The NYC Compost Project, created by the NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) in 1993, works to rebuild NYC’s soils by providing New Yorkers with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities they need to make and use compost locally. NYC Compost Project programs are implemented by DSNY-funded teams at seven host organizations, …
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” – Jane Jacobs, The Death and Life of Great American Cities The built environment often does not meet the needs of all community members, so intertwined are the physical and social dimensions …
Where are your Malbecs? I don’t know anything about wine, but I know I like “Sancerre”s. I cut my teeth in the beverage industry in 2014, working part time at a small wine and spirits shop. Over the years, my colleagues and I have worked hard to expand palates and …
The State of New York has been a leader in energy systems since 1882 when Thomas Edison developed the world’s first electrical grid in New York City. As new challenges related to climate change and its various consequences, such as Superstorm Sandy, have arisen throughout the 21st century, New York …
Imagine, for a moment, a seesaw. On one side, put volcanoes, fires, and decomposing plants. On the other side, put trees, oceans, crops, and gardens. This seesaw represents how carbon dioxide enters and leaves the atmosphere. Trees, oceans, soil, and living organisms remove and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, …
Cars a part of most Americans’ lives, so sooner or later you’ll probably be buying one. Maybe buying an electric car crosses your mind, but you think, “Aren’t they expensive? Will this make my electric bill increase? Where am I going to be able to charge if I’m not at …
New certification alliances continue to push the boundaries for what consumers can expect from product labels. Most recently, the Regenerative Organic Alliance has come together to launch the Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) in the spring of 2018. You may ask, “Another certification? Will that be confusing or overwhelming for customers?” …
Whether you come from a tightly packed urban neighborhood or from the rural rolling hills, you’ve probably seen a barren, possibly trashed area that’s lain dormant for decades. It could be an old, derelict industrial site or a landfill that’s full to the brim with your community’s waste. These are …
Communities near Superfund sites are in for a rough couple of decades. We all know that climate change is steadily intensifying extreme weather events. Sea level rise and warming oceans are already causing more intense hurricanes and superstorms, culminating in disastrous storm surge along coastlines and significant inland flooding. As …
When I started graduate school at Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy (CEP), I also started my student employment with Bard’s Office of Sustainability as the “energy intern.” Less than a year ago, I would have laughed at the prospect of me working with energy data. Me? I’d just spent two …
