Toolkit Featured: Featured

Human impact on our wild and natural places is discernable all across the globe, but it can be difficult to keep it at the front of your mind with everything else you probably have going on. Often too, the visible impacts of climate change and other natural disasters are happening far away. In the age of online streaming services and at-your-finger-tips entertainment, documentaries are more accessible than ever. We’ve made it easy for you to stay informed while taking it easy by putting together a list of some of the most eye-opening documentaries about our changing climate and its impacts on communities and ecosystems around the world. Check it out!

Mission Blue (2014): Netflix
Follow the life and work of one of the first deep-sea divers, Sylvia Earle, who built a career out of seeing the wonders of the ocean that the majority of us will never experience. Throughout her years of work, she has seen firsthand how human negligence has impacted our oceans and marine wildlife. When she first started out, Earle would visit parts of the ocean untouched by man; now she laments that no matter how deep she goes, she sees trash on every single dive. This film shows us that nothing disappears. Our oceans are threatened by pollution and climate change.

Food Inc. (2008): Hulu, iTunes, Amazon Video
An investigative documentary about America’s wildly unsustainable food system and the impact it has on communities and our environment. It highlights the injustice of large food producers, and how these corporations rely on a system that is carbon-intensive and requires large amounts of food transportation.

The True Cost (2015): Netflix
This documentary explores unethical practices within the fashion industry and asks the question: what are the consequences of an industry that is solely focused on profits? The True Cost explores the poor living conditions of workers from companies like H&M and Zara, and how the fashion industry’s practices are detrimental to the environment. This one is sure to make you think twice about where you shop and what you buy.

Chasing Ice (2012): Netflix
A must-see for anyone who is skeptical about the effect climate change has on our arctic landscapes. Photographer James Balog provides up-close evidence of just how rapidly glaciers are melting and changing the coldest environments on the planet. The multiyear time-lapse photography of melting glaciers in this documentary is not only beautiful, but startlingly scary.

Chasing Coral (2017): Netflix
Similar to Chasing Ice, Chasing Coral follows a group of scuba divers on a mission to capture on camera the bleaching of coral reefs all over the world. While their journey takes unplanned turns and leads them to unexpected locations, the footage they get of the reefs is incredibly telling of the rising acidity of our oceans and the danger that poses. This one is very informative, but also emotional.

The Cove (2009): iTunes, Amazon Video
Animal lovers and the faint of heart, beware, this Academy Award-winning documentary examines Japan’s practice of dolphin drive hunting. Former National Geographic photographer Louie Psihoyos directs this film as it delves into the unnecessarily cruel methods for harvesting fish and the impact these practices have on marine ecosystems.  

An Inconvenient Truth (2006): Hulu
This movie at this point should speak for itself as many of the previously mentioned documentaries would not exist if not for this one. This film was part of Al Gore’s campaign to educate the public about climate change and its popularity and success showed that the public does actually want to learn about the environment. This film won two Academy Awards and brought in $50 million at box offices worldwide.

From Long Island to Niagara Falls and the high peaks of the Adirondacks, New York is full of opportunities to explore natural spaces and connect with the environment. Below is a short list of a few of our favorites, and some tips for planning your spring trek to the trails. 

The Adirondack Park is the largest protected public area in the United States. At 6.1 million acres, the park is larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smokies National Parks combined. The region is the largest area without a city in the United States, and is home to 46 high peaks, 3,000 lakes and ponds, numerous animals, and has something for everyone: rigorous outdoor activities like hiking, backpacking, canoeing and biking; laid back camping, walking trails, historical sites, boreal forest and much, much more.

Bear Mountain State Park, located west of the Hudson River in Rockland County, is a 5,205-acre park just 50 miles north of New York City. There are plenty of opportunities here for adventurers of all levels, including picnic areas, lake and fishing access, hiking, biking, skiing, and even a zoo and carousel!

Catskill Park and Catskill Forest Preserve include over 250,000-acres of beautiful public and private lands, mostly forested, to the west of the Hudson River in Ulster, Greene, Delaware, and Sullivan Counties. The Catskills, while much smaller than the Adirondacks to the north, boast ninety-eight peaks over 3,000 feet in elevation and offer natural treasures, like the super popular Kaaterskill Falls, the largest two-tier waterfall in the state. Also important to note, 90% of New York City’s drinking water comes from the pristine reservoirs in the Catskills and Delaware Watershed region.

Green Lake State Park is located in Manlius, NY, about 10 miles east of Syracuse. The park is situated on two emerald-colored meromictic lakes, which means there is no mixing of surface and bottom layers of water, giving them the potential for signs of ancient plants and animal life. The US Department of the Interior designated Round Lake a National Natural Landmark in 1975. Green Lake State Park is also home to the Green Lakes State Park Golf Course, a destination course for golf enthusiasts.

Montauk Point State Park is more than 700-acres of rocky shoreline located on the eastern tip of Suffolk County on Long Island. The park provides gorgeous panoramic views of the Atlantic Ocean and the iconic Montauk Point Lighthouse. Come out for a picnic, a walk on a nature trail, or even some bird watching, as this park is considered an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon and welcomes the largest winter concentration of sea ducks in the state.

Saratoga Spa State Park, located about 35 miles north of Albany in Saratoga County, is home to unique pieces of classical architecture like baths, pools, and arches, and is even listed as a National Historic Landmark. Offering trails for biking and running, Saratoga Spa State Park is also a great place to just stroll, picnic, and relax. Of course, there’s the well-known Saratoga Performing Arts Center, which features some of music’s finest acts.

***For a full listing of state parks, historic sites and recreational opportunities near you, visit: www.parks.ny.gov***

Tips for the trails and sites:

1) Always stay on marked trails to protect the native flora. Be careful of wet and muddy trails in the spring. Turn around if the trail gets too muddy. Often melting snow finds its way to the trail during the spring months.

2) Practice leaving no trace. This means making sure you take any trash from a picnic or snack with you, and remind your fellow travelers to do the same.

3) Use public transit when you can, and when you can’t, travel together, and consider taking an electric or zero emission vehicle. Doing so will cut down on your carbon output, reduce the congestion in our public parks, and help to keep the fresh air, fresh.

4)  Drink plenty of water, and do it again and again from a reusable bottle!

5) Observe any wildlife you discover along the way carefully, and avoid any direct contact with animals. Never feed the wildlife!

Spring cleaning is our time of year to transition from winter to spring: to clean out our closets, to declutter our spaces, to swipe clean our floors, and sweep out the previous season from our homes. Unfortunately, many of these chemicals and household cleaners we use leave an invisible and insidious chemical trail in their wake. Here are your seven tips for making this year’s spring cleaning an efficient and environmental one while limiting negative effects on your health from this year’s ritual:

1)  Toss out [use] paper towels and use sustainable alternatives. Americans toss out 13 billion pounds of paper towels every year, the equivalent of 40 pounds or 80 rolls per person. Manufacturing these cleaners uses 110 million trees, 130 billion gallons of water, not to mention C02 emissions from distribution. 3,000 tons of paper towel waste goes to landfills. Biodegradable alternatives such as compostable and rewash-able durafresh cloths, microfiber cloths, natural sponges, brooms, and reusable mops and rags made from old clothes significantly cut the manufacturing and disposal-related waste out of your cleaning process. Win, win, win.

2) Use DIY cleaners to keep your long-term air and water pollution to a minimum. This list shows you how the “fantastic four” natural cleaning products, lemon, baking soda, vinegar, and olive oil can be used to clean tiles, ovens, floors, windows, microwaves, and more. Meanwhile, phosphorus from dishwasher detergent, nitrogen from surface cleaners, ammonia in cleaning products, and Volatile Organic Compounds are all used in fertilizing plants. They don’t get filtered out of water by waste treatment programs. When they contaminate water beds, these chemicals cause plant overgrowth. When these plants decay and reduce oxygen supplies in the water, algae blooms start — and are widespread across NY state. VOCs pollute air as much as six years or more after application. Doing it yourself with cleaner chemicals is a lot cleaner and less costly (and easier) than you think!

3) Dispose of clutter and recycle unused clothing to clear out your residence. Leave your shoes at the door to prevent heavy metals, waste, and other items on your soles from entering your newly-pristine space.

4) Do basic house cleaning by using minimal electricity. Vampire energy bleeds into our electric bill when we leave our devices on standby mode. Power strips can help solve this problem. 4% of energy in the US is consumed in this way, equal to 100 million tons of oil. Vacuum with the lights off and unplug electronic appliances when not in use to save power when cleaning.

Replace incandescent bulbs with CFL bulbs, which can save $30 in its lifetime and use two to three times less energy than their incandescent counterparts. Swapping one bulb alone saves enough power to light 2.5 million US homes.

5) Go paperless on all your bills and mailings. Each American family tosses out 2,500 pounds of paper each year, most of it junk mail that can be avoided. Use recycled paper, when paper use cannot be avoided.

6) Increase your resident’s water efficiency while you are cleaning, and in the long run. In the US, 100 gallons are consumed each day per household. Toilet dams reduce water use when flushing, and low-water-use shower heads reduce water use by 50-70% when lathering especially. Stop running the water when you brush your teeth!

7) Cut out the air fresheners. Period. These cheap fresheners, which trample over bad smells instead of neutralizing them, are used in 75% of US homes—a $2 billion dollar industry—and the National Resources Defense Council found chemicals that disrupt hormones and cause birth defects in 12 of 14 tested fresheners. For sustainable alternatives, consider creating your own spray with water and essential oils and simmering spices such as cinnamon and lavender. Please, please, please: do the basics, too, by taking out the trash and opening windows, and cleaning your residence. Sustainable air fresheners can only mask so much.

Are you planning on starting 2018 off with the ever-popular goal of working out more often? If so, we have some tips to help you burn calories while staying environmentally friendly.

Working out offers countless benefits to the mind and body, but if you’re not careful, it can cause a detriment to your ecological footprint. Exercise equipment can guzzle energy, while the clothing itself can came from unsound manufacturing processes. Transportation to and from the gym can rack up harmful emissions. On top of all that, you’ll – hopefully – spend a few extra minutes in the shower afterward.

This year, don’t let your New Year’s resolution go – there’s plenty of ways you can exercise without doing any damage to the environment.

Invest In Self-Powered Equipment

Exercise bikes and treadmills, when plugged in, can spend immense amounts of energy, especially in gyms, where they run constantly. You can solve this issue by switching over to self-powered machines. These run on the energy you provide, meaning that they run as long as you put out the necessary effort. It’s a good way to keep your own energy up while keeping your electricity costs down. You could also petition your gym to make the change, as many outlets have started adapting to changing environmental needs by installing this type of equipment.

Some universities and even private gyms have started another trend, as well – using exercise to power entire buildings. Suggest to your gym that they can try out this inventive new phenomenon.

Green Exercise Clothes

Next time you need a new set of workout clothes, consider looking for companies with a commitment to sustainability. A number of companies, such as Patagonia and Alternative have made a name for themselves in environmentally-conscious business practices. The fashion industry has long grappled with its environmental fallout; these days, practicality has started enforcing better decision making. As materials become scarcer and harder to produce, organic choices will enable businesses to continue in the long-run. Do some research to find a company that’s right for you, and the Earth.

Green Hydration

Buy reusable drinking containers. Instead of loading up on non-reusable plastic water bottles, invest in a hard plastic water bottle that will last you as long as it can stay in tact. For protein shakes, buy powder in bulk and make it with your reusable bottle or shaker.

Get A Workout Buddy

Those who make the daily pilgrimage to the gym can attest to the importance of a fitness partner. They supply a number of benefits to your workout, allowing you to reach your potential and monitor your progress. But they also have a major environmental upside – you don’t have to travel alone. Traveling together decreases the number of cars on the road, which cuts down on your carbon footprint, reduces traffic congestion and saves you money. The immense clutter on the roads contributes significantly to climate change, as vehicles spew out fossil fuels and destroy the air quality. So when you go to the gym, don’t go it alone – the environment will thank you, and so will your body.

Workout Outside

The best ways to help the environment are the simplest. Instead of languishing on a treadmill or bike under harsh, dim lighting in a cold, cramped room filled with evaporated sweat, you can take your workout outside. Running offers some of the most complete exercise you can manage, as it engages your entire body. Biking and swimming can provide similar advantages, and interacting with real-world obstacles and environmental changes helps to engage muscles differently. Outside exercise also correlates with reduced levels of stress.

With so many options available, you can get your workout in without having a harmful effect on the environment. Going green isn’t just healthy for the earth – it can also be healthy for you, too.

 

 

With travel, gift giving, and many big meals, the winter holidays are one of the times of the year with the highest rates of personal consumption. Because of this heightened consumption rate, the holidays  are the time when being conscious of sustainable practices will have the greatest total impact. Here are some holiday practices you can take to generate an impact, and others that can help foster a sense of love and consciousness toward the environment:

Holiday Lights: If you’re shopping for holiday lights, choose LED lights. LED lights are a no-brainer. They use 90% less energy than traditional lights, have the same (or greater) brightness, and last much longer than traditional lights.

Christmas Trees: The Nature Conservancy has an informative post on Christmas trees and they recommend that readers buy a real tree, ideally one that was grown locally and organically.  If you do buy an artificial Christmas tree, invest in a durable one that will last a lifetime. It takes at least ten and up to twenty years for an artificial tree to compete with the carbon benefits of the real thing. Buy a durable Christmas tree to save both money and emissions compared to a series of cheaper artificial trees.

Gift-wrapping: While pretty, wrapping paper is wasteful. Find creative ways to re-use paper you have anyway, like magazines or olds maps, or re-use gift bags. Recycled brown wrapping paper is also an option. The Guardian has a guide for green gift-wrapping and holiday cards here.

Donate: If you have unwanted gifts, or have old items that can be replaced with new gifts, donate those to someone who can use them. Think Goodwill, Salvation Army, or church and other community drives.

Shopping trips: It’s tempting to go out and do a little shopping at a time each weekend, but those trips add up. Try as much as possible to group shopping trips together, to minimize time spent driving, and thus, your carbon footprint. If you’re shopping online, try not to order each item individually to cut down on shipping emissions. If you know you’ll be purchasing three gifts from one online store, order them all at the same time. This will increase the likelihood that they’ll arrive in the same shipment, depending on factors including warehousing and shipping costs.

Non-material gifts: Consider giving your loved ones experiences that will foster a sense of curiosity and admiration for the natural world.  This does not have to be cheesy: think of enrollment at camps, sports lessons, retreats, etc. Material objects can be gateways to the natural world too. A camera or a pair of binoculars can give a child a reason to go outside and explore.

Travel: Some air travel is unavoidable, but energy use per mile traveled is the highest when flying. Short plane trips result in much higher greenhouse gas emissions than driving, say between New York and Pittsburgh. Plus, though the flight may be shorter than the drive, you will likely spend just as much time at the airports as you would in a car or on a train.

Sustainable Meal Practices: When preparing big holiday meals, check out our Thanksgiving dinner prep guide. Although it may be tempting to use disposable plates and cutlery, use the opportunity to break out your fine china and save on emissions. The extra bit of cleanup is worth it! We also recommend using smaller plates since they tend to cut down on wasted food. Speaking of, be sure to recycle your food scraps and find creative ways to consume all of your leftovers. 

Temperatures are finally starting to drop, and we’re welcoming the crisp autumn air. One of the best ways to fully appreciate and experience the beauty of it is to spend time in one of New York State’s parks. Boasting some of the most beautiful nature in America, New York is home to over 200 state parks ranging from Niagara Falls in Western New York to Montauk Point State Park on the tip of Long Island.

For the hiking enthusiasts, the Black Mountain Loop trail in Adirondack Park offers top-notch views of Lake George surrounded by a lush blanket of fall foliage and Harriman State Park, the second largest park in New York, contains a portion of the Appalachian Trail for those who are looking to trudge through the leaves on one of America’s greatest trials. Last year, to help combat overcrowding in Adirondack Park, DEC created a list of less populated hikes that you can find here.

For those looking for something more moderate, Franny Reese State Park and Falling Waters Preserve provide beautiful river views framed with orange and yellow leaves. For nature and art lovers, Storm King Park combines sculpture and landscape to provide the perfect getaway.

In New York City, there are more than 1,700 parks, playgrounds, and recreation facilities to choose from, including parks with woodlands and hiking in all five boroughs. Many NYC Parks have fall events and activities that are free to attend.

Whether you want to get away for a few days or retreat to the wilderness for several weeks, New York’s Parks offer thousands of acres of natural beauty for all to enjoy. Try to make it a priority to get to a City or State Park and see the beauty of the Empire State’s fall foliage before it is too late!