Jessica Dailey | Inhabitat New York City

Highest Possible Levels of PCBs Found at Brooklyn School, EPA Suspends Inspections

Brooklyn school shows highest levels of PCBs yet; EPA suspends inspections of lighting fixtures.

Proposed Heating Oil Rules Would Reduce Soot Pollution in NYC, But Do They Go Far Enough?

Bloomberg’s proposed rules for heating oils would reduce soot pollution, but the Institute for Policy Integrity at the NYU School of Law argues that exemptions in the rules would allow for the oils to be burned through 2030.

NYC Will Replace All School Lighting Fixtures Tainted by PCBs Over the Next Ten Years

New York City officials announced yesterday that they will replace all of the outdated fixtures containing PCBs in 772 schools over the next ten years.

NYC’s First Zero Energy School: P.S. 62 in Staten Island Designed by SOM

P.S. 62 will be a net zero energy elementary school in Staten Island, designed by SOM Architects.

New York’s Chinatown Set to Get Its Own Mini High Line Park

An unused gravel lot at the foot of the Manhattan Bridge is poised to become the New York’s next High Line Park, albeit a much smaller version.

Brooklyn Based Interboro Partners Wins MoMA PS1′s Young Architects Program

The Brooklyn based firm Interboro Partners won MoMA PS1′s 2011 Young Architects Program.

GrowNYC to Expand Composting Program to 6 More Greenmarkets

GrowNYC will launch a pilot program on March 5 that will expand composting collection to six more Greenmarkets.

Solar 2 Will Be a Carbon Neutral Eco-Center on New York’s East River

Despite being delayed by the economic downturn, green community group Solar One has raised more than half of the funds it needs to begin construction on Solar 2, its planned 8,000 square foot carbon neutral visitor center.

Frank Gehry’s NYC Tower Has Green Features, Rent Stabilized Apartments

Luxury building New York by Gehry is not seeking LEED certification, but the residential building does has a few green features, plus rent stabilized apartments.

New Rules for Heating Oil Could Reduce Air Pollution by 63% in NYC

Under new rules proposed last Friday, the dirtiest types of heating oils — used by 10,000 New York City buildings — would be completely phased out by 2015, resulting in a 63 percent reduction of soot pollution.

NYC Parks Dept. Unveils New Sustainable Design Guidlines

New York City Parks Department partnered with the Design Trust to create “High Performance Landscape Guidelines: 21st Century Parks for NYC,” a comprehensive, municipal design primer for building sustainable parks and open spaces — the first guideline of its kind in the nation.

New York Uses Giant Sponges to Clean Coal Tar from the Hudson River

For the last 18 months, engineers have been testing a new way to removed coal tar from the Hudson River — by placing mattress-sized “sponges” on the riverbed to absorb toxins.

Toxic PCBs Leaking into NYC Schools

Not long after the holiday break, a Staten Island mother received a shocking letter from her children’s school: PCBs had been found on the floor tiles. The culprit was a leaking light fixture.

The Greenest Points from Mayor Bloomberg’s State of the City Address

Yesterday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg laid out his vision for New York during the annual State of the City Address. He discussed the cost-cutting goals, economic growth, and the on-going physical transformation, which largely consists of greening our fair city and moving towards a more sustainable future.

National Grid to Turn Excess Methane from Brooklyn Wastewater Plant into Energy

National Grid has teamed up with the city to build a gas processing facility that will convert excess methane from the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant into utility-grade natural gas. In other words, they want to turn your farts into fuel and sell it back to you.

Greenpoint Residents Choose Environmental Projects to get $7M in State Funds

Last fall, New York State awarded Greenpoint $7 million dollars because the city royally polluted local waters during its upgrade of the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. Over the last few months, the City Parks Foundation polled residents on what

Pratt Institute Opens Gorgeous LEED Gold Certified Myrtle Hall

The Pratt Institute, long a leader in sustainable design education, officially opened its new ecotastic digital arts building, complete with a green roof and solar panels. The six-story, 120,000 square foot Myrtle Hall is expected to meet the LEED Gold standard, which would make it the first every higher education building in Brooklyn to receive any LEED certification.

January Pop-Up Park at OpenHouse Gallery in New York’s Nolita

If you need a reprieve from the snow mounds and salt trucks, you’re in luck! OpenHouse Gallery on Mulberry Street in Nolita has converted its 4,500 square foot space into an indoor pop-up park, aptly titled Park Here.

New York High Speed Rail Routes Score Top Marks in New Study

This morning, America 2050, the nation’s pro-high-speed rail group, released the first ever comparative study of nearly 8,000 potential high speed rail corridors. The analysis revealed which routes are most suited to high-speed rail, based on factors that

Survey Shows Majority of NYC Community Gardens Grow Food, Compost

New York City’s gardeners are helping to lead the way in creating more sustainable communities. Of those surveyed, 80 percent of the city’s community gardens produce food for their neighborhood, 65 percent compost, and 43 partner with at least one school.

‘Plastic Planet’ Documentary Opens in NYC on Jan. 14

In his call-to-action documentary ‘Plastic Planet,’ Austrian filmmaker Werner Boote seeks to the serious risks posed by plastic and why we can’t seem to change our consumer habits. In 2009, the film opened to much acclaim during the Middle East International Film Festival, and it is set to hit theaters in New York City on Friday, January 14, 2011.

New Yorkers, Recycle Your Gadgets at LES Ecology Center E-Waste Collections

Electronics are complicated to recycle, but there are dozens of resources out there that simplify the process for you. Throughout January, the Lower East Side Ecology Center will be collecting used or broken electronics at different locations in the city during their annual “After the Holidays” E-waste Events.

Brooklyn Sewing Clubs Encourage Repair and Reuse of Clothing

Instead of running to Macy’s the next time your favorite sweater gets a snag or your jeans rip in the knee, maker a greener choice and take the time to mend your clothing before buying something new. Sewing clubs are popping up all over Brooklyn, giving New Yorkers the opportunity to learn how to sew and fix worn clothing even if they don’t own a sewing machine.

Empire State Building to Use 100% Green Energy

New York City’s most recognizable building is fast becoming the city’s greenest building. As part of the Empire State Building’s $520 million makeover, the city has spent the last couple of years upgrading the art-deco building to be more energy efficient and environmentally friendly. Today, the landmark’s supervisor, Malkin Holdings, announced that the building is now the largest purchaser of renewable power in the state.

Cuomo Appoints ‘Open Space’ Advocate as NYS Environment Chief

Environmental groups are praising Gov. Andrew Cuomo for choosing Joseph Martens as New York State’s new commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation. Martens served as New York’s deputy state secretary of energy and the environment from 1992-94,