Building Code Green

Every day I walk by a construction site on my way home from work. In the morning, the dumpsters are empty. By the end of the day, they are bursting at the seams. Bailey, my dog, loves to pee on the bins. I like to think this is his way of expressing dissatisfaction at all the unnecessary waste.

In the past, nobody cared whether construction sites were green. They were simply a means to a necessary end, such as a new school, a store, or a skyscraper. Today, it's different. I'm amazed at how many construction projects there are in New York , and how many of them are for . . . banks.

For a building to be considered green, it must be certified by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.™ This is something that was developed by the US Green Building Council. It is a way to identify buildings that incorporate energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts.

There are some “green” buildings out there. New York City has a few, including The Octagon on Roosevelt Island, a brand new one in Kips Bay and my favorite, Riverhouse. As its name promises, it overlooks the Hudson . Its most famous resident is Leonardo DiCaprio. Right there…how bad could it be! Not only King of the World, but king of environmental activism!

The building boasts using only non-pollutant materials and finishes, and residents are provided with twice-filtered air and solar-powered energy…my dream!

A few months ago, John and I thought that it would be cool to check it out. We walked into the gorgeous lobby, through the halls which sprouted fitness centers, children’s playrooms, billiards area and a media café and into the sales office.

The salesman greeted us with a smile and showed us the 3D version of the building. After talking about the amazing amenities, he showed us an apartment. There were two bedrooms with the space to create a third, an open living room/kitchen with floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the Hudson, a washer and dryer (a slice of heaven not having to lug 30 pounds of laundry to the Laundromat), and a decent amount of closet space (about three).

We drooled, ooohed and ahhhed. Simply euphoria. Then there was the small matter of the price. It was only about $2 million.

“We have to find a way to make this work!” I exclaimed to John who turned to the man, thanked him for his time and pulled me out, kicking and screaming.

We jumped on the subway and headed home to walk Bailey, who peed on yet another construction site. One that, presumably, wouldn't cost us $2 million to move into.

Happy Green Year!

Happy 2010!

As I reflect back on 2009, I see that it was a year of keeping up with changes that I had already made and finding new ways to do even more to lessen my carbon footprint. But mostly, it was a year of...

Discovery

John and I came across a gadget at the Go Green Expo. It's made by a company called Soda Stream. The contraption comes with refillable liter bottles and we make our own seltzer! We've saved money and our recycling bin has significantly decreased because we're not going through tons of plastic bottles.

Action

Participating in the beach clean-up and the march across the Brooklyn Bridge (350.org and Greenpeace call for action on global warming) with my close friend Jen made me feel like I was really helping to make a difference. I was no longer just talking about what I should do but I was practicing what I preach.

Inspiration

I had the opportunity to meet one of the greatest environmentalists of our time. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) sponsored “An Evening with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.” at New York City’s Town Hall. He was both amazing and inspirational.

Creativity

I noticed how many cardboard sleeves we use on our takeout coffee cups. I’ve been recycling them, but I thought there’s got to be a way to reuse them. So I asked everyone I knew to save them for me. I sat down one night and wove them into a Christmas wreath. In a similar spirit, I wrapped John’s presents in Whole Foods paper grocery bags and used the handles as “ribbons.”

Full Green Ahead
This past year I have definitely outed some bad, praised some good and definitely seen some ugly! But most of all, I have learned so much from all of your comments. I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy days to read about my adventures in going green and staying green.

I wish you a very green 2010!

Plastic Around the Christmas Tree

The other day I was waiting for the bus and watching the cars drive by. One car sped past me carrying a Christmas tree on its roof. The tree was tied to the roof of the car by...plastic wrap!!!

I stared in dismay. I'm sure my mouth was hanging open. What happened to good old-fashioned reusable rope?

In NYC, you don't go to a tree farm to get your tree. You go to the street corner. There's practically a tree stand at every one of them. Why on earth these people needed to drive to pick up a tree is beyond me. Of course I could add that the cost of driving the car to pick up the tree and drive it home didn't add to our air quality.

The next day, John and I went to get our Christmas tree. (Yes...we have a live one. Check out why below!)

I was so proud that we weren't going to be using any plastic wrap. We picked out the perfect one and proudly brought it over to the tree guy.

He took the tree from us and fed it through this round contraption. He was just going to saw some of the trunk off. While he was at it, he shaved some of the branches off too which I quickly picked up and later turned into a wreath.

When the trimming was done, he fed it through the rest of the gizmo. Only the tree came out a lot thinner. I realized that when he fed it through, the gizmo contraption wrapped the tree in a plastic netting for easy transport.

NO! I was no better than the saran wrapped car! As I realized this, he asked if I was interested in purchasing a plastic bag to wrap the tree in when we were finished!

In slow motion I mouthed the words "No thank you." I composed myself and told him that if New Yorkers leave their UNWRAPPED trees on the sidewalk the week after Christmas, the City collects them and turns them into mulch for all of the parks! But not enough people know this and are suckered into a neat and tidy tree clean up.

We carried the tree home. Actually, John carried the tree home and I'm pretty sure he was thankful that it was wrapped in plastic netting. The sidewalks are very narrow and he was barely escaping clobbering someone with the trunk. For me, I would've rather knocked someone out. Ok. Maybe not. But still, you get my point. It made me think though of all its sisters and brothers that would soon be wrapped in plastic.

We got the tree up the 6 flights of stairs and quickly into a warm, sugary stand full of water. And then I had to operate...carefully removing the plastic netting. When the surgery was over and some pine needles lost, I held the bundle of plastic up to John who felt bad. "Next year we'll know" he said.

I threw it away and decided to move on to my decorating, quickly stringing the LED lights and my favorite ornaments.

It's a beautiful little tree. And at least I know that at the end of the season, after its provided us with much love and beauty, mine will be turned into mulch for the parks.

For those of you interested, here is why fake trees are horrible for the environment:

First, most of them are made in China so the fact that they have to travel so far to reach your living room is a carbon dioxide disaster.

Second, they are made of PVC which is a type of plastic. Plastic is a petroleum based product. And they use lead to make the PVC.

Finally, you can't recycle a fake tree so it ends up in a landfill.

Live trees absorb carbon dioxide, have no harmful chemicals and can biodegrade or be recycled into mulch for our gardens.

Check out the National Christmas Tree Association's website for more information about your Christmas Tree.

Green Thanks

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

I am so thankful that you read my blog week after week!

I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to write this blog!

and

I am so thankful for my health, my family, and my friends.

And it wouldn't be me if I didn't provide some green tips for tomorrow...

Avoid paper plates, cups, utensils, etc.

If you have nice china, use it! What good is it sitting in the china cabinet!

Buy organic or local.

Compost if you can.

and

Recycle your cans, boxes, bottles and aluminum foil.

Peace and love on this special holiday!

Pollute What You Wish, But You Must Pollute Something

Recently, my dad came to New York for a visit and we decided to take him to The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

It was very crowded so we immediately headed to a ticket counter.

We were greeted by a young girl who quickly took our money and gave us a receipt and a handful of coupons. I kindly said, "no thank you" to the coupons. Barely looking up, she gestured her head to the side and said, "The trash is right there."

I gasped. I'm actually gasping again as I write this.

I gained composure and said, "Can't I just give them back to you?" She stared at me blankly. A sarcophagus in the Egyptian wing had more life than she had in her eyes. I stared back at her and said "We can't waste all that paper! What about the poor trees?"

She was not amused by me. She had other people to deal with, other coupons to give out. Without looking up, she snatched the coupons from my hand and threw them back into her pile.

I walked away feeling agitated. My day at the Met was ruined. It was all I could think about. How many other people had wanted to give the coupons back and wound up throwing them away because she wouldn't take them?

A few hours passed and we were ready to leave. I couldn't possibly leave without saying anything or at least inquiring about their recycling policies.

I went to the information desk and the following conversation took place:

"Hi. I'm just wondering...does the Met recycle?" I asked.

"Um. I'm not...hey...do we recycle?" said a woman.

A man answered, "We print all of our brochures on recycled paper."

"That's great! But I'm wondering, do you recycle?" More sarcophagus stares.

Feeling frustrated by their non-response, I said "OK...here is what happened..." and I told my story. Neither of them seemed interested in the fact that those tiny coupons made of trees almost wound up in the trash, needlessly.

But then, I discovered what got their attention. I mentioned that the girl had been rude.

"Oh ma'am! We're so sorry! Please, fill out this form and return it to our customer service department." All of a sudden, they were as attentive and full of purpose as George Washington Crossing the Delaware.

I took the piece of paper and left the Met, making sure to recycle my little metal "M".

Here is my message to The Met. Let's save paper for something better . . . like artwork that my father will see hanging in a museum the next time we visit. Or how about this...the coupons were for discounts to the gift shop. Since everyone gets a coupon with their paid ticket, why not just discount everything and save the paper!

I have sent my complaint to their customer service department. I'm hoping that they realize that being rude to a patron is one thing, but being rude to the planet is pretty bad too.

Project: 350

When I was a kid, my mom used to say to me, "If your friends jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you do it, too?"

On Saturday, October 24, my answer was, "Jump, no. Follow them across? Yes!"

My friend Jen and I were walking to stop global warming. This was an environmental action day sponsored by 350.org.

From their website:

And what does this 350 number even mean?
350 is the number that leading scientists say is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide—measured in "Parts Per Million" in our atmosphere. 350 PPM—it's the number humanity needs to get back to as soon as possible to avoid runaway climate change.

People from all over the globe put groups together to show their commitment.

Some groups formed themselves into giant "350's" while others stood in large groups with signs and took pictures. Some went skydiving while some surfed. And some, like ours, marched in peace, not protest, to show our concern for the condition of our planet. I've posted some photos of our walk but check out the website as well...some of the pictures are amazing! 350.org

There was definitely a sense of pride walking over the bridge and hearing the cars beep to show their support. Some of us chanted things about saving the planet while others of us talked about what our government was going to do to help this problem. Regardless of what words came out of our mouths, we were all united for one cause.

Despite the rainy day (and trying not to look down between the grates at passing cars), we made it across the bridge and into the park to take a group photo.

Now I'm hoping that the NEW parental cliche will be, "If your friends marched across the Brooklyn Bridge to save the environment, would you do it, too?"

Choosy Peanut Butter Shoppers Choose Less Packaging

I love grocery shopping! My two favorites are Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.

It brings back memories of Saturday mornings with my dad. Back then, grocery shopping wasn't about organic foods and local produce. It was mass market and whatever was on sale. He'd hand me a bunch of coupons and I'd set off on my journey to collect all of my items. Apples were from New Zealand or some other country. It was all about meat and potatoes, Lucky Charms and Skippy peanut butter.

Today, grocery stores are still filled with those brands that I would not likely touch anymore, but they are also developing their own lines of organic foods and labeling local produce.

When I'm in Whole Foods, I feel good. Healthy. It's clean and there is such a wide variety of wholesome foods to choose from. And these days, I focus more on the outside aisles than the inside ones stocking all of the processed foods. Not only are most processed foods not healthy, but they also carry a lot of packaging.

On a recent shopping excursion, as I looked down my list, I was pleased to see "peanut butter." My favorite part of Whole Foods is the peanut butter station. They have machines that grind the peanuts right in front of you. I love watching the peanutty goo pour out into the cup and feeling the warmth of the freshly grounds peanuts. Plus it tastes great.

The other day I was enjoying my zen peanut butter experience when a girl came up and started to use the machine next to mine.

She reached under the shelf, but instead of pulling out the container, she only pulled out the lid.

I tried not to stare as she began pouring the peanut butter onto the lid. And then she licked it. She made a face, threw away the lid, grabbed another one and repeated the process on another machine filled with honey roasted peanuts. Same pour. Same face.

I removed my container from the machine and slammed it down on the counter to distribute the peanut butter.

But really to make a point.

She looked at me and I glared at her lid. She looked at it, too. Then threw it out and walked away.

As I became increasingly annoyed I thought about how many other people have just "tasted" the peanut butter. Or the ice cream. All of those little plastic spoons and cups that we all gravitate toward at Trader Joe's and Costco.

We are using so much energy to make things we care so little about.

On my way out, I walked by the peanut butter station again. There was a dad holding his little boy who was thrilled at the idea of flipping the switch and watching the creamy peanuts flow. I looked at them and hoped that by the time the little boy could reach the machine on his own, he would know what the peanuts tasted like so that he wouldn't need that extra lid.