On Saturday, September 12th, the Lower East Side Ecology Center will sponsor Electronics Recycling Day, a residential e-waste collection. The event will take place from 10am-4pm at Tekserve located at 119 West 23rd Street (between Lexington & Park Avenues).

NOTE: They do not accept home appliances such as microwaves or refrigerators & cannot accept any electronics from businesses.

What can you bring to recycle?

• Computers (laptops & desktops, servers, mainframes)
• Monitors
• Printers, scanners, fax-machines, copiers
• Network devices (routers, hubs, modems, etc.)
• Peripherals (keyboards, mice, cables, etc.)
• Components (hard drives, CD-ROMs, circuit boards, power supplies, etc.)
• TVs, VCRs, & DVD Players
• Audio-visual equipment
• Cell phones, pagers, PDAs
• Telecommunication (phones, answering machines, etc.)

For more info go to the Lower East Side Ecology Center’s website.

Thought you might enjoy some good news on the green front (courtesy of Abbie Barrett in Body & Soul )…

• Due to conservation efforts, the U.S. has gained forestland at an average of 392,898 acres per year.  This estimate is based on data from the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations between 2000 & 2005.

• Many animal populations are on their way to recovery due to protection provided by the Endangered Species Act… including grizzly bears, bald eagles & gray wolves.

• The construction industry is spending $464 million every business day on projects that register with LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design).  By 2010, it’s estimated that 10% of new commercial construction will be green.

• The organics market has grown nearly 20% per year over the past seven years. There is organic farmland in every one of the 50 U.S. states, which totals more than four million acres.  About 75 million acres of organic production are supported globally.

• Compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs), which use 75% less energy than incandescents, now represent 20% of the lightbulb market. In 2007, Americans bought nearly twice as many CFLs as they did in 2006.

• In April the EPA announced that carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gases do pose a threat to public health.  Under the Clean Air Act, that means the EPA now has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide & other greenhouse gases along with other pollutants.

• Thanks to reduced air pollution, life expectancy has increased by five months in 51 cities across the U.S. In cities with the most pollution but the best cleanup efforts, the average life expectancy of their residents has increased ten months.

• And, in more good air news, a 2006 study suggests that the ozone layer has stopped eroding in some areas. It’s even been suggested that it’s showing signs of improvement.  This recovery is attributed partly to the Montreal Protocol of 1987, which phased out the use of ozone-depleting chemicals such as chlorofluorocarbons.

Sooooo… We can make a difference.  Small changes can have large results & big changes can change our world!

Keep Reading

Many years ago in another lifetime (or so it seems now), I was a scuba diver…

At the time, I worked in a local dive shop, had mastered my Advanced Open Water SCUBA Certification & was planning on doing the same as a Dive Master & Instructor.  I’d begun diving after my stepfather’s death as a tribute to him.  He was one of my biggest cheerleaders – insisting there was nothing I couldn’t do – & scuba diving is something I think he’d have loved me to experience especially since it was the kind of thing I’d never thought I’d get to do.

It was magical!  The sensation of flying was amazing.  And to fly completely supported with the power & gentleness of water, surrounded by amazing quiet & extraordinary beauty was incredible.  Diving is one of the most significant experiences of my life.

At that time I was also acting, ended up accepting a number of amazing roles & drifted away from the dive shop & the water…  And now, landlocked in Brooklyn, my dives are few & far between…  That’s okay.  It doesn’t mean diving won’t be a part of my life again but for now my dream of providing a convenient & easy way for people to go greener (at Green in BKLYN, of course!) takes precedence.

And so I began looking for a new home for my dive equipment.  Actually, my lovely intern, Cristina, researched our green options & found a way to reduce, reuse & recycle it all…  And today, I’ve packed up my dive kit (BC, regulators, computer, wetsuit, fins, etc.) & will be shipping it out to the Diveheart Foundation!

Diveheart provides & supports educational SCUBA & snorkeling programs for children, adults & veterans with disabilities with the hope of providing physical & psychological therapeutic value.  It’s the “CAN DO” spirit that Diveheart hopes to instill in all its participants – by giving them confidence & independence to face life challenges & overcome barriers that might seem insurmountable.

Through SCUBA diving, the Diveheart Foundation supports & facilitates programs that teach children & adults with disabilities to fly in the forgiving weightlessness of water… giving perfect buoyancy to a child or adult who would otherwise struggle on land.

In the wake of my stepfather’s death, that perfect buoyancy offered extraordinary healing powers to me.  I can’t imagine the effect it has on someone who’s unable to see, walk or use their hands.  But I think the letter below from one of Diveheart’s participants gives us a hint.

Just wanted to send you a note…  I loved getting to explore the quarry.  That was so much fun.  I never knew I was an adrenaline junkie till I started diving.  I love the adrenaline rush as you hit the water.  I know now why they call it Diveheart because the dives go straight to the heart & so do the people you make the dives with!  My thoughts  & emotions are still all over the board as far as the trip is concerned but one thing is for sure – I will NEVER be able to THANK YOU enough for the way you made me feel that week!

Diving has helped me to be freed from a body I thought I was trapped in.  I remember never feeling scared because I knew you were down there waiting for your mermaid to join you on another adventure of the underwater world as they pushed me off the back of the boat.  In a world of lots of “can’t” you helped me discover a huge CAN.

The things you see 20 some feet below the surface is amazing.  There’s a whole new world down there.  I never knew I had gills…  I must have been a mermaid in an other life.

I can’t wait till the 7th to get back in my natural environment.  Thank you for setting me FREE & teaching me to FLY.  I found my wings because of you.  The memories will stick with me FOREVER…  From YOUR LITTLE MERMAID CHILD.

To my dive instructors & dive buddies, the volunteers & participants of the Diveheart Foundation & my stepfather, thank you for all you’ve done to support the wings of so many people’s dreams – both in & out of the water!

I get a lot of questions & calls about antibacterial products so I thought I’d address the topic (with assistance from Smart Mama’s Green Guide: Simple Steps to Reduce Your Child’s Toxic Chemical Exposure by Jennifer Taggart).

Triclosan & triclocarban are the chemicals commonly used to give a product antibacterial properties. Triclosan is a chlorinated antimicrobial  & antifungal pesticide and is found in at least 60% of our rivers & streams.  It disrupts the aquatic environment & has been found to be harmful to the development of frogs including arrested physical development (tadpoles unable to transition into frogs).  Also, it’s difficult for waste water treatment plants to handle the heavy loads of triclosan because it impacts the beneficial bacteria needed for the water treatment process.

To date, agencies have found triclosan to be safe.  However, its regulatory status is complicated because products containing triclosan are regulated by the EPA, the FDA & the CPSC, all for different uses.

Environmental health-advocacy organizations have disagreed with the EPA’s risk assessment of triclosan including the contention that the assessment fails to take into account critical routes of exposure for infants & young children including breast milk, children’s personal care products, toys & clothing.

Triclosan’s disruptive effects shown in frogs have not been established in humans.  But its chemical structure is similar to certain estrogens  & so has the ability to act as an endocrine disruptor.  Studies have shown that triclosan has adrogenic & estrogenic activity.  Lab animal studies demonstrate that triclosan may affect the central nervous system & the immune system. It can result in contact dermititis, skin irritation & photoallergic contact dermatitis.

And, finally, triclosan & the chemicals that it breaks down into bioaccumulate in humans.  A Swedish study found triclosan in human breast milk in three out of five women.

More problematic is that triclosan has been shown to react with chlorine, used to disinfect our water & form chloroform, a known carcinogen.  Scientists have found that use of antibacterial soaps could result in an exposure to chloroform 10 to 40% above the EPA’s safe limit for tap water as compared with regular soaps. Whether this reaction could occur in a home has not been demonstrated.

Another poptential downside to using antibacterial products is that they may contribute to the risk of drug-resistant bacteria.  According to Beyond Pesticides, “Evidence is mounting that links the use of triclosan-containing products with the promotion of bacteria resistant to antibiotic medications & antibacterial products.”

The real question that arises from this information is… Are we getting any benefit from the plethora of antibacterial products?  And the answer appears to be, well, not really.  Though there are numerous possible detrimental side effects.

Studies have shown that antibacterial products don’t provide any added benefit over using soap.  Soap works by loosening & lifting dirt, oil & microbes from surfaces so  they can easily be rinsed away by water.  One study showed that regular soap & water killed 99.5% of microbes & antibacterial soap killed 99.6%.

If you feel the need to disinfect, or need something for on the go, try an alcohol-based cleaner or isopropyl alcohol. Alcohol-based cleaners inflect sweeping damage to cells by demolishing key structures then evaporate, leaving no residue.  If you want to use antibacterial hand cleaner, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  Even better, try some of the natural sanitizers that rely on essential oils (like EO products, which we have at the shop).

With so many questions & the potential for extraordinary damage, why take the risk.  Especially if there are healthy eco-friendly alternatives?

More eco-friendly tips… This time for cleaning… clothes, home & body… Clean is good.  And green…

• Washing Clothes: Do laundry only with a full load. It’ll save water & your clothes will still get clean!
• Drying Clothes: Line dry your clothes if you can.  If that option’s not an option, try our PVC dryerballs that reduce static, soften clothes & lessen the time (& electricity) needed to dry those clothes.
• Dish Washing: According to the US Dept. of Energy, an Energy Star-rated dishwasher saves nearly 5,000 gallons of water a year compared to washing dishes by hand.  Plus, it uses less than half as much energy, which can cut utility bills by more than $40 a year.
• Saving Water: Install faucet aerators in kitchen & bathroom taps.  It’ll save water & you won’t notice the difference from your old tap.
• Saving More Water: Bathe with your partner.  It’s fun!  Oh yeah, & it saves water…
• Floors & Spills: Use a carpet sweeper or dustpan & brush for small cleaning operations instead of your vacuum.  It’ll save electricity & won’t drive the dog mad!
• Cleaning: Use biodegradable, non-toxic cleaners with no phosphates, bleach, dyes or brighteners.  They’re safe for the environment & we’ve got them at Green in BKLYN.
• Toiletries: Use less so you buy them infrequently… Just a drop of toothpaste works just as well as a big ol’ glob.
• Cotton: Buy products made with organic cotton when possible.  The cotton industry is one of the largest consumers of agrochemicals in the world & the cotton’s often treated with chlorine.  Nothing sexy (or healthy) about that.
• Less is More: The old adage is certainly true when living green… Use less, buy less & you’ll save more, have more & leave more for the future!

For those of you in & around Ft. Greene & Clinton Hill, there’s a new on-line resource for our neighborhood…

Located at http://www.fortgreenelife.com/, FortGreeneLife.com is a community website dedicated to life in Fort Greene, Clinton Hill & the Vicinity.

The website includes all kinds of information including:

– A Local Directory (of shops & services)
– An Events Calendar
– The Classifieds
– People Postings
– Real Estate Listings
– Restaurant Info

Plus, you can add information to the website yourself through My FGL (your own website account).

It’s easy & is one more resource to help create the community we’re so proud of & enjoy so much!

Green in BKLYN’s intern returns with more info.  This time it’s a local event…

This Saturday, August 1^st, the second annual Youth Empowerment Day 2009 will be held on Emerson Place between Myrtle & Willoughby Avenues from 12:00pm to 8:00pm.  It’ll be great block party focused on youth empowerment!

The block party is sponsored by the Association for the Social Advancement of People (ASAP), whose campaign offers youth positive alternatives for healthy living, educational opportunities & financial prosperity.

ASAP’s intent is to reverse a downward trend of inadequate support for our youth by developing relationships centered on accountability as well as by introducing the need for collective organization & community reinvestment.

Saturday’s Youth Empowerment Day includes live music, celebrity guests, fashion & hair shows, a college fair, freestyle battle, kiddie carnival & SO much more.  Please try to come out and make this year’s event even bigger than last year’s!

Cristina Valentin for Green in BKLYN

One of our regular customers, Priya, is the coordinator for the Brooklyn Diabetes Task Force.  She’s been talking to me about their Annual Walk for Health & I wanted to share the information with you…

As you may already know from recent news coverage, Diabetes & Obesity are epidemic in the US.  Brooklyn has one of the highest incidences of diabetes in the New York City with statistics from participating Brooklyn Diabetes Task Force (BDTF) organizations revealing that one in three residents screened in Central Brooklyn has diabetes.

The BDTF is committed to raising awareness about diabetes prevention and management through its Annual Diabetes Walk for Health as well as sharing information about the risks for diabetes, how it can be prevented & the management options available to people with diabetes.

The Annual Diabetes Walk for Health takes place on Saturday, August 15th is free of charge & is open to anyone who’d like to walk…

If you’d like to participate or contribute personally, call 718-270-2424 or email BrooklynDiabetesTF@gmail.com .

SEVENTH ANNUAL DIABETES WALK FOR HEALTH

WHEN:  Saturday, August 15th

WHERE:  Prospect Park @ Bartel-Pritchard Square/15th Street

WHEN:  10:00am – 2:00pm

WHAT:  Warm Up, Walk, DJ, Raffle, Health Education & Screenings & Fun!

SUBWAY:  F or G line to 15th Street/Prospect Park

BUS:  B68, B69 or B75 to Bartel-Pritchard Square

We’ve been blessed with a high school intern for the summer.  Her name is Cristina Valentin & occasionally she’ll be our guest blogger.  This is the first in her blog series… Welcome Cristina!

Foods are being grown & processed in ways that alter our well being in the worst ways.   With that in mind, here are five foods worth spending the money on & buying organic.

• Meat – Cattle, that are not raised organically, are fed grains that are sprayed with pesticides, and whatever they’re eating and getting into their bodies, we ultimately get into ours when we ingest their meat. Buying organic meat means that those cattle are fed organic grains, which means no pesticides, as well with no hormones.

• Dairy – Any type of by-product from cattle (as well as chickens) will contain pesticides, even if they were raised solely for the by-product.  The cattle are also full of hormones, which help them produce more milk than a dairy cow would naturally produce.  These additives could cause weight gain, acne & constipation.

• Coffee – In the countries where coffee beans are grown, there are no regulations on the use of chemicals and pesticides.  Look for the USDA Organic label to ensure you’re not buying beans that have been grown or processed with the use of potentially harmful chemicals.

• Grapes – Grapes have very thin skin & when sprayed with pesticides, it’s impossible to get all the chemicals off because they go directly into the fruit itself.  And, even if the pesticides were only on the skin & you removed the it, the skin contains all the antioxidants that grapes are known for.

• Nectarines – Like the grape, nectarines have thin, porous skins that no amount of washing can rid of pesticides.  As well, when tested, the nectarine was found to have 26 types of pesticides.

However, fear not!  If buying organic is not within your budget, buy fruits like avocado, mango, pineapple & watermelon, which have thick skins & naturally protect themselves from insects (& pesticides).  As for vegetables, eggplant, asparagus, cabbage & sweet pea are less likely to face pests, which means less pesticides.

Remember, you are what you eat, so eat healthy, natural, safe foods!

Written by Cristina Valentin for Green in BKLYN

Earlier this week I introduced Myrtle Mutts, a new Green in BKLYN photo album honoring our local four footed friends.

Today, we preview Green in BKLYN’s Brooklyn Babies photo album on our website’s Photo Gallery.

Including our local babies of the two-footed kind this time, we’ll share every cutie-patootie & sweet pea, as well as peanut, pumpkin, pooh & snookums from our neighborhood of outstandingly adorable babies…

We love our wee ones & want to share them with the world.  If you do too, send us a photo of your honey bunny & we’ll try to include boo boo with our homage to the most gorgeous babies of the world – our Brooklyn Babies!