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New York
Posted by Hans Gutknecht on January 18, 2007 - 3:27pm.
 image Is a hard city to be Green in.



<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
Living in the burbs
by Vicki_R on January 18, 2007 - 8:36pm
I would think that it would be easy to be green in New York City as compared to other places in the US. With all the various vehicles at your disposal to do so i.e. Vegan restaurants, stores selling eco-friendly clothes and  furniture, accessable public transportation and huge famers markets selling local produce.  But mostly the incentive you would get each day walking down the streets of manhattan.  Living in the burbs is beautiful, but believe it or not, you may have to try a little harder or go out of your way to really live a greener life .  
<em>Hans_G</em>'s picture
true
by Hans_G on January 19, 2007 - 11:20am
The resources are definitely abundant. I guess I was referring more to the actual landscape. Not too many trees. Thank goodness for Prospect Park
<em>karlawithak</em>'s picture
Recyling
by karlawithak on January 23, 2007 - 3:28pm
Also, with apartments so small, it is easy to just throw stuff away here in New York. However, there can be some informal "recycling" from the trash pile. I definitely got a little perfect size end table for my apartment once. It would be hard to see that happening when I lived out in the suburbs.
<em>Chris</em>'s picture
You know
by Chris on January 24, 2007 - 10:22am

That's the one thing I like about NY, you know that 90% of what you are throwing away is being recycled. Everything needs to be sorted and is picked up by different trucks, and if it's not property owners are fined.  Then there's also the foot traffic that re-uses what you throw away. 

This past holiday season I bought a new tv, and had to get rid of the old one(that I've used since college), it still worked so I did not want to just toss it. So I put a note on the tv that said "Free working TV, Happy Holidays" I sat with baited breath on my balcony to see if someone would take it. Not even an hour went buy and it was swooped up by a couple of college students down the block...loved the fact that it's not heading to a landfill.


<em>dreamymo</em>'s picture
space
by dreamymo on February 6, 2007 - 3:50pm
we also in NY do a good job (maybe too good and to the extreme) of not using thousands of square feet of living space per person. we definitely live within our means spatially
<em>jjackson</em>'s picture
Also
by jjackson on February 6, 2007 - 3:59pm
New York is a cold city to be in. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. 
<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
No sushi please
by Vicki_R on February 6, 2007 - 6:29pm
I don't necessarily think that is so.  New Yorker's are a special breed and when you least expect it are very helpful and friendly.  It is a funny place though.  I once gave my take out sushi to a bum on the street and he gave it back to me asking for money instead.  I don't  think he realized how much I paid for the food he just turned down.  I guess he was a vegetarian!!!!
<em>Build_Green_Inc</em>'s picture
Greening Your Apartment
by Build_Green_Inc on February 7, 2007 - 2:01pm

Often times, when we think about green building, we envision strawbale homes, covered in adobe clay, with solar panels on the roof, and captured rain-water cisterns in the back yard.  When it comes to us city-dwellers, its hard to imagine what we can do with our living space to make a difference.

The good news is, just by living in this fine city, you're already half way there.  The vast infrastructure and community around us makes it easier for us to live in spaces that we can consider to be green.  Green renovating is the final touch.

Our green building practices value conservation and re-use.   Reducing your footprint on the earth doesn’t mean rejecting your apartment to live in the middle of a rainforrest.  Build Green Inc. can remodel your home to align it with environmentally sustainable standards that improve indoor air quality while conserving energy and water.  Making use of all the fine locally produced re-cycled and re-used building materials can make your apartment unique, beautiful, and a greener place to live.

 

Build Green Inc - NY, CT: Residential building & renovation. Environmentally responsible homes.
www.buildgreeninc.com
516-902-7998

 
<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
Thanks!
by Vicki_R on February 9, 2007 - 11:25am
I like your philosphy.  I think many of us feel overwhelmed with having to start from scratch and remake our homes eco-friendly from top to bottom.  I think that you give us food for thought.  You can do things slowly and one thing at a time.  Whether it is buying dish towels, glassware, a new carpet or a new heating system, we can all make better choices.  Now I don't necessarily feel the need to do everything at once. Thanks!
<em>Luck_Factory</em>'s picture
It's easy being green here
by Luck_Factory on March 8, 2007 - 12:23pm

I walk, I take public transportation, I recycle!

 

Luck Factory

http://www.luckfactory.com


<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
good place
by Vicki_R on March 8, 2007 - 1:47pm
It sounds funny, but New York is a great place to be green.  Everything you could want to be green is at your fingertips. You sound like your doing your part.  Are you organic too?
<em>Hans_G</em>'s picture
Organic?
by Hans_G on March 8, 2007 - 2:51pm
<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
when you dine out
by Vicki_R on March 9, 2007 - 11:26am
Do you find that New York has many organic restaurants or do you eat at non-organic when dining out? I always wondered how that worked.  Is being truly organic as strict as being a vegetarian?
<em>dreamymo</em>'s picture
all in balance
by dreamymo on March 9, 2007 - 2:40pm
i think that is all about the balance of eating organic when you can but also hitting up the late night pizza joint when you really need a slice.
<em>MicheleZ</em>'s picture
Greener Pastures
by MicheleZ on March 10, 2007 - 11:10pm
Since I live over one of the most toxic environmental disasters, namely the 55 acre oil spill in Newton Creek which flows in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, it certainly is hard to be green in an area that is soiled. We can recycle, although I've heard that much of our efforts to separate cans from trash get thrown in the same spot anyway. Bloomberg even said it himself a few years ago, that "The program is expensive and inefficient and much of what is in the blue bags does not in fact get recycled, ending up instead in landfills along with the rest of the garbage." He claims that it has changed, but has it really? NYC needs to do so much more than just offer some good organic/vegan cuisine.
<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
great concept might help
by Vicki_R on March 11, 2007 - 5:56pm

http://www.lime.com/business/story/1933/turning_trash_into_cash

LIME posted this article last year.  It might provide you with an alternative method to your recycling and put your mind at ease.  It seems like a really good concept, one worth looking into. 


<em>dancingqueen</em>'s picture
no toilet paper
by dancingqueen on March 23, 2007 - 11:12am

Did anyone see the article in the www.newyorktimes yesterday about the couple who is going 200 days green.  I mean really green, no toilet paper, spices, oils, public transportation or anything non-organic or eco-friendly.  Interesting.  He's writing a book on it-might have to get it.


<em>Chris</em>'s picture
Going Green
by Chris on March 30, 2007 - 9:24am
I saw the article too, can't believe how green they are going though, seems a little excessive, but I guess he needs  good fodder for the book.

<em>dancingqueen</em>'s picture
out of her mind?
by dancingqueen on March 30, 2007 - 10:54am
The true test will be if he and his family continue to live their life like this after the check comes in.  It does seem a bit excessive.  That is true love-the wife must really hot on her man or just or out of her mind.
<em>Chris</em>'s picture
Yes Yes Vicki!
by Chris on April 5, 2007 - 8:59pm

Did not even think that far out about it, I guess the actions after the book is done will be the true test.

Is anyone out there interested in trying to make a difference?

I am sure there are small things we the community at LIME can do to improve the city, even if it is just grabbing a trashbag and walking around the block and picking up trash, or making sure everyone in our homes or offices recycles correctly.

Our office manager here at LIME has done a great job ensuring that all the trash from our office is recycled, and Therese our amazing designer has done so much to ensure that the coffee and tea in our office is fair trade.

All the little things we do individually can make a huge change.


<em>Vicki_R</em>'s picture
park in a garage-better for the planet
by Vicki_R on April 9, 2007 - 6:20pm
Recently read an article on cars that idle for parking spaces, give off tremendous amounts of carbon emissions.  Parking in a garage saves tons.  Next time you drive in to NYC if you must, go directly to a parking garage and save a little of the planet.

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