Green Roofs

Planting Seeds of Change in New York City's Skyline

With several new green roof projects opening in New York, including Silvercup Studios, Gratz Industries, the Banknote Building and the Grandparents Building, the Greening Gotham vision put forward by Earth Pledge in 2002 and signed onto by notables such as Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senator Hillary Clinton, Congressman Charles Rangel, Robert Kennedy Jr., and actor Edward Norton is coming to fruition.

Earth Pledge Prepares to Conduct First Local, Scientific Monitoring to Demonstrate, Quantify the Value of the Benefits of Green Roofs in New York City

Silvercup Studios Research Station

On the largest green roof in New York City to date, Earth Pledge is comparing green roofs to conventional roofs by measuring temperatures and stormwater retention to determine the impact of green roofs on energy usage and combined sewage overflow. The research will provide industry, government and communities with data that supports calculation of the return on investment for green roof installation. The Silvercup Studios green roof appeared in the business section of The New York Times in August.

Gratz Industries In-Situ Energy and Stormwater Monitoring

Earth Pledge is currently installing the first in-situ energy and stormwater monitor in New York City on the green roof on Gratz Industries, the first industrial building green roof installation in the city. This project is using equipment to measure the temperatures and stormwater overflow of the actual roof, rather than using a small replication of the roof as we are doing at Silvercup Studios.

Continuing Leadership in Sustainable Housing Development, Earth Pledge Brings Green Roof to Community in Need through Viridian Project

GrandParent Family Apartments Green Space

Earth Pledge is helping WSFSSH provide 50 families of grandparents raising grandchildren in the South Bronx with safe, accessible green space by installing a 8,000 sq ft of green roof. The building opens on October 14.

Earth Pledge Delivers Tools to Facilitate Green Roof implementation across Manhattan.

Green Roof Stormwater Model

New York City's Water Board contracted with Earth Pledge to investigate different green roof specifications for their stormwater retention capabilities. The research will help designers and planners determine the absorption capabilities of specific green roof designs and project runoff reduction.

Earth Pledge has designed a computer model with several simulations, allowing users to enter variables such as roof size, growing medium and depth, plant type, and weather conditions. Running customized models through a range of storm conditions or a 'typical' year of weather, the program calculates expected stormwater retention.

Earth Pledge plans to expand this stormwater model to include all of New York City, as well as other locations.

Green Roof Toolbox

Earth Pledge has launched the Green Roof Toolbox on greeninggotham.org. Showcasing five completed New York City green roof projects, the site gives an inside look at green roof planning and construction in a variety of contexts. A set of directories accompanies the case studies, providing information about the plants, materials and providers involved.

To learn more, visit http://www.greeninggotham.org

Earth Pledge Sees Style in Substance: Creates New FutureFashion Initiative

FutureFashion Expands Possibilities of Sustainable Style, Captivating Press.

Design heavyweights paraded "haute runway collections from sustainable resources" City Magazine reports in its September issue, "flirting with fashions crafted from new environmentally responsible 'cradle to cradle' fabrics."

Oscar de la Renta's FutureFashion gown (made from eco-friendly hemp, and Ingeo^TM, a fiber woven from corn) continues to break down stereotypes about "green" fashion as one of fall's best new collectibles in the New York Times Style Magazine: Women's Fall Fashion Edition.

As Nylon Magazine says in a September feature, "you don't have to look earthy to care about the earth."

Consumer interest in eco-friendly apparel is growing, notes Display and Design Ideas, and events like FutureFashion dispel the myth that sustainable style is limited to simple, casual attire.

Environmental Magazine calls FutureFashion a "marriage of upscale elegance with sustainability," identifying the event as a "watershed moment" in popularizing eco-style.

"Credit the current buzz to the trickle-down theory of fashion," remarks The Baltimore Sun, noting FutureFashion's key role in kicking off the trend and enticing buyers.

While taking note of the challenges to come, City points to big name suppliers like Diesel, Versace Sport and Urban Outfitters trying out renewable materials, predicting: "as more designers experiment with sustainable fabrics, green fashion may become just like anything else in style.

Earth Pledge's FutureFashion Initiative is working to create a marketplace of choices that offers style and uses fibers and processes that protect the economy, environment, workers, and consumers.

Click here for more stories featuring FutureFashion from around the world, including Toronto Globe and Mail and Japan's Composite Magazine.

FutureFashion Roundtables Rock Milan and Munich

Earth Pledge Executive Director Leslie Hoffman and Chief Operations Officer Greg Loosvelt have been making waves in Europe with FutureFashion. Hoffman joined industry leaders in Milan in May and September, while Loosvelt traveled to Munich in June, strengthening FutureFashion's presence internationally. Presenting FutureFashion to academic researchers, brand marketers, mill owners and the media, they promoted sustainable approaches to production and are calling for standards to define sustainable materials.

For more information about FutureFashion, visit http://www.earthpledge.org/fashion.html

Speaking of Sustainability

September 26: Leslie Hoffman Shares Insight on Sustainable Life/Style Choices with Josh Dorfman in Radio Interview

Aligning Sustainability with Style

Earth Pledge Executive Director Leslie Hoffman discusses the possibilities of aligning sustainability with style in a radio interview with Josh Dorfman of the Lazy Environmentalist. Click here to listen to the program

April 21: Anaerobic Digestion Steals the Show at EnvironDesign9 Conference

Environmental design leaders and corporate representatives are convinced. It's Time to Rethink Waste, a workshop presented by Hoffman and Loosvelt introducing anaerobic digestion, was a hot topic at the annual gathering of innovators and business people in the field of sustainable living and design. Anaerobic Digestion (AD) is the composting technique EP promotes through its Waste=Fuel initiative. Environmental champion William McDonough spoke about AD as an example of "cradle-to-cradle" technology, one that revolutionizes the way we dispose of organic waste.

Earth Pledge also presented a pre-conference green roof workshop for design and building professionals. Participants were introduced to the process of planning, designing and constructing green roofs through three learning components, including an eight step how-to guide, a variety of exemplary case studies, and information regarding consulting and contracting resources.

April 22: Leslie Hoffman and Robert Fox Deliver Keynote "Conversations that Matter"

Greening the New York City Skyscape: A Conversation with Leslie Hoffman and Robert Fox

Earth Pledge Executive Director Leslie Hoffman shared the keynote stage at EnvironDesign9 with Robert Fox, co-founder of Cook + Fox Architects and leader in the New York sustainable architecture community. The New York City environmental champions met on stage to discuss the opportunities and challenges of making their unique city greener and more livable by mobilizing individuals, corporations and government to adopt sustainable development agendas. The thought-provoking and inspirational conversation, featured in the July/August issue of Interiors & Sources Magazine, draws from each of their 10+ years of environmental advocacy. Hoffman discussed how her childhood experiences on a boat taught her the importance of closed-loop systems that stuck with her throughout her studies of architecture and design and her experiences as a farmer, builder, and executive director of Earth Pledge. Fox's rural upbringing and lack of television led him to a similar appreciation for the natural environment that influences his leadership in the design of sustainable high-rise building and urban design.

For more about Waste=Fuel, visit http://www.earthpledge.org/foodwaste.html

Earth Day a Success

Earth Pledge's partnership with Whole Foods Market continues. On Earth Day this year, 5% of all sales from the natural foods supermarkets in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will support our to Farm to Table Program. Earth Pledge employees set up shop in ten stores in the tri-state region to spread the message about supporting local agriculture. Thanks to shoppers like you, we raised almost $50,000, enabling us to continue to do groundbreaking work in the field.

To find your favorite foods, locally grown, visit http://www.farmtotable.org

Earth Pledge's dynamic Executive Director Leslie Hoffman appeared as the cover story in the April issue of Interiors & Sources magazine. The six-page spread focuses on Earth Pledge's cutting-edge initiatives and Hoffman's success linking the private and public sectors to foster financial and environmental sustainability.

In an April feature, The Financial Times applauded the power of green roofs to transform overcrowded and over-polluted cities, pointing to the potential for green roofs to become a permanent solution. The article draws attention to the critical public services green roofs can provide and the support the technology has received from public officials, academics, and communities.

Several new staff have joined Earth Pledge recently. We are excited to expand our initiatives and communications teams and strengthen our capacity for new research as we kick off the FutureFashion Initiative, develop the Viridian Project, and begin research at Silvercup Studios and Gratz Industries.

We are looking for bright and talented individuals to join us in promoting sustainable approaches to development that address the most important environmental issues of our time. Because our mission is based on an holistic approach to this transition, our initiatives are interconnected and draw strength from synergies. As a small organization working with innovative methods and technologies, we rely on creativity and critical thinking to make an impact on the front lines of research and development. These characteristics inform the structure of our office and applicants we consider. You must be passionate about what we do, willing to work hard, and curious enough to explore a broad range of solutions.