Go Green Lower East Side

With the Lower East Side among the lowest performing community...

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:33:00 -0500

With the Lower East Side among the lowest performing community districts in recycling diversion rates in Manhattan, another key component of the Model Block Project agenda is encouraging recycling and waste prevention.

Ermin Siljkovic of GrowNYC’s Office of Recycling Outreach and Education has thus far engaged block residents and staff from Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association buildings to demonstrate how residential buildings can comply with the NYC Department of Sanitation’s curbside recycling program as well as implement other important best practices. It was also stressed that recycling is not only an effective tool to improve the environmental quality of the Lower East Side, but also provides an immediate beneficial impact for building management in reducing the likelihood of receiving a citation from the NYC Department of Sanitation for improper recycling.

As a part of the Model Block...

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:48:00 -0500

As a part of the Model Block Project, the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s EcoBizNYC program is working with small businesses on East 4th Street to help them go green and save green at the same time.

According to the Ecology Center’s website:

“EcoBizNYC, a program of the Lower East Side Ecology Center, helps small businesses reduce air pollution and environmental impacts while saving money in their day-to-day operations.

The program provides small businesses with FREE environmental consulting and resources, including:

· Energy efficiency consultations and energy saving upgrades

· Sustainability evaluation of water, waste, procurement, and HVAC

· Customized sustainability recommendations

· Rating system acknowledging sustainability accomplishments

· Grant program to assist in reaching sustainability goals”

Soon, we’ll highlight businesses that are participating in the Model Block Project!

Last week, The Villager published a wonderful piece on the Model...

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 12:22:00 -0500

Last week, The Villager published a wonderful piece on the Model Block Project. Check it out! Here’s an excerpt:

“Residential buildings and commercial storefronts along a block of E. Fourth St. are poised for some major environmental upgrades free of charge.

The new environmental sustainability program, dubbed the ‘Model Block’ project by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer’s Office, promises to provide residents and storeowners along E. Fourth St. between the Bowery and Second Ave. with new energy-efficient appliances largely funded by the state. The program’s goal is to reduce energy consumption and minimize electricity use and other expenses throughout an entire city block, according to Stringer, who is working with the Fourth Arts Block, among other E. Fourth St. organizations, to launch the initiative.

‘What I wanted to show was, in order for us to actually achieve these goals, we needed to have a bottom-up approach,’ Stringer explained. ‘We have to build a movement that’s grassroots-based, to get people on the streets energized about an environmentally sound community.’

This summer, BP Stringer kicked off the Model Block Project by...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:25:19 -0500

This summer, BP Stringer kicked off the Model Block Project by announcing he and 100 volunteers would paint 35,000 square feet of roofs of the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association with a white coating that reflects 90% of sunlight. Cooper Square expects that this new paint will make the buildings’ roofs 25% more energy efficient and lower electrical and fuel costs for the buildings.

The Model Block Project’s volunteers come from many organizations, including Go Green! Lower East Side, FABnyc, the White Roof Project, NYC ° CoolRoofs, Con Edison, and other Lower East Side community groups. The large number of groups working together is one of the great strengths of the Model Block Project. Proclaimed BP Stringer, “[b]y uniting and empowering our community partners and stakeholders, we are building a healthier, more sustainable New York.”

Above: Last month, Borough President Scott Stringer speaks with...

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 12:23:26 -0500

Above: Last month, Borough President Scott Stringer speaks with residents of Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association about the Model Block Project.

One core component of Go Green Lower East Side’s Model Block Project is an effort to offer low-income residents of the Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association two opportunities:

1) The chance to enroll their buildings in a weatherization program that will lower heating costs in the winter.

2) Enrollment in NYSERDA’s EmPower program, which promotes energy efficiency through the installation of high-efficiency lighting and the replacement of old refrigerators, among other things.

Currently, the Cooper Square Committee and Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association are working hard to enroll residents in these two programs, with NYSERDA’s Solar One preparing to launch EmPower when enough residents are enrolled. We look forward to announcing new developments when program launch is ready!

Above: volunteers paint the roofs of Cooper Square Mutual...

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:22:00 -0500

Above: volunteers paint the roofs of Cooper Square Mutual Housing Association affordable housing with a solar-reflective white paint that will both lower cooling costs in the summer and save energy.

Welcome to the tumblr for Go Green Lower East Side’s Model Block Project. Go Green Lower East Side (or GGLES) is a community coalition founded by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer composed of neighborhood activists and community groups, environmental organizations and government stakeholders dedicated to making the Lower East Side a healthier and more environmentally sustainable neighborhood.

A part of Go Green, the Model Block Project is an attempt to take one block on East 4^thStreet and make it a model of environmental sustainability for the rest of the city. During the past year, FABNYC has led an effort, along with many partners, to turn the street into a cutting-edge corridor of energy efficiency programs and sustainability initiatives. This tumblr will help chronicle that effort!

Stay tuned!