EarthPledgeNews

Here we provide "A Selection of EP Greenroof Related News & Events" ~ for complete Earth Pledge News, please visit them at www.earthpledge.org.

Earth Pledge Makes Its First Clinton Global Initiative Commitment
For the second year in a row, Earth Pledge Executive Director, Leslie Hoffman attended the Clinton Global Initiative. There, she connected with environmental allies Bill and Hillary Clinton, William McDonough and Amory Lovins and announced EP's first CGI commitment, which focuses on the expansion of the organization and the propagation of its Green Roofs Initiative through an innovative financial mechanism that addresses the need to lower affordable housing subsidies while making a conversion to green. The discussions at CGI affirmed EP's position at the leading edge of the movement to reduce carbon emissions.

Leslie Hoffman Named Executive Director of The Nurture Nature Foundation
On September 14, 2006, Theodore W. Kheel, President of Earth Pledge and The Nurture Nature Foundation (NNF), announced the appointment of Leslie Hoffman as Executive Director of the NNF in recognition of the success of EP, its initiatives and employees. "The board of NNF looks forward to continuing to develop synergies between NNF and EP, thereby strengthening both organizations," Ted Kheel said.

Green Roofs Sprouting Nationwide
After 13 years of successfully implementing and demonstrating innovative technologies and models in the New York City metropolitan area, we are spreading our knowledge nationwide. The first stage of this expansion will take place in 16 cities, strategically chosen for their community needs and the ecological challenges they face. The cities are

Atlanta, GA
Boston, MA
Chicago, IL
Cleveland, OH
Dallas, TX
Denver, CO
Jacksonville, FL
Los Angeles, CA
Minneapolis, MN
New York, NY
Philadelphia, PA
Pittsburgh, PA
Portland, OR
San Francisco, CA
Seattle, WA and
Washington, DC.

Three cities in particular–Minneapolis, Atlanta and Los Angeles–will be immediately highlighted with green roof research projects. Data acquired from these undertakings will yield a better understanding of the functionality of green roofs.

A Developing Relationship
EP and Enterprise Community Partners have joined forces to further the implementation of green roofs on affordable housing. During October's Enterprise Network Conference in Los Angeles, we presented our Viridian program to an enthusiastic audience of investors and consultants. Our relationship with Enterprise is deepening through educational events, contribution to their Green Communities Criteria and project consultation.

Stormwater Model 2.0
The success of Stormwater 1.0, a simulation tool developed by EP to demonstrate retention and detention capabilities of green roofs regarding stormwater runoff, has been considerable. It is currently helping a local electric utility company, a school construction authority and numerous developers to justify the use of green roofs on their properties.

Building on the strengths of its predecessor, Stormwater Model 2.0 will boast increased functionality and web–based applications. Programming will be conducted at our new West Coast office. At present, our environmental scientists are acquiring real–world comparison data against which to compare the model's predictions.

Final Installation of Gratz
Our unique research station on the 10,000 sq. ft. rooftop of Gratz Industries, Queens, has just been completed. The design allows for direct comparison of green roof and conventional roof performance. The roof is divided into quadrants. Three are vegetated roof and one is a conventional roof that serves as the experimental control. Thermocouple arrays gather temperature readings from nearly 100 points both above and below the green roof.

The data gathered will improve our understanding of how green roofs modulate temperatures and stormwater flow. Remote monitoring began October 1.

The research project was funded by NYSERDA. The Pratt Institute of Planning and Architecture is overseeing the project with landscape design by Balmori Associates.

Greener Gardening in the DR
Under the hands–on guidance of Leslie Hoffman, EP is working on a demonstration sustainable conuco, the Dominican term for a subsistence garden. Fifteen local Dominicans are being trained to maintain the plot using such agricultural best practices as waste separation, vermicomposting, natural pesticide brewing and companion planting. The garden staff works with the kitchen staff to balance productivity and demand. The cooks complete the last step in the growing cycle by tipping their organic waste back onto the compost piles. The bounty of fresh produce is shared with neighbors.

High Line Highlight
Greg Loosvelt presented the basics and benefits of green roofs to Friends of the Highline on August 6 at the Solaire green roof in Battery Park City. Construction of a park on the High Line, the old elevated railway running along New York's West Side, has begun, and the group was eager to learn about how green roofs work, their benefits and their overall potential for the park.

Solaire Illuminates Student Conservation Association
On September 14, the Student Conservation Association climbed up to the top of the Solaire for a presentation on green roofs by Leslie Hoffman. The volunteer group holds monthly field trips to expand their exposure to sustainable technologies. They were excited to receive a tour of the nation's first environmentally advanced residential high–rise building and to learn from one of the nation's foremost experts on green roofs.

Read the entire epNews Fall 2006 newsletter here, where you can also read about recent press coverage for Earth Pledge as well as sign up to receive Earth Pledge's email newsletter.

Green Roof Stormwater Model Makes Its Debut
Earth Pledge introduced the Green Roof Stormwater Model at the Green Roofs for Healthy Cities Annual Conference and Trade Show in Boston on May 12. This analytical model simulates stormwater management performance of specified green roof systems. Earth Pledge developed the model with support from the New York City Water Board to assess the potential impact of green roof development on stormwater pollution in lower Manhattan. The model projects retention and detention rates for green roofs and their effect on Combined Sewage Outflow (CSO) volume and frequency on a specific sub-basin. Earth Pledge is preparing to expand the model to include other drainage basins in New York and 16 other U.S. cities. This model will be particularly useful in developing green roof policy rationale to mitigate stormwater problems and quantify proposed green roof retention and detention to meet regulations.

Learn more about EP's Green Roofs Initiative at www.greeninggotham.org.

Sundays with CitySol
Earth Pledge joined the CitySol summer music and market series on Sunday, July 23 at SolarOne's solar-powered green energy, arts and education center. The all-day event included renewable energy-powered live music, interactive exhibits and a green marketplace, all intended to showcase sustainability in the world's greatest city. Earth Pledge provided information on green roofs, their benefits, and policy needs for implementing green roofs throughout the city to attendees. Earth Pledge also consulted on Situ Studio's installation of a green roof for the event. Earth Pledge will take part in the third and final CitySol celebration on Sunday, August 13 at SolarOne on E. 23rd and the East River.
Learn more about CitySol

Read the entire epNews Summer 2006 newsletter here, where you can also read about recent press coverage for Earth Pledge as well as sign up to receive Earth Pledge's email newsletter.

Earth Pledge’s Innovative Home Features Innovative Garden
Executive Director Leslie Hoffman shared her green roof expertise in the preview issue of Innovative Home, the much-awaited publication of the Institute for Home Innovation. The article praises green roofs for integrating "creativity and conservation" to allow urban dwellers to tap into rooftop real estate while sowing ecological benefits. On its reading list, Innovative Home recommends Earth Pledge's latest publication, Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction: "It is this kind of mentality that inspires ecological movements." The Institute for Home Innovation is an international organization dedicated to advancing cutting-edge materials and technologies, like green roofs, to an audience of building industry professionals...

Green Roofs
Earth Pledge continues to make a green sweep of Gotham with our seventh Viridian affordable housing project. Earth Pledge will consult the Center for Urban Community Services and Cindy Harden of Harden Van Arnam Architects in the design and implementation of a green roof in the Bronx. The extensive green roof will be part of a newly-constructed 60 unit building to house persons with mental illnesses. Funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the facility will also offer program and supportive space, a community room and a library.

Earth Pledge is committed to making green roofs and their benefits more widely available to residents of low-income communities and housing developments – some of the city residents who are most in need of the green space and cool, clean air that green roofs bring. Through the Viridian Loan Fund, we hope to make green roof construction more financially viable for affordable housing developers. We are thrilled to be partnering with the Enterprise Foundation to reach these goals.

To determine the capacity of green roofs for stormwater management, Earth Pledge developed the Green Roof Stormwater Model, a computer-based integrated analytical micro model that describes the full-range of hydrologic behaviors exhibited by vegetated green roof systems. The model received an enthusiastic reception at the Queens Borough Board meeting in January where Leslie presented to council members and city planners. In Portland, Oregon, at the BioCycle West Coast conference in March, Greg Loosvelt presented the model to government, industry and environmental leaders.

The Home Depot Foundation has invited Leslie to serve on the 2006 Advisory Committee for the Foundation’s Award of Excellence for Affordable Housing Built Responsibly Program. Leslie will join an independent group of experts in the field of sustainable development to review affordable housing projects that integrate green building techniques and products. Launched in 2004, the program supports affordable housing developers focused on the environmental and health impacts of housing and design and committed to providing efficient, durable and healthy homes for low- and moderate-income families. This year’s winners will be announced in October at Enterprise Community Partners Annual Network Conference in Los Angeles.

Devon Bertram, an Earth Pledge employee who is focused on developing our Green Roof Initiative and Viridian Project, has been spreading the word about her work. Devon shared her knowledge of green roofs and the work of Earth Pledge at the 22nd annual GrowTogether conference which was organized by GreenThumb NYC, the nation’s largest urban gardening organization. Devon shared her expertise with an audience of urban gardeners and others interested in bringing more green to urban environments. Devon’s hard work has been greatly appreciated, and has played a huge role in our continuing successful development of the Viridian Loan Fund.

On March 30, Leslie and Devon met with Professor Jeanne Phifer and her NYU architecture and urban design students atop the Silvercup Studios green roof in Long Island City. The group had a chance to tour the Earth Pledge Silvercup Research Station, and to learn firsthand about the research Earth Pledge is doing on green roofs' stormwater management capabilities.

On March 15, Leslie spoke in sunny San Diego at the “Greening the City: Love it & Leaf it” conference produced by Partners for Livable Places/San Diego. The event offered up strategies for “greening” the city’s urban environment, with a focus on the benefits of green urban spaces. Leslie shared her knowledge and experience in green roof construction and their benefits to New York City with an audience of local nonprofit and city leaders, as well as business people, developers and residents.

After Leslie attended the Clinton Global Initiative conference in September 2005, she led Earth Pledge in making a commitment to develop the Viridian Project and the Viridian Loan Fund to build on our previous work in bringing green roofs to affordable housing units, and increasing our ability to help green roof construction projects flourish.

Read the full articles, read about recent press, and learn more about Green Roofs from Earth Pledge here.

Earth Pledge News Issue 12

Earth Pledge Leads Several EnvironDesign9 Conference Events
Earth Pledge’s Executive Director, Leslie Hoffman, will be a keynote speaker for EnvironDesign9, a highly respected conference of environmental design leaders. In the keynote address, Hoffman, along with Robert Fox, Co-founder and Partner of Cook + Fox Architects, will discuss “Greening the New York City Skyscape. ”Earth Pledge also will present two workshops at the conference:

The Green Roofs Initiative is offering “Green Roofs for Design & Building Professionals,” a pre-conference workshop. The Waste=Fuel Initiative will lead a workshop on anaerobic digestion, “It’s Time to Re-Think Waste.” EnvironDesign9 combines education with networking opportunities to explore how environmental stewardship is the creative and critical force driving contemporary design and product innovation. Other keynote speakers include Julia Butterfly Hill, Deirdre Imus, Dr. Lance Secretan, William McDonough, and Michael Braungart. The conference is in New York City April 20-23, 2005.

For more information visit the website, www.environdesign.com.

Green Roofs Goes to Washington
Earth Pledge is presenting the Viridian Project at the Third Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards, and Trade Show May 4-6, 2005. The conference is hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the Government of the District of Columbia. Colin Cheney, Green Roofs Initiative, will speak on the Policy and Program Development panel about Earth Pledge’s Viridian Project: Green Roofs on Affordable and Supportive Housing.

For more information and registration, go to www.greenroofs.org.

Verdopolis: The Future Green City
On February 8th-11th Earth Pledge hosted Verdopolis in NYC, the first annual sustainability summit of its kind. Verdopolis provided a nexus for business, cultural and political leaders, and was a call to action to develop our urban environment and lifestyles through sustainable practices in architecture, energy, design, food, and fashion.
FutureFashion, a new Earth Pledge initiative, kicked off Verdopolis with a runway show of the latest eco-friendly fashions by top designers, such as Oscar de la Renta, Diane von Furstenberg, Jeffrey Chow and Rogan. LeadersSummit, a three-day conference of panels, workshops and presentations, brought together business and government leaders, groundbreaking researchers, and innovative thinkers to discuss techniques and technologies that have shaped the urban environment and are leading our transition to sustainability. Franz Bosshard, President and CEO of Bosch Siemens Home Appliances Corporation, Thomas Leppert, Chairman of the Board and CEO of The Turner Corporation, David Orr, Chair of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College, and Anna Tibaijuka, Under Secretary-General and Executive Director UN-HABITAT were a few of the speakers included at the summit.

FutureCity was the third component of Verdopolis. An interactive exhibition provided an artistic rendition of sustainable future urbanism using animation, video, and architecture. The installation was designed by MVMT with exhibits by Ammar Eloueini and a film on the supply chain of organic cotton from Loomstate, by Nicole Hahn.

Thank you to all of the sponsors of Verdopolis: Bosch, Barneys New York, Deutsche Bank, Ingeo, The Battery Park Authority, Joico, Shisheido, Steelcase Inc., Designtex, IDEO, M5, Print Responsibly, Ecco Domani, Whole Foods Market, City Bakery, Vermont Spirits, Absolut Vodka, NatureWorks LLC, and TransFair USA (Fair Trade).

Earth Pledge Releases Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction
Earth Pledge’s newest publication, Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction, is now available. The book draws together in one volume the principles of ecological green roof designs that Earth Pledge has fostered - a tool to transform our urban environment into a natural system that can support and sustain communities. With hundreds of photographs, forty case studies of exemplary green roof projects—from Mexico City to Malmo, Sweden to Fukuoka, Japan to Dearborn, Michigan—provide inspiration and guidance for green roof development, as well as design details. Seven essays on green roofs in Berlin, Tokyo, London, Portland, Chicago, Toronto, and New York City are included. Additional essays detail the technical requirements, architectural history, and design possibilities of vegetated rooftops. Green Roofs: Ecological Design and Construction, a full-color hardcover book printed on recycled paper, retails for $39.95 and is available here or at fine booksellers.

New Affordable Housing/Green Roof Program Launched
Building upon years of success in facilitating green roof development in low- and moderate-income communities, Earth Pledge is pleased to announce the launch of a program to identify five supportive and affordable housing organizations to receive technical services on green roof projects. Supported through generous contributions by the Home Depot Foundation, Con Edison, and the Baldwin Foundation, Earth Pledge will offer in-kind technical services to five new partners selected through a competitive application process. Earth Pledge recently launched the program at an event in Manhattan featuring a panel of representatives from supportive housing developers that are successfully implementing green roofs in their communities with Earth Pledge’s support. Two green roofs supported by Viridian were completed in the summer of 2004. In 2005, four new projects are slated for construction in the Bronx and Manhattan with partners WSFSSH, Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation, Abraham House, and Common Ground Community Developers. Over sixty representatives of housing developers, government agencies, and design firms interested in low- and moderate-income green roof development attended the launch event. To receive application materials, please email Colin Cheney at ccheney@earthpledge.org.

New Orion Magazine Article on Earth Pledge Viridian Project
In its March/April 2005 issue, Orion Magazine features Earth Pledge’s project to bring the benefits of green roofs to low and moderate income urban communities. In November, writer Tina Kelley visited Earth Pledge’s two completed Viridian green roofs in Brooklyn and Harlem, speaking with residents of the facilities about the benefit of green roofs. As one resident of the Revella in Harlem puts it, “I get to go upstairs to my backyard.” The article highlights the benefits of green roofs for residents of supportive housing buildings in New York City, and details Earth Pledge’s ongoing program to work in these communities. To receive a free copy of the March/April issue featuring the green roof story, click here. Orion Magazine is the winner of the 2004 Utne Independent Press Award for General Excellence.

Earth Pledge Named Environmental Champion by Interiors and Sources Magazine

Interiors & Sources magazine, one of the top architecture and design industry publications, has selected Earth Pledge for its list of 25 Environmental Champions for 2004. The list recognizes “environmental guardians who are tirelessly working to raise the level of awareness of vital ecological issues, laying forth critical mandates for the future—and sometimes achieving the impossible in the process.” The magazine celebrates Earth Pledge work on innovative programs that aim to mitigate urban environmental health problems. Executive Director Leslie Hoffman is quoted: “Our real interest is to twiddle the imagination of people so that they start to see that life can actually be enhanced by struggling for sustainability. It’s not about giving things up, it’s about having an enhanced intellectual engagement with what it takes to really sustain life on this planet.”

Click here to read the full story.

New Funding for Viridian Green Roofs

Earth Pledge is pleased to announce four new grants to expand the efforts of our Green Roofs Initiative and the Viridian Project. The support of the Home Depot Foundation, the Baldwin Foundation and an anonymous foundation will allow Earth Pledge to increase Viridian support services, conduct an outreach campaign to the affordable housing community, and select five to seven new projects to receive our support over the next twelve months. A grant from ConEdison will enhance all of the projects in which the Green Roofs Initiative is currently engaged.

A growing number of nonprofit affordable housing developers are interested in green roofs as a way to use green building practices and improve tenants’ quality of life. The Viridian Project increases the ability of these organizations to implement green roofs by providing them with information, guidance, and technical and financial support. Earth Pledge is currently facilitating the construction of 18,000 square feet of green roof in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx with six nonprofit, community-based partners. Executive Director Leslie Hoffman will be extending our outreach to this community by presenting at the upcoming Enterprise Foundation Conference.

Earth Pledge Workspace Featured in The Wall Street Journal

The ecologically renovated 1902 townhouse that houses the Earth Pledge offices was featured in the Workspaces column of The Wall Street Journal on August 4. The article notes “green” features of the building ranging from the low-toxin paints to the energy-saving coffee maker in the kitchen. Construction of a green roof on the building inspired Executive Director Leslie Hoffman to create the Earth Pledge Green Roofs Initiative, and the article notes that the roof garden is now used to grow vegetables for staff meals.

The Earth Pledge building in Manhattan retains the best features of the early 20th century townhouse design while meeting the needs of a modern, environmentally sound work and living environment.

Click here to read the full text of the article.

Earth Pledge Selected by E.P.A. as Environmental Achiever

In celebration of Earth Day, the U.S. EPA Region 2 honored Earth Pledge with the Environmental Quality Award, recognizing our innovative programs to promote sustainability. At the awards, Jane Kenny, Regional Administrator, said, "The superior winners we are honoring today are truly environmental trail blazers. By taking a leadership role and making local changes, the award recipients demonstrate that we can all have a positive impact on the environment." The annual prize was given to sixteen organizations and individuals, including Silverstein Development for its use of ultra-low sulfur emitting diesel fuel in the cleanup of Ground Zero and the Durst Organization for its leading-edge Conde Nast building, the first environmentally responsible skyscraper in the United States.

Click here to read the full press release.

Thank You for Showing Your Support for Earth Pledge

Many thanks to all those who came out on Earth Day, or who joined us at this year's spectacular Windows on Long Island Wine event! We enjoyed meeting new friends, answering questions and discussing our programs. Your commitment to sustainable shopping at Whole Foods helped Earth Pledge raise almost $40,000 to continue our important work, and more than 900 people enjoyed top local, Long Island wines and fine cuisine, raising over $130,000. Thank you!

Green Roofs on NPR

Colin Cheney, Director of the Earth Pledge Green Roofs Initiative, spoke with Linda Wertheimer on the April 3rd episode of NPR’s Weekend Edition. Cheney gave an overview of green roof technology and discussed the ecological advantages and amenity benefits of “reforesting the skyline of New York.”

Listen to the program here.

Three New “Viridian” Green Roofs in Chelsea, Harlem and Bushwick

As spring approaches, three supportive and affordable housing organizations are completing green roof projects in different parts of New York City. The three new green roofs in Chelsea, Harlem, and Bushwick, Brooklyn, were developed in partnership with the Viridian Project, part of Earth Pledge’s Green Roofs Initiative.

Just completed on the Rheingold Gardens building in Bushwick, Brooklyn, is an inaccessible extensive green roof that is visible from the surrounding buildings. The developer, Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council (RBSCC) is converting this former brownfield into a combination of commercial space and nearly 250 units of affordable housing. The 2400 square foot green roof is planted with ten different varieties of sedum.

Located on West 24th street in Manhattan, the Chelsea Residence is a 207-unit supportive housing facility that will include two accessible intensive green roofs totaling 5000 square foot Common Ground, a non-profit community developer, has rehabilitated the former McBurney YMCA to house homeless individuals and young adults aging out of foster care.

The third Viridian roof going green this spring, a 1000 sq ft accessible roof garden on The Revella, will be the first green roof in Harlem. The building is developed by the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing (WSFSSH), and will include an extensive ‘roof meadow’ and several raised beds for vegetables and flowers. WSFSSH is also planning an 8,000 sq ft green roof on their new GrandParent Family Apartments, a supportive housing facility for grandparents raising young children, which broke ground in the South Bronx in November 2003.

Through Viridian, Earth Pledge partners with supportive and affordable housing organizations and educational institutions to bring the environmental, health, and social benefits of green roofs to low-and moderate-income New Yorkers and young people.

Earth Pledge Works With High School Students to Revitalize School Garden

The students of Bronx Guild , a public school sponsored by Outward Bound, are working with Earth Pledge to design and build a green roof on a shade structure in their school’s community garden. This is the first in a series of planned improvements to the garden. Future projects the students will undertake include building raised beds and seating, and planting vegetables. The green roof will be used for experiments on temperature reduction and stormwater retention that will be integrated into the science curriculum. The roof is slated for completion in early summer.

Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference

Join Earth Pledge at the Second Annual Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities Conference, Awards and Trade Show in Portland, Oregon, June 2-4, sponsored by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the City of
Portland, OR. Over fifty speakers from nine countries will present papers on green roof design, policy and research. Colin Cheney, Director of our Green Roofs Initiative, will be speaking about green roof policy development in New York City. The event also includes tours of Portland's notable green roofs and green buildings, as well as a Green Roof Design 101 Training Workshop, approved for continuing education credits by the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Roof Consultants' Institute.

For more information or to register for the conference, visit Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.

Earth Pledge Announces FJC Donor Advised Fund

Earth Pledge has embarked on an exciting relationship with FJC, a foundation of donor advised funds, which has established an account in our name. We hope this is the beginning of a fruitful ongoing relationship to support a greener New York.

Viridian Green Roof Curriculum Development Begins

Earth Pledge is working with a number of schools throughout the New York metro area to develop a multidisciplinary curriculum that will bring green roofs into the classroom. This effort is part of our Viridian Project, which facilitates green roof construction on affordable housing and school buildings.

Our latest collaboration is with the School of the Future (SOF), a public middle and high school in Manhattan’s Grammercy Park, and the NASA/Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), a research partner in Earth Pledge’s New York Ecological Infrastructure Study. With help from GISS and Earth Pledge, SOF 10th graders will build green roof test plots in their school’s roof garden, and design experiments to test the green roof’s ability to retain stormwater and reduce building energy use.

At the project’s completion, we will develop a curriculum guide that will enable other schools to replicate the green roof research project.

Join Earth Pledge for a Suite of Cutting Edge Environmental Conferences This Spring

Globe 2004 Conference held in Vancouver, March 31-April 2, brings together environmental leaders from six continents to tackle three themes: Climate Change & Energy, Corporate Sustainability and Building Better Cities.

Join William McDonough and Interface Chairman and CEO Ray Anderson for intimate "armchair dialogue" about selecting eco-effective materials, corporate reporting and transparency, the tremendous social impact of environmental changes, and financing the transition to clean technology. Hear from leading planners, architects, engineers, urban design specialists, and government officials from around the world as they share how cities are incorporating sustainability principles in the design and construction of buildings, energy and water systems, and public transportation. Learn about realistic strategies for emission reduction and credit trading initiatives, techniques for successful corporate implementation of the Kyoto Protocol, and British Columbia's exciting incorporation of hydrogen and fuel cell technology into the 2010 Winter Olympic Games as part of the first "Sustainability Olympics."

For more information, visit www.globe2004.com, or contact Gillian Moran at gillian.moran@globe.ca or by phone at 1.800.274.6097.

New Roofs for a New Century International Conference
On March 29th and 30th, Earth Pledge is co-hosting the third annual New Roofs for a New Century International Conference at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York, which explores the roof as a platform for sustainability in the modern urban built environment. Presented in conjunction with Environmental Building Association of NY State and Go2Buildings, the New Roofs conference is unique in drawing together leaders in the fields of photovoltaic, reflective, metal and green, vegetated roofing. Keynotes by leaders in these fields will be followed by discussions highlighting case studies, technology research, and policy development. The agenda for the event and registration information can be found at http://www.eba-nys.org.

EnvironDesign 8
EnvironDesign 8, held in Minneapolis on April 21-23, is the premiere annual showcase for the best of sustainable development in both the public and private sectors. The event includes keynote addresses from biomimicry advocate Janine Benyus, Eileen Claussen, president of Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Bruce Babbitt, former Secretary of the interior, and Bill McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle To Cradle. Network with business leaders while attending over forty workshop sessions on, eco-efficiency, product design, and strategies for sustainable changes in the market.

For more information, or to register, visit EnvironDesign.

Third Annual GreenTrading Summit: Emissions, Renewables & Negawatts
The interconnected fields of emissions reduction, cleaner and renewable energy, and energy efficient technologies come together in New York City at the third annual GreenTrading Summit: Emissions, Renewables & Negawatts on March 22-24. Presenters will address cutting edge issues in the "Triple Convergence" including sessions on Carbon Emission Reduction Credits, building the forward price curve for carbon, white (energy efficiency) certificate trading, and carbon and greenhouse gas transparency for market development.

To register or for more information, please visit www.greentradingsummit.com.

Mayor Bloomberg and Other Prominent New Yorkers Sign on to Greening Gotham

GreeningGotham.org, the city’s first green roof resource, is a project to raise public awareness and support for green roof development in New York. Green roofs are both visionary and pragmatic, a way to transform the city’s bare rooftops into a vibrant living ecosystem that can also address many of the city’s urgent environmental challenges.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, City Council Speaker Gifford Miller, EPA Region 2 Administrator Jane Kenny, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Chris Ward, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe, U.S. Congressman Charles Rangel, Actor Ed Norton, Robert Kennedy, Jr., Jonathan Rose, Douglas Durst, Natural Resource Defense Council (NRDC), Trust for Public Land, and New York League of Conservation voters have all signed on to support Earth Pledge’s vision of a greener, more sustainable city.

The website, created with support from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2, includes up-to-date urban environmental news, case studies of green roof projects in the metropolitan area, and a Take Action section where you can sign onto the vision statement and send the Mayor or the City Council Speaker a letter of support for citywide green roof development. You can also send a letter to your coop board or landlord to encourage them to consider implementing a green roof on your building.

To learn more or to join the illustrious group of signatories to the vision statement, go to GreeningGotham.org.

Green Roof Groundbreaking in the Bronx

On December 4, Earth Pledge joined the celebration at the groundbreaking of one of our Viridian Projects, the PSS GrandParent Family Apartments. This new supportive housing residence in the South Bronx will house 50 families of elderly grandparents raising grandchildren. GrandParent Family building will provide shelter and supportive services to this underserved community. Earth Pledge is working with the West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing to build an 8,000 square foot green roof on the building.

The green roof will provide the building’s children and seniors with safe green space for relaxation and community gardening. The building will be completed in Fall 2004. Earth Pledge and WSFSSH are currently working together to raise funds for this green roof.

If you would like to contribute contact Gabrielle Brainard.

Earth Pledge Shows Corporations How Green Roofs Benefit the Bottom Line

On November 6th, Earth Pledge hosted "The Business Case for Green Roofs," a symposium for corporate building owners and real estate industry professionals. The event was a great success, attended by representatives from more than fifty companies, including Nestle, Dow Chemical, Coca-Cola, and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Presentations by building owners and developers highlighted the top- and bottom-line benefits of green roofs, from huge stormwater management cost savings at the Ford Rouge Center, to lucrative amenity space at the Heinz 57 Center and Solaire, to positive media attention, food production for the restaurant and more profitable room rates at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel. The first event of its kind, the symposium highlighted the growing value of green roofs for the private sector.

Green Roofs for Affordable Housing Workshop

A greener, healthier Gotham should be available to all of its citizens. Green, vegetated roofs present a unique opportunity for affordable housing developers to reduce building operating costs while benefiting the environment and improving their tenants’ quality of life.

On Wednesday, December 10th from 9am to Noon, join Earth Pledge and the Association for Neighborhood Housing Development for the Green Roofs for Affordable Housing Workshop.

This workshop, intended for those involved in the affordable housing field, will outline the costs, benefits, and technical requirements of green roofs, and include a presentation of another Viridian Project green roof currently under construction at the Chelsea Residence, a supportive living facility developed by Common Ground Community and designed by OCV Architects.

The workshop will be held at the Greenpoint Bank at 356 Fulton Street in Downtown Brooklyn. The event is free, but seating is limited.

To register, call Don Morlan of ANHD at 212.63.9600 ext. 3

Earth Pledge Joins Mayor Bloomberg to Foster a More Sustainable New York

On September 24th, Mayor Bloomberg announced that New York City will hold a sustainable building design competition in conjunction with U.S. EPA and NYC DEP in partnership with Earth Pledge and others.

“Sustainable development is crucial to New York City’s future,” said Mayor Bloomberg at the announcement. “Creating new buildings, retrofitting old ones to be more energy efficient and incorporating new technologies that are less expensive and environmentally friendly is vital for the continued growth of our City … I am proud to be joining the EPA, AIA, Earth Pledge, and the Museum of the City of New York in this important endeavor.”

Earth Pledge is pleased to be a part of this historic competition to promote sustainable design and development in New York City.

Read the full press release here.

Join Earth Pledge at Renewable Brooklyn

On October 4th, Renewable Brooklyn, a collective of artists, educators, and environmentalists, will host an exciting fundraising concert, art show, and sustainable design and technology exhibition in Prospect Park.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Earth Pledge, Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, Williamsburg/Greenpoint Waterfront Task Force, and Just Food.

Earth Pledge will be exhibiting a small-scale anaerobic digestor and a tabletop green roof model sponsored by American Hydrotech alongside other exhibitors showing everything from a solar powered tricycle to photovoltaic lighting systems.

Come enjoy an afternoon of music from bands and DJs performing in an arena powered by off-set wind power. Brooklyn Brewery will preview their first batch of delicious organic beer, which will be served in biodegradable cups made from corn. The accompanying art exhibit will feature an eclectic group of prominent urban artists presenting paintings, sculptures and installations using salvaged, recycled, and reconstructed materials.

Please join us! For more information and ticket sales visit Renewable Brooklyn.

Find Sanctuary at the 2003 International Designer Showhouse

Landscape designer Richard Heller, working in conjunction with Earth Pledge and GreenTech, has created "Sanctuary," a vibrant green roof garden display, for the prestigious International Designer Showhouse of the American Hospital of Paris Foundation.

The show, which is open to the public beginning October 16th, features spectacular interiors and gardens from over thirty internationally respected designers, artisans, and decorative painters.

Heller’s "Sanctuary," built using GreenTech’s modular roof garden system, illustrates how green roofs can be beautiful, vibrant spaces that benefit the environment and pay financial dividends in the process.

For more information please call 212.838.0157.

Help Us Achieve a Greener Gotham!

Visit GreeningGotham.org on October 15th for the “vision launch” of Earth Pledge's newest web project.

The site presents Earth Pledge’s vision for improving the urban environment by bringing to life a barren and abandoned landscape - New York City's rooftops. GreeningGotham.org will allow New Yorkers to share in that vision, learn about the urgent environmental problems that face NYC and how green roofs can solve them.

A wide range of community groups, public figures, and businesses have joined with Earth Pledge in committing to realize this vision. Visit the website, sign the vision statement, join our mailing list, and submit feedback about what tools you would like to see on the site to help you bring green roofs to your community.

In January of 2004, we will launch the second phase of GreeningGotham.org, which will include the “Green Roof Toolbox” - a comprehensive step-by-step “How-to Guide" for green roof construction, as well as NYC green roof case studies, and a list of building and design professionals in New York City qualified to help complete a green roof. A regularly updated news section will let New Yorkers track the progress of green roof work in the city – new green roof projects, public events, and public policy developments.

Bringing the city’s rooftops to life will dramatically enhance New York's vibrant network of parks, community gardens and greened streets to fulfill a vision of a more sustainable city, a greened Gotham.

Explore the Best Green Buildings in NYC

Visit green buildings, from skyscrapers to townhouses, public housing projects to community gardens, as part of the 2003 Green Buildings Open House sponsored by GreenHomeNYC and the Northeast Sustainable Energy Association. Experience first-hand some innovative, beautiful approaches that conserve resources and energy while creating healthier, more environmentally friendly buildings and interiors.

Of course, Earth Pledge’s eco-friendly offices are on the tour. Visit our 1902 Georgian townhouse renovated to showcase sustainable materials, products, and technologies. The visit includes a tour of our green roof garden, which includes heirloom vegetables and herbs and a “roof meadow” of sedums, as well as a tour through the office space equipped with compact fluorescents, low-VOC paint, recycled floor coverings, and occupancy-sensing lighting.

Other buildings on the tour include Kiss & Cathcart Architect offices, Queens Botanical Garden, Stillwell Avenue Subway Station, Brewery Ice House live/work lofts, and 20 River Terrace, the country’s first “green” high-rise apartment building that includes a large rooftop garden.

For more information or to sign up for tours visit Green Home NYC.

Greening Ground Zero

Imagine a Lower Manhattan ecosystem connected by a network of parks, gardens, and green roofs, surrounding energy-efficient, solar powered multi-use high-rise buildings.

On September 4th, Green Ground Zero, a New York City-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting sustainable development in Lower Manhattan, formally announced the launch of their sustainable design competition. The event, held at Pace University, featured William McDonough, visionary green architect and Cradle to Cradle author, as the keynote speaker.

A showcase for possible sustainable urban design around the World Trade Center site, the competition invites participants to articulate a green vision for downtown that could impact the ecology, health and quality of life of the area.

Green Ground Zero, a project of New York Climate Rescue, has partnered with Earth Pledge, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Green House Network, and Pop Sustainability to promote sustainable thinking in the continuing redevelopment of Lower Manhattan.

Leslie Hoffman, Earth Pledge's Executive Director, will serve on the design selection committee headed by architect Randy Croxton.

For more information on the competition, please visit Green Ground Zero.

Let Nature Do the Work

Engineers, planners, builders, landscape architects, watershed managers, and government officials can learn new alternatives for sustainable stormwater management on October 17th at Let Nature Do the Work, a seminar sponsored by Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation.

Leslie Hoffman, Earth Pledge’s Executive Director, will be speaking about the design and horticultural considerations in building a green roof, which can ameliorate stormwater overflow problems because of the natural water retention properties of the soil and vegetation.

The day-long seminar focuses on Low Impact Development (LID) technologies, such as green roofs, which balance the needs of economic development and healthy community growth with environmental protection.

Viridian Update: Green Roof to Bloom in Harlem

The West Side Federation for Senior and Supportive Housing, one of Earth Pledge’s Viridian Project partners, recently closed the financing for the Revella, a new supportive housing facility in central Harlem. This former single-room occupancy building will be renovated into 19 affordable studio units for low-income and formerly homeless individuals. The building will also include a 1000 square foot extensive green roof. The roof will give the tenants access to safe green space, while lowering temperatures, trapping stormwater, and improving air quality in Harlem. Demolition will begin this month, and green roof construction will be finished in Spring 2004. New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) is financing the Revella.

For more information on the Viridian Project

A Call for Green Roof Case Study Submissions

Have you built a green roof? Earth Pledge is seeking exemplary green roof projects to include in our upcoming Green Roof Sourcebook. This full color, 200-page book will include a comprehensive review of the ecological benefits, technical requirements, and design possibilities of vegetated roofs. Essays by green roof experts and case studies from around the world will be featured. The Sourcebook is slated for a Fall 2004 publication date. Deadline for submissions: September 15, 2003.

For more information, email Marisa Arpels or call 212.725.6611 x221.

Earth Pledge Returns from Chicago Green Roof Conference

Earth Pledge just returned from the first ever North American Green Roof Conference, Greening Rooftops for Sustainable Communities, held in Chicago. The conference was co-hosted by Green Roofs for Healthy Cities and the City of Chicago, and co-sponsored by Earth Pledge.

Never before have so many green roof experts from all over the globe convened together, including federal and local governmental officials, renowned scientists, horticulturalists, non-profit leaders, roofing manufacturers, and academics from throughout the United States as well as Thailand, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, England, and Canada.

Colin Cheney, director of our Green Roofs Initiative, was one of the first experts to speak about developing a local green roof market. His talk, which was met with great enthusiasm, focused on Earth Pledge’s vision for a better, greener New York, including our efforts to catalyze green roof implementation in New York City through our Viridian Project, New York Ecological Infrastructure Study, and Government Policy Task Force.

The event also included the green roof awards, which honored the best extensive and intensive green roofs in North America. Winning projects included Montgomery Park Business Center in Baltimore, Maryland, the 901 Cherry Gap corporate offices in San Bruno, California, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Chicago, Illinois, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Conference Hall in Salt Lake City, Utah.

We look forward to working with the many collaborators we met at the conference during the upcoming year while we gear up for the 2004 conference, which will be held in Portland.