Reuse. Rehabilitate. Restore. Architectural salvage and repurposed pieces for the home.
An update on our recent update of Phyllis the Bed Stuy Chicken. We received these photos from Catskill Animal Sanctuary. Can’t believe this was the little guy/girl we caught wandering around Macon Street. We didn’t think he/she would make it through the night. He’s gorgeous!
The Discovery Channel has just launched a brand new network called “Planet Green“.
About some of the shows:
“Alter Ego” is an eco-lifestyle and makeover series hosted by Brooklyn’s own Adrian Grenier.
“Greenovate” shows viewers how to save money while saving the environment.
“Living With Ed” is a realty show which follows actor and activist Ed Begley Jr as he tries to reduce his eco footprint.
And there’s more….
Check here to find out what channel Planet Green is near you.
I recently received the following update on Phyllis the Bed Stuy Chicken. That was the chicken we rescued in our neighborhood. Catskill Animal Sanctuary was kind enough to take her under their wing and they even named her after me. Only SHE turned out to be a HE. And he’s gay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
“Rocky and Phyllis, meanwhile, are two broiler roosters (yes, there IS a story behind the name!!) who are devoted to each other. Rocky is an elderly boy with probably no more than a few good months left. An affectionate boy, Rocky loves to be held and to have his neck and comb stroked. Phyllis, meanwhile, adores Rocky. As a young newcomer, he’s a little reserved but is coming around quickly. These boys are exceedingly gentle and would make easy, delightful friends for someone with a secure nighttime shelter.”
NYC based Super Vegan is turning 2 on June 5th! Celebrate with them at s’Nice.
But there’s more! Super Vegan will be sponsoring Vegan Drinks this Thursday, May 29th at Angels and Kings.
All info and links here.
F*in Florida. The state is like a wart on the ass of America. Here are some things I’ve witnessed while being stuck down here. A few from my own parent’s home. Someone should be teaching these seniors how to live a greener lifestyle. But it ain’t gonna be me.
1. Hummers. Lots of ’em.
2. Lack of low flow shower heads. I injured myself in the shower this morning after being blasted by the force of the water. Nearly tore off a nipple. WTF?
3. They love their styrofoam!
4. LED bulbs? What’s that?
5. Air Conditioning. I couldn’t live without it in this heat either. But the thermostats can’t be programmed? So you leave it on the entire day so the house will be cool when you get home? And my personal favorite: Leave those windows wide open!
6. BJ’s, Sam’s Club = Lots of wasted food.
7. No bike lanes
8. Sneaking out to water the lawn in the middle of the night due to water restrictions.
9. Leave the car running while standing.
10. Global warming? No such thing!
I’ve been seeing lists of items people can do the one day of the year (today) that we recognize Earth. First of all, one day per year isn’t gonna cut it. Secondly, although planting a tree is great, it’s not something everyone can readily do.
So here’s my own list. In no specific order. Many are included in other, more official lists.
1. Get those reusable shopping bags. Don’t leave them at home when you go shopping.
2. Don’t leave your windows open when using heat or air conditioning. Seems like the most simple thing in the world, but I’ve seen so many people do it. Usually they are my tenants.
3. Spay/neuter your pets.
4. Spay/neuter yourself. Seriously, what’s wrong with adoption? You could be just like Brangelina!
5. Unplug appliances when not in use. I’m too lazy to do this, but my husband does.
6. Get your fat ass out of the car and walk alittle!
7. Instead of throwing away used building materials and furniture consider the fact that one person’s junk is another’s treasure. Do a curb alert.
8. That not only goes for building materials. If you have a bunch of “garbage”, perhaps an artist can use it for a project? Craig before trash!
9. Switch to CFL bulbs. Get a rain barrel. Buy energy star appliances. Use cloth diapers (or see #4). Yada yada.
10. Go vegetarian! Hey, there are only a handful of times during the year that I can get preachy on this subject and today is one of them. Save the cows! Save the pigs! Save the chickens! And little fishies too!
You know the green building movement has taken off when Home Depot starts selling no VOC paints. Fresh Aire Choice is the latest zero VOC paint to hit the market and it’s being sold exclusively through that orange big box store.
Now I don’t know my paint science, but the company claims that chemicals are put back into other paints once the color is added. Fresh Aire technology uses a pre-measured ColorFresh™ colorant pouch which dissolves into the paint base without expelling any chemical odor.
The paint comes in 65 colors and is Green Guard certified.
Via Leed Pro
Another video from those crazy kids at BCAT. Anne from Sustainable Flatbush is in the spotlight this time. Special guest appearance by The Flatbush Gardener.
A tree house development in Costa Rica. I don’t know about this one. It’s eco friendly construction, but come on, how can it not interfere with the indigenous people and species?
Finca Bellavista, a 72-lot “sustainable rainforest community” is the brainchild of co-founders Matt and Erica Hogan, a sports marketing consultant and a former newspaper editor. The couple fell in love with the area while vacationing there a few years ago and decided they “just had to” build a vacation home there.
The couple tells the National Post that they wanted to share their passion with others and “…bring something totally different and adventurous into peoples’ lives.” And you were thinking it was just a scheme to make money!
The 310 acre property is located at the base of a 6,000-foot mountain on the South Pacific coast of Costa Rica. The region boasts the highest percentage of land devoted to National Parks and Forest Reserves in the country. The world’s first tree house subdivision will be accessible only by foot or the Sky Trail network, an interconnected system of ziplines and platforms that allow users to access different portions of the community.
Roderick Romero, a designer known for his eco-friendly creations, participated in the project. He has worked with Sting in Tuscany, Val Kilmer in Texas, Julianne Moore in NYC, creating treetop hideaways for their kids.
Rainwater will be funneled into each home from a catchment system on the roof. It will then be distributed to sinks and bathrooms via pipes. A hydro-electric power grid was created for the community. The system uses the water flowing through the mountain-fed Rio Bellavista to power a turbine attached to an electric generator.
Finca Bellavista’s Phase 1 lots, priced at $40,000, are almost sold out. Phase 2 lots are available with prices ranging from $50,000 to $65,000 (higher for riverfront and ocean-views). Phase 3 details have not yet been announced.
Yeah, I do the eco travel thing sometimes. I stayed at a lodge in the Peruvian jungle and I swam with dolphins. Would I like to vacation in one of these homes? Hell yeah! It looks awesome! But a subdivision? That’s going too far. Just seems like some wealthy people looking for a guilt free way to rape the land in a more gentle manner.
Eco my ass.
Software engineer Steve James calls himself an “envisioneer”. He envisioned the £4000 eco-friendly home he built in Scotland and he envisioned other house plans that are copyright free for anyone wanting to take advantage of his designs.
James concedes that his straw and turf home would’ve cost £1000 less had he chopped the wood himself instead of using a sawmill.
This is probably a bit too “green” for New York standards. Although it is warmed by a wood burning stove and remains watertight, the home lacks some modern day conveniences that even the most fervent eco Nazi would back away from. The rainwater filtration system sounds fine, but it’s the compost toilet and car battery energy that I might have a problem with. Hmm, would that be to code in NYC?
Anyway, kudos to Mr. James for building this very cool home. His motto, “Be the world you wish to live in.” is truly inspiring. But I just need a toilet that flushes.
Check out the Independent article for details on how he assembled the home.
Envisioneer website has tips, diy and slideshows if you can get it to load properly.
It’s probably one of those things you’d rather not know. Too scary. But the Dylos DC1100 is the first affordable air quality monitoring system designed for the home. Up until now, the only systems available were high priced units for hospitals and other large facilities.
The model detects airborne particles such as tobacco smoke, pet dander, dust and mold. It stores data for up to 30 days. All you have to do is plug it in and it will configure itself.
The website lists some tips on achieving better indoor air quality. Among them:
Keep your heating, ventilation and a/c units clean. Ducts and filters.
Clean blinds and drapery. (I don’t do that)
Vacuum your house preferably daily if you have heavy foot traffic and/or indoor animals. Use an upholstery brush on your sofa and chairs. Remove cushions and pillows and clean them with the upholstery brush as well. (I have a futon and a shop vac in the pet area)
Bathe pets often, or better yet, keep them outside. (Keep my pets outside? Screw you, buddy! Hmm, my dogs get bathed maybe once a year.)
Wash bedding weekly with hot water to eliminate the possibility of dust mites living in your linens. Only use foam pillows and replace them every six months. (Wow, my pillow is at least 5 years old)
Like I said….don’t want to know! But if YOU do, the DC1100 sells for $200 and you can purchase it here.
Via LeedPro
One of the most frustrating things about living in someone else’s home is the utter lack of control over my environment. If my in-laws were putting the house up for sale today, the listing would have to read: “needs TLC”. Paint chips off of every painted surface, the kitchen cabinets are splintered, the carpets are threadbare; the windows don’t entirely keep the wind out. Not a single door in the house closes properly.
All these issues wouldn’t be such a big deal if Andrew and I weren’t living here with two infants. But I have to wonder what growing up in these conditions is doing to the health of these tiny, developing humans. How many times can I shoo them away from dipping their curious fingers into the cracks in the plaster walls and from lifting up the linoleum from the corners of the room where it curls up from the floor before I go crazy. I can’t prevent them from crawling all over the ancient carpet, so I have to worry about what they are breathing in, and which chemicals they are being exposed to. To minimize their exposure to chemical fumes, we finally convinced my father-in-law (who lives by the motto that if blue painter’s tape can’t fix, it nothing can) to let us repaint the nursery with zero VOC paint.
VOCs or volatile organic compounds is the stuff that you smell when wet paint is drying, or “off-gassing”. Breathing in VOCs exposes the body to a host of nasty chemicals. And while I’m no expert, I do know that paint without VOCs is recommended for pregnant women and in families with infants. It can’t hurt to eliminate VOCs when painting in a house with pets or with individuals with sensitivities either.
We used AFM zero VOC to paint the baseboards and doors; covering up any lead-bearing paint underneath. Sure enough, there was no detectable odor.
The company is over 25 years old and provides primers, paints in many finishes and stains. Check out their Ayurveda Essence color selection. 108 colors that are skewed energetically. It’s a “healing” collection with each palete meant to be stimulating, calming, uplifting, etc.
AFM Safecoat is sold at Green Depot and Bettencourt in Brooklyn or a dealer near you. Before you run out to buy it for your entire house, FYI: It costs about $38 per gallon.
Now, if only we could replace that relic of a living room carpet….
Author: Brett
I received an email from my buddies at Howard Hall Farm stating that they have joined forces with Let’s Go Green for a fund raising extravaganza. Let’s Go Green will donate 25% of every online purchase to the restoration project. Just don’t forget to specify Howard Hall at check out!
Howard Hall Farm is a 1780’s stone structure in Athens, NY which acts as a vehicle for educating people in historic preservation and green restoration techniques.
Let’s Go Green sells everything from cleaners to lightbulbs to water conservation products. All at pretty good prices!
Longdock Beacon, on the Hudson, has been our own little dogwalking paradise since we moved here. There has been talk of developing a green dock, hotel and conference center for years, but the area remained untouched.
That is, until a few months ago. The bulldozers and cranes showed up seemingly overnight. It’s a construction zone now. How many mornings we had that pier all to ourselves! Alas, those days are gone. The dogs will have to stay on leash, if they will even be allowed down to the “new” pier at all.
Even though I’d rather see NO development to green development, I’ve gotta admit that the plans look pretty exciting. Most importantly, if it brings more restaurants to Beacon, I’m in.
The developers are aiming for LEED Gold for the 166 room hotel and conference center. Not only will the building be green, but the plan is to operate the hotel in a sustainable manner. This will include the use of bulk dispensers in rooms instead of cute little bottles, cleaning with chemical free products and furniture that is constructed from low VOC materials.
The hotel will occupy 8.5 of the 25 acre peninsula. Scenic Hudson, which owns the site, is building a 13-acre nature preserve on the land to the south of Long Dock. The area will include meadows, a boardwalk, wetlands and a boat launch for non motorized boats.
There will be a farmer’s market and performance space at the site.
All sounds fabulous, but guess who is going to be bitching about the crowds once it’s finished?
Better take advantage of this while we can.