Tag: Green Grants

Don’t Dispose, DONATE.

IT’S MOVE OUT TIME!

If you live in a residence hall, this is the time to pack up and start your summer (after exams are over, of course). Most of the time, students have far too much stuff to pack and take home especially when so many of us have to fly home. Even if you don’t want to get rid of your stuff, in the midst of your end of the year stress, you might just throw things out because it’s easier than arranging for storage. Fortunately, donating your unwanted items can be just as easy as throwing them in the trash. Here are some things to think about so you can minimize how much you throw away in your move out. Read more

New York City Teens Advocate for Environmental Sustainability

 On Tuesday, February 21, thirty-two students, representing twelve different high schools throughout New York City, gathered at New York University. The students spanned the city geographically and expressed interests in a variety of topics from art to mathematics. But despite their diverse backgrounds and interests, they came together over one shared goal: to advocate for sustainability.

Over the past six months, I have had the honor and privilege of developing, organizing, and directing the Teen Advocates for Sustainability Corps (TASC, pronounced “task”) Summit. The TASC Summit is a three-day environmental advocacy conference for New York City high school students. The program is a joint effort of NYU Steinhardt’s Wallerstein Collaborative for Urban Environmental Education and the NYU Office of Sustainability’s Green Grants program, which offers funding to projects that advance sustainability at NYU. Read more

NYU Sustainability 2016 #YearinReview

Here are some of NYU Sustainability’s major accomplishments in 2016!

unplugged2016Residence Halls Conserve Energy for NYUnplugged
In February, 17 Residence Halls competed in the NYUnplugged energy reduction challenge. Lipton Hall not only saved the most energy but also brought the most awareness to energy conservation through events and social media, securing their spot in first place!

Student, Faculty & Staff Collaborate
In March members of the Sustainability Task Force (STF) submitted a proposal to Governor Cuomo’s REV Campus Challenge, which called for New York State colleges and universities to develop clean energy plans for a chance to win $1 million for support in implementation. NYU was nationally recognized as a competition “Leader” and a “First Mover” for joining the competition in its first 6 months. The effort brought together a diverse group of individuals, who developed a proposal for an anaerobic digester at NYU. Additionally, throughout the Fall, an STF working group collaborated on a Sustainability Indicator Survey to question the NYU community on their attitudes towards sustainability. The survey is in queue for release.   Read more

Social Impact Investing: How Profit Motivation can Power Social Change

by Jon Chin

Image courtesy of mottmac.com
Image courtesy of mottmac.com

Right around the corner of NYU, The New School is hosting a series of phenomenal speaker events open to the general public. Dubbed the Nth Degree, they are bringing in “thinkers, visionaries, and creators” who are making a positive impact on society, from prison reform to ethical business practices to environmental justice. On September 26th, they hosted speakers from the Impact Finance Center in an event titled, “Social Impact Investing for Sustainability.” While not explicitly part of the Nth Degree series, the night shared the same values: how to navigate the real world—the world as it is—and steer it to the right path.

Now, I’ve been a giver for a large part of my life. It’s a character trait/flaw that’s influenced what I study, where I work, how I spend my time, and what I love. Whenever money enters the conversation, I start to feel guilty; I sometimes compensate for that feeling by undercharging people or working overtime for free. Even when I know my clients can afford it, I deflect these conversations. And I imagine that I’m not the only person who does this; we sometimes think that profit somehow cheapens or mis-motivates our work. Read more

Green Grants Spotlight: Reefill Lets You Fill Your Water Bottle On Campus and Off

by Jason Pessel

The Uncommons filling station
Newly installed Reefill station at The Uncommons (230 Thompson St.)

 

Hey NYU — a cheap and eco-friendly alternative to bottled water is here!

We know you love carrying your reusable bottles on campus, but we also know that most of you buy bottled water when you’re off campus. Thanks to a Green Grant project from the Office of Sustainability called Reefill, now you can fill your reusable bottles wherever you go.  It’s all part of an effort to help the NYU community reduce its consumption of bottled water, which is an extremely wasteful product.  Not only does it create tons of plastic waste (literally), but its manufacture and transportation wastes water and oil and creates greenhouse gases.  All for a product that is often just purified municipal water, as is the case with Aquafina and Dasani.  Meanwhile, the water from our tap is tested far more often and rigorously than bottled water and NYC’s consistently beats bottled water in taste tests. Read more