Bill McKibben, author of Eaarth and founder of 350.org, can either be seen as an optimist or a pessimist; it just depends which way you look at it. He can be an optimist because he believes the human race can survive climate change, but he is a pessimist because he believes that global warming will […]
Review of Bill McKibben’s “Eaarth” Read More »
Over the past few years biking has become an increasingly popular mode of transportation in New York City. More than 200,000 people bike everyday in New York City. There was a 26% increase in the number of cyclers between 2008 and 2009. Here at Eco Brooklyn, a number of our employees ride to work and
Makin’ Tracks in Brooklyn Bridge Park Read More »
Brooklyn prides itself in its historic buildings, but these same sites pose an often unknown toxicity risk to inhabitants. Although the use of lead products was outlawed decades ago – lead-based paints were taken off the market in 1978 and leaded gasoline was banned in 1989 – lead’s legacy continues to taint Brooklyn’ s soils.
Alternative solutions to lead contamination Read More »
Recently the City University of NY (CUNY) has developed a NYC Solar Map. The features of this map may very well create more opportunities for green contractors, like Eco Brooklyn, to increase installation projects. Many people may be surprised to hear that although the NY climate is nothing like the desert southwest, there are plenty
CUNY’s NYC Solar Map Read More »
As a New York green builder, Eco Brooklyn is always interested in learning about what other sustainable design ideas are out there. Last night, I listened to an amazing TED talk that took green building to a whole new level. Michael Pawlyn, formerly with Grimshaw Architects, London, spoke about biomimicry and sustainable design and how
Biomimicry and the Eden Project Read More »
When I first started mentoring interns one of the first things I told them was that they always had to leave their work area cleaner than when they came to it. Over time this metaphor became the most powerful thing I think I can teach them. Leave your surroundings cleaner than when you arrived….. If
Leave Your Surroundings Cleaner Than When You Arrived Read More »
Before New York City as we know it today existed, the Gowanus was a tidal wetlands and stream ecosystem. In the 1860s, the area was dredged to become the Gowanus Canal, a major route for oil refineries, tanneries, chemical plants, manufactured-gas plants and other heavy industries who settled along the canal’s banks. These factories dumped wastes and leached
How Can We Clean Up the Gowanus? Read More »
A few years ago, Eco Brooklyn’s director became certified as a LEED AP. Till this day we have yet to certify a job with LEED. This is because we easily attain LEED Platinum standards and feel it falls short on many levels. So we put our money and energy on other things we feel are
Review and Critique of LEED Read More »
An activist group has formed in Surrey, England called The Diggers 2012. Their similarities to Eco Brooklyn are apparent with their slogan, “To make the Waste Land Grow.” As a NYC green builder, Eco Brooklyn strives to make the concrete filled city more ecologically diverse and thus balanced. The concrete jungle can be thought
Diggers 2012: Making the Waste Land Grow Read More »
Here at Eco Brooklyn we are making plans to build a backyard treehouse as part of our ongoing experimentation with living walls and salvaged materials. We have so much great wood it makes a lot of sense to offer a back yard treehouse service to New York families. It’s actually more like a shed on
Building a treehouse. I mean shed. No, rec space? Read More »
