In Business, Creating Sustainable Enterprises & Communities

A GREENER APPLE

In Business, January-February, 2006, Vol. 28, No. 1, p. 32

ECOSTYLE

Delia Montgomery

IN THE past two months, I have indeed been privileged to reside in New York. With so much happening to improve the sustainability of this incredible city, I am compelled to share my observations with you. Of course you don't have to live here to imagine the challenges. Just know that if reformists in New York City can meet the demands of becoming greener, people in any city can.
I'm living near a natural and organic products market that is only about a year old and has a steady line of traffic, sometimes as long as the store. There's a constant monitoring person to advise you which cash register is available. My, aren't they looking profitable? The market is a very large store for the city and I must confess this Kentucky gal ain't never seen anything like it!
TheGreenApple.org was created for those interested in healthy and natural living in New York, which is a growing lot. This organization is little more than a year old and they've recently divided their website into two categories. One is dedicated to New York residents and the other has discount offerings in many forms to anyone on the Internet. Find articles, coupons, inspirational quotes, amazing photographs, and tips galore. Their motto is spend smart, live healthy and make the world a better place.
TreeHugger.com is run virtually but its corporate home is live in New York. Founder Graham Hill offers his somewhat virgin and definitive online magazine dedicated to everything combined with modern aesthetics and environmental respect. Graham's convincing claim is that TreeHugger is the most effective way for consumers to find well-designed products that are ecologically sensitive. His company also provides the latest news, reviews and recommendations for modern - yet green services.
Although TreeHugger recruits writers from around the globe, being in the Big Apple helps generate some fascinating city stories. For example, find a report on plans to turn a stretch of Westside Manhattan into an “agritectural” public open space. The winning project design team is The High Line, awarded for their intentions to utilize an existing structure to turn industrial leftovers green. The initial plan includes a beach and an amphitheater/
cinema, all elevated three stories above street level. “It's like the Jetsons, only greener,” TreeHugger reports. Graham says he hopes governmental and corporate cooperation will become an example for other cities looking for creative ways to open up green space.
In nearby Brooklyn is the CEO of Vivavi (dot com), Josh Dorfman. There he recently completed a public showroom of his contemporary furniture and home furnishings to appease the environment-minded lifestyle consumer. Josh offers product collections from forward-thinking designers who consider green design a prerequisite for good design.
Josh has an interesting and well-traveled background that's provided him a networking knack, reaching far beyond the city. He is the creator and host for The Lazy Environmentalist, a one-hour, weekly radio talk show that showcases easy, hip environmentalism. It introduces listeners to products and offers in-depth interviews with the designers, entrepreneurs and leaders who are creating the modern, green economy.
There's even ICInyc (dot com), a group of front-line visionaries blending fashion, design, media and the arts with the modest task of saving the planet. On January 25, Remy Chavalier hosted the first ICInyc networking party of its kind - a collaboration of conscious environmentalists ranging from models to designers, to consultants and entrepreneurs. Remy says “ici” is French for “here” and intends to announce upcoming events to those who register on www.ici-nyc.com.
Environmental Advocates Of NY recently praised Governor Pataki for proposing a new budget that confronts some of the state's most pressing environmental challenges. He allocated 43 new positions to the understaffed Department of Environmental Conservation and substantially increased the Environmental Protection Fund. In summary, these actions put New York particularly on track for cleaner electricity and better energy efficiency. The Governor's budget also encourages the use of wind and solar power. Biodiesel is a buzz word and those in the know are jumping into the scene like bees on honey.
There's a stir of excitement in this city and surrounding areas as I witness existing stores converting, new businesses launching, and environmental consciousness expanding. It's not unusual to find franchised retailers supplied with organic products, surrounded by organic dry cleaners and nontoxic laundering services. New York, you've come a long way and as usual, you're a stylish role model.

Delia Montgomery is an environmental design consultant and personal ecoshopper for homes, bodies and gardens. Questions or comments are welcome. Visit www.ChicEco.com or e-mail: Info@ChicEco.com.