New York

My Top 15 Countdown of Favorite Signs at the Climate March

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No blogpost could do it justice–the Climate March in NYC (9/21/14) was absolutely fantastic beyond words! I was so happy to be a part of it along with 310,000+ others from all walks of life—many races, many religions, all ages, and multiple points of view from across the states and Canada, with marches taking place in other countries as well. It was inspiring to have such a diverse group come out and share their creative messaging, so I thought I’d give my top15 favorite signs:

15) Disrupt fossil fuels
14) The Climate Changes, Can we?
13) Windmills not Weapons
12) Keep Fossil Fuels in the Ground
11) I don’t believe in climate silence
10) Your carbon is stressing me out
9) “Cool It” on a picture of a burning globe
8) Save spiders—stop cutting down trees (hand-made by a 7 year old)
7) Stop the war on mother earth (carried by veterans)
6) New Orleans: The seas are rising… and so are we!
5) Cook Organic, not the Planet
4) Change the System, not the Climate
3) There is no Planet B
2) It’s getting hot in here, so take off all your coals
1) I can’t believe I’m having to protest… is it not obvious?

And a special shout out to the vegans carrying the cow float saying “Do you have a steak in it?,” reminding us of the impact of our food choices. Let’s hope all this effort impacts UN & government decision-makers. For more on the March and what you can do, see 350.org. For more pictures, “like” the Green Inside and Out Facebook page.

Be Social Change Holds Series on the Future of Fashion

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Paper No. 9The final of a series of 3 gatherings on how to create a sustainable clothing future, the group Be Social Change sponsored a packed July lecture at Wix Lounge in NYC on future trends in fashion production. The panel of experts, moderated by Summer Rayne Oakes, author of “Style, Naturally,” focused on new people breaking into the business and how it can be difficult to do everything they’d like to do to be sustainable when first starting a business – but with a continued ethic, fashion companies can build up to include more green measures over time. They discussed product durability as a factor in sustainability, customization & 3D printing of clothing, banding together with like-minded others to reach target markets instead of competing, and standards for determining product sustainability levels. A very interesting textile featured was made from processed recycled paper. See Paper No. 9.

The Future of Fashion panelFind these panelists on Twitter:
@besocialchange
@paperNo9
@Sroakes
@Shethinx
@twinmiki
@haggarco
@rhoniball

Green Festival NYC 2014 – the Latest Green Products & EcoFashion

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(April 26-27, 2014) The Green Festival in NYC is always a fantastic venue to discover the latest in green, such as biodegradable handy-wipes, educational games to help kids learn about nature, electric cars, vegan snacks, and clean energy organizations.

game

A main focus was ecofashion, including:

  • An ecofashion show hosted by the nonprofit Fashion Fights Poverty, and several local designers showed their eco-friendly and creative designs. My favorite was Janelle Funari, who makes beautiful children’s clothing from organic materials.
  • A vendor was selling hats made out of clothing donated to thrift stores and another sold organic baby clothes
  • A panel of experts led by Kate Black explained the current state of sustainable fashion and its importance on the earth and workers. See: Bhoomki, Shop Ethica, Mode Marteau (vintage), and Love is Mighty (shoes)
  • Ecofashion expert Sass Brown spoke about her new book which features designers who repurpose fabrics, such as a dress made from discarded Speedo racing suits.

I am always struck by the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of the exhibitors. See Greenfestivals.org

nature game   panel   men's fashion

Post by Green Inside And Out Consulting.

Slow Food Huntington Dazzles with Film and Local Food Event

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SlowFoodSlow Food Huntington pulled off an amazing sold-out night of film and food at the Cinema Arts Centre in Huntington, NY last night, which I was so proud to be a part of.

After showing a film called “Growing Farmers,” about local farmers right here on Long Island and the Peconic Land Trust, we were treated to a brief presentation by Scott Chaskey, the farmer of many years of Quail Hill Farm in East Hampton.

Volunteers dished out 117 bowls of vegan miso vegetable chowder, followed by a film “Letting Salt Just Be Salt” on locally made sea-salt from Amagansett, with a serving of sea salt braised roasted vegetables. This was followed by a film on the truth about beef, “The Secret Life of Beef “ and a film on local pickles called “Divine Brine”, and a serving of veggie sliders with the pickles from the film.

The fourth course was a film on fresh pasta-making, called “A Pasta Story” followed by a dish of fresh locally made radiatore pasta described by a local pasta maker, and the final course was a film, “Greyston Bakery,” with desserts made by the Bronx bakery of the same name, whose mission it is to provide jobs for people who might otherwise have a hard time getting hired due to a checkered past.

It was a unique and fantastic night, combining education, film, and sustainable food. For more information on Slow Food Huntington and it’s upcoming activities, see slowfoodhuntington.org

I Love New York – for Going Green

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The Empire State Building is my favorite building in the world, and now I have even more reason to love it. During a recent visit, I learned that over the last few years, the owners partnered with the Clinton Climate Initiative, NYSERDA, Johnson Controls and The Rocky Mountain Institute to do some major green renovations.

They made numerous improvements to the building’s outer shell and interior lighting and equipment to become more energy efficient. They also updated the chiller plants, and installed new air handlers (fans) that only run when needed.

This alone will reduce CO2 emissions by 50,000 metrics tons over the next 15 years. This, matched with tenant education and energy management systems, is saving the building $6,000 per day.

To learn more, visit the educational display gallery on the bottom floor of the Empire State Building next time you’re in NYC, and see http://www.esbnyc.com/sustainability_energy_efficiency.asp

 

Solar Impulse at JFK

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Beth solar plane

Incredible- got to visit the Solar Impulse at Kennedy Airport – the fuel-free, solar powered plane that just finished crossing the U.S. Breaking new barriers, it is the first solar plane to be able to fly both day and night (due to battery storage), only stopping so the pilots could rest. The innovative and pioneering effort was undertaken by 2 Swiss innovators, who took turns piloting the plane through its various stops across the U.S., from San Francisco to New York. Made of a light carbon fiber, its average speed was 45 mph, wing span was that of a jumbo jet (208 feet), and it was powered by 2000 solar cells. The Wright brothers’ first flight was in 1903, so here 110 years later, we reach another milestone. The next plan for the team is to fly around the globe. Just the beginning for this exciting technological possibility!