New York City Implementing New Green Technologies to Reduce Waterway Pollution

As part of New York City’s ongoing efforts to clean up the pollution in its surrounding waters, NY Waterway has decided to revamp nine of its ferries with new engines and catalysts designed to lower greenhouse gas emissions in the environment.

Photo courtesy of wirednewyork.com.

Part of the financing for this project will include $2.5 million in funding secured from a grant by the New York City Department of Transportation (NYC DOT) and a $900,000 contribution from the NY Waterway.

NY Waterway has also already converted the fleet to use 100 percent ultra-low sulfur diesel.

“The city has set a high standard with a cleaner retrofit for Staten Island ferry boats and equipping private fleets with this technology now brings a new standard to the industry in New York,” said DOT Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan in a statement.

NY Waterway estimates that it carries about 35,000 passengers per day on 31 boats serving New Jersey, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland, Westchester, Orange, and Dutchess County.

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A Carbon Diet For Your New Year's Resolution: Frugality That'll Save Your Wallet and the Planet

Over the last couple of years, there has been a lot of talk about how people need to lower their carbon footprint, but outside the eco-community, most people don’t even know what a carbon foorptint is. When the topic comes up, the questions are always: What is it and how does it affect me? Here’s an attempt to answer those questions.

Stock image.

At its most basic level, a carbon footprint is the total impact one person’s activities has on the environment during any given day. A big part of it has to do with how much unrecyclable trash is generated, and power used - generating greenhouse gases - to operating things like household appliances and systems, electrics, and transportation.

The family carbon footprint is important for two reasons - slowing the outflow of money from the household budget and preserving the global environment.

The health of the global environment directly affects every wallet in many ways, including the cost of food. What most people eat that isn’t locally grown, and if the climate shifts where that food is grown, it either won’t be available anymore or become a lot more expensive.

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Indonesia Receiving International Financial Support to Stimulate New Green Economy

After a long history of allowing its tropical mangrove forests to be systematically cut down for logging, agricultural, and industrial purposes, as well as being one of the worst offenders with respect to carbon emissions, Indonesia has recently made notable policy changes in an effort to move to a green, more sustainable economy.

Indonesian mangrove forest. Stock photo.

In recognition, the World Bank just approved its first ever developmental policy loan dedicated to climate mitigation and adaptations in Indonesia.

The $200 million loan - to be giving in four yearly installments - is designed to focus on key benefits, according to World Bank, including:

• The promotion of energy efficiency.
• A reduction in the overall use of fossil fuel.
• A reduction in forest loss, and peatland conversion and burning.
• The development of renewable energies, like geothermal and biomass.
• Improving infrastructure for water resource management.
• Improving the ability to respond to water-related climate change impacts, such as droughts and floods.
• Making farmers more prepared for climate change impacts (floods, droughts, and pests) on food production.

In praise, Joachim von Amsberg, World Bank Director for Indonesia, commented that, “Over the last two years, the (Indonesian) government has already managed to bring climate change into the national planning and budgeting process,” referring to the country’s new National Council on Climate Change.

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UK Expecting to Show a 23% Decrease in Its Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Next Year

World Environment Day 2009. Stock Image.

LONDON- The United Kingdom is on track to almost double its greenhouse gas reduction obligations under the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, according to a new report by the country’s Department of Energy and Climate Change given to the United Nations.

The report’s findings predict that by 2010, the country’s greenhouse emissions will be 23 percent below levels recorded in 1990, “well in excess of the target of 12.5 percent set out under the Kyoto agreement.”

The report to the UN outlines the policies and programs that the UK has put in place, including:

• the Climate Change Act of 2008.
• energy efficiency programs.
• emissions targets for road vehicles, aviation, and industry in Europe.

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