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16 of NYC's Most Prestigious Hotels Are Going Green
If the phrase "green hotel" conjures up a bare bones eco-resort in Costa Rica or a solar-powered yurt in the middle of the wilderness, think again. As part of the NYC Carbon Challenge, 16 of NYC's most famous and most deluxe hotels have committed to "greening" their operations.
But don't expect to see solar panels on top of the Waldorf Astoria just yet. While the hotels have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 30% over the next ten years, they plan to accomplish that goal through updated temperature control systems, lighting upgrades and new insulation- admittedly, not the sexiest or most visible greening projects. But their impact will be quite significant: Planned efforts could reduce emissions from these 16 buildings by 32,000 metric tons.
But the actual emissions reduction is just part of what the city expects to get out of this effort. It's also great publicity. After all, if luxury hotels like the Waldorf-Astoria, the Pierre and the Peninsula, with their aging buildings, hundreds of rooms and thousands of guests per year can reduce their carbon footprints, it could well inspire the rest of us to follow.
You can read more about then greening of NYC hotels on Grist.org here.
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MTA Public Meeting on L Train Closure
As most New Yorkers know, the Canarsie Tunnel, which runs under the east River between Bedford Ave in Brooklyn and First Ave in Manhattan, was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and plans are in the works to shut down the tunnel in 2019 for repairs. Currently, 300,000 riders per day use the L train, and shut down of service has profound implications for commuters and businesses along the line. And while the expanded citywide ferry service is expected to pick up some of the slack, many people are expressing concern that the new ferries, which can only handle about 150 passengers per trip, will not be adequate to meet demand, a demand that can only rise as development projects in Brooklyn are completed, and even more residents in North and Central Brooklyn find themselves without robust commuting options.
If you have concerns or opinions about the L train closure plan that you'd like to share with the MTA, you will have a chance on Wednesday June 29 at the MTA's public meeting. The meeting will be held at Mount Sinai Beth Israel's Podell Hall Auditorium at 1-9 Nathan D. Perlman Place, NY, NY, 10003, starting at 6:30pm.
To learn more about this project, please check out this video!
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Solar Impulse Returns to NYC
On June 11th, 2016,Solar Impulse 2, an aircraft powered by 17,000 solar cells and lithium polymer batteries flew with grace over the New York harbor. Swiss pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg flew this extraordinary aircraft powered with rechargeable batteries that are powered using solar energy.
The plane has traveled around the world started its 14 leg journey in March 2015 in Abu Dhabi and going places like Japan and Hawaii, finishing off the trip soaring above Lady Liberty and landing at Kennedy International Airport. This trip was designed to press the case for more solar energy and to solve the world’s crisis of climate change and energy challenges. While this solar powered plane is a great step towards the possibility of solar-powered transportation, there are still a few issues to be resolved: Currently, the plane can only travel at 35 miles per hour, weighs as much as a family car and can realistically only fit one person.
The Solar Impulse 2 team is soon to set on another journey, flying across the Atlantic to complete their round-the-world trip. Safe travels to the pilots and bon voyage!
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