New York

A Gem in the Catskills

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by Beth Fiteni

Though in existence for over 40 years, I only recently discovered a gem in Woodburne, NY called Sivananda Yoga Ranch. It is a sweetIMG_2055 little nonprofit retreat center where guests and volunteer staff follow a daily routine to keep body, mind, and soul healthy. The day includes yoga and Kirtan (sung prayers) twice a day and two healthy vegetarian meals made with their own garden vegetables when in season. They also just got their solar panel project up and running! The tradition followed is based in 5 principles of proper exercise, proper breathing, proper relaxation, proper diet (they teach workshops on permaculture and earth care), and positive thinking. Though based on Hindu tradition taught years ago by Swami Sivananda, the philosophy embraces the idea that there is one God with many faces so all faiths are welcomed, respected, and reflected in their small library of spiritual books. With a beautiful view of the mountains, simple affordable accommodations, and peaceful nooks for relaxation, the Ranch provides a nice get away to get centered & refreshed. It is one of multiple international Sivananda retreat centers around the world, and I look forward to seeing more of them—especially the one in the Bahamas!

 

 

GreenFestival NYC 2016

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This year’s Earth Day Greenfestival at the Javits Center was informative and inspiring as it always is. It is an annual expo of green product innovators, natural body care products, green gadgets, healthy food, eco-clothing, and sustainability organizations. It was co-sponsored by Green America and the film Cowspiracy, which is an exposé of how the meat industry impacts the environment.

I always like to mention my favorite finds, and this year one of them is from Long Island:

SOS Natural Products is a Bay-Shore based company that makes natural mosquito repellent products, that includes a key ingredient—lemon eucalyptus. This has been found by the Center for Disease Control to be effective at repelling mosquitoes, an important thing to have on those balmy summer evenings.

SOS Mosquito product

A second favorite was Mariclaro, a Canadian company who makes upcycled briefcases, wallets and accessories for men from high end car parts such as Mercedes and Cadillac. They literally go to the landfills and pull out the usable seat belts, leather, etc. and hand-make impressively chic, stylish products.

Mariclaro Upcycled Seatbelt wallets and purses

A final mention goes to the Unitensil for clever design. It is a re-usable “spork/knife” that folds up and can fit in your pocket for anytime you are eating take-out to avoid the need for disposable plastic-ware.

unitensel

There are Greenfestivals around the country each spring; see greenfestivals.org.

Recycle Your Old Sneakers

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running shoe

When your sneakers are too worn out to donate, recycle them. Since the 1990s Nike has had a Better World – Reuse A Shoe program through which they accept any kind of athletic shoes, including other brands. They grind up the materials to be used for flooring and even zippers. According to their website, 28 million sneakers have gone through the shredders, one of them located in Tennessee. Flooring for tennis & basketball courts, running tracks and playground surfaces made with “Nike Grind” now cover about 632,000,000 square feet – nearly enough to cover Manhattan. You can drop of your old shoes on Long Island at:

  • The Nike Store at the Tanger Outlets in Deer Park or Riverhead
  • The Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City
  • Nike Store in Oceanside on Long Beach Rd.

For other locations around the U.S. see : http://www.nike.com/us/en_us/c/better-world/reuse-a-shoe

Note* Nike is one of the largest global users of organic cotton, but has been criticized for using sweatshop labor. Consumer pressure will help them continue in the right direction.

A Historic Moment for U.S. Clean Energy

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Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative, Denmark - CREDIT: KIM HANSEN (FLICKR)
Middelgrunden Wind Turbine Cooperative, Denmark CREDIT: KIM HANSEN (FLICKR)

I got the best birthday present this year I could ever ask for. On Monday July 27, 2015, construction broke ground on the first ever off-shore wind park in the United States. It will be a small 30 mw wind park made up of 5 turbines off of Block Island, which is between Rhode Island and the tip of Long Island. It will supply enough energy to power about 17,000 homes mostly on Block Island, without use of fossil fuels. Many congratulations are due to Deepwater Wind for all their work in securing the proper location, approvals, and financing to achieve this major accomplishment.

While there are wind farms on land in the U.S., and there have been several other offshore projects in the works in other states such as Massachusetts and Maryland (plus a failed attempt off L.I.), this is the first project to actually begin construction offshore. This project follows in a long line of offshore wind farms in other countries such as Denmark (which I wrote about visiting four years ago on this blog), England, and China. Proposed in 2009, there is still an offshore wind farm in the works closer to the New York City area by the NY Power Authority. Let’s hope it happens soon, so we can continue to create electricity while achieving reductions in greenhouse gases and protecting our climate.

To hear my interview with Clint Plummer of Deepwater Wind last summer, go the “Listen to Past Shows” section of this website’s radio show page.

My Favorite Things at this Year’s Greenfestival

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The best part of the 2015 Greenfestival at the Javits Center in NYC was witnessing the Cafeteria Culture (formerly the “Styrofoam Out of Schools” campaign) win $5,000 towards the continuation of their efforts in schools. They successfully fought for the banning of styrofoam in NYC schools, and I’d love to see the same thing happen here on LI. Their styrofoam monster, made from the plates from just ONE lunchtime, must have made an impression on some decision-makers. See http://www.cafeteriaculture.org/foam-trays-out-of-schools.html

My 3 Favorite Products

  • Anti-human trafficking t-shirts: Sustainable items made by women who either escaped from having been sold into the sex trade or who are at risk and in need of financial opportunity. Started by a woman who was studying in Cambodia and saw how sad one family was to decide to sell their child as a desperate means of making money. T-shirts are made from organic cotton, and bags made from upcycled rice bags. See http://www.nominetwork.org/ or http://www.buyherbagnotherbody.com/.

nomi shirt

  • Socks for a Cause: Conscious Steps is an international company run by 3 young men that sell 4 styles of ethically made men’s organic socks, each one dedicated to a certain nonprofit organization. One is for a group providing HIV therapy for pregnant women in Africa, one is for food packs for children, another is for schoolbooks for children in Asia, and a fourth is for tree planting in Kenya. See http://consciousstep.com/

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  • Toys and kids tableware made from recycled plastic: This one is a no-brainer. While I prefer all plastic be a thing of the past, if children are going to play with/use plastic at all, it should at least be recycled. This brand uses the plastic from used milk containers which does not contain BPA. See http://re-play.com/

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4 Honorable Mentions:

  • The GrowOya—a terracotta jug that you plant in your garden and fill with water once a week—it naturally seeps water directly into the soil so less water is wasted by evaporation. Ancient technology made new again. See http://growoya.com/

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  • The Swedish cellulose dishcloth/sponge comes with fun prints and replaces 17 rolls of paper towels because it can be dried and reused. http://threebluebirds.com/

hand towel

  • Affirmats: Yoga mat made of natural rubber and jute (a plant fiber) so is totally biodegradable. See http://www.affirmats.com/

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And last but not least, my perennial favorite… the green burial casket and seashell made of ashes. This is the way I want to go. http://agreenerfuneral.org/

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Film Review: The Human Experiment—Switch to Safer!

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Human Exprmnt

The Human Experiment is a new documentary by California film-maker Dana Nachman and narrated by Sean Penn, and is the manifestation of a film that I believe has long needed to be made. It focuses on the chemicals people are exposed to on a daily basis from common products such as plastics and body care products, and shows the history and policy decisions that have led to the current situation. It also shares some moving true stories of what has happened to several people who suffered direct physical effects of chemicals including a couple who had trouble conceiving and even lost a child due to impacts on hormones from plastic chemicals, and a house-cleaner who experienced skin rashes and respiratory effects from toxic cleaners and who now works for a green cleaning company. Friday’s showing at Cinema Village, NYC was followed by a discussion featuring Ansje Miler of Center for Environmental Health, Maida Galvez of the Mount Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Center, and Ashley Orgain from Seventh Generation, a Vermont-based company that has been providing eco-friendly cleaning products for years. The groups involved are opposing the adoption of a current bill that weakens the Toxic Substances Control Act. Take action here: Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families. For more info on the film or to organize a screening, see thehumanexperimentmovie.com.