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Rise Up: Let Your Sustainability Spirit Soar with the DEC!

Submitted on February 22, 2009 - 17:49 by admin
Rosalind Thompson, Grade 11, Runner-up in the DEC 2008 New York Recycles! Poster Contest

For the first time ever, the NYC Department of Education applied for a grant available to NY school districts under the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Municipal Waste Reduction and Recycling State Assistance program this fall. The grant has been available for 18 years, so we’re thinking it could have something to do with all of the letter writing and phone calls begging our school district apply [do now: stand up, humbly pat self on back].

In the past, the NYC Department of Sanitation has applied and received some of this funding, which helped fuel their Golden Apple program that rewards waste-reduction do-gooders, although with budget cuts those rewards have lost some leg: rewards will be much more intrinsic since cash prizes have been suspended [teaching point: be resourceful by diversifying, apply for other grants].

The DEC grant provides 50% matching grants paid on a reimbursement basis up to a maximum of $2 million for projects that enhance school/municipal recycling or composting programs for: purchasing of equipment used to recycle or compost, reimbursing salaries of recycling coordinators and recycling public education.
 
Examples of items that may be eligible for school recycling projects are: containers to collect paper or cans/bottles for recycling, roll-off containers or dumpsters (move over trash dumpsters!) to aggregate the recyclables prior to delivery to recycling market, educational materials on waste reduction and recycling, banners and promotional items.

We don’t know what the NYC DOE's grant requested (we would have loved to have been apart of the planning process), but know it can take more than a year for proposals to get funded. So, while we’re waiting for the motherload to befall our recycling container-barren halls, let the DEC give lift to your sustainability spirit now:

Green Schools Challenge                   
The "Green Schools" Challenge is sponsored by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the State Department of Education to recognize those schools that are working towards responsible solid waste management by developing waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and/or buy recycled products and packaging programs.
 
Green Schools
This website will help you on your journey to become a Green School!  The focus of this webpage is a comprehensive solid waste management program; however, here are areas to consider that will help further your transformation to a Green School.
 
A School Waste Reduction, Reuse, Recycling, Composting and Buy Recycled Resource Book
The purpose of this Resource Book is to provide you with some basic information on a waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and buying recycled products and packaging program for your school.
 
New York Recycles! Poster Contest
New York Recycles! is our way of promoting recycling and buying recycled in New York State. The twelve New York State winners receive the honor of having their artwork in a calendar, which will be distributed throughout the State. The schools with winning entries will also receive a recycled content tote bag filled with educational materials and videos.  The 2009 NY Recycles! Poster Contest Rules will be updated soon.
 
New York Recycles!
Included in this website is a 36 page booklet with New York Recycles! lessons and activities for you to share with your students.
 
Local Recycling Coordinators
This is a list of local recycling coordinators that can provide you with local recycling information.
 
Educational Publications
This website lists all of DEC’s waste reduction, reuse, recycling, composting and buy recycled educational materials.
 

URGENT!! Support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill!

Submitted on February 16, 2009 - 16:26 by mathjosi
URGENT!!  Support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill!

Here is an update you on the Bigger Better Bottle Bill (BBBB) and lobby visits this week in New York City.

 

Governor David Paterson has proposed including the BBBB in the state budget.  The BBBB updates NY's 5-cent deposit law on beer and soda to include non-carbonated beverages, like bottled water, that now make up a third of the beverage market.  This would increase recycling and make our communities cleaner and healthier.   It also would require beverage companies, who currently keep the deposits when people don't return their bottles and cans, to turn this money over to the state.  This would generate more than $200 million a year for environmental protection in New York.

 

We are urging state law-makers to support Governor Paterson's proposal to include the Bigger Better Bottle Bill in the state's budget next year.  The next few weeks are critical to make our message heard, as the budget is expected to be approved by April 1st.  Please call or write your state legislators and urge them to support the Bigger Better Bottle Bill.

 

Also, we have scheduled meetings with a number of State Senators the week of February 18th to discuss the BBBB with them.  If you are a constituent of one of these Senators and would like to attend, please call Laura Haight at NYPIRG at 518-436-0876, ext. 258 or e-mail her at laurahaight@gmail.com.  Feel free to forward this e-mail to select others who you think might be interested in attending.

Manhattan

Senator Bill Perkins, Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 2:30       

Senator Eric Schneiderman, Thursday, Feb. 19th at 1:00 (meeting with staff)

Senator Daniel Squadron, Friday, Feb. 20th at 1:15 (max. 12 people)

 

Bronx

Senator Jose Serrano, Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 3:00 (max. 6 people)

 

Brooklyn

Senator Kevin Parker, Thursday, Feb. 19th  at 2:30

Senator John Sampson, Thursday, Feb. 19th at 5:15

Senator Martin Dilan, Friday, Feb. 20th at 1:00

We were not able to schedule meetings with all the state senators in NYC, so if your senator is not on this list, please call him or her up and ask for their support of the Bigger Better Bottle Bill. 

To find out who your state senator is, go to http://www.senate.state.ny.us/senatehomepage.nsf/senators?OpenForm. 

For more information about the BBBB, visit www.nypirg.org.

 

Thanks!

--
Laura Haight, NYPIRG
518-436-0876, ext. 258
518-588-5481 (cell)

Come & see FLOW this Friday (2/6)

Submitted on February 3, 2009 - 21:24 by mathjosi

I might be speaking at this.... (short speech)

You’re invited to watch the documentary FLOW (For Love of Water) this Friday, February 6th at 7:30PM at the Park Slope United Methodist Church (6th Ave & 8th Street in Park Slope).

See below for a description of the film.

The Social Action Committee is hosting the free screening, which will feature a panel of activists talking about the world water crisis.

Hope to see you there!

Irena Salina's award-winning documentary investigation into what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century - The World Water Crisis.

Salina builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights, and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel.

Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab, while begging the question "CAN ANYONE REALLY OWN WATER?"

Beyond identifying the problem, FLOW also gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are fast becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

You can contact Judy O’Brien, the Social Action Chair at Judy O'Brien judyobrien@yahoo.com with further questions.

Sincerely,
Micki Josi
Co-found UFT Green Schools Committee
www.educatingtomorrow.org

Quote me: "The difference between disposable and reusable equals zero waste.  It all counts: add it up and think twice." - Micki Josi

"Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead