coquille's blog

New York’s century-old water system faces new challenges as it stretches to meet the needs of a growing city. Can we ensure a supply of fresh water indefinitely? How can we reuse so-called “grey” water, and how can we keep sewage overflow out of the rivers?

Emily Lloyd, former commissioner of New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection, will discuss what her agency is doing to clean up New York’s waterways and upgrade its water system with Paul Mankiewicz, expert on wastewater and president of the Gaia Institute; Alex Matthiessen, Hudson Riverkeeper and president of Riverkeeper; and Christine Holowacz, co-chair, Greenpoint Waterfront Association for Parks and Planning. Presented in conjunction withGrowing and Greening New York: PlaNYC and the Future of the City.

WHAT:     From Faucet to Flush: The Future of New York's Water System
WHEN:     6:30 p.m. on Monday, December 15th  
WHERE:   The Museum of the City of New York (1220 5th Ave. at 103rd Street, Manhattan)

Reservations required, to RSVP call 212.534.1672, ext. 3395, or email programs@mcny.org

Tickets: $5 when you mention Environmental Advocates of New York; $9 general admission. 

Havana Outpost's corn is great, but their compostable plates and utensils are even greater. They send everything out for commercial composting (otherwise it'd sit in a landfill with the carrot that'll stay in tact for thirty years or more). Makes me wonder why so many places are putting on a "green face" by offering their drinks and food in and on "compostable" ware when it's just going to sit in a landfill with its non-break-downable friends. How much better is it than plastic? When and if it eventually breaks down--and it will before plastic--it won't leach toxics like a good venti Starbucks mocha frappuccino (a moment on the lips and a hundreds of lifetimes in New Jersey's hills). Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which evangelizes composting, only has trash bins for your BBG cafe eats--they don't even compost it.

Back to Havana Outpost. They have a lot of green events happening. Check out the article in the Indypendent that highlights one such event and Micki Josi's work to get all public schools recycling. The plight of NYC composters onward!

I registered my school with the Go Green Initiative awhile ago after finding out about them while applying for a NYSAR3, the New York State Association for Reduction, Reuse and Recycling, grant. I now receive newsletters about their different initiatives, such as reducing the number of photocopies made in schools.

Go Green's annual conference on greening schools, 2008 Earth Summit, is taking place in Syracuse, NY this year on Oct. 17-18. You can register now. Jet Blue flights out of JFK are affordable. Is anyone interested in attending?