NYC Gradually Becomes Environmentally Friendly

New York City was named by Yahoo.com as one of the top 10 "greenest" cities in the United States. Based on the stereotypical image of NYC-one that portrays it as polluted and inorganic, most people would not associate the city with environmental friendliness.

"I would never think that New York could be one of the most energy-efficient green cities. Especially when you look outside and there are taxis lined up, ready to go," junior marketing major Stephanie Scalzo said.

With NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg's Earth Day announcement to further expand upon our already green developments, it seems there are no plans for a plateau.

According to the Metropolitan Transit Authority's website, 18 million New Yorkers use public transportation every week as part of their daily commute to and from school or work, instead of driving. This helps cuts down on pollutants emitted by cars and high gasoline usage.

Aside from NYC's use of public transportation, buildings are also changing for the better. Actual changes are taking place fairly quickly. And these changes aren't the empty promises of eager politicians in order to secure votes, but realities. These changes will be happening in our near future, sending us in a better - and greener - direction.

One new environmentally friendly addition to the Manhattan skyline is the Hearst Tower. Designed by Lord Norman Foster of Manchester, England and located on West 57th Street and Eighth Ave., the tower is the first 21st century landmark of NYC and the first green building on the island of Manhattan.

According to unstrungnews.com, the frame of the building is composed of material that contains 20 percent less steel then conventional frames. It's not just the skeleton of the building that contains the "green" stamp of approval, either.

The inner functions, and even decorations, are all purposeful. The windows are low emission, the paint is low vapor and all the furniture and carpeting is recycled or sustainable. Plus, the floor is made of limestone, which will help to keep the building warm during colder months, all with less energy.

Most impressively, the building is cooled and heated by rainwater (collected in 14,000 gallon tanks), which runs through the building and is integrated into the "Icefall" in the main lobby. The Icefall was described on the Hearst Tower website as, "A wide waterfall built with thousands of glass panels, which cools and humidifies the lobby air."

Junior finance major Sean McNamara said, "I heard about the Hearst Tower and think that more buildings should head in that direction."

The University has also been taking steps to ensure we are involved in NYC's plans to go "green." Though the University has not quite reached the green levels of the Hearst Tower, the administration is not ignoring the global problems caused by wasted energy and depleted natural resources.

According to Assistant Director of Housing and Residential Life Jeff Blaisdell, "All residence halls have recycling bins, with paper, glass and plastic being separated from non-recyclable garbage." He continued, "The resident life office recycles and shreds all paper products and sponsors and participates in clothing drives at the end of each year."

Despite the optimism now, this type of change will take time-both for affordable technology to become available and for the every day person to commit to the differences that will inevitably affect our everyday lives. However, we are finally making some changes that may enable generations to come to have longer and healthier lives.