Green | The New York Observer

Toward a Clean Energy Future

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:03:04 -0500

In Sunday's New York Times, the reporter, Melanie Warner, (or her editor) poses the question:...

President Obama has Already Redefined the Political Center

Mon, 09 Feb 2009 14:31:15 -0500

It took less than a month for the 24-7 news media and political pundit class to pile on President Obama and resume their old habit of underestimating him. "His appointments were not properly vetted". "The stimulus package is a pork-laden mishmash". "He's too nice to the conservatives" "He still hasn't gotten his kids a dog". Through all of the endless analysis our new President maintains his balance and seems to coolly rise above the...

Bringing Green Principles Into the American Economy

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 13:09:58 -0500

Some of us believe environmental sustainability can be a central element of the revival of the American economy. Some think this idea is mushy-headed, idealistic nonsense that should be rejected by hard-nosed business leaders. Wal-Mart, perhaps the best-known example of a company that has done well by doing good, provides evidence of how green business can lead to greenbacks.

After the retail giant's reputation took a hit, first for not providing employees with enough...

Building a Sustainable Auto

Fri, 30 Jan 2009 11:58:38 -0500

The power of the American Presidency to move the environmental agenda was never more apparent than during President Obama's recent directive to EPA to reconsider California's request to set tighter air emission and fuel efficiency standards. Under the Clean Air Act, California has long had the authority to exceed federal standards and typically it has made good use of this power. What makes President Obama's directive even more important is that 13 states are...

Understanding Public Opinion About the Environment

Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:51:51 -0500

On January 22, a piece in the New York Times discussed public opinion data on the environment and global warming and noted that support for protecting the environment was slipping in U.S. public opinion polls. According to Andrew C. Revkin:

"The latest in an annual series of polls from the Pew Research Center on people's top priorities for their elected leaders shows that America and President Obama are completely out of sync on human-caused...

The Pageant of Democracy Continues

Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:21:17 -0500

Inauguration day, 2009 was a thrilling affirmation of the United States and the most hopeful day I can remember. The American President is both our head of government and our head of state. He is both prime minister and king. And before about two million people, and millions more on TV and the web, President Barack Obama, again demonstrated the talent to masterfully fulfill both of these roles.

From my perspective it was a wonderful...

Miracle on the Hudson: How About a Miracle on the Potomac Too?

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 16:56:55 -0500

In this season of hope and frigid fear, the other day on the Hudson River we saw another reason for optimism. When faced with imminent danger, we saw the best in what we all can do together. A jetliner is in trouble and the pilot skillfully steers away from the most populated strip of land in America, and brings his passengers and crew to safety. Ferry captains, firefighters, police, the Coast Guard and many...

In Support of the Obama Stimulus Plan

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 13:35:07 -0500

The Administration's stimulus plan is now available for review and I urge you to read it yourself and not simply listen to media-tilted or politically biased views of the plan. You can find it at: http://change.gov/agenda/economy_agenda/ . All the predictable ideological voices in Congress and the media have started to weigh in with their short sighted and narrow views of what needs to happen. Some of this is not about saving the economy, but...

What’s Happening to New York City’s Garbage?

Sun, 04 Jan 2009 15:55:47 -0500

While New York City's inadequate waste management system is one of my constant themes or perhaps obsessions, at the end of December, the New York Post published a wonderful "man bites dog:" story: The amount of garbage we are producing is going down! David Seifman, one of the Post's terrific political journalists reported that in New York City:

"Household refuse collections dropped 5.5 percent, from 54,205 to 51,250 tons per week, between fiscal 2005 and...

Priming the Economic Pump in 2009: A Users Manual

Fri, 26 Dec 2008 10:54:59 -0500

As 2008 comes to a close, it really has been the best and worst of years. The economy, the continuing carnage in Iraq, the persistence of extreme poverty and the steady destruction of the planet are certainly on the negative side of the annual ledger. But, as we look toward 2009 there is reason to be hopeful. At the center of this hope, perhaps already looming larger than life, is our soon to be...

The Great Mumble: A New Generation Slouches Toward Nukes

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 17:17:10 -0500

It wasn't all that long ago that supporting nuclear power as a Democrat in New York State was an easy way to lose an election.

"In 1992 I was in a three-way race for the State Assembly," said Assemblyman Kevin Cahill, whose opponents in that race were a high school math teacher in his fifties and a "self-described '50's housewife," according to Cahill. "We sat before the active Democrats of our community. And...

Food and the Holidays: Feast and Famine

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 16:42:46 -0500

As President-Elect Obama focuses his transition team on a green stimulus plan, here in New York, Governor Patterson is also proposing public policies that serve multiple purposes. While in Washington, they are able to print money and run a deficit, at the state and local level we have to pay as we go. In Washington they make plans to spend money, in New York we need to make plans to raise new funds. Patterson...

The Greening of Film Making: From Coast to Coast

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:36:01 -0500

While New York often looks to California for innovative, environmental ideas, the movie-making business that is centered in Southern California is not known for being frugal or conscious of resource constraints. The creative process dominates, and entertainment is known for excess. "A lot of waste takes place on production sites," said Zahava Stroud, President and Co-Founder of iHollywood Forum, an industry group working to motivate the public to act more sustainably. The forum recently...

A Competently Managed Federal Program to Revive the Economy

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:38:16 -0500

The economy lost 533,000 jobs in November, raising the official US unemployment rate to 6.7%. When you add to that the number of people who have given up their job searches or are working part time when they would rather work full time, our real unemployment rate is probably closer to 12.5%. Over the last year the US economy has lost nearly 2 million jobs. This could be the start of a depression, the...

Going Green For the Green

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 13:37:47 -0500

So, you don’t have a job. Could you get one by being green?

In the last year, the U.S. Green Building Council has held two green jobs fairs in New York for would-be sustainable designers and the businesses who want them, drawing about 300 people each. At the third, held last Friday at N.Y.U.’s Palladium at 140 East 14th Street, 400 people signed up with walk-ins pouring through the doors. Rather than the...

Investing in the Region’s Mass Transit

Mon, 01 Dec 2008 02:43:29 -0500

This summer I wrote about the need for increased public subsidies for mass transit and about the importance of keeping transit fares as low as possible. Due to over borrowing for capital improvements during the Pataki administration and the reduction in revenues from the City's real-estate transfer tax, estimates of the size of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's budget deficit continue to grow. The most recent estimate is for $1.2 billion in red ink next...

Let’s Build a Sustainable Auto Industry

Sun, 23 Nov 2008 20:25:17 -0500

The winds of change are certainly blowing out of the District of Columbia these days. While the big news is our newly elected president, we also see that Henry Waxman was able to defeat John Dingell and take over as the chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. It has been from this perch that Congressman Dingell has protected the auto industry from the forces of modernity and sustainability for more than...

Food for the Holidays

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:02:16 -0500

On November 19 Columbia University and the Manhattan Borough President's Office held a conference on The Politics of Food. The half-day conference was devoted to one of New York City's biggest challenges: ensuring that the public has ready access to high-quality food. Speakers included Columbia President Lee Bollinger, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and H.E. Father Miquel d'Escoto Brockmann, President of the United Nations General Assembly.

At the...

Beyond Consumerism to Sustainability

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:30:25 -0500

The economic meltdown that began on Wall Street has spread to the rest of the nation and most of the world. Economic decline shapes the mindset of many American consumers as they start to hold their cash in the bank or hide it under their mattresses. On November 11, New York Times reporter David Leonhardt wrote an incisive piece on this issue:

"For decades - from the 1950s through the...

Recession or Not, Green Building to Keep Growing

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:16:56 -0500

The Wall Street crash and nose-diving gas prices have taken the air out of some environmental initiatives lately—federal climate change legislation, for example, and a few big renewable energy projects.

But in New York City, by at least one metric, environmentalism is going strong: Driven by growing demand for eco-friendly living and working space, developers are forging full steam ahead on plans to obtain green certification for both commercial and residential...

In Soho, Club Kids Turn Green (Not From Overconsumption)

Wed, 12 Nov 2008 12:13:38 -0500

The city's ever-wasteful nightlife industry toasts its first eco-friendly venue tonight during a private opening party at Greenhouse in Soho, according to the boozy blog Down By The Hipster.

Back in July, The Observer's Gillian Reagan spoke with Greenhouse operator Jon Bakhshi about his vision for the space, located at 150 Varick Street:

...guests dancing on flooring made from recyclable material. Gyrating ladies, with their blown-out hair and glittery tops, will shimmer under low-voltage lights....

Financial Stress May End Up Stimulating a Greener Economy

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 20:11:41 -0500

With the city's tax revenues melting down along with our local economy, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and people in and around government are floating a number of large and small tax proposals. The idea of tolls on the East River bridges and even the recently defeated proposal to institute congestion pricing are once again getting serious attention as the MTA faces the need to make up revenue shortfalls. About half a million vehicles cross to...

The Pageant of Democracy

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 09:58:50 -0500

Tuesday morning the pageant of democracy began in earnest. At 6:15am on West 120th street off Morningside Drive, I stood with my neighbors in the longest polling line I have seen in more than two decades of voting on the Upper West Side. Reading about the death of Barak Obama’s grandmother as I waited in line, I thought of my own grandparents, long gone, and the journey that took all four from Russia and...

Let’s Not Give Up On the Idea of a More Fuel Efficient Taxi Fleet in NYC

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 12:15:58 -0400

Last week, another element of Mayor Bloomberg's plan for sustainable transportation was dealt a significant, but by no means fatal setback. A federal judge blocked implementation of the requirement that all of the City's cabs be powered by hybrid engines. According to The New York Times' Sewell Chan: "In his ruling, Judge Crotty, who was the city's corporation counsel from 1994 to 1997, under Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, agreed to block the city...

A Discussion on a Sustainable Planet, City and Campus

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 01:19:23 -0400

It has now been almost a half century since the idea of a global and interconnected biosphere was popularized by environmental pioneers such as Rachel Carson and Barry Commoner. It's been about four decades since astronauts broadcast the first images of our small, fragile bright blue planet from outer space. Until then, the idea of an interdependent planet was an abstraction. Those photos made the idea of our connectivity quite real.

Today, the...

Joe the Plumber is the Symbol for What’s Wrong

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 15:35:30 -0400

If you read the transcript of the now famous exchange between Senator Obama and Joe the Plumber, you learn that Obama was making the point that rich people like him and those that make more than $250,000 a year should pay more taxes so that people who make less can pay fewer taxes – and so we can invest in our future. Now we learn from Senator McCain and the Fox News Channel that...

Green Jobs and Rebuilding Our Economy: Beyond the Presidential Campaigns

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 12:05:31 -0400

During the recent presidential debates Senator John McCain said developing green technologies and alternative energies can "get our economy going by creating millions of jobs." On this point Senator Barak Obama agreed: "If we create a new energy economy, we can create 5 million jobs, easily, here in the United States."

Despite the enthusiasm of the presidential candidates, in recent days we've seen lots of old-style thinking that the financial crisis would require steming...

Apples and Light Bulbs on the Lower East Side: The way to a more eco-friendly New York City

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 11:25:45 -0400

We like to think greening is more than a passing style, and that the idea of sustainability is taking root in our values and becoming a real presence in our communities. One of the neighborhoods that is working hard to re-brand itself green is the lower east side of Manhattan. In fact, the environment will be big in that community this Sunday, when a street festival will feature everything from chocolate apple truffles to...

New York Has 10 Olympic Pools' Worth of Green Roofs

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 11:28:42 -0400

From the Journal's breakdown of what a green roof is and how to get one: "The amount of green roofing in New York more than doubled to 123,074 square feet from 2004 to 2007, according to surveys by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities-North America Inc. That is an area roughly equal to about 10 Olympic-size swimming...

Term Limits, Democracy and Sustainability

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 18:39:29 -0400

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s recent announcement that he would seek a third term as mayor brings back the issue of term limits and its connection to good government and long-term planning. I am against term limits anywhere, including the American presidency. The 22nd amendment was an anti-democratic, anti-government mistake, just as the term limit mandate in New York is a bad idea. The argument against term limits is simple and has two...

The Leadership Meltdown in Washington DC

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:12:04 -0400

As Congress desperately tries to pass legislation to bail out Wall Street and restore confidence in the American economy, it is also managing to allow tax credits for renewable energy to expire at the end of the year. According to Robert Pear's recent New York Times article: "The House and the Senate conceded Monday that they were in a stalemate over proposals to provide tax incentives for the production and use of renewable energy,...

A Sustainable and Well-Managed Financial System

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 09:58:03 -0400

As the financial markets continue their roller coaster ride, the issue of government’s role in our society returns to the front pages. While Congress considers a massive buyout of poorly thought out investments, many are arguing that if we are going to provide these subsidies we need to impose rules to prevent future crises. It’s time to re-examine the way we regulate our economy and hopefully develop a more sophisticated approach to regulation and...

McCain and Obama in Presidential Pre-Fight at Clinton Global Initiative

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:19:14 -0400

This week, I'll spend some time liveblogging from the Clinton Global Initiative—the remarkable annual event where, between celebrity sightings, hundreds of smart and knowledgeable people discuss big problems and practical ways to solve them.

At this year's C.G.I., there will be a major pre-debate appearance by John McCain and Barack Obama, virtually together. On Thursday morning, at a conference plenary titled "Integrated Solutions: Water, Food & Energy," Senator McCain will deliver the opening remarks in...

On the Drilling Issue, the Democrats Are Still Losers

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:01:05 -0400

All spring and summer gas prices soared and the debate over energy policy played out on the front pages of newspapers across the country, with the Republicans unquestionably getting the better of it.

They deserve some credit for their strategic craftiness, but they wouldn’t have been nearly as successful in reducing so complicated an issue to the catchy slogan “Drill, baby, drill!” had it not been for the ample cooperation they received from tone-deaf...

Al Gore, Magazine Mogul?

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:48:23 -0400

Portfolio's Jeff Bercovici is reporting that the former vice president and poster boy for eco-living may make an announcement that he's buying Plenty, the New York-based environmental lifestyle magazine.

Mr. Gore is on the cover of the current issue as part of their Plenty 20 list of environmental leaders and thinkers. Maybe Mr. Gore liked the magazine so much, he decided to pull a Victor Kiam and buy the whole company. Expect an...

Promoting Energy Efficiency: Comparing New York State to California

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 10:32:27 -0400

One of the simplest things we can do to improve our productivity and economic well being is to increase the efficiency of our use of energy. We are so wasteful that there is an enormous amount of low hanging fruit. As New York state begins to get serious about this, we should look west to California, for a place that really knows how to make the most out of a kilowatt.

Since 1981,...

After Hurricane Ike: How do we Reduce the Impact of Natural Disasters?

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 14:51:07 -0400

At the end of June, when parts of Iowa were underwater, I wrote that the United States needed to develop a rainy day fund and do more to routinize emergency response and reconstruction. In that piece I mentioned that, according to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration: "The U.S. has sustained 78 weather-related disasters over the past 28 years in which overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion. The total normalized losses for the...

Gennaro Unfiltered on Fracking

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:19:15 -0400

"Unfiltered forever!" City Councilman James Gennaro, the water supply's self-appointed ombudsman, nearly shouted at an emergency Council hearing yesterday, where officials and citizens discussed fracking—the unfortunately named and controversial method used to extract natural gas. (It's short for hydraulic fracturing).

For the moment, New York City is among the few places where a supply of drinking water to a major population center is not filtered. But drilling for natural gas...

Wikipedia Founder Goes Green

Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:06:20 -0400

Jimmy "Jimbo" Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, has unveiled a new community for greenies to share information about environmental topics. Today, Mr. Wales unveiled Wikia Green, an arm of Mr. Wales' for-profit venture Wikia. It's a lot like Wikipedia in that it can be edited by anyone. But a Wikia Green article won't overview the entire history of a company like ExxonMobil. Instead, it will focus on the company's green practices and environmental history,...

Drill, Drill, Drill: John Mc Cain’s Lost Opportunity to Provide Leadership on Energy

Mon, 08 Sep 2008 10:18:28 -0400

In speaking about his support for the military "surge" in Iraq, John Mc Cain said that he would rather lose the Presidency than lose the war. It's too bad he hasn't followed the same principled approach on energy. The New York Times lead editorial this past Sunday reiterated a point I have made a number of times on this site. We cannot drill enough oil and gas to solve our energy crisis. There are...

Science, Governor Palin and Environmental Policy

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:30:07 -0400

On January 5th of this year, Alaska Governor and Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin wrote an op-ed in the New York Times opposing listing polar bears on the endangered species list. Her argument was well reasoned and thoughtful, although in the end, unsatisfactory. In her piece Governor Palin noted her support for policies that helped preserve polar bears:

"We have a ban on most hunting - only Alaska Native subsistence families can hunt...

Local versus National Solutions to the Energy Crisis: NYC’s Renewable Energy Policy

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 11:04:32 -0400

Last week Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed that New York City engage in a serious effort to develop alternative energy sources, and in return for his trouble he faced skepticism and even ridicule from a cynical media. Cartoons were drawn with King Kong trying to swat a windmill off the top of the Empire State Building. Still, even the tabloids could not dismiss the idea entirely. Bloomberg commands respect, and $4 a gallon gasoline has...

City's First LEED-Certified Museum to Open This Fall

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:25:15 -0400

The Brooklyn Children's Museum -- the hands-on instititution popular with tykes from Tremont to Poughkeepsie -- is slated to reopen as the first LEED-certified museum in New York City on Sept. 20, according to a spokeswoman for the project and Interior Design.

The Rafael-Vinoly-designed addition to the Crown Heights insititution will, according to the design mag, double the size of the museum to more than 100,000 square feet. The addition, covered in 8.1...

Sustainability, the Economy and the Presidential Race

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 11:35:57 -0400

The Presidential nominating conventions are now approaching, first the Democrats' and then the Republicans'. The President hangs out at the Olympics, stomps his feet over the Russian invasion of Georgia and then makes another pass at gutting the Endangered Species Act by reducing the time and scientific analysis needed to assess the environmental impact of federal projects. The energy and climate issue have provided some environmental content to this campaign, but the...

Breathing in Beijing: Environmental Quality and the 2008 Summer Olympics

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:26:22 -0400

Watching the wonderful spectacle of the Olympics this year, one finds the world outside the sports arenas constantly intruding. Russia manages to invade Georgia, human rights activists try to communicate their message to the world and oh yeah, breathing in Beijing remains a challenge. All of these issues are important, but as you might expect, I'm going to focus on breathing today.

I have the honor of...

No Straight Talk from McCain and No Change from Obama as Energy Moves to the Center of the Presidential Campaign

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 15:00:41 -0400

The energy issue has become central in the presidential campaign and we see little to suggest that either candidate will engage in a real discussion about the real choices we have. The fact is that the era of fossil fuels is coming to an end. There are too many people and too much need for energy for this to continue for very long. How long? More than a decade and less than a century....

Toward a Profession of Sustainability Managers: Wayne Balta and Sustainability at IBM

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 12:50:38 -0400

If we are to make this planet more sustainable, all of us--individuals, families, schools, nonprofits, and especially corporations--will need to change our behavior. This does not mean that we must live grim lives where we stay at home freezing in the dark. It does mean that we need to pay attention to the resources we consume and we need to switch as quickly as we can to renewable resources. This is going...

How Obama and the Democrats Screwed Up on Drilling

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 15:27:42 -0400

The Democrats are supposed to own the issue of energy, if only because they've mastered the art of tarring Republicans as the party of Big Oil. It's a caricature that the G.O.P., with its mocking scorn for conservation, addiction to corporate tax cuts and unkickable habit of nominating oil men for national office, has done nothing to refute.

Of course, the Democrats are also (supposedly)...

McMahon Pumps Gas for Votes

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 16:09:32 -0400

Here's a shot of Democratic Congressional candidate and City Councilman Mike McMahon pumping gas for voters in Staten Island today. (Upstate candidate and millionaire Jack Davis held a similar event, and paid for it).

I emailed the campaign to ask if McMahon supports the compromise energy bill in Congress that raises fuel efficiency standards, but also would permit expanded offshore drilling.

“Mike believes we need strong bipartisan efforts to find energy solutions, but...

Obama Presses the Big-Oil Attack on McCain

Tue, 05 Aug 2008 10:41:47 -0400

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Speaking now in the Austintown Fitch High School, Barack Obama talked about how John McCain had demanded just a day before to start off shore drilling.

“‘I want to drill here, I want to drill now,’” said Obama, channeling his opponent.

“I don’t know where he was standing. I mean think he was in a building somewhere.” He paused to chuckle with the crowd. “This plan,” he continued, “will...