A big Apple flooded with garbage

One of the other main striking points in New York is the amount of garbage. It is frequent to see mountains of garbage in the streets of Manhattan. New Yorkers like heights and it seems that sometimes they want to build skyscrapers of trash. 

Skyscrapers of trash used to be brought to New York City's Fresh Kills. Have you ever heard these words “Fresh Kills”? These words should make you shudder... It was the largest  landfill in the world located in Staten Island. After being closed for several years, it was temporarily reopened in the aftermath of the 9/11 bombing attacks. To our great relief, this environmental cataclysm closed since then and is currently being transformed into a park. The construction of the park is expected to last 30 years. It will be 3 times the size of Central Park. Can you imagine? 3 times 341 hectares!!! It will facilitate multitude activities such as «  nature trails, horseback riding, mountain biking, community events, outdoor dining, sports fields and canoeing."

This is how it will be supposed to be like...

Video about how and what to recycle in NYC

Like many other places, NYC recycling bags have 2 colors: blue and green.

In order to use our good intentions and efforts in the proper manner, I beleive helpful to provide a reminder list of what we can put in each category of bags. 

RECYCLING: MIXED PAPER (green decal)

newspapers, magazines, catalogs

white and colored paper (lined, copier, computer, staples OK)

mail and envelopes (any color, window envelopes OK)

paper bags

wrapping paper

soft-cover books, telephone books (paperbacks, comics, etc.; no spiral bindings)

cardboard egg cartons and trays

smooth cardboard (food and shoes boxes, tubes, file folders, cardboard from product 

packaging)

corrugated cardboard boxes (flattened and tied)

RECYCLING: BOTTLES, CANS & FOIL (blue decal)

milk cartons & juice boxes (or any such cartons and aseptic packaging for drinks: ice tea, soy milk, soup, etc.)

plastic bottles & jugs only

glass bottles & jars only

metal cans (soup, pet food, empty aerosol cans, dried-out paint cans, etc.)

aluminum foil wrap & trays

household metal (wire hangers, pots, tools, curtain rods, knives, small appliances that are mostly metal, certain vehicle license plates, etc.)

bulk metal (large metal items, such as furniture, cabinets, large appliances, etc.)

source: http://www.nyc.gov/html/nycwasteless/html/recycling/recycle_what.shtml

Think veggie!!!

Last year, for a class I created an advertising campaign promoting vegetarianism.

I wanted to show the link between the fact to eat a veggie diet, the better health of the earth and of ourselves (animals), and the fact it helps in the struggle against food starvation in the world!

I recognize the fact we need to eat meat to become stronger, to have a certain provision of proteins but isn't it enough to eat meat twice a week? Is it absolutely necessary to eat more than that?

From this perpective, one must change his daily habbits, or contribute to make positively evolve the national traditions. For example, we should make veggie hamburgers, or veggie chili on Sunday for the Super Bowl intead of the traditional meat!

Together, let's go greener!!!!!

Useless lights to bring to light

Nowadays, for some reason, NYC is one of the hottest spots of the world in the media and in most people's minds.


Is it because it is considered as the capital of the extremes and of the possibles?


Probably. 


This time, I would like to focus on one of its extremes. At first, one of the most striking points of NY is all its lights. Last year, I took a picture to show the extreme of all its lights, turned on sometimes at very wrong moments as this picture, taken on a sunny afternoon late August 2009, can attest it.

I know that a lot of other cities are doing the same as NY so NY is not the only city to be blamed but shouldn't the Big Apple take advantage of the granted attentions to be a reference in the environmental realm? As a world leading city, shouldn't it take this responsibility?

What this blog is about

In this blog, I will post every week an article covering an environmental issue or an exemplary green initiative in New York. I will add my French spice by presenting some green initiatives taken in different countries (but mostly in France seeing I know this country better). 

The aim of this blog is to inform people of the green side of New York, present new green ideas, and highlight the issues in order to help the City to be a better place and not to rest on its laurels. 

Occasionally, I will post images and videos as well as some advertising campaigns I find interesting. Above all, I will peel the green news in online or paper-based newspaper’s articles, magazines and of course blogs. 

To a greening and greener Apple in 2011!