NYT Today

A gardening on your roof article.

LED Lighting

Some of you may have read the Sat. New York Times article about LED lights. The advantages are very long bulb life and very low power consumption- even less than the now common compact fluorescents. Also, they can be dimmed, are not sensitive to cycling (turning on and off, which can greatly reduce the lifespan of a fluorescent bulb), and do not have mercury or any hazardous materials in them. Now the down side. They are expensive and I haven’t been too impressed with the color quality, they tend to be too cool of a light.  One way to deal with the color problem is to mix the bulbs with standard incandescent bulbs in the same fixture or room. That said, they are a very good option for outdoor lighting, shop/utility room lights or anywhere constant lighting is needed. Look for big changes in this technology in the near future.

Earth Day

Check out dwell’s on line issue this month.

Green Roof workshop

Green Roofs, Alternative Energy, and Your Business

• When: Tuesday, May 05 2009 05:00 PM – Tuesday, May 05 2009 06:30 PM 
  (in 15 days and 03:14 hours.)
• Where: Sustainable NYC, 139 Avenue A (between 8th & 9th)
• Duration: 01:30 hours.
• Sponsoring Organization: Sustainable NYC
• More information: More information »
• If your business wants save on energy costs, increase marketability of your building, gain aesthetic appeal, increase roof life span, insulate your building from sound, reduce storm water runoff and more then come to this introductory workshop on Green Roofs and alternative energy. This workshop will teach you about what a Green Roof is and how your business and your community can benefit from it (including economic benefits and incentives). Green Roof experts will show you examples of Green Roofs and discuss how they are installed. Furthermore, experts on alternative energy option in NYC will help you reduce energy bills and your businesses overall emissions.

Tomorrows news

Big story on the green depot in tomorrows NYT.

Fort Washington Park

Have you seen the proposed renovation of Fort Washington Park?

Green Depot opens in Bowery

The editor of inhabitat.com, a green-design blog, recommends some green solutions at the Green Depot, a one-stop-eco-building warehouse which opened last week on the Bowery, for a Blueline Innovations PowerCost Monitor, which tracks electricity use and cost, and the Ovopur water filtration unit, which has a cool egg-shape design.

Last of the toilet talk

I just found this flushometer that is duel flush and works with our building’s system.

Praise the Lord and Green the Roof

NY Times, Sun. 2.1.09
… In setting out to construct an environmentally advanced building to replace the trio of connected brownstones that they now call home, the Episcopal sisters of the Community of the Holy Spirit were taking a giant step in their decade-long journey to weave ecological concerns into their daily ministry. While they have long tried to reduce their carbon footprint at 113th Street, the new convent, for which construction will begin in March, will help them be green from the ground up.

Of the 14 firms that the sisters had invited to submit proposals, BKSK ultimately wooed them with a plan that features rooftop gardens, water heated by solar power, rainwater collection, natural light and ventilation and the use of environmentally sensitive materials throughout.
Full Article: Praise the Lord and Green the Roof

The selective flush

I was reminded to mention the lowest cost and easiest way to save water- “If it’s yellow, let it mellow. If it’s brown, flush it down “. Unfortunately the city has no incentive plans for this system.