New York City unveiled the first of 25 free solar charging stations for mobile phones Tuesday, installed in response to Superstorm Sandy, which wiped out power and forced residents to walk miles to charge their phones.

The Street Charge stations are New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s latest answer to flaws in infrastructure and operations exposed by the historic storm that ripped into the East Coast last October and left about 900,000 New York City dwellers and millions of others in the region without power.

Located throughout the city’s five boroughs, the charging stations are part of a public-private partnership with AT&T, according to a news release. Powered by solar panels, they will work day or night, in sun or shade, the statement said.

Six ports in each station will allow the public to charge phones, tablets and other devices even if the city’s power is out, the statement said. 

In the first days after the storm, some of the city’s residents walked miles to line up and charge their electronic devices. The city set up mobile charging stations and generators in the blacked-out areas of New York, which inspired the idea of creating solar-powered charging stations for everyday use.

Street Charge units were put to work this week in Union Square in Manhattan, Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn and Governors Island, with more opening by the end of the summer, the statement said.

AT&T is paying for the 25 stations, with the city bearing no cost, Marissa Shorenstein, president of AT&T’s New York office, told Reuters.

Sandy brought a record 14-foot storm surge to lower Manhattan and inflicted an estimated $19 billion in damages on the city. The storm, which claimed more than 130 lives in the United States and Canada, left more than eight million homes and businesses along the East Coast in the dark.

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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday announced a $20 billion plan to prepare for rising sea levels and hotter summers expected as a result of climate change in the coming decades.

The plan, which follows widespread destruction wreaked by Superstorm Sandy last year, included about 250 recommendations ranging from new floodwalls and storm barriers to upgrades of power and telecommunications infrastructures.

It coincided with a report updating projections of the impact of climate change, saying that over the next 40 years the number of sweltering summer days could double or even triple and that the sea level surrounding New York City could rise by 2 feet (0.6 meter).

The aim of Bloomberg’s plan was to ensure that the subway, transit, sewer and water, energy and food distribution systems would continue to function for the city’s 8 million people.

New York City could “do nothing and expose ourselves to an increasing frequency of Sandy-like storms that do more and more damage,” Bloomberg said in remarks at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

“Or we can make the investments necessary to build a stronger, more resilient New York – investments that will pay for themselves many times over in the years go to come,” he said.

New York City is surrounded by 520 miles of coastline – more than Miami, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco combined – and even a small rise in the sea level will jeopardize lower-lying homes and businesses.

Sandy killed more than 100 people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, knocked out power to millions and cost New York City an estimated $19 billion in damages and lost economic activity.

Bloomberg said a storm of Sandy’s strength would cost nearly five times that amount if it hit the city in the middle of this century because of rising sea levels.

FLOODWALLS, DUNES AND TIDAL BARRIERS

In addition to new walls, dune systems and tidal barriers, the plan envisaged $1.2 billion in loans and grants to help owners make buildings more resilient to floods and proposed changes to the building code.

It included a proposed study on establishing standards for restoring power which would be discussed with the State Public Utility Commission, power utility Con Edison and the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA).

The city will also work on a plan to provide fuel when supplies are disrupted and to diversify energy sources.

Some elements of the plan are likely to be implemented this year, while others were more long-term, Bloomberg said.

To fund the plan the city would draw on city money that has already been allocated for capital improvements and on post-Sandy federal relief funds approved by the U.S. Congress.

But the funds may fall at least $4.5 billion short and the city will have to delay, scale back or eliminate some programs if it can’t fill the gap, the plan’s authors said.

They suggested additional funds could be raised by tapping into $2 billion of federal tax breaks for Lower Manhattan that were awarded after the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The city could ask state lawmakers to tack a “resiliency” charge onto insurance policies in New York City, including automobile, homeowner, commercial and other forms of insurance. A 1.5 percent surcharge could allow the city to issue bonds that “generate more than enough” to cover the $4.5 billion shortfall, the plan’s authors said.

(Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Tiziana Barghini and David Storey)

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New York City would spend nearly $20 billion to get ready for rising sea levels and hotter summers under a proposal unveiled on Tuesday by Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The sweeping plan includes 250 recommendations, ranging from installing floodwalls and storm barriers to upgrades of power and telecommunications infrastructures.

With the Big Apple facing significant impacts from climate change in the decades to come – including becoming as hot as Birmingham, Alabama, by 2050 – the plan aims to make sure that New York City’s extensive subway, transit, sewer and water, energy and food distribution systems will still be able to serve the more than 8 million people who live there.

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Over the next 40 years, the number of sweltering summer days in New York City could double or even triple, making it as hot in 2050 as Birmingham, Alabama, is now.

The sea level surrounding New York is also likely to rise by 2 feet (0.6 meter), jeopardizing lower-lying homes and businesses, according to a report commissioned by the city to be released on Tuesday.

It is the first time New York City has updated its projections about the impact of climate change since Superstorm Sandy struck seven months ago.

The storm – three times as massive as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 – killed more than 100 people in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, knocked out power to millions and caused billions of dollars in damages.

The report also forecasts the number of days at or above 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) will rise to as many as 57 in 2050, up from roughly 20 days a year now.

Some of the city’s underground infrastructure could become too hot, “like being in an oven beneath the street,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations Cas Holloway at a news conference on Monday. New York has a vast underground subway system, parts of which flooded during Sandy.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is scheduled on Tuesday to propose how the city could prepare for the forecasted climate change – and how much such a massive undertaking could cost taxpayers.

Bloomberg, a political independent, said climate change may have been a factor in Superstorm Sandy. He endorsed President Barack Obama just after the storm because of Obama’s stance on climate change.

New York City has already laid out plans to spend about $1.7 billion in federal disaster aid to recover from the storm. Even more is supposed to flow to the region under the $50 billion supplemental Sandy relief package Congress approved earlier this year.

Holloway declined to say how much the improvements and changes could cost or who would pay for it, deferring to Bloomberg’s upcoming presentation.

But “there is going to be a real cost to inaction” if the city fails to deal with climate change, Holloway said.

(Reporting by Hilary Russ; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

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Six peregrine falcon chicks hatched last month on top of two city bridges: two males and one female on the Marine Parkway-Gil Hodges Memorial Bridge, and two females and one male at the Throgs Neck Bridge.

The falcon chicks have been banded as part of a state-run nesting program started in New York City in 1983. A specialist at the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Chris Nadareski, coordinates the program in the city, climbing to the tops of various bridges and buildings to band and record falcons.

The Marine Parkway chicks hatched on top of the 215-foot Rockaway Tower, and the Throgs Neck chicks hatched on top of the 360-foot Bronx Tower.

Peregrine falcons became endangered in the 1960s because of pesticides in their food supply. They are still on the State Department of Environmental Conservation’s endangered birds list.

Peregrine falcons mate for life and nest in the same spot every year. They eat pigeons and small birds, hunting from the tops of bridges, church steeples and high-rise buildings.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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JetBlue will compost food waste at its terminal at JFK airport, according to a report from the New York Daily News.

The airline will reportedly compost almost 300 pounds of food waste a day from some restaurants in its terminal. The compost will be turned into fertilizer and soil for local farms like McEnroe Organic Farm in upstate Millerton, New York.

The compost program is coming out of a partnership with Air Ventures, the franchise responsible for the terminal’s Jamba Juice and Dunkin’ Donits, and Royal Waste Services.

The program is reportedly intended to be expanded to other vendors in Terminal 5 as well as the other airports in which it operates.

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Though New Yorkers wouldn’t know it from the largely damp and chilly Memorial Day weekend, summer heat in Manhattan could be turning deadly, according to a study out of Columbia University.

Worse yet: the study found the greatest increase in temperature-related deaths would occur during typically pleasant May and September.

Researchers at the university’s Earth Institute and the Mailman School of Public Health are apparently warning that deaths in Manhattan linked to warmer temperatures due to global warming may result in a 20 percent increase in temperature-related deaths by the 2020s.

In some worst-case scenarios, according to the Earth Institute, the rate of heat-related deaths could rise by 90 percent by the 2080s.

While global warming could also bring rising winter temperatures, scientists say, the rise in heat deaths would likely not be offset significantly by a decrease in cold-related deaths. Annual net temperature-related deaths may still increase by a third.

This Manhattan-focused study is reportedly one of the most comprehensive studies so far on adverse health effects associated with rising temperatures as it combines data from all seasons and looks at multiple scenarios in one localized area—an area that happens to be the most densely populated county in the United States. 

A coauthor of the study, Earth Institute climate scientist Radley Horton, pointed to the 55,000 deaths that occurred during the record 2010 heat wave in Russia, and the 70,000 deaths that occurred in 2003 in central and Western Europe.

“This serves as a reminder that heat events are one of the greatest hazards faced by urban populations around the globe,” Horton said.

Heat apparently becomes concentrated in cities, as the pavement and buildings absorb it during the day and give it off at night. 

2012 was apparently the warmest year on record in Manhattan. While projections for the future vary, the study anticipates steep average increases: 3.3 to 4.2 degrees Fahrenheit by the 2050s, and 4.3 to 7.1 degrees by the 2080s.

The study looked at two potential futures: one where global population growth happens alongside minimal efforts to limit greenhouse gas emissions; the second assuming slower population growth and advances in technology that could decrease emissions by 2040. Their baseline for temperature-related deaths was the 1980s, when as estimated 370 Manhattanites died from excessively hot temperatures and 340 died from extreme cold.

In both scenarios, the study anticipated increased mortality. Varied results were credit to the unpredictability of the future of greenhouse gas emissions, but researchers said the best-case scenario would involve a 15 percent increase in temperature-related death; worst-case would be an increase of more than 30 percent.

Senior author Patrick Kinney, an environmental scientist at the Mailman school, said the situation could be affected, positively or negatively, by how New York adapts its infrastructure and policies to a warmer world.

“I think this points to the need for cities to look for ways to make themselves and their people more resilient to heat,” he said.

The Earth Institute noted that New York already takes steps to mitigate warming by planting trees, making roofs reflective, and opening cooling centers in the summer time where people can seek refuge in rising temperatures.

Hot tips from the Department of Health

The Department of Health advises New Yorkers without home air conditioning to call 311 to find their nearest cooling center during a heat wave, or go to a nearby library, museum or department store. Hydration is important, but drinks with alcohol, caffeine and lots of sugar should be avoided.

While the DOH advises people to use air conditioning during the summer, the department also warns that the city is vulnerable to power outages during a heatwave, so thermostats should not be set below 78 degrees, and water should be used conservatively during extreme weather. Cool showers are recommended, but sudden temperature changes could cause dizziness or sickness.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Concerns are growing about the planned Spectra pipeline on the west side of lower Manhattan, but those concerns may be coming too late: The pipeline is already in place. The only thing that remains is to connect it to Con Edison power structures — a project that Con Ed says is on track to be completed by November.

The Spectra pipeline runs along the Jersey Shore and from the Port Authority hub in Hoboken under the Hudson River to Gansevoort Street in Lower Manhattan, according to Sane Energy Project co-founder Denise Katzman.

From Gansevoort Street, a Con Ed extension runs up along the West Side Highway to a Con Ed power station at 14th Street and 9th Avenue.

Clare Donohue, also with the Sane Energy Project, said that while the Spectra pipeline has been reviewed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, the Con Ed extension of the pipeline has undergone no environmental review.

A spokesperson for Con Edison said its extension is the same as all of the company’s other infrastructure in the city.

“We are in compliance with all environmental rules and regulations,” the spokesman said. “This is routine gas work for us.”

According to Katzman, seismic pressure becomes more intense the wider the radius of the pipeline. The Spectra pipeline has a radius of 30 inches. That is the same size as the pipeline that exploded in San Bruno, Calif., in 2010.

Donohue noted that the well-known San Bruno pipeline accident occurred in a suburban area in California and wrecked massive damage on the area, killing eight people. She noted that the pipeline in Manhattan is in a densely populated, economically vibrant neighborhood. In particular, she pointed out that it runs parallel to the High Line. Since the restoration of the High Line, commercial activity has grown exponentially as hotels, condos and businesses flock to the area.

Katzman said a gas vault will be located underneath the Whitney Museum’s new location. A spokesperson for the Whitney confirmed there will be a gas vault connected to or next to it, but did not know the exact location or what impact that proximity would have on the museum’s artwork or insurance.

The pipeline also lies 300 feet from a playground in Hudson River Park.

A spokesperson from Spectra called the concerns unfounded, and said the pipeline was “built to meet or exceed all federal safety regulations.”

“The only thing that our pipeline and the San Bruno pipeline have in common is that they are natural gas pipelines,” the spokesperson said. “Spectra Energy has been delivering safe, reliable, clean natural gas and energy to the New York-New Jersey region for more than 60 years.”

Web videos highlight “a number of safety enhancements” that the Spectra spokesperson said will “ensure that it will be one of the safest pipelines in North America.”  

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who represents the district where the pipeline lies, did not respond to requests for comment.

Susceptible to terrorist attacks?

Katzman pointed to a statement by FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff at the Bloomberg New Energy Finance Summit in New York this spring, citing the U.S. power grid’s susceptibility to terrorist attacks. Wellinghoff said solar energy could protect against lengthy blackouts caused by a potential terrorist attack on the power grid.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security issued several alerts over six months as an apparent cyberattack seemed to be mounting on the control systems of U.S. gas pipelines.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Election day? Thanksgiving with your in-laws?

Nope — the planned Spectra Pipeline, which will pump fracked gas up the New York shoreline and eventually into the West Village under Gansevoort Street.

A video by the group Occupy the Pipeline warns of the various dangerous posed by the pipeline, noting that it was “approved against the will of the community,” with 5,000 comments filed against it.

The gas will come from the Marcellus Shale, which apparently has exceedingly high concentrations of radon. Radon is the number one cause of lung cancer in non-smokers.

The video calls out the pipeline’s parent company, Spectra, which reportedly has paid out tens of millions of dollars in fines for safety violations including toxic chemical spills, leaks and explosions.

Footage of a pipeline of similar size and pressure in California, which exploded, killing 8 people and burning down 38 homes is followed by the ominous query: ”Can you imagine this happening in the West Village?”

One YouTube commenter pointed out that the pipeline would run alongside a toddler playground in Hudson River Park, and asked, “What would Jane Jacobs do?”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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It’s another unpleasant outcome of Hurricane Sandy.

The hurricane caused 11 billion gallons of sewage to overflow into rivers, lakes and other waterways, according to a new report today.

Climate change group Climate Central reported that 32 percent was untreated sewage.

The spill is equivalent to Central Park being stacked 41 feet high with sewage — and 50 times the BP oil spill, the group said.

Climate Central said the overflow shows the danger of structures not being able to handle higher waters.

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  PHOTOS: Hurricane Sandy aftermath

“Our sewage infrastructure isn’t built to withstand such surges, and we are putting our property, safety and lives at risk if we don’t adequately plan for these challenges,” said the report’s author, Dr. Alyson Kenward.

Today is the six-month anniversary of the hurricane, and people rallied outside City Hall to say they still don’t have enough housing and too many homes face untreated mold.

The Alliance for a Just Rebuilding appeared with union workers and people from groups like New York Communities for Change and Make the Road New York.

Many are still without housing as a city program is scheduled to end tomorrow.

And Staten Island resident Alison Puglisi said many houses are wrecked by mold, which she worried would only get worse as the weather warms.

“The city must do more to help us get rid of mold now in homes damaged by Sandy,” she said.

Council members also announced legislation to track how the recovery funding is spent.

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Eco-conscious New Yorkers, take heart: that confusing plastic recycling system is no more.

City residents will no longer have to remember what it means when the bottom of their iced coffee cups has a triangle-bound one or two or three: the Department of Sanitation has a new system that can take any and all hard plastics.

“Previous New Yorkers could only recycle plastic ones and twos, which were essentially just plastic bottles,” explained Ron Gonen, the city’s deputy commissioner of sanitation, recycling, and sustainability.

Now, he says, the recycling system can process cups, containers, toys, laundry bottles, even plastic bottle caps—any rigid plastic can go in with metal and glass recyclables.

If the object can be ripped or torn, however, Gonen asks that it be placed in a separate receptacle for paper recyclables.

There are a few things that still can’t be recycled: plastic shopping bags, which can be returned to any grocery store citywide; styrofoam; and plastic wrapping.

It is especially important to avoid including styrofoam, Gonen cautioned, as it can break the recycling machinery.

But “every other kind of plastic that’s out there,” Gonen said, “We ask that people please put it in their recycling containers, because now we can keep it out of landfills.”

Gonen is hoping that simplifying the plastic system will result in more metals and glass being recycled as well.

The Department of Sanitation recycling program expects to collect over 50,000 tons of additional material per year due to the inclusion of all these plastics, as well as save the city over $600,000 a year in costs typically associated with landfills.

The city’s landfills are located in South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and the city must pay to put waste into those landfills, as well as cover the cost of the truck, barge or train that transports the waste there to return to the city.

New Yorkers are urged to recycle paper as well: the recycling of paper apparently brings in significant revenue for the city.

Ultimately, Gonen said, the benefits of recycling don’t just stop at the environment: it saves tax dollars and and contributes to local employment, as our recycling facilities are based in Staten Island and Brooklyn.

What can be recycled?

GOOD:

• all rigid plastics: iced coffee cups, yogurt containers, laundry bottles, broken toys, etc.
• paper: anything that can be ripped or torn, even paper towels with a little bit of food on them
• metals
• glass

BAD:

• plastic wrap
• plastic bags — return to any grocery store in the city instead
• styrofoam
• significantly dirty paper towels, with more than a little bit of food on it—but as the city expands the compost program, New Yorkers will be able to put these in with “organics”

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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A pilot program in lower Manhattan is testing purportedly bombproof recycling containers. One of the containers was placed near the Stock Exchange last spring, and its manufacturer, a London based company called Renew, hopes to install additional ones later this year.

Renew asserts that among the container’s security features is “the ability to inform the public and lock down on a moment’s notice.”

These containers were installed in London prior to the Olympic Games last year. One is located outside the Aldgate underground station in east London, where the July 7 suicide bomb attacks killed 52 in 2005.

Officials in London have generally been reluctant to place trash cans in high-traffic areas, largely due to bombs threats from the Irish Republican Army.

A garbage can was reportedly used as an accelerant for one of the bombs at the Boston Marathon on Monday. While Boston police officials said there was no evidence the devices were inside trash cans when they blew up, they may have been placed in a nylon bag on the ground next to a trash can, ABC News reported.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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Jamaica, Queens is getting a massive rooftop greenhouse, according to DNAinfo.

The greenhouse is anticipated to produced more than 500 tons of fresh, pesticide-free vegetables and herbs annually.

It will be operated by Gotham Greens, which already runs a greenhouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, spanning 15,000 square feet.

The Queens location will be the largest of its kind nationwide at 55,000-square feet.

The project is funded by a $902,000 grant from the Regional Economic Development Councils. According to the Regional Councils, it will create 40 permanent and 50 construction jobs.

Plants in the greenhouse will be able to grow hydroponically in sand or liquid, but without soil. It will also include installation of a state-of-the-art LED lighting system and other efficiency and renewable energy technologies.

The Greater Jamaica Development Corporation is working to find a building for the greenhouse.

“Urban farming is a very exciting development and it would be really great to have an operation doing it in Jamaica,” said GJDC spokesman Fred Winters.

Follow Danielle Tcholakian on Twitter @danielleiat

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The seat of the European Union and home to environmental legislation for its 27 member states is encouraging efforts to cut vehicle emissions — and get citizens out on their feet.

While planners recognize that one day will not make much difference to the environment’s bill of health, the event is supposed to create awareness that leads to change in the future.

But will it?

Brussels has held a car-free day each year since 2000 — but was given an F grade this year for progress in reducing “soot emissions” by the Soot-free for the Climate! campaign run by a group of German environmental and consumer associations.

Mirroring Brussels, London, Madrid and Rome were also given failing grades. Berlin did among the best with a B, but none of the 17 cities assessed secured an A grade.

Brussels has also been dubbed the most congested European city by car navigation firm TomTom — though its blockages are nothing compared to, say, parts of China. In 2010, drivers suffered a 60-mile traffic jam on a highway from Beijing to Mongolia.

Brussels and more than 1,900 other cities will bring “alternative mobility” experts together to discuss cycling infrastructure and behavioral changes during European Mobility Week from September 16-22.

During the week, the Brussels embassy of the Netherlands will be holding Orange Bike Days, which include expos, organized rides and workshops to encourage cycling — long a part of the Dutch national identity.

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What makes a broker “green”?

While there are many certifications out there, two reliable ones are LEEDS Green Associate and EcoBroker. A green agent should have at least one of these certificates and it must be renewed every year or two (depending on certification). And don’t get taken by greenwash. “You have to ask agents, ‘What kind of training have you taken?’ Did they sit in class for a couple hours or did they go for three days, take tests, do the homework and keep up on it every year?” says Dr. John Beldock, chief technology officer of EcoBroker.com, which provides green training and education for real estate professionals. 

Health benefits

“I got into it because my customers were asking about it; they’re concerned about their families. A lot of materials used for construction are terrible. You know that new paint smell?  That’s VOC [volatile organic compounds, which can lead to respiratory problems and other health issues],” says Jeff Schleider, founder of Miron Properties — a socially responsible, green real estate company. He’s the third person certified in New York through EcoBroker. Currently 250 real estate professionals in New York have EcoBroker certification.

Greener pockets

“Not everyone knows that buying or renting a green home can save you money in the long run,” explains Lidia Lander, an EcoBroker at CitiHabitats. Lander says that energy-efficient homes end up costing less because homeowners will spend less money on utility bills. She also says that there’s financing available (such as the ENERGY STAR mortgage) if you invest in an energy-efficient home.

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg passed regulations for the city’s buildings Thursday, requiring owners to switch to cleaner heating oils.

But the ban on the two worst heating oils — which health experts say cause pollution and health problems like asthma — will not completely take effect until 2030.

“We can’t afford to wait,” said Diane Nardone, an attorney whose West Village building just made the $225,000 conversion to natural gas. “The longer we wait, the worse it’s going to be.”

Under Bloomberg’s plan, 3,000 buildings would stop burning heating oils Nos. 4 and 6. Those are the two cheapest but also dirtiest oils available; both have high levels of sulfur and nickel.

Even iconic, ritzy buildings like the San Remo on Central Park West churn out black smoke from burning the oil, the Environmental Defense Fund charges. Calls to the San Remo were not returned.

Starting immediately, owners will be denied a permit to heat their building unless they use natural gas, or step down to a less sulfuric heating oil, such as No. 2.

Building owners will have until 2015 to stop using the most noxious heating oil, No. 6.

But building owners still have until 2030 to keep burning No. 4.

Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter at @AlisonatMetro.

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Engineering, construction and pipefitting are some of the professions that could see a rise in jobs as Environmental Protection Agency rules push utilities to invest in new capacity and pollution controls, said the report “New Jobs — Cleaner Air.” The report was commissioned by Ceres, a coalition of environmentalists and institutional investors.

Most of the nearly 1.5 million jobs would be temporary.

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