Most green contractors advertise their use of “sustainably sourced” wood, meaning the trees are harvested in a less destructive way. What “sustainably sourced” really means, though, can be a slippery slope. Maybe they cut down old-growth forest and plant a monoculture tree farm instead. Maybe they cut down a tree and donate a dollar to […]
New Lives for Old Wood Read More »
When you flush a toilet in America you have every expectation that whatever just went in there is going away forever, no questions asked. So why would anyone want a toilet that takes your dirty business, stores it right where you put it, and hands it back to you again after a few months?? But
Composting Toilets Demystified Read More »
Since the Occupy Wall Street events this fall I have immersed myself in information that questions existing paradigms and searches for solutions to current problems. I’ve always done this, and as a green builder I do it on a daily basis, but the recent Occupy Wall Street events has given my ongoing education a focus and timely reference point.
The Weather Underground Movie Read More »
I heard somewhere that the building industry is more honest than other industries when it comes to greenwashing. Building only lies 96% of the time as opposed to the average of 98%. I don’t know if that is true but Eco Brooklyn tries not to focus on negative elements like greenwashing or environmental destruction because
Greenwashing At Its Best Read More »
Check out this petition on change.org. We think their proposal to turn an abandoned tract of land into green space will benefit many New Yorkers. The Rockaway Beach Branch Committee is petitioning the New York City Council to turn an abandoned 3.5 mile stretch of the old Rockaway Beach Branch railroad into a green space.
Recycling the abandoned Rockaway Beach Branch Read More »
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
How Social Entrepreneurs and Non-Profiteers Should Pitch Stories Read More »
Here is an example of a roof repair we just did. New York City has mostly flat roofs but once in a while we come across shingle slanted roofs. It is important to do shingles right because otherwise the slightest wind will blow them off again. In this case the roof was only a couple years old
Shingle Roof Repair Read More »
Gennaro Brooks-Church, Director of EcoBrooklyn Inc, discusses the significant element of salvaging materials for use in the company’s green renovations. Currently we are wrapping up a full-renovation of a brownstone in Manhattan where we’ve been working hard to attain its stringent Passive House requirements. Check out our video below, and feel free to leave us
Salvaging Materials at EcoBrooklyn Read More »
We’re Brooklyn-based green builders dedicated to turning our local neighborhood green, but we’re always following the latest developments in global standards for more sustainable living. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) met in Durban over the past two months in order to hammer out a plan for extending the Kyoto Protocol. The
Postponing the Debate: Tentative progress in Durban Read More »
In our Manhattan green brownstone renovation in we used Rieder windows because they allow us to meet the stringent Passive House standard. They came from Austria so it took about two months lead time to get them. All said it cost about $30,000 just in window expenses to supply the brownstone with your basic front and back
New York Passive House Window Installation Read More »
