Spring (cleaning) is here and the Lower East Side Ecology Center is helping you clear old and unwanted electronics out of your closets without trashing the environment! Drop-off your tech gear at locations in all five boroughs during March, April and May to have it responsibly recycled.

A list of acceptable materials can be found here and we accept electronics from households, not-for-profit organizations, and small businesses. We do not accept home appliances such as microwaves, refrigerators, or air conditioners and we also do not accept carbon monoxide and smoke detectors.

We know that data security is important to, well, everyone and you can find out more about which recyclers we work with and how we handle data-containing devices in our FAQs.

All events will be held rain or shine.

Spring 2013 Events

March 16, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

5th Avenue between Douglass and Sterling Streets, Brooklyn, NY 11217

March 17, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Sephardic Community Center, 1901 Ocean Parkway (at Avenue S), Brooklyn, NY 11223

April 06, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Tekserve, 119 West 23rd Street (between 6th Avenue and 7th Avenues), New York, NY 10011

April 07, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Jewish Community Center, 1466 Manor Road, Staten Island, NY 10306 

April 07, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Delancey Street (north side) between Chrystie and Forsyth Streets, New York, NY 10002

April 13, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Maria Hernandez Park, Knickerbocker Avenue between Starr Street and Suydam Street, Brooklyn, NY 11237

April 13, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Habana Outpost, Fulton Street between South Portland Avenue and South Oxford Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217

April 14, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Landmark Courthouse, Third Avenue and Brook Avenue, Melrose, Bronx, NY 10451

April 14, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Van Cortlandt Park, Broadway between Manhattan College Parkway and Post Road, Bronx 10471 

April 20, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Old Stone House/JJ Byrne Playground, 5th Avenue between 3rd and 4th Street, Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY 11215

April 20, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Poly Prep Country Day School, 9216 Seventh Avenue (b/w 92nd St and Poly Pl), Brooklyn, NY 11228

April 20, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

St. George Day, Victory Boulevard and Bay Street, St. George, Staten Island 10301

April 21, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Amsterdam Avenue between West 74th and West 75th Streets, New York, NY 10023

April 27, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

P.S. 101Q, Standish Road between Slocum Crescent & Childrens Lane, Forest Hills, Queens, NY 11375

May 19, 2013 | 10:00am - 4:00pm Directions Flyer

Stuyvesant Town, 14th Street Loop, enter at 14th St & Ave A, New York, NY 10009

Special Offers

Tekserve is offering recyclers a "Green Karma" Coupon worth between $5 and $500 off any products or services from Tekserve and entry into a raffle to win a MacBook Air.

Zipcar is offering existing Zipcar members a $15 driving credit for bringing electronics to these events.

The spring 2013 events are sponsored by Tekserve.

We would like to thank the following partners for being involved in the spring 2013 collection events:

Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh, Bushwick Eco Action Network (BEAN), Councilmembers Gale Brewer and Rosie Mendez, Department of Parks and Recreation, Friends of Van Cortlandt Park, Habana Outpost, Jewish Community Center of Staten Island, Nos Quedamos, Park Slope Civic Council, Poly Prep Country Day School, P.S. 101Q and the P.S. 101Q PTA, Sephardic Community Center, State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Stuyvesant Town/Peter Cooper Village, Tekserve

Here's a clip I made from a trip to an E-Waste drive:

Remember the 3 R's Reduce, ReUse and ReCycle

In support of Columbia County Habitat For Humanity, on Sunday January 27th at the popular Club Helsinki, local yet internationally known bass players, a cellist and me will perform. read on:

HOME BASS: 4 Strings, 4 Hearts for Habitat, will be a once-in-a-lifetime cabaret concert on January 27, 2013, at Helsinki Hudson in Hudson, NY. Hosted by Melissa Auf der Maur (Hole/Smashing Pumpkins), HOME BASS will feature special guests (in alphabetical order), Melora Creager (Rasputina), Meshell Ndegeocello, Tommy Stinson (The Replacements/Guns ‘n Roses) and friends, with a special appearance by NYC Subway Girl Cathy Grier. The event will be a unique and intimate evening celebrating the worldwide work of Habitat for Humanity, which is founded on the conviction that every family should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live.
These internationally-acclaimed, Hudson-based musicians – three bassists and a cellist – have never joined artistic forces before, and have chosen to come together for Habitat. HOME BASS will follow a cabaret style format, with rotating cast of players and special guests playing original songs and covers.  
The concert will benefit Columbia County Habitat and its innovative project, the Columbia Passive Townhouses. Now being built in Hudson at 244-246 Columbia Street, these revolutionary homes will reduce their owners’ energy consumption and costs by 90%. They are the first affordable housing to be built in New York State according to Passive House design and construction standards.

Supporting this type of organization brings community together, through volunteering, donated services and other types of involvement.

Habitat For Humanity also has a Re-Store: 829 Route 66, Hudson (Intersection of Route 66 and 9H, behind Village Dodge) Hours: Friday, 9-5 pm & Saturday, 9-4 pm

What is A ReStore?
A Habitat ReStore is a retail outlet selling donated, quality used and surplus building materials at a fraction of normal retail prices. Many Habitat organizations have successfully started ReStore operations. In addition to raising funds for home construction, our ReStore will also help the environment by encouraging the recycling of usable materials rather than their disposal.  Our goal is to keep materials out of landfills, while making home improvements affordable.

Columbia County Habitat invites the general public to shop, browse and buy surplus and reusable building materials. As a home improvement retail shop, ReStore attracts anyone looking for good bargains. Discounts can be significant, and all homeowners on a budget, as well as builders and contractors who want a good buy, can shop at our ReStore.

How ReStore works
ReStore’s operations consists of receiving (and selectively picking up) merchandise, pricing, displaying and selling merchandise, as well as data tracking for all the above. Volunteer staff runs the operation under the supervision of the Habitat’s Executive Director.  Receiving, pricing and displaying are done largely from Monday through Thursday, when the store is not open for retail business.

ReStore materials donated and sold include:

• Appliances: less than 5 years old
• Lumber
• Building/architectural items
• Insulation
• Cabinets/countertops
• Paint, stain and wall covering
• Doors, windows and screens
• Plumbing fixtures and hardware
• Electrical supplies and fixtures
• Roofing: shingles and flashing
• Flooring: tile, wood, laminate
• Tiles
• Hardware working tools

ReStore requests that donors call ahead to confirm which items we are currently accepting.

Volunteering at ReStore
The ReStore offers a casual, friendly retail environment. Volunteers play a major role in helping to keep the store stocked, clean, neat and functioning efficiently and professionally. Safety is important, and is emphasized no matter what task a volunteer performs.

Individuals  are needed on our operating days to assist with sorting and preparing donations, pricing, re-stocking and tidying up shelves and the sales floor, and with assisting customers with loading purchases or finding their way around the store.

what can you do?

• Volunteer to build- really- swing a hammer or......

Where? 244-246 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY Between September 2012- February 2013, there is a call for volunteers: Individuals, businesses, schools, faith-based groups or community organizations.To volunteer, Volunteer Coordinator  email volunteer@columbiacountyhabitat.org.

• Donate materials including paper goods, cardboard etc to the Re-Store's recycling bins by GreenFiber (a local manufacturer) who then recycle into cellulose insulation. Habitat Executive Director Brenda Adams explains, “Thanks to GreenFiber, we now have a new revenue source. It’s also another way for Columbia County residents to support Habitat. From August through October, we recycled 11.76 tons of material, which made 917 bags of insulation and earned us $294.” There are two GreenFiber recycling containers at the ReStore, located at Route 66 and 9H in Greenport. GreenFiber accepts cardboard boxes, paper of any color, magazines, books (with covers), newspapers and corrugated cartons. The only materials that can’t be accepted are pizza boxes and greasy paper. Look for the frog on the green dumpsters in the ReStore parking lot. It’s ALWAYS open.

GreenFiber’s blow-in cellulose insulation is a natural fiber product made of 85% recycled content, providing homeowners with an environmentally-friendly choice for building, renovation and re-insulation projects. The company’s manufacturing process is low impact, because cellulose is produced in electrically driven mills that consume relatively little energy when operating and none otherwise.
GreenFiber products use locally available raw materials, further reducing its corporate carbon footprint. Established in 2000 and headquartered in Charlotte, NC, US GreenFiber LLC is the largest manufacturer of natural fiber insulation, fire and sound products. To date, GreenFiber has diverted nearly 3 million tons of recycled materials from landfills. One ton of recycled paper: saves 17 trees, saves 4,000 kilowatts of energy and provides enough GreenFiber blow-in insulation to cover the attic of a 2,500 square foot home. GreenFiber sells to building supply retailers, manufactured housing builders and insulation contractors in the U.S. and Canada

For more information: 518-828-0892 | 829 Route 66 Hudson, NY 12534 

And if you're not in the area find a local chapter and get involved.

In the NYC area there are 2 champion organizations who know about the 3 R's -  Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. I urge you to check them out and learn more about how you can make a difference in dealing with reducing, reusing and recycling your waste:

Broadway Green Alliance great tips on where to recycle things

Lower East Ecology Center, in January they kick off a multi-location "After The Holidays E-waste Drive" to collect unwanted electronics that should be disposed of with thoughtful concern for our health and environment.

and the NRDC has a great blog called This Green Blog by Sheryl Eisenberg check out her latest, Green Your Holidays

Shopping has an environmental cost, especially online shopping with extra packing and shipping cost of transporting those gifts door to door.  Did you know that 25% more waste is produced between Thanksgiving and New Year's? Be mindful of how to reuse packing boxes and materials.  When shopping, bring bags with you so you don't arrive home with so much unnecessary waste.

Recycle old wrapping paper, cards, boxes and packing materials.  I collect throughout the year and reuse.  What to do with the plastic bubble wrap shipping envelopes?  I reuse those too, either covering over the address to add the new one, or filling a box with them as packing materials.

Most wrapping paper and cards use toxic paint and dye.  I try and reuse those as much as possible. I also take last years Holiday cards and cut off the covers and find a creative way to send a "new" card to family and friends. Or make Christmas tree ornaments by cutting out shapes and holiday images. 

For wrapping paper, I save and trim off any old tape or ripped sections.  This year I used all old paper to wrap gifts.  In our family with people as far away as Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and Florida, we were happy to pack our Christmas packages with boxes and packing that we reused from previous packages.  In our apartment with little space, I do break down the box and store flat in the back of the closet.  Sure I need to use extra packing tape that way, but it's better than throwing the entire box out.  so much better to use an already existing box. Imagine the energy used to take a cardboard box and turn it into a new one.  I'd rather just use the old one.

When I get those pesky Styrofoam packing peanuts I fill up a small plastic bag like one you can get at the veggies aisle at the grocery store. With an old twist tie from a bag of bread, I tie off the bag.  These small packs of packing I reuse to fill my boxes and more importantly the recipient doesn't get to open a box with Styrofoam peanuts flying all over the place. If I can't use them, then I donate to a local shipping store. 

My thoughts:

1-Reuse wrapping paper. Think twice before crunching up wrapping paper, take a moment and fold and save for next year.

2-Reuse boxes and packing materials.  If you can't reuse, find a local shipping store and donate your boxes and packing materials.  They are happy to have them.

3-create new creative cards and ornaments form old Holiday cards.

4-Bring your own shopping bags with you to the store to reuse multiple times instead of gathering more waste.

Not bad, all these gifts were wrapped with reused paper!

Happy Solstice,

Cathy NYCSubwayGirl 

By Michael R. Bloomberg Nov 1, 2012 

The devastation that Hurricane Sandy brought to New York City and much of the Northeast -- in lost lives, lost homes and lost business -- brought the stakes of Tuesday’s presidential election into sharp relief.

The floods and fires that swept through our city left a path of destruction that will require years of recovery and rebuilding work. And in the short term, our subway system remains partially shut down, and many city residents and businesses still have no power. In just 14 months, two hurricanes have forced us to evacuate neighborhoods -- something our city government had never done before. If this is a trend, it is simply not sustainable.

Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be -- given this week’s devastation -- should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action.

Here in New York, our comprehensive sustainability plan --PlaNYC -- has helped allow us to cut our carbon footprint by 16 percent in just five years, which is the equivalent of eliminating the carbon footprint of a city twice the size of Seattle. Through the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group -- a partnership among many of the world’s largest cities -- local governments are taking action where national governments are not.

Leadership Needed

But we can’t do it alone. We need leadership from the White House -- and over the past four years, President Barack Obama has taken major steps to reduce our carbon consumption, including setting higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks. His administration also has adopted tighter controls on mercury emissions, which will help to close the dirtiest coal power plants (an effort I have supported through my philanthropy), which are estimated to kill 13,000 Americans a year.

Mitt Romney, too, has a history of tackling climate change. As governor of Massachusetts, he signed on to a regional cap- and-trade plan designed to reduce carbon emissions 10 percent below 1990 levels. “The benefits (of that plan) will be long- lasting and enormous -- benefits to our health, our economy, our quality of life, our very landscape. These are actions we can and must take now, if we are to have ‘no regrets’ when we transfer our temporary stewardship of this Earth to the next generation,” he wrote at the time.

He couldn’t have been more right. But since then, he has reversed course, abandoning the very cap-and-trade program he once supported. This issue is too important. We need determined leadership at the national level to move the nation and the world forward.

I believe Mitt Romney is a good and decent man, and he would bring valuable business experience to the Oval Office. He understands that America was built on the promise of equal opportunity, not equal results. In the past he has also taken sensible positions on immigration, illegal guns, abortion rights and health care. But he has reversed course on all of them, and is even running against the health-care model he signed into law in Massachusetts.

If the 1994 or 2003 version of Mitt Romney were running for president, I may well have voted for him because, like so many other independents, I have found the past four years to be, in a word, disappointing.

In 2008, Obama ran as a pragmatic problem-solver and consensus-builder. But as president, he devoted little time and effort to developing and sustaining a coalition of centrists, which doomed hope for any real progress on illegal guns, immigration, tax reform, job creation and deficit reduction. And rather than uniting the country around a message of shared sacrifice, he engaged in partisan attacks and has embraced a divisive populist agenda focused more on redistributing income than creating it.

Important Victories

Nevertheless, the president has achieved some important victories on issues that will help define our future. His Race to the Top education program -- much of which was opposed by the teachers’ unions, a traditional Democratic Party constituency -- has helped drive badly needed reform across the country, giving local districts leverage to strengthen accountability in the classroom and expand charter schools. His health-care law -- for all its flaws -- will provide insurance coverage to people who need it most and save lives.

When I step into the voting booth, I think about the world I want to leave my two daughters, and the values that are required to guide us there. The two parties’ nominees for president offer different visions of where they want to lead America.

One believes a woman’s right to choose should be protected for future generations; one does not. That difference, given the likelihood of Supreme Court vacancies, weighs heavily on my decision.

One recognizes marriage equality as consistent with America’s march of freedom; one does not. I want our president to be on the right side of history.

One sees climate change as an urgent problem that threatens our planet; one does not. I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics.

Of course, neither candidate has specified what hard decisions he will make to get our economy back on track while also balancing the budget. But in the end, what matters most isn’t the shape of any particular proposal; it’s the work that must be done to bring members of Congress together to achieve bipartisan solutions.

Presidents Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan both found success while their parties were out of power in Congress -- and President Obama can, too. If he listens to people on both sides of the aisle, and builds the trust of moderates, he can fulfill the hope he inspired four years ago and lead our country toward a better future for my children and yours. And that’s why I will be voting for him.

(Michael R. Bloomberg is mayor of New York and founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/02/nyregion/bloomberg-endorses-obama-saying-hurricane-sandy-affected-decision.html?hp&_r=0

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-11-01/ny-mayor-bloomberg-endorse-obama-in-presidential-race.html

And on the same subject, here's a compelling article We Are Not Powerless To Confront Climate Change  by Democracy Now's Amy Goodman 

Statement on Hurricane Sandy This week, our nation has anxiously watched as Hurricane Sandy lashed the East Coast and caused widespread damage--affecting millions. Now more than ever, our neighbors need our help. Please consider donating or volunteering for your local aid organizations.

The images of Sandy’s flooding brought back memories of a similar--albeit smaller scale-- event in Nashville just two years ago. There, unprecedented rainfall caused widespread flooding, wreaking havoc and submerging sections of my hometown. For me, the Nashville flood was a milestone. For many, Hurricane Sandy may prove to be a similar event: a time when the climate crisis—which is often sequestered to the far reaches of our everyday awareness became a reality.

While the storm that drenched Nashville was not a tropical cyclone like Hurricane Sandy, both storms were strengthened by the climate crisis. Scientists tell us that by continually dumping 90 million tons of global warming pollution into the atmosphere every single day, we are altering the environment in which all storms develop. As the oceans and atmosphere continue to warm, storms are becoming more energetic and powerful. Hurricane Sandy, and the Nashville flood, were reminders of just that. Other climate-related catastrophes around the world have carried the same message to hundreds of millions.

Sandy was also affected by other symptoms of the climate crisis. As the hurricane approached the East Coast, it gathered strength from abnormally warm coastal waters. At the same time, Sandy's storm surge was worsened by a century of sea level rise. Scientists tell us that if we do not reduce our emissions, these problems will only grow worse.

Hurricane Sandy is a disturbing sign of things to come. We must heed this warning and act quickly to solve the climate crisis. Dirty energy makes dirty weather.

Making Central Park more sustainable through management of the Central Park woodlands is the subject of a Huffington Post article  and the subject of an October 5, 2012, day long (8am-5pm) conference organized by the Central Park Conservancy and The Cultural Landscape Foundation. Event location Museum Of The City Of New York 1220 Fifth Ave @ 103rd ST

Maintaining Central Park is not easy – and the woodlands, which seem so natural, requires a great deal of attention and balancing the interests of nature and culture (bird watchers, nature lovers, etc).  This is an opportunity to hear from national experts about stewardship of urban woodlands.  As one Central Park Conservancy said of the park, letting nature run its course is not sustainable. 

Nature-Culture II Conference:

The  843-­‐acre  Central  Park,  originally  designed  by  Frederick  Law Olmsted,  Sr.,  and   Calvert Vaux,  with a  succession  of  additions and  refinements  by  Samuel  Parsons,   Jr.,Michael  Rapuano, Gilmore Clarke  and others,  is  also  host  to  230  bird  species,  along   with turtles,  fish,  and countless  species  of  butterflies, dragonflies, and  other  insects.   The  Central  Park  woodlands  are among  the  most historically  significant designed   landscapes  in  the  country, providing  valuable refuge  for  wildlife  and  New   Yorkers alike.  In the  1960s  and  1970s,  Central  Park  experienced an  unprecedented   decline,  suffering  from  neglect  and a  lack  of  management.  Litter filled  its   waterbodies;  its  Great  Lawn  was  a  great  dust  bowl; its woodlands  were  avoided,  not   celebrated.  The  Central  Park Conservancy,  a  private,  not-­‐for-­‐profit organization   created  in 1980,  has  skillfully  and  successfully  reawakened,  restored  and maintained  a world-­‐class  icon.      

Nevertheless,  managing  a  park  that  is  both  a  culturally significant landscape  and   natural  habitat is delicate;  this  conference specifically  examines  sustainability,  the   agendas  of  different constituencies, diversity,  the  role  of  people,  and  public   education.  

Creating  a  progression  of  varied  landscape  experiences  was  a  primary  goal  of  Central   Park's designers. Within  the  landscapes  themselves,  horticultural  diversity  was  also  a   goal.  In the Ramble,  both  exotic  and  native  plants  were  to  provide  a  sense  of lushness  and  intricacy, realizing Olmsted’s  intended  "wild  garden"effect.  Neglect  of   the  Park’s  woodlands  over  a prolonged  period resulted  in  a  lack  of  horticultural  and   social  (as  well  as  scenic)  diversity. What  park  stewards  know is  “letting  nature  take   its  course”  is  not  sustainable.  While  the woodlands  serve  to  provide  the experience   of  escape  from  urban  life,  they  are  in  fact designed  urban  landscapes  that require   consistent  management.  

The  conference  features  two  panels  addressing  this  stewardship  dilemma;  the  irst   (the morning session)  focuses  on  “lessons  learned”  by  public  sector  stewards  at   Prospect  Park  (Brooklyn), New  York Botanical  Garden,  and  The  Presidio  (San   Francisco);  the second  (afternoon  session) will  be comprised of  landscape  architects   in  private  practice  with  experience  in  urban  parks  

complete  list:  

Speakers  and  Moderators:   ␣ Eric  W.  Sanderson,  Senior  Conservation Ecologist,  Wildlife Conservation  Society  (moderator)   ␣ Christian  Zimmerman, Vice  President  for  Design  & Construction,  The  Prospect  Park  Alliance, Brooklyn,  NY   ␣ Michael  Boland,  Chief  Planning, Projects  &  Programs  Officer, The  Presidio  Trust,  San  Francisco,  CA   ␣ Todd  Forrest,  Arthur Ross Vice President  for  Horticulture  and  Living  Collections,  The  New  York  Botanical Garden   ␣ Elizabeth  K. Meyer, Associate  Professor,  University  of  Virginia, School  of  Architecture,  Landscape Architecture  (moderator)   Dennis  McGlade, President/Partner,  OLIN,  Philadelphia,  PA  and  Los Angeles,  CA   ␣ Margie Ruddick,  Margie  Ruddick  Landscape,  Philadelphia,  PA   ␣ Keith  Bowers, Biohabitats, Baltimore,  MD  

Registration  is  $150  and  is  available  at  the  conference  Web  site. The  Central Park  Conservancis  the presenting  sponsor,  with additional  support   provided by Landscape Forms  and  the  Museum  of the  City of New  York.  

About  the  Central  Park  Conservancy :  The  mission  of  the  Central Park Conservancy  is  to restore, manage  and  enhance Central  Park  in partnership  with  the  public,  for  the  enjoyment of present  and future generations. A  private,  not-­‐for-­‐profit  organization  founded  in 1980,  the Conservancy   provides 85 percent of Central  Park's  $46 million  park-­‐wide  expense  budget and  is responsible  for  all  basic care of the Park.  Since  1980,  the  Conservancy has  overseen   the investment  of  more  than  $650  million into Central  Park.  For more information  on   the Conservancy,  please  visit  centralparknyc.org 

About  The  Cultural  Landscape  Foundation: The  Cultural  Landscape Foundation provides  people with the ability to  see, understand and  value landscape architecture  and  its  practitioners, in  the  way many   people have learned  to  do with  buildings  and their  designers. Through  its  Web  site,   lectures,  outreach and publishing,  TCLF broadens  the  support  and  understanding for   cultural landscapes nationwide  to  help safeguard  our priceless heritage  for  future   generations. 

The  Central  Park  Conservancy  is  the  presenting  sponsor,  with additional  support   provided  by Landscape  Forms  and  the  Museum  of the  City  of  New  York.  About  the  Central  Park Conservancy :  The  mission  of  the  Central Park  Conservancy  is  to  restore,  manage  and enhance Central  Park  in partnership  with  the  public,  for  the  enjoyment of present  and future generations. A  private,  not-­‐for-­‐profit  organization  founded  in 1980,  the  Conservancy   provides  85  percent of Central  Park's  $46 million  park-­‐wide  expense  budget  and  is responsible  for  all  basic care  of the Park.  Since  1980,  the  Conservancy  has  overseen   the investment  of  more  than  $650  million into  Central  Park.  For  more information  on   the  Conservancy,  please  visit  centralparknyc.org 

Mealku is THE Homemade Meal Cooperative where the best homecooks in the land share carefully prepared meals. They handle delivery. I met Ted D'Cruz-Young developer and founder of Melku, one afternoon at a LIRR Music Under NY gig where I was performing, Ted stopped for a moment and then invited me to sing at his launch party. I have enjoyed performing at many of his inspirational events to help get his food revolution growing in NYC.

MealKu Mission

Our mission is to provide a place for everyone to find delicious, healthy meal options with easy access to locally-prepared food from trusted neighborhood home cooks.

Mealku is a homemade meal cooperative that supports good food practices, community outreach, and local businesses. Simply and fundamentally, we whole-heartedly believe that good food should be universal and affordable. We are creating a platform where home cooks can connect with one another, collaborate their efforts, and share valuable skills and wisdom. Join the Good Food Revolution now!

And it's thanks to Ted that I learned of Jamie Oliver. Mealku has partnered in an event with Jamie's Foundation where I will be performing.  Nothing I like better than helping to change the world through song and food!

JamiesFoodRevolution

Jamie's Food Revolution aims to change the way people eat by educating every child about food, empowering families by arming them with the skills and knowledge to cook again, and inspiring everyone to stand up for their rights to better food; which in turn will fight the epidemic of diet-related diseases.

We're losing the war against obesity in the US. It's sad, but true. Our kids are growing up overweight and malnourished from a diet of processed foods, and today's children will be the first generation ever to live shorter lives than their parents. It's time for change. It's time for a Food Revolution.

"Since I've been working in America, I've been overwhelmed by the number of people who have come out to support the Food Revolution. More than 630,000 people have signed the petition, over 300,000 of you subscribe to our newsletter and thousands of you have written to me. The only message I keep hearing is that you believe your kids need better food, and that you want help to keep cooking skills alive. That's why this Food Revolution matters."

The problem stems from the loss of cooking skills at home and the availability of processed foods at every turn, from the school cafeteria to church function halls, factories and offices. This Food Revolution is about saving lives by inspiring everyone: moms, dads, kids, teens and cafeteria workers to get back to basics and start cooking good food from scratch.

Jamie's ambition: A national movement to change the way America eats

Jamie wants to mobilize the huge response to the Food Revolution so far and turn it into a movement for change in which America leads the world. It will bring together millions of people and inspire the nation to fight obesity with better food. At its heart is a powerful strategy to get people cooking again. Here are some of the ways we'll be doing that:

• More cooking at home

◦ A nationwide network of community kitchens where anyone can go to learn basic home cooking

◦ Jamie's home cooking course

• Freshly cooked meals at school

◦ An activist program to support parents who want better food in their child's school

◦ A community website to encourage grass-roots activities for change all over the US

• Cooking in the community

◦ The Food Revolution truck, a mobile food classroom and flagship center for the Food Revolution

◦ A cooking course available in church halls, community and healthcare centers and the workplace

• Schools and Communities - to inspire and educate parents, carers, young adults and children through:

◦ Freshly cooked meals in schools and colleges

◦ Cooking lessons for kids at school

◦ Lessons teaching basic food skills to healthcare and social care professionals

◦ Cooking classes for the public in the community

• Corporations - to promote culture change and encourage community investment on several levels:

◦ Food industry - help to tackle obesity by producing better food products and labeling products in a more honest way

◦ Healthcare sector - investing in future health means cost savings down the line

◦ Employee health - provide better food for employees in company canteens and provide cooking classes for employees to give them the skills they need to be healthy

jamie oliver's food foundation

Why bother with Earth Day? Living a life with consideration for our planet's sustainability takes time, takes conscious effort and intent.  My take is the effort is well worth the time well spent, it’s good to feel good about caring about our world!!

In time, even one thing done to help make a difference, does make a difference.

Below are 10 actions for My Earth Day is Every Day: Call it sacrifice, learn to embrace it, or better yet, find a solution. But….Doing nothing is the wrong option.

!0 Actions to consider: it's not if but when you...

1) ...will decide it's too expensive to drive alone for one trip you could easily consolidate with other trips.  Rethink your relationship with your car and consider some kind of commuter transportation.

2) ...unplug all the electronics in your home when not in use, and do anything you can to truly understand your energy consumption.  Then make adjustments.

3) ...reduce, reuse and recycle.  How many bags do you throw away,  how many items could you reuse but find too time consuming to do anything about.  What do you do with all your now obsolete gadgets?  Find an e-waste depot near you. http://www.lesecologycenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=section&id=4&Itemid=7  and http://ecycler.com/

4) ...ask local and national government to consider next generations, not next election cycles. If you find resistance, vote for change.

5) ...switch to homemade or non-petroleum based cleaning products (yes most household products from dish detergent to shampoo use petroleum).  And no fooling, switching is much healthier for your home environment.

6) ...support your local economy.  There is a reason you can get cheap goods at big box stores-off shore corporations pay labor cents per hour and get huge tax breaks to do so.  

7) ...eat out less and use what you have in your cupboard more.

8) ...update appliances and recycle the old (do not reuse those energy guzzlers). 

9) ...take advantage of state and national tax credits for updating your energy systems and home weatherizing.

10) ...teach a child to care about the environment and they will carry it with them throughout their lives.  It's their future.

One thing is certain: the world of today will be different tomorrow - and the day after that, and on and on ad infinitum. The question is not whether we must learn to live sustainably, but how fast we can do so. from University of North Dakota 

2010 thoughts for Earth Day

2011 thoughts for Earth Day

In the last 100 years we have consumed more natural resources than in Human History combined

Generation Waking Up is a global campaign to ignite a generation of young people to bring forth a thriving, just, sustainable world. This video is part of the Generation Waking Up Experience - called a 'WakeUp' for short - a multimedia educational workshop that inspires young people to transform their lives and communities. Learn more 

Help build the movement by donating at Generation Waking Up   Stay connected on facebook

Video Credits
(The WakeUp is an adaptation of the Awakening The Dreamer, Changing The Dream Symposium created by The Pachamama Alliance.)

Producer: Valerie Love
Cinematographer & Editor: Esteban Duarte 
Associate Producer: Joshua Gorman
Original Score: Luis Maurette, 
Motion Graphics: Rich Johnson & Joshua Adams
Sound Mix: Alvaro Lopez, 
Project Fellows: Clayton Yan & Xander Weaver-Scull

Project Advisors:
Michelle Grenier, Rivkah Medow, Nwamaka Agbo, Tracy Apple, Ben Cole

Interviewees:
Iamani Sims, Joshua Kahn Russell, Nikki Henderson, Hai Vo, Mallika Nair, Colin MIller, Irene Bonilla, David Hopkins, Darcie Jordan, Seema Rupani, Junior Walk, Daniela Plattner, Marya Folinsbee, DeAnthony Jones, Barbara Jefferson, Tania Pulido, Jessie Alberto, Matt Robertson, Zakiya Harris, Kiritapu Allan, Gerardo Marin, Gerald Reyes, Cherine Badawi, Kyle Thiermann, Lili Molina, Lisa Abregu, Corin Blanchard, Summer Rayne Oakes, Taysa Mohler, Julia Hassal-Polito

Media Partners
Pachamama Alliance,  Ella Baker Center, Brower Youth Awards, Ian Mackenzie, 
Velcrow Ripper, Tar Sands Action, Michael Zelligs, Ayla Nereo, Ivan Arturo, 

UPDATE Lower East Side Ecology Center now accepting drop off e-waste Tues-Sat in one location

In many of my previous blogs I write about the Lower East Side Ecology Center and their amazing E-waste events in NYC. This January celebrates their 9th year of "After The Holidays" E-waste events. My favorite is being held Saturday January 21st in front of Tekserve, the 1st Apple store-support center in NYC (before there even was such a thing as an Apple store,) @ 24th st bet 6th and 7th avenues. Follow links for other events near you.  

Check out the list of what you can bring, I went to one with a full box and even brought my pups along for the trip (why not, it was a teachable moment). If you're in a car, it's simple, because they block a section of the street for cars to pull up-you don't even have to get out of your car or taxi. Some even come on a bike.

It would be great to get your neighbors and your Apartment Building or Small Business involved.

All collected electronics will be recycled by WeRecycle!, an environmentally and socially responsible local recycler. The Electronic Waste Recycling Program is made possible by Tekserve, Con Edison and The New York Community Trust.  

here's a clip I made of from my September recycling e-waste trip:

On September I7, 2011 I walked to an LES Ecology Center e-waste event in front of Tekserve. With my pups in tow, we brought a box of old cell phones, cameras, a fax machine, transformers and cables to be properly disposed of. It was a true NY moment. When we arrived I met Development Director, Caroline Kruse who shared with me just how easy it is to recycle electronic waste.
It might take a little of your time, but recycling e-waste is so important. It feels good to know there's something you can do to reduce the massive amount of toxic waste we produce and discard without much thought. The Lower East Side Ecology Center leads the way. 

Shopping has an environmental cost, especially online shopping with extra packing and shipping cost of transporting those gifts door to door.  Did you know that 25% more waste is produced between Thanksgiving and New Year's? Be mindful of how to reuse packing boxes and materials.  When shopping, bring bags with you so you don't arrive home with so much unnecessary waste.

Recycle old wrapping paper, cards, boxes and packing materials.  I collect throughout the year and reuse.  What to do with the plastic bubble wrap shipping envelopes?  I reuse those too, either covering over the address to add the new one, or filling a box with them as packing materials.

Most wrapping paper and cards use toxic paint and dye.  I try and reuse those as much as possible. I also take last years Holiday cards and cut off the covers and find a creative way to send a "new" card to family and friends. Or make Christmas tree ornaments by cutting out shapes and holiday images. 

For wrapping paper, I save and trim off any old tape or ripped sections.  This year I used all old paper to wrap gifts.  In our family with people as far away as Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan and Florida, we were happy to pack our Christmas packages with boxes and packing that we reused from previous packages.  In our apartment with little space, I do break down the box and store flat in the back of the closet.  Sure I need to use extra packing tape that way, but it's better than throwing the entire box out.  so much better to use an already existing box. Imagine the energy used to take a cardboard box and turn it into a new one.  I'd rather just use the old one.

When I get those pesky Styrofoam packing peanuts I fill up a small plastic bag like one you can get at the veggies aisle at the grocery store. With an old twist tie from a bag of bread, I tie off the bag.  These small packs of packing I reuse to fill my boxes and more importantly the recipient doesn't get to open a box with Styrofoam peanuts flying all over the place. If I can't use them, then I donate to a local shipping store. 

My thoughts:

1-Reuse wrapping paper. Think twice before crunching up wrapping paper, take a moment and fold and save for next year.

2-Reuse boxes and packing materials.  If you can't reuse, find a local shipping store and donate your boxes and packing materials.  They are happy to have them.

3-create new creative cards and ornaments form old Holiday cards.

4-Bring your own shopping bags with you to the store to reuse multiple times instead of gathering more waste.

Not bad, all these gifts were wrapped with reused paper!

Sheryl Eisenberg of NRDC has a useful December 2011 Holiday guide to Reuse and Recycling

Happy Solstice,

Cathy NYCSubwayGirl 

On September I7, 2011 I walked to an LES Ecology Center e-waste event in front of Tekserve. With my pups in tow, we brought a box of old cell phones, cameras, a fax machine, transformers and cables to be properly disposed of. It was a true NY moment.

When we arrived I met Development Director, Caroline Kruse who shared with me just how easy it is to recycle electronic waste.

It might take a little of your time, but recycling e-waste is so important. It feels good to know there's something you can do to reduce the massive amount of toxic waste we produce and discard without much thought. The Lower East Side Ecology Center leads the way.

I am a huge fan of The Lower East Side Ecology Center, they not only champion a sustainable NYC (since 1987) but they are a go-to for education and my favorite e-waste recycling day. This will be their only summer event but will have events in all five boroughs in the fall. There's still time to do something that not only helps the environment, but helps you to feel good about getting rid of all that stuff you're collecting that you no longer have room or use for:

I met Roberto Sanchez and his wife Mary Jo who were traveling through LIRR station while I was singing. Inspired to listen to my song Jungle, they stopped and we had a chance to chat. A LEED certified Architect, he gave me a passionate and spontaneous conversation about the environment and his definition of Sustainability.

"Sustainability is the art and science of giving information to matter." Using rain water more efficiently, storing it in cisterns, using it to flush toilets, for golf courses and irrigation. Solar using sun rays to produce electricity and to heat water. 

"A way to be kind to Mother Nature."

 and here's Part 2:

LEED certified Architect Roberto Sanchez gave me a passionate and spontaneous conversation about the environment. The Fukushima Nuclear plants 2 months later are still burning since the earthquake and subsequent tsunami on March 11, 2011

read the latest news from International atomic energy agency

His wife Mary Jo listened intently to her husband rattle off the top of his head the things he is helping to work on to make our world a more sustainable planet:

Waste to energy, garbage to electricity, something he is doing in Costa Rica. Many Florida plants produce 600 kwh's per ton of garbage conversion.

"Land fills are a crime... an ecological crime, flushing toilets with potable water is a crime." "There are so many alternatives that are incredible."

Thank you Roberto.

 check out Roberto's What's Your Inspiration clip on this site

Batteries:  Street/subway musicians for the most part use battery powered amplifiers and playback units.  It's a must to use rechargeable batteries.   Of course the initial expense is higher than using alkaline batteries, but the result does mean financial savings, more hours on one battery and less waste.

There's no easy solution where and how to get rid of used/dead batteries. Do not to throw batteries in the trash. If the law is an incentive, as of 2006 it's illegal in NYC to discard rechargeable batteries. Batteries are toxic that leach serious metals/chemicals into landfill if not properly discarded. It's amazing that we still don't have a great way to return/recycle batteries, follow the links to sites in your area that do.  The good news is that most companies will take your rechargeable batteries for recycling. Just ask.  If they don't, your asking might finally prompt them to do something and make a new policy.  That's how it's done folks, old-fashioned care and demand for change.

These sites can help: The Lower East Side Ecology Center and Call 2 Recycle both have local e-waste information(collection of batteries, small personal devices and larger items like computers and printers).

I save my used batteries in a take away container and return when I have enough to make the trip worthwhile.

The BGA, Broadway Green Alliance, made a fantastic campaign and got Broadway houses to switch their Marquee's to LED lights and rechargeable batteries for all their body mics.  Imagine the amount of eco-energy savings. And there's still juice left over, enough to use in ushers flashlights.  Cool.

Metro cards:  Unless you like to use them to clip on you bike spokes, learn to reuse your metro card.  Cards are good for 1 year so that's one years worth on 1 card.  Think of the eco-savings. Then you can use on your bike. Make sure to check the expiration date on the back because unfortunately you have to send the card in for a refund after expiration date. 

That's all for now folks and always remember to be mindful of the 3 R's. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

read my Earth Day 2011 blog

Catalogs:  don’t just throw them away, certainly recycle, use as wrapping paper, better yet call the number on catalog and get your name removed from the list.  Most company’s products are available to view online and are the most update anyway.

Household cleaning products: step away from your kitchen and bathroom sink cabinets and smell the toxins!  Most household products you’ve been using since well, who can remember when? Most are really toxic and there are great alternatives, and much cheaper too.  For example, save an old window cleaner spray bottle, buy a gallon jug of white vinegar and experiment mixing with water, I use about one cup vinegar for one spray bottle, and voila a great window cleaner.  Same for cleaning floors, vinegar in a hot bucket of water does the trick.

A clothes dryer is energy wasteful and actually destroys the fabric, Where else does all that lint come from. Little by little the dryer is eating away at your clothes.  Okay, I too use a dryer, but not for too much time.  Actually we over-dry our clothes, or over pack the dryer so it has to work that much harder.  Try hanging clothes over the shower bar and you’d be surprised how quickly things dry on their own.  A folding wooden clothes hanger was best investment I’ve made.  Where possible, hanging laundry on a line makes clothes smell fresh and saves energy.

Reuse as much as possible, I know it can be yucky, but come on what’s wrong with reusing a plastic veggie bag from the store?  I rinse and hang on a door cabinet pull (hide away when neighbors drop by, so the kitchen doesn’t look like a plastic factory), plastic is the most intensely disgusting wasteful product we seem to not be able to live without.  Plastic bottles, try switching to a glass one, or refill.  Of course do not leave a plastic bottle to heat up in a car-harmful toxins seep into the drink.  Same with plastic containers, for a long life, hand wash, as the dishwasher heats up enough to release toxins.  Scratching plastic with coarse sponge can also release toxins, so be gentle with them.  When done recycle.

To-Go containers are horrible and here in NY we can’t even recycle most of them.  Look for the lower numbers on the bottom.  Actually, aluminum to-go containers are the best bet as they can be recycled.  Luckily products are coming more and more available that are biodegradable. So try and either support those businesses who use them, or make sure to ask them to make a switch.

So my thought for Earth Day, we have to take responsibility for our consumption and our waste.  We can't just throw it all away, it's got to go somewhere.  What goes up must come down, what goes in must come out, so just because we can't see it (unless you live near a landfill, or happen to watch a garbage barge float by) doesn't mean it's not there.  What is mine becomes yours, for better or for worse, so let's try and do better. 

Juli's got things into perspective and is doing something to help reduce and stop our addiction to plastic.  She writes a great blog called Plasticless NYC.  Haven't you ever thought about where all those bottles go? Even if we do recycle them, there is so much energy and waste and pollution that goes into making/re-making them. Here in NYC, in my humble opinion we have the best tasting water. What happened to enjoying our own tap water in a glass?

Check it out

Here's one post about why Kool-Aid is cooler than any bottled flavored mineral water.  Not that I ever drink flavored drinks, but her 10 reasons to rethink kool-aid are great:

10. You can say "Yeah, I'm drinking the Kool-Aid" without a hint of irony.

9. Less packaging = Less plastic pollution

8. Kool-Aid is a lot less expensive than Vitaminwater products.

7. Unlike Vitaminwater, Kool-Aid doesn't brag about how nutritious it is, then have its lawyers say 'no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking our product was a healthy beverage'. And Kool-Aid even has 10% daily value of Vitamin C.

6. With Kool-Aid, you can know exactly where the water is coming from, and what is in it. Not true with Vitaminwater.*

5. The money you spend for Kool-Aid isn't going to multimillion dollar celebrity ad campaigns (yuck).

4. You generally don't see Kool-Aid packets littering city streets. Vitaminwater bottles? They're all over the place.

3. Instead of drinking stuff that looks like Kool-Aid, you could just drink Kool-Aid.

2. Vitaminwater is over-hyped and over-exposed. Kool-Aid is retro.

1. "Hey, Ellen DeGeneres!" just doesn't have the same ring as "Hey, Kool-Aid!"

Here are some other cool blogs Juli's plasticless NYC follows and you should too:

• Leave Only Footprints: giving up plastic one month at a time.

• Elizabeth Royte's blog Notes On Waste, Water, Whatever (author of Bottlemania: How Water Went On Sale and Why We Bought It).   

• Take The 5 Plastics Pledge

5 actions you can do your part in reducing our addiction to plastics=petroleum based products.

the Field Lab blog he writes on is filled with amazing stories of how he is creating a sustainable and energy independant life.  The stories of his friends (two legged and four), his photographs and his perspective are worth taking a look at.  He is living proof that within us all is the ability to get up and change our lives, be creative, be challenged and find happiness in simpler things.

Need just a little bit of what his wide open space looks like?

When the allure of cramped apartment living has worn off, when you've been bumped one too many times from texting pedestrians, and when grimy post winter potholed NYC streets is just too much to bear, check out John's live webcam

Penelope Green of the NY Times traveled to visit John and published his story in last weeks NY Times Home section.  I love the idea that John lives quietly with 500k+ virtual visitors, living through his eyes and seeing how one man decided he could change his life and create a magnificent happy and peaceful world.

John has an artists eye in everything he sees.  As a photographer his images capture a magical world he has created. check out his lovely postcards.

Read about his story and follow links to his site and be inspired.

John and Goldie

Yesterday I did something empowering and fun.  I walked into my local public library and took out some books.  It has been years I must admit and have felt guilty many times running into a Borders or Barnes and Noble when I could have easily checked out a book from the Library.  When did we stop collectively caring about the Public Library?

Here's my sustainability tip: Don't fret over the closing of Borders, go to your local library.  Here's a link to the NYC Public Library locations. 

And if you really want to own a book or give a gift, instead of ordering online where books need to be packaged and boxed and shipped, consider buying from an independently locally owned book store.  A used book is even better. Here in NYC we have the amazing Strand Books. 

The Public Library is a beacon of hope, support it to keep it before it's too late.

A sponge, plastic cover, string and a plastic baggie, all could have gone into the garbage.  I certainly could have bought a 'new' guitar humidifier made in some far away place in a nice package that would have lasted as far as the store to my garbage. A humidifier like many things doesn't need to look nice, it needs to be efficient. The inside of a guitar isn't thinking about style, it wants a drink.

There are endless ways we can reuse, reduce and recycle!  What's one of Yours?

Funny how another term for garbage is refuse, is it because we refuse to accept our responsibility for dealing with our own excessive waste? Why are we so apathetic? Waste has to got to go somewhere, and in the city we cart it away making grotesque toxic mountains in a whole lot of someone else's back yards. Or it's shipped onto floating barges to nowhere-and if some "accidentally" gets dumped into the sea, who's being held accountable? Garbage costs the city=us so much. We waste with our waste. But wait, there's money in them thar hills and garbage islands floating off the starboard bow!

The city's waste should be revenue based. It's a mountain of a challenge (pun intended) but we have to be up to the task, because sooner or later we'll come to our collective senses and see the value in making our city landfill free.

Here's one action to start the New Year: learn how, where and when you can recycle your e-waste. Make it a point to collect your junk together and instead of easily dumping onto your sidewalk, take a tiny bit more time and take your stuff to one of the listed e-waste locations. Feel good about being part of the solution.

The Ecology Center offers free public compost collection and education, electronic waste recycling, stewardship of public open space, and environmental education. Their programs focus on offering opportunities for all New Yorkers to learn about environmental issues facing NYC and to take responsibility for solving those problems.

So here's to the resolution to think before you throw away, and my bet you'll have a better time sticking to this resolution than giving up chocolate and you'll feel much better for it.

I follow Sam Davidson's educational Cool People Care site, where he proves that with only 5 minutes out of your life you can make a difference.  Here's to the New Year and reducing food waste right in our own homes. Here in NYC many people I know use their oven for storage-no kidding. Maybe it's time to change that and actually cook something in it, think of the savings.

Follow his hyperlinks below to discover more tasty stuff that you can do to make your world=our world healthier, happier and less wasteful.

Think of 3 independently owned stores you'd miss if they were gone...the idea is you spend $50 at each, and in the process help save your local economy.

How about doing the same for your local non-profit?  Small arts, education, animal rights, and community organizations were hit really hard by the recession, including dried up grants, reduced donor support and economic tightening of expenditures. They truly need your support now more than ever.  I have a friend who explains it this way, "in these tough times I give 'til it hurts and it hurts, but I can't imagine my community without these organizations, so I give."  Consider splitting up your donor giving pie into smaller pieces by giving to the international organizations you believe in, but also add to it the local ones you might not realize you take for granted and would certainly miss if they were gone.

So with the concept of the 3/50 project in mind, why not think about 3 local organizations you would really miss if they were no longer around and give $50. And don't forget to let them know how much they mean to you.