Read the rest of Fort Reno is a Southern-Style Barbeque Joint Built From the Bones of Brooklyn testing

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Post tags: barbeque brooklyn, barbeque new york, bbq brooklyn, bbq new york, eco construction brooklyn, eco restaurant brooklyn, fort reno, green restaurant brooklyn, reused restaurant brooklyn, sustainable construction brooklyn, sustainable restaurant brooklyn

New York City makes a lot of waste – 3 million tons to be exact — and it costs the city $300 million to export it away from our lovely city streets. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is on a roll trying to divert that waste from the landfill and has now put out a request for proposal (RFP) for a waste management facility that can turn NYC’s solid refuse into energy. The city won’t help build the facility, but it promises to pay a per-ton fee for all of the refuse that it sends there once it is created. With NYC’s waste currently creating 728,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year, building a low-emissions conversion facility is a great way to lower the city’s greenhouse gasses while putting to use all the things that residents throw in the garbage can.

Read the rest of Mayor Bloomberg Calls for RFP on Solid Waste to Energy Facility for NYC testing

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Post tags: mayor bloomberg, new york city, new york city renewable energy, new york city sustainable energy, new york landfill, new york trash, planyc, solid waste, solid waste in new york, solid waste to energy conversion facility, waste to energy, waste to energy conversion facility

Last month was the warmest February in Central Park on recorded history, clocking in at 40.9 degrees Fahrenheit on average. The last three months have averaged out to give way to the second warmest winter on record, behind only the 2001-2002 winter record. By comparison, the coldest February in Central Park recorded history — they started keeping records in 1870 — was in 1934 when temperatures averaged out at 19.9 degrees Fahrenheit. With a little over 20 degrees in change, this is a climatological contrast if we’ve ever seen one.

Read the rest of Central Park Records the Warmest February in History, Second Warmest Winter testing

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Post tags: central park temperature, climate change, global warming, temperature records, warm temperatures, warmest february, warmest january, warmest winter, warmest winter on record

Cornell University has announced its shortlist of names that could design the core building of their new School of Applied Sciences on Roosevelt Island in New York City. It was no surprise when Cornell was chosen as the lucky educational institution to get to build a school of applied sciences on city land back in December; the only other top contender, Stanford, backed out of the competition, leaving Cornell as the obvious choice. It will be a surprise, however, to see which of the six world-famous architects gets tapped to give life to Roosevelt Island’s first green building. It could be Diller Scofidio + Renfro of High Line fame; Morphosis, which designed the LEED Platinum 41 Cooper Square; Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), designers of One World Trade Center; OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture), which was founded by architecture legend Rem Koolhaas; Steven Holl Architects, who are known for their impressive green structures; or the Apple Store designers Bohlin Cywinski Jackson.

Read the rest of Cornell Names Six Finalists to Design Net-Zero Building for Roosevelt Island Applied Sciences Campus testing

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Post tags: applied science new york city, Bloomberg, bloomberg administration sustainability, bloomberg green initiatives, cornell, cornell in new york city, cornell new york city campus, cornell university, green building new york, green development new york city, mayor michael bloomberg, new york city development, new york city universities, new york sustainable building, nyc cornell, sustainable development in new york city, technology university

This week the town of Dryden, New York won a court case giving it the right to ban hydrofracking for natural gas within its borders. The case is a major victory for fracking opponents nationwide, and here’s how it all went down: The Marcellus Shale, the largest deposit of shale gas in the United States runs underneath the town of Dryden in upstate New York. Due to the gas jackpot, the Anschutz Exploration Corporation purchased 22,000 acres of drilling rights in the town. Before Anschutz could get to the gold, however, the Dryden Town Board passed a drilling ban. Anschutz then sued the town alleging their actions weren’t legal, but on Tuesday, Justice Phillip R. Rumsey of State Supreme Court said it was completely legal. Now Anschutz is out $5 million that they spent securing now unusable rights in the quaint northeast town.

Read the rest of New York Town Wins the Legal Right to Ban Hydrofracking for Natural Gas testing

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Post tags: anschutz, dangers of fracking, dryden, dryden new york, fracking ban in new york, fracking debate, hydrofracking, hydrofracturing, natural gas, natural gas drilling, new york fracking ban

The developers of what could become the first offshore wind farm in the United States have announced that they are poised to begin construction as soon as the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities approves their plan for a 25 megawatt project which will be 2.8 miles off the coast of Atlantic City. The decision is expected to be made in March on the 5 turbine project that will provide power for 10,000 homes. When constructed, it will be the first piece of the East Coast offshore wind backbone which has been financially backed by such power players as Google as well as the federal government.

Read the rest of Developers of Atlantic City Offshore Wind Farm Say They are Ready to Build testing

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Post tags: american renewable energy, atlantic city, atlantic city offshore wind, atlantic city wind turbine, clean energy, green energy, New Jersey, new jersey clean energy, new jersey renewable energy, new jersey wind energy, offshore wind, offshore wind turbines, us offshore wind, us renewable energy, wind energy

New York City-based architecture firm Grow Studio has revealed a plan to develop a combined affordable housing and green roof project in Harlem. The project was created to bring affordable housing to the community along with an edible rooftop garden that would be cultivated by people in the neighborhood. The plan, called the Harlem Community Rooftop Garden, was one of the winners of the By the City/For the City competition sponsored by the Urban Design Institute due to its innovative solution not only for affordable homes but also for the dearth of healthy, affordable, fresh vegetables in Manhattan.

Read the rest of Grow Studio Unveils Plans for a Community Rooftop Farm in Harlem! testing

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Post tags: affordable housing, green architecture, green building, green housing, grow studio, Harlem, harlem affordable housing, harlem community rooftop farm, harlem development, harlem green housing, innovative building projects, innovative green building, new york affordable housing, new york green housing, rooftop farm harlem, rooftop farm manhattan, rooftop farm new york city, rooftop farm nyc, sustainable building, sustainable housing

The Inhabitat gang finds it difficult to resist any great green holiday decoration – whether it be a DIY terrarium ornament, a Jack Daniel’s holiday tree or a geodesic gingerbread house, we just can’t get enough. But we might have just come across the mother of them all: an edible conifer just popped up in a New York City hotel lobby. The Jumeirah Essex Hotel — owned by the same company as the Burj al Arab and its sky high tennis court — has erected a ten foot tall holiday tree made entirely of chocolate, and though we’re not sure if they’ll have a gorging party after the holidays are over, we’re impressed with their chocolate-inspired ingenuity.

Read the rest of The Jumeirah Essex House Erects a 10 ft. Tall Chocolate Christmas Tree! testing

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In the race to win the bid to build New York City’s Silicon Island East, it was Cornell and Stanford in a dead heat, and it was anyone’s guess as to who Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration would pick to head up the East Coast’s future preeminent school of applied sciences. Then, when Stanford dropped out just a few days ago, rumors started flying around the airwaves, and now it’s all but confirmed that Cornell will get the nod, the plot on Roosevelt Island, the nearly $400 million in New York City funding and infrastructure, and the chance to be the school on the cutting edge of New York City’s technology development future.

Read the rest of Cornell Wins Bid to Build New York City’s Applied Science Campus on Roosevelt Island testing

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Post tags: applied science new york city, Bloomberg, bloomberg administration sustainability, bloomberg green initiatives, cornell, cornell in new york city, cornell new york city campus, cornell university, green building new york, green development new york city, mayor michael bloomberg, new york city development, new york city universities, new york sustainable building, nyc cornell, sustainable development in new york city, technology university

We distinctly remember jumping out of our seats with excitement when the City of New York’s $220 million plan to overhaul Governors Island and turn it into a green oasis was unveiled. Now with the same excitement, we bring you the news that ground will break on the first phase of construction in 2012 with the first new sections opening in 2013. The Trust for Governors Island has revealed that the first segments to be completed will be the 14-acre play lawn, the 10-acre Hammock Grove, a redesigned Liggett Terrace, a new Soissons Landing ferry dock, and the revamped 12-acre Parade Ground.

Read the rest of First Phase of Governors Island Overhall to Start in 2012 testing

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Post tags: best city parks, city parks, construction in new york, cool city parks, cool parks, governors island construction, governors island overhall, governors island park, governors island plan, governors island renderings, governors island trust, green space, new york parks, nyc park, park planning, parks department, parks in new york, urban green space, urban parks

From 1981 to 1995, there were more cumulative deaths from the AIDS epidemic in New York City than total U.S. deaths in the Vietnam War, yet as some have pointed out, there is no significant memorial to those losses in the city of New York — aside from a bench in the Hudson River Park. There is now a movement to build a deserving memorial and Architizer and Architectural Record have launched an official design competition. The site up for design is the triangular plot of land in the West Village that is located across the street from the old St. Vincent’s Hospital, one of the first locations to treat those affected by HIV and AIDS in the 1980s.

Read the rest of Design Competition Begins for AIDS Memorial at the Old St. Vincent’s Hospital Site testing

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Post tags: aids memorial, aids memorial design competition, aids memorial nyc, design competition, new york city aids memorial, new york city design competition, ny aids memorial, st. vincent's hospital, west village memorial, west village park

The New York City Department of Transportation released news yesterday that they’ve recorded an 8 percent increase in people biking into Manhattan this year, that makes today’s number double the number of bikers in 2007. In part due to the bicycle equality commitments of New York City DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, bike lanes around the city have proliferated since the first installation of a protected bike lane on 9th Avenue in 2007. In the face of harsh opposition — like that of the coalition that wants the Prospect Park West bike lane removed — Sadik-Khan has stood for the idea that we should all share the road whether we are using two legs, two wheels, or an engine.

Read the rest of Number of Cyclists in New York City has Doubled Since 2007 testing

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Post tags: best bike cities, best commuting paths, bike commuting statistics, bike lane, bike safety, bike traffic, bikes, biking, biking in new york, commuting by bike, cycling, department of transportation, janette sadik-khan, new york, new york bikes, new york city, new york city bikes, new york cycling, ny bike lanes, nyc, NYC bike lanes, urban biking, urban cycling

A group of park activists and city board members are hard at work on bringing the concept of the High Line to Queens. The group recently met with representatives from the city about a proposed plan to turn the defunct Rockaway Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road, which has been abandoned for 50 years, into a long green way much like its Manhattan counterpart. The leaders have already garnered the support of Community Board 9, but some people in the neighborhood think that the park isn’t such a great idea.

Read the rest of A Mini High Line is Envisioned in Queens testing

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Post tags: cool city parks, cool parks, great city parks, green space, high line, new york city high line, New York City Parks, new york green space, new york high line, nyc high line, parks in queens, proposed city parks, queens green space, rail road park, raised park

As we make attempts at a lighter footprint in this season of excess, it is necessary sometimes to look in unconventional places for that one of a kind holiday gift. So how ’bout heading on over to your favorite specialty food store to whip up a basket of deliciousness for your most wonderful family and friends. One of our favorites is The Greene Grape — which people in Fort Greene and the surrounding area should know quite well — and they just so happen to whip up the baskets for you.

Read the rest of Give a Greene Grape Sustainable Gift Basket for the Holidays testing

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Post tags: Brooklyn, brooklyn gifts, food gift basket, Fort Greene, gift basket, gifts for chefs, gifts for cooks, gifts for dad, gifts for gourmets, gifts for mom, great brooklyn gifts, great new york gifts, green brooklyn gifts, green new york gifts, local brooklyn gifts, local gift basket, local new york gifts, new york gift basket, new york gifts, the greene grape

Early reports from the New York Department of Transportation seem to show that toll hikes in the month of September on NYC bridges and tunnels connecting the city to New Jersey may have pushed more commuters to use public transportation. The reports note that between September 19th and November 22nd of 2011 a total of 890,000 fewer cars traveled over the fare-hiked roadways than did in the same time period in 2010 — that totals a 4 percent decrease in travelers. During the same period, the ridership on the public transportation routes that connect New York and New Jersey rose by about 560,000 passengers.

Read the rest of More People are Riding Public Transit Because of Higher Tolls on NYC Bridges & Tunnels testing

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Post tags: george washington bridge, george washington bridge tolls, Lincoln Tunnel, lincoln tunnel tolls, new york, new york city, new york subway, new york tolls, ny, ny subway, nyc, nyc public transportation, nyc subway, public transport, public transportation, subway riders, toll roads

The 2005 plan for the Brooklyn Bridge Park mandated that the park be self sustaining financially. In a move to make that a reality, the Brooklyn Bridge Park Corporation (BBPC) sent out the Pier 1 Hotel & Residential Development Request for Proposal (RFP) for a combined residential, hotel and restaurant development to be built on the property directly abutting the park. The stellar views, prime real estate, and highly anticipated development attracted some pretty stellar names in the architecture and hospitality world. Those draws combined with the park’s dedication to sustainability resulted in proposals slathered with green roofs, green walls, and publicly accessible green spaces.

Read the rest of Proposals for Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Development Are Green All Over testing

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Post tags: brooklyn bridge, Brooklyn Bridge Park, brooklyn bridge park apartments, brooklyn bridge park development, brooklyn bridge park hotel, brooklyn bridge park rfp, brooklyn bridge park sustainability, brooklyn park, brooklyn waterfront development, city parks, Dumbo, dumbo development, great parks in new york, new york, new york architecture, New York City Parks, new york parks, nyc, rfp, waterfront park

In a delightfully unexpected and somewhat strange move, the New York City Department of Transportation has released a city-wide safety focused art installation called “Curbside Haiku.” The installation is comprised of twelve brightly colored street signs designed by artist John Morse that depict different dangerous street scenes involving cars, bikes and pedestrians, and each sign is accompanied by an explanatory haiku. The signs are a move to promote awareness among all travelers in the city that getting around the city in a safe and respectful manner is key to minimizing accidents. The best part about the campaign is that it manages to not point fingers in any one direction, but simply states in simple 5, 7, 5 verse that we could all be doing a better job of sharing the street.

Read the rest of DOT Debuts Curbside Haiku Signage to Raise Awareness for Pedestrians and Bicyclists testing

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Post tags: alternative transportation, bicycle safety, bike safety, bikes in new york, biking in new york city, curbside haiku, department of transportation, dot sign, dot signage, haiku, new york, new york city, new york city bicycling, new york city bikes, new York city department of transportation, new york transportation, nyc, nyc dot, pedestrian safety, sidewalk safety, signs for safety, sustainable transportation

Read the rest of INTERVIEW: Arthur Rubinfeld & Ben Packard of Starbucks Discuss Building All New Starbucks to LEED Standards testing

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Thanksgiving is fast approaching and that means only one thing, the annual holiday green-off is about to occur — the questions abound, from is tofurkey better than a locally grown grass-fed real bird, to what’s the greenest way to wrap my unnecessarily large gifts? The mother of all of the green holiday questions is highlighted by the arrival of the annual holiday tree to Rockefeller Center. This year, the famous tree is a 75-foot tall, 75 year-old Norway Spruce from Mifflinville, Pennsylvania. We’ve been discussing whether or not the real tree is the greenest option and would like to put it to you, dear readers, as a vote. Do you think it would be better for Rockefeller Center to use a plastic-derived-from-oil fake tree that probably contains PVC and was manufactured in a fume-spewing factory or a naturally beautiful real-forest pine violently cut down with a chain saw and dragged by a semi-truck hundreds of miles to New York City? Or perhaps no tree at all. Cast your vote below and then read on for more stats on holiday trees.

Read the rest of POLL: What Kind of Tree Should Light Up Rockefeller Center During the Holidays? testing

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Post tags: christmas tree, eco friendly tree options, fake christmas tree, holiday rockefeller center, real or fake christmas tree, real or fake tree, real or reusable tree, rockefeller center, rockefeller center christmas tree, sustainable tree options

The Hornblower Hybrid, North America’s first hybrid-hydrogen water-worthy vessel, arrived in the Big Apple yesterday to start its new life as a New Yorker. The boat — a sister to the Hornblower Hybrid already afloat in San Francisco — runs on a mix of energy from hydrogen fuel cells, wind turbines, and solar panels that all feed its electric motor. The Hornblower aims to book public and private cruises around New York Harbor (think Circle Line, minus the fumes) starting next year, but starts its run in a water parade today in honor of The Statue of Liberty‘s 125th birthday.

Read the rest of America’s First Hybrid Yacht Powered By Hydrogen, Wind, & Solar Arrives in New York City testing

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Post tags: green boat, green ferry, hornblower hybrid, hornblower yacht, hybrid boat, hybrid ferry, hydrogen boat, hydrogen yacht, new york ferry system, renewable energy, solar power boat, sustainable boating, sustainable transportation, wind power boat

Stanford University just submitted a plan to the City of New York for a sustainable school of applied science on Roosevelt Island that would cost $2.5 billion over a 30-year development phase. The plan is an entry in a contest spearheaded by Mayor Michael Bloomberg where the prize is $100 million in city funding and millions more in free access to permits and city-owned land. Stanford’s plan goes up against another impressive proposal by Cornell — which already submitted plans — and to gain some local cred, the California team has joined with the City College of New York as a partner. The plan includes multiple green roofs and once built aims to have 100 percent of its many buildings LEED Certified.

Read the rest of Stanford University Proposes Green-Roofed LEED Certified Campus for Roosevelt Island testing

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Post tags: applied science center, leed certified, new york city green certified, new york city universities, nyc leed certified, roosevelt island, roosevelt island school, silicon island, standford university, standford university nyc, stanford, stanford nyc campus, stanfordnyc

More than a dozen universities from across the world are vying for the top spot in a competition hosted by the City of New York to build a school of applied science on city land. The winner looks to gain up to $400 million in land and infrastructure grants. Just days before the October 28th contest deadline, Cornell University and Stanford University sat at the top of the list, with both schools presenting lofty green plans for their proposed satellite campuses. The plans include acres of solar panels, hundreds of geothermal wells, and a goal to keep emissions and energy use down to a minimum. The competition proffers up three city spots, the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Governors Island, and Roosevelt Island — both top contenders use Roosevelt’s southern tip as their location of choice.

Read the rest of Universities Vie for $400 Million in City Funding to Build a Green Campus on Roosevelt Island testing

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Post tags: applied science competition nyc, applied sciences nyc, cornell, cornell nyc, cornell roosevelt campus, green college campus, green college., green university, new york city, new york city campus, nyc campus, nyc economic development corporation, roosevelt island, stanford, stanford nyc, stanfordnyc, university

The largest New York City-based chain of drug stores, Duane Reade, announced that they’ve partnered with Smith Electric Vehicles to bring zero-emissions delivery trucks to their fleet. Smith’s Newton electric delivery trucks are capable of going over 100 miles on a single overnight charge, have regenerative breaking systems, can carry 16,000 pounds of goods, and have an annual upkeep cost that is 1/3 to 1/2 less than a regular diesel truck. Move over gas guzzlers, New Yorker’s shampoo will now be delivered with a smaller carbon footprint.

Read the rest of Duane Reade Bringing Electric Delivery Vehicles to New York City testing

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Post tags: duane read electric, duane read electric delivery truck, duane read sustainable, duane reade, duane reade green, electric cars, electric delivery truck, electric delivery van, electric vehicles, new york, new york city, nyc

For those of us that live in Brooklyn, our bikes are more than just about transporting ourselves. They are about transporting our food from the farmers market, our laundry from the cleaners, and our curbside finds to our humble — and spacious — New York abodes. That’s why the Brooklyn Cruiser is probably the perfect fit for the Brooklynite looking for a smooth ride around town. Their vintage inspired frames will have you looking cool and their built-in cargo holders will keep all your goods safe and sound while scooting down the ever increasing BK bike lanes.

Read the rest of Brooklyn Cruiser Bikes Offer a Smooth Ride, Carrying Capacity & an Old School Look testing

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Post tags: beach cruisers, bikes with cargo space, brooklyn bicycles, brooklyn bikes, brooklyn cruiser, brooklyn cruiser bicycles, brooklyn cruiser bikes, cruiser bikes, new york bicycles, new york bike company, new york bikes, new york cycling, old school bike company

Read the rest of Riverpark Farm Table Restaurant Opens in NYC’s Most Urban Farm testing

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Post tags: farm new york city, farm table, farm to table dining, land use, manhattan farm, midtown farm, new York city farms, riverpark, riverpark farm, riverpark farm table, riverpark restaurant, stalled construction site, tom colicchio, urban farm, urban farming, wichcraft