EcoHearth: Come Home to the Earth

For some, New York conjures up images of dirty sidewalks, trashed parks run over with rats, and skyscrapers that obliterate sunlight and prevent even a single blade of grass from thriving. But despite its reputation for concrete and grit, New York is one of the world’s leading cities when it comes to urban environmentalism and sustainable design. And certainly it’s one of the best places to live if you want to reduce your carbon footprint.

Eco Transportation
New York boasts one of the world’s best subway systems, running 24 hours a day and reaching most of the neighborhoods in its five boroughs. Along with the city’s extensive bus service, which uses many hybrid-electric buses, residents can easily minimize their transportation emissions. And because of the numerous bike paths and ubiquitous sidewalks, visitors and residents alike can nearly eliminate the environmental impact of their transportation choices, a result not possible in even small towns, where cars are usually mandatory for getting around.

City Government Initiatives
Under the leadership of Michael Bloomberg, one of the nation’s most environmentally conscious mayors, New York’s green initiatives have drawn praise from Al Gore and have inspired other cities seeking ways to integrate sustainability.

One of the city’s largest environmental projects under Bloomberg is PlaNYC, a comprehensive effort to reduce carbon emissions to 30% below 2005 levels by 2030. Not only does PlaNYC aim to significantly lower emissions, it will do so while accommodating population growth and improving urban infrastructure. And, according to last year’s greenhouse-gas emissions inventory, the city is making strides toward its goal. From 2007 to 2008, citywide and municipal government greenhouse-gas emissions were reduced by 3.5% with further reductions expected.

Bloomberg has also launched the Office of Environmental Remediation, which cleans up contaminated vacant and underused sites known as brownfields. Because of their prevalence and proximity to residential areas in the city, they pose a high risk—not only to the environment but also to citizens’ health. The cleanup of brownfields will significantly improve the city’s ecology as well as the look of its landscape.

Though New York has often been called a “concrete jungle,” the city is working to update its building regulations with sustainability codes. In April, the Mayor proposed a package of bills that would require large buildings to improve their energy efficiency by changing everything from boilers to light bulbs. The legislation is currently before the City Council, with a good chance for approval, meaning the city will likely soon add to its already existing inventory of energy-efficient buildings.

The city also recognizes the potential growth and the benefits of boosting its green economic sector. A few months ago, the Mayor announced an investment of more than $7.5 million in “four target areas that will account for 70% of green-sector jobs in the City over the next decade: green buildings, onsite renewable energy, carbon trading and finance, and greener neighborhoods.”

Already flush with acres of parkland—including Manhattan’s Central Park and its lesser-known, but almost as vast sister in Brooklyn, Prospect Park—New York is taking steps to further improve and expand its connections with nature. Since the start of Bloomberg’s tenure, a quarter-million new trees have been planted, 200 miles of bicycle lanes have been added across all five boroughs, and more than a dozen car-free pedestrian plazas, including ones in Times Square and Herald Square, have opened.

Green Organizations
Nongovernmental green organizations also thrive in the city. Trees New York is one of the oldest. Established in 1976, it trains volunteers to maintain trees in their communities and runs environmental educational programs.

Council on the Environment of New York City has set up more than 50 greenmarkets throughout the five boroughs. It also encourages immigrants with agricultural experience to establish local farms, runs free recycling education programs and educates youth on the environmental consequences of their decisions, while helping them identify eco-related hazards in their communities.

To name just one more, Bags for the People (BP) discourages the use of plastic bags by distributing free bags made of reclaimed materials and constructed with solar-powered sewing machines. BP also holds sewing workshops and hosts “Sweatshop Socials,” where attendees can enjoy live music while learning to sew.

So, if you’re turned off by the smells and pollution of New York City, delve deeper and you’ll discover its eco-pioneering leaders, myriad environmental activities and numerous eco resources. While the big city may have a gray façade and a skyline filled with concrete towers, billboards and lights, underneath there is an environmentally passionate landscape. Yes, even a megalopolis like the Big Apple has a green side—and it takes just a subway ride, bike ride or walk along its sidewalk to begin your discovery of it.

Additional resources:
Save a Tree, Hug a Highrise?
How Urban Is Urban Enough?
Greenest Cities: Santa Fe, New Mexico

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