Eco Brooklyn » Press

The Craft: Up On the (Living) Roof

Gennaro Brooks-Church — Wed, 02 May 2012 01:10:53 +0000

Chrongram Magazine mentioned Eco Brooklyn in a recent article on green roofs. It is below:

A close-up of the green roof installed at the Mohonk Preserve Visitor’s Center in Gardiner by Aurora Landscape Design.

by Gregory Schoenfeld, April 27, 2012

When Shawn McCloskey returned home to his native Kingston in 2000, things were pretty much the way he had left them. After years in the Pacific Northwest, honing his craft of landscaping design, McCloskey began to build his Aurora Landscape firm in a Hudson Valley design scene that was comfortably reminiscent of the one he had grown up with.

It was a bit too comfortable for McCloskey’s taste.

“I looked around and realized that things weren’t happening around here,” recalls McCloskey. “We needed to see change, and we needed to diversify.” Seeking to incorporate the kind of sustainable advancements that are, unfortunately, often more prevalent abroad than in the United States, McCloskey found his inspiration in green roof installation. A longstanding practice in regions like Scandinavia, and for decades an increasingly popular environmental trend in many European countries, a “green roof” is exactly what it sounds like: living vegetation thriving on top of building structure, just where common sense would dictate. Continual developments in technology and application have transformed the sod-and-grass roofs of old Norwegian villages into a spectacular—and sustainable—array of choices.

Joining forces with trend-setting manufacturer LiveRoof, which offers an environmentally sound, pre-vegetated modular system, McCloskey’s work has hit the ground—or the roof—blooming. Examples of striking blends of multicolored Sedum plants, and the reduced carbon footprint they provide, can be found at places like Rhinebeck’s Omega Institute and atop the Mohonk Preserve Visitors’ Center—providing precious visibility for a movement with a seemingly unending list of benefits. Besides the obvious aesthetic improvements (when was the last time you stopped and gazed at a field of well-laid roof shingle?), green roofing begins with long-term savings, both residentially and commercially. “The best part is, the sustainability is a result of practicality,” says McCloskey. The UV protection provided by a properly installed system can triple the life expectancy of the roof itself, and the improved insulation can save 25 percent or more of heating and cooling energy usage. Living roof coverage also comprehensively helps with stormwater drainage issues, and it’s myriad associated costs. The secondary effects are equally as significant, as the process helps reduce pollution as well as damaging overheating effects, particularly in urban areas.

Slowly but surely, the United States is catching up with the global awareness of how beneficial green roofing can be, with recent legislation providing tax incentives for implementing the green technology. Practitioners like Gennaro Brooks-Church—whose Eco Brooklyn design firm does groundbreaking work in New York City, where any living space is at a premium—believes that the holistic environmental and lifestyle improvements of green building suggest a mandate for a sustainable future. “People are increasingly seeing the necessity of green roofs, especially in cities where stormwater runoff, heat island effect, pollution mitigation, local food sources and diminishing wildlife habitats are all concerns,” explains Brooks-Church. “A green roof helps solve all these issues.”

Get Your “Passport to Green NY” and Celebrate Earth Day Early!

Gennaro Brooks-Church — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 21:33:42 +0000

As NY Green Contractors, we work hard to turn NYC green and we love any opportunity to share our labors with the public because it spreads awareness of green building. The Earth Day New York organization has created a great way for New Yorkers to celebrate Earth Day as well as learn more about green businesses and opportunities in the city. The event is called “Passport to Green NY” and runs from March 20 to April 21.

It is essentially a scavenger hunt style event that encourages participants to visit as many of the participating green businesses as possible to compete for prizes and raise awareness about what’s available in NYC for those looking to live greener. The “passport” also includes valuable coupons and discounts that can be used at the participating green locations, everything from Build it Green NYC to the Bronx Zoo to Bare Burger. For example, head to the New York Botanical Garden for 20% of any all-garden pass when you use your new passport from Earth Day New York.

This event gives people incentive to choose green products and services by offering discounts, prizes and simply by spreading awareness about them. As a NY Green Contractor and green business, we love events like this because it gives us a chance to highlight our work, as well as showing us the work of others who share the common goal of turning NYC green.

To download your own copy of the Passport, check out the website. Happy (green) shopping and eating!

Benefit Corporations law signed and active in New York State!

Gennaro Brooks-Church — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 20:08:21 +0000

Finally, a way to pursue the “triple bottom line” (people, planet and profits) with legal backing! It is called the Benefit Corporation (as opposed to a normal C or S Corporation for example). Signed into NY legislation by Governor Cuomo the new law allows businesses to be recognized and filed a for more than their financial goals.

Benefit Corporations have a legal responsibility to all stakeholders, not just the shareholders like a traditional C or S Corps. This means they are obligated to take into account the effects of their decisions on the community, the environment, employees, etc. Benefit Corporations can also voluntarily undergo certification by the nonprofit organization B Lab that makes them “Certified B Corporations” and ensures they have a social purpose and benefits for stakeholders. More on that here .

With the new law, New York is joining states that have already passed similar legislation, including Maryland, Vermont, New Jersey, Virginia, Hawaii, California.

The key distinctions of Benefit Corporations from traditional corporations are these three things:

1) Purpose: They must have a corporate purpose to create a material positive impact on society and the environment;

2) Accountability: They must expand the directors’ and employees’ fiduciary duty to require consideration of the interests of workers, community and the environment and all stakeholder

3) Transparency: They must publicly report annually on overall social and environmental performance against a comprehensive, credible, independent, and transparent third party standard

Other than these three additions, the Benefit Corporations is set up and taxed as a traditional corporation would be. However, for social entrepreneurs like EcoBrooklyn, this changes everything. It protects the mission and purpose of the business and holds up the triple bottom line as a priority. In other words, it legally never puts profits for shareholders above the stakeholders - something that social businesses have been trying to do for decades.

B Lab is a nonprofit that helped create the Benefit Corporation and now works to establish the option of a Benefit Corporation in all states through legislation. Much of the above information came from their website. More information on the requirements and specific details of a Benefit Corporation here.

“Same River: We are all downstream”

Yi Deng — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:54:48 +0000

Here is a MUST SEE event. It is an inspiring creative synergy of art spread over several evenings to raise momentum against the very serious threat of hydrofracking.

The Irondale Arts Center in Fort Greene, Brooklyn is putting it on and it starts in a couple of weeks. The show’ll be different every night: it incorporates artwork, live music, video, modern dance, and physical theater. Each night ends with a town-hall discussion of the issues presented. “Same River” presents the community with an opportunity to get involved in an important environmental issue, so check it out if you’re in the area.

Check out the Irondale website for more information and tickets:

Here’s their press release:

2/23: “SAME RIVER” ON HYDRO-FRACKING @ IRONDALE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STRIKE ANYWHERE’S SAME RIVER ON NYC’S ENDANGERED WATER PREMIERES FEBRUARY 23, 2012
NIGHTLY POST-SHOW TOWN HALL DISCUSSIONS

“Same River” A Play About Hydro-Fracking @ Irondale

“SAME RIVER” is a multi-media, interview-based, improvised production. As hydro-fracking is poised to affect NYC’s water supply, “Same River” brings the upstate war over this controversial method of drilling downstream. Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble, whose production of “10 Brecht Poems” was heralded by the Village Voice as “poignant and appreciated,” will premiere “SAME RIVER” starting February 23, 2012 and run until March 3, 2012 at the Irondale Center on 85 S. Oxford St. Brooklyn, NY 11217. Tickets $20-$40 ($15 tickets Wed/Thurs only). Shows Thursday-Saturday 2/23-2/25 and Wednesday-Saturday 2/29-3/3 at 8PM; student matinee at 1PM on Friday March 2nd, 2012. Tix: 866-811-4111 or www.irondale.org

Including live music, modern dance, physical theater, and video, this improvised show will be different every night. Following each show, there will be a tightly facilitated “town hall” discussion on the issues the piece presents. Experts will be on hand to propel the conversation.

Audience members will experience a visual art installation upon entry to the theater. The artwork is the result of a seven-week residency at nearby Brooklyn High School for the Arts with the science, theater and technical theater classes. Art work will also be developed during a community art-making day for families on February 11 at 2:00 PM at Irondale Center (ages 6 and up).

Strike Anywhere Performance Ensemble began to develop SAME RIVER in July 2010 as part of the North American Cultural Laboratory’s (NACL) Catskill Festival of New Theater. During this 10-day residency, Strike Anywhere interviewed local residents about water and researched community water issues. Now, as the decision to lift the moratorium on fracking in New York creeps nearer, Strike Anywhere seeks to engage the Fort Greene neighborhood in this discussion. The ensemble will trace the path of Brooklyn’s water supply and illuminate the struggles of communities upstate which are in the thick of the gas-leasing gold rush. Interviews with Brooklyn residents will examine their relationship to water, their knowledge of local water issues and their familiarity with fracking. The piece seeks to draw connections, to give voice to multiple viewpoints and to acknowledge that we are all downstream, that the earth’s water supply is all the same river.

Established in 1997, STRIKE ANYWHERE is a permanent ensemble of world-class jazz musicians, modern dancers, and actors. Known for their use of SOUNDPAINTING, the live composing sign language, the ensemble creates art in the moment, allowing intuition, the sounds of the room and audience suggestion to shape what they play. SA performances always feature live music, physical theater and modern dance. The company applies structures and concepts from American jazz to their inter-disciplinary improvisations to create performances that are provocative and alive. Strike Anywhere has toured nationally and internationally. The company was in residence at The Zipper Factory and St. Clements developing new works. It has appeared at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the American Airlines Theatre, The Irondale Center, P.S. 122, Theatre for the New City, and HERE Arts Center. Additionally Strike Anywhere has been featured on Radio France, NPR, WBAI and German Public Radio.

Irondale was created by Jim Niesen, Terry Greiss and Barbara Mackenzie-Wood, in 1983. Through the power of the ensemble process, Irondale creates and presents theater, performance, and education programs that challenge traditional assumptions about art, and help us to better understand today’s world. The Irondale Center is the company’s theater, laboratory, and classroom. It is also home for ensemble artists of all disciplines and cultures.

Material Reuse with the NYCMEDP

Yi Deng — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:10:02 +0000

Eco Brooklyn has partnered up with the NYC Materials Exchange Development Program, a great non-profit that keeps reusable materials out of the trash by connecting people with unwanted materials to others who can reuse them.

The NYCMEDP runs a number of ongoing service, outreach, and research programs. The NYC Waste Match, for example, is a free service that can help green builders salvage materials efficiently by connecting us directly with businesses and individuals doing demolition and construction. Waste Match also helps these people save money on disposal costs while building an environmentally friendly image. Salvage is a win-win situation, and we hope that more people will choose to reuse materials now that the NYCMEDP is providing an easy way to do it.

Check out our member page on their site!

How Social Entrepreneurs and Non-Profiteers Should Pitch Stories

Yi Deng — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 16:24:04 +0000

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to attend a teleclass hosted by Marissa Feinberg, founder of Green Spaces, on writing pitches for social entrepreneurs and non-profiteers.

Large corporations pay premium prices for professional PR services. We’re a small New York green builder with a big mission: to turn New York green. Our job is a mix of green building and educational outreach. Having a good pitch is crucial to getting our story as much exposure as possible.

A “pitch” refers to the quick-and-dirty description of a story and why it matters. Writers, for example, will pitch stories to editors, but in this context we talked about how small businesses would pitch stories to journalists in order to have their work featured.

A good pitch will:

1. Consider the style of the intended journalist and publication. Before pitching a story, you should look through headlines and topics they’ve already covered to get a sense of what they’re looking for. You should determine, for example, whether the publication has a local or national audience and focus your story accordingly. Why should this publication/journalist feature your story?

2. Tie into timely, relevant events, such as recent news stories, upcoming holidays, or industry trends. Why is your story important now?

3. Have a calculated effect on people’s behavior. What do you want people to do differently, after having read your story?

I went into the class knowing absolutely nothing. Thanks again to Marissa, for your patience. I know a lot of other innovative thinkers could use help getting their ideas out there.

The first pitch night event is tonight! Check out the event info.

Passive House Tour

Gennaro Brooks-Church — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:14:26 +0000

Come check out our Open House and Blowerdoor test at our Harlem Passive House renovation.

When: Friday, November 11, 2011, 4:30 PM
Where: 156 West 130th Street, Manhattan.

The New York Passive House community is kicking off the weekend of International Open Passive House days at Ecobrooklyn’s project in Harlem. The house is well underway and the Triple pane Rieder windows are in, the walls are insulated and sealed. This 3 family brownstone renovation is primarily using reclaimed building materials and only buys new when needed or crucial to make the house as efficient as possible (windows, mechanicals, airtight tapes and membranes). Everything else – studs, floors, walls – is salvaged.

Gennaro Brooks-Church, Director of Eco Brooklyn, and his team have been going strong and are ready for the blowerdoor test, last time we were able to find some mayor leaks so please join us and help us find the last few leaks.

Note that this is still a construction site, so dress appropriately and be ready to sign a liability waiver.

A detail of the air sealed ceiling of the Manhattan passive house renovation

Occupy Wall Street

Dan Hunter — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 17:45:25 +0000

On 10/11/11 Eco Brooklyn, a green builder and supporter of a better America and world, went down to the Financial district to check out Occupy Wall Street. Nearly 30 days ago, a diverse group of citizens took to the street in NYC, and marched down to Zuccotti Park, formerly “Liberty Plaza Park”, placed in between Wall Street, the financial center of the U.S., and Ground Zero.

Although formal demands will not be made, the message brought by Occupy Wall Street is clear. They call for an end to corruption and greed, to bring about a better, cleaner, fairer world. Cleaner, fairer, and better are all words that definitely relate to the idea of sustainability, which seems to be a theme for the protesters at OWS. They hope to create a sustainable system of economics and government that’s not only sustainable for the people in charge and involved now, but also for the people of the future. Similarly to OWS, Eco Brooklyn sees the need for an immediate change in the building and construction industry. For too long, a system has been used that leads to crumbling infrastructure and high energy costs, and now it’s time for an immediate change to use recycled and salvaged material to make zero energy homes. This is a practical goal, that’s sustainable not only for the people living in the new homes, but also for the generations to come.

OWS also has areas for making and displaying art, garbage collection and recycling, a food buffet, a drum circle/music group, a webcast, an info center for volunteers, as well spaces to access the internet and charge cell phones and battery powered devices. With mattresses and sleeping bags spread throughout these areas, one had to be careful navigating between the people protesting and things and people on the ground, but despite the difference in peoples body language and stature, the feeling of unity was unmistakable- everyone united as one, fighting for a better, fairer, cleaner world. For more check out Thomas Friedman’s Op-Ed piece in the New York Times.

Climate Week NYC and Green Contracting in New York

Debbie Pierce — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:28:27 +0000

Climate Week NYC offers up to 8 events a day. And many of them relate to green building in unexpected ways.

What better time of the year to let your green out? Climate Week NYC offers such a wide variety of events at varying locations and times to fit everyone’s interests and schedules. For a complete listing of events up until next Tuesday the 27^th, click here http://www.climateweeknyc2011.org/events. However, I have compiled a list of events that are especially relevant to those interested in Green Contracting. I’ve included events related to materials in green contracting, green roofs, energy efficiency, sustainable events in Brooklyn, and a sustainable lifestyle in general. The events that I have included are all free and open to the public, but some do require reservations (check the website for details).

Climate Week NYC, pic taken by TheClimateGroup

FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 23, 2011

The Bottom Line on Climate Change: Transitioning To Renewable Energy. 8:30 am-6:30 pm. Wollman Hall, The New School, Eugene Lang Building, 65 West 11^th st, 5^th floor. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. Reservations required.

Energy reduction, and using alternative energy sources are a large part of green contracting. This event includes government officials, scientists, politicians, business leaders, and professors. This mix of people should result in a very practical and unbiased discussion that will be focused on real-world ways of implementing clean energy into everyday life.

The Albedo Effect. 6-6:30 pm. Cubana Social. 70 N 6^th street between Wythe and Kent, Brooklyn.

This very short event will fit even the busiest of schedules. This event is a performance of dance and film representing an urban heat island. The performance includes ways to reduce this heat island that are relevant to green contracting.

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SATURDAY 24, 2011

Reflecting the Stars. All day, pier 29, Hudson River Park, West 11^th and Bank Street.

This event uses steel pipes with LED light bulbs inside of them to recreate the night sky in Manhattan. These steel pipes were chosen to juxtapose the lightbulbs because the steel pipes will turn rusty quickly while the lightbulbs will continue to look new. The type of material to use is an important choice in green contracting. This event showcases one of the ways to juxtapose materials.

Cooling a roof. 9-3 pm. Henry Street Settlement, 466 Grand Street.

This event is perfect for those of you who want to know more about green roofs and how to install them. This event is hosted by NYC CoolRoofs, which is an NYC government collaboration between the department of service and building.

Moving Planet- Sustainable Flatbush. 11am-3pm. Church Avenue Communal Garden at the Flatbush Reformed Church, 890 Flatbush Ave, Brooklyn.

This event is perfect for getting to more about sustainable efforts in Brooklyn. Sustainable Flatbush is also doing some really interesting things, such as setting up their own off-grid solar system, called SunBike. The rest of the event will focus on the use of plants in urban spaces, from urban gardens to green roofs.

Moving Planet NYC. 11:30am-4pm. Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, East 47^th at 1^st ave,

This event is being included not really because of its direct relevance to green contracting, but because of its sheer size and importance. Moving planet is being organized by several NYC groups as well as 350.org, an organization committed to reducing C02. For more information, check out their website, http://movingplanetnyc.blogspot.com/, http://www.twitter.com/Moving_Planet, http://www.twitter.com/350

2011 Northeast Sustainable Energy Association (NESEA) Annual Meeting. 5-9pm. CUNY Institute for Sustainable cities, Hunter College. 695 Park Ave. Registration required.

This event is hosted by NESEA and GreenHomeNYC, which is the local chapter of NESEA. This event is unparallelled among climate week events for its networking opportunities.

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SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 25, 2011

NYC Sustainable Lighting Tour. 7pm, Central Park. download a special tour map.

Although this event goes on everyday, it is an especially good event for a relaxing Sunday, especially after a busy week of attending climate week events. This event is hosted by the NYC DOT LED Pilot Project. Although this project is mainly concerned with installing LED lights on streets, LED lights can be used in green contracting as well.

Other events on Sunday are repeats, such as Reflecting the Stars, and Cooling a Roof.

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MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 2011

Meditations on a Warming Planet: An Audience Participation Performance. 6-8pm. Sheep Meadow, Central Park. West Side, between 66^th and 69^th.

Unfortunately some of the most interesting events today are out of budget for the average person (upwards of $600 per event). But there is this nice free event to connect you to nature, while allowing for some audience participation as well. Although this event is climate themed, and therefore not directly related to green contracting, the overarching goal of the environmental movement is to prevent climate change (as well as some other things). So sit back in Central Park and enjoy the big picture.

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TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Unfortunately the last day of climate week events has no free events. But, in case you are willing to pay I’ll include some interesting events anyway.

Transportation Transformation. 8-10:30am. $10 for members, $20 for non-members. ConEd Headquarters, 4 Irving place.

While transportation is not explicably linked to green contracting, green transportation is a part of a sustainable lifestyle. Explore three different green transportation firms that are starting to make an impact on how we drive, park, and bike in New York City.

Planet Brooklyn Highlights Eco Brooklyn

Gennaro Brooks-Church — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 17:33:52 +0000

The web site Planet Brooklyn did a nice article on Eco Brooklyn. The author of the article Rochana has a very clear writing style that is great to read.

Check it out here.