wanted to work on sustainability issues locally. To my amazement, 25 people braved a blizzard to attend this event, and we had a great discussion where some common interests and goals were defined. (Full disclosure: to boost attendance I scheduled this event one week after my birthday and combined it with a party… but at least half the people there were new faces to me!)

Park(ing) Day on Cortelyou Road (story below!). Photo by Keka

For our second event we celebrated Bike Month with a program of Streetfilms (curated by yours truly) and a guest appearance by their creator Clarence Eckerson. In keeping with our theme of overcoming weather challenges, Clarence’s flight from the West Coast was delayed by severe rains and while waiting for him we conducted a discussion on Congestion Pricing with Livable Streets luminaries Paul Steely White of Transportation Alternatives and Aaron Naparstek of Streetsblog. Clarence’s honorarium was a vegan cupcake.

Event #3, an Urban Permaculture Lecture with former Flatbush residents Wilton Duckworth and Joan Ewing of Green Phoenix, packed Vox Pop with permaculture enthusiasts who exchanged ideas on how to apply this sustainable design practice to city living.

Then we worked with Lower East Side Ecology Center to create the first e-waste recycling event south of Prospect Park: Cortelyou Road Electronics Recycling diverted a truck full of discarded technology (and its accompanying toxins) from the landfill. Many thanks to Christina Datz-Romero for her pioneering work to make New York City more sustainable through LESEC’s recycling and composting programs, and for helping me stake out the perfect spot to park the big red dumpster.

In July we teamed up with the Green Edge Collective for Event #4, Eating Sustainably: a meetup and discussion on Sustainable Food. The Green Edge ladies, known for their Eco-Eatery tours and Supper Club community potlucks, kept the discussion lively as topics ranged from healthy food shopping to plastic bags to the environmental implications of consumption. Lots of food for thought (ouch).

I spent most of August on the West Coast, playing music, visiting family, and touring Oregon’s Willamette Valley by bicycle with a group of sustainability-minded vegans. Who knew quinoa was such a useful grain?

We started Autumn off right by participating in the neighborhood’s biggest street festival, the Flatbush Frolic, with a table full of materials promoting recycling. Eve Martinez from the Department of Sanitation’s NYC WasteLess program brought her full compliment of recycling stickers, brochures, posters, and fridge magnets. (What’s a street fair without fridge magnets?) We got to know our neighbors and I scored my new favorite T-shirt.

On September 21st Park(ing) Day was celebrated all over New York City, the U.S., and Planet Earth… including right here in Flatbush. We occupied a parking space and created a park for the day, complete with real grass, trees, a bench, art supplies, live music… and lots of people, especially kids! (See photo above.) Naturally Streetfilms covered this event, and Cortelyou Road Park is featured in their piece… check it out! This event’s special thanks go to Lindsey Lusher of Transportation Alternatives, who coordinated resources and information for almost two dozen sites all over NYC, and especially to Keka Marzagão, without whom Cortelyou Road Park simply would not have been possible! In addition to providing every possible form of support (moral, creative, physical), Keka insisted that we have real grass, which provided endless wonderment and joy to everyone who visited our park.

Okay, so in October we recuperated. By November we were ready to kick off a whole new level of activities with our Town Hall Meeting. 25 people attended (our magic number, perhaps!), and six committees were established, each with specific goals and projects. We are now holding monthly meetings where newcomers can get involved and committees report on their plans. 2008 already looks exciting, with the R3 Committee’s Post-Holiday Electronics Recycling Event coming up this weekend, the Gardening Committee planning a Spring event in conjunction with the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and the Livable Streets Committee working on a Transportation Conference with Center for the Study of Brooklyn and Transportation Alternatives.

That’s the news for 2007. Much much more to come…

Special Thanks (in order of appearance):
Keka Marzagão (website/logo design, photos, VJ, chief co-instigator)
Jeff Duneman (DJ Drummerman, groove provider for Events #1-3)
Sander Hicks and the staff of Vox Pop
Cacao Arcoverde and Ileana Santamaria (musical magic for Event #3)
Susan Siegel and everyone at Flatbush Development Corporation
Clarence Eckerson and all at Streetfilms
Christina Datz-Romero (Lower East Side Ecology Center)
Carolyn Gilles and the Green Edge Collaborative
Lindsey Lusher (Transportation Alternatives)
Eve Martinez (NYC Department of Sanitation)
Mark Levy (host of Sustainable Flatbush Mothership)
Chris Kreussling (Flatbush Gardener)
Eli Kramer (Brooklyn Junction blog)
Gretchen Maneval (Center for the Study of Brooklyn)
Cycleliciousness blog (inspiration for a bike-friendly NYC)
The Flatbush community for supporting our green future
Brooklyn bloggers for setting high standards of journalism, neighborhood pride, and humor
YOU… for reading

Next Sustainable Flatbush monthly meeting:
Monday January 7th, 7pm
462 Marlborough Road (between Ditmas and Dorchester)

Our regular meetings on the first Monday of every month are for newcomers and committee members alike. We will report on projects in progress and plan for future activities. Everyone is welcome!