Croton Point Park Camping Trip
October 12th, 2011 • Digest • Comments Off
On October 8, students in “The Hudson and the Harbor” set out on a day-long field trip to the Palisades, Fort Montgomery, and Storm King Mountain. Rather than return to Manhattan that night, most of the group opted instead to camp at Croton Point Park, a Westchester County park built on the site of a former landfill (it’s a beautiful place–really!). There they were joined by other Environmental Studies students, alumni, and staff (including one who biked all the way from the Battery–go Ian!) who together celebrated a perfect Indian summer night on the banks of the Hudson. We hope to organize a similar outing in the spring. In the meantime, if you’re dying to camp, Croton Point Park is just a short one-hour train ride from Grand Central. In other words, you don’t need a car to get there!
Environmental Studies at “New Green City” Event in Union Square
October 7th, 2011 • Digest • Comments Off
Environmental Studies Professor Nevin Cohen presented at The New Green City event in Union Square on Wednesday, October 5th. Environmental Studies Chair, John Clinton (who aslo directs the Milano Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management Program) discussed issues with visitors to the New School exhibit on sustainability.
New School Students Turn Out For Anti-Fracking Rally
May 11th, 2011 • Catskill Watershed, Events, New School, News • Comments Off
On April 20th environmentalists, students and concerned citizens rallied in Washington Square Park to voice their support for a statewide ban on hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, the dangerous process by which natural gas is extracted through the pumping of high volumes water, sand and chemicals below ground. Hosted by Oxfam Club at NYU, the Students Against Fracking coalition was joined by former Commissioner of the NYC Department of Environmental Protection Al Appleton, activist performers Reverend Billy and the Earthaluja Choir, student performers, activists and representatives to press the state legislature and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to replace the existing moratorium on fracking that expires on July 1st with an all-out ban. New School student Lou Wright fired up the crowd with an impassioned speech. Check it out after the jump. Read more »
ReNew School Constructs Plastic Water Bottle Tower
April 11th, 2011 • Environmental Art and Poetry, Events, New School, Plastic Water Bottles • Comments Off
Members of The New School’s resident environmental group, Renew School, erected a 10 foot tower constructed of empty plastic water bottles. The bottles were salvaged from recycling bins throughout the school’s campus. As massive as the tower is, it only accounts for a small percentage of the plastic bottles thrown away on campus every week. The sculpture was part of The New Schools participation in Water Week and is a sobering visual representation of the wastefulness of plastic water bottle use. See more photos after the jump.
No Impact Week: April 4-8
April 1st, 2011 • Events, New School • Comments Off
The No Impact Experiment is a one-week carbon cleanse, inspired by the book and film No Impact Man. It’s a chance for you to see the difference that low-impact living can have on your quality of life. It’s an opportunity for you to test whether the modern “conveniences” you take for granted are actually making you happier, or just eating away at your time and money. Join us for a week of self reflection, workshops, and blogging with other New School students and staff concerned about sustainability. Event details after the jump. Read more »
Environmental Colloquim Series: Eric Rothstein
February 4th, 2011 • New School • Comments Off
This week saw the kickoff of the spring Environmental Studies colloquium series on ecological restoration, with a talk by Eric Rothstein of eDesign Dynamics, one of NYC’s pre-eminent environmental consultancies.
Mr. Rothstein outlined the essential tenets of restoring degraded urban landscapes, illustrating his talk with such high-profile examples as Concrete Plant Park, a site on the Bronx River where a former concrete plant has been turned into popular city park with restored salt marshes – and the decommissioned plant itself, left intact as a reminder of the site’s history and painted a bright, lively red. Read more »
A New Generation of Philanthropy: Daniel and Sheryl Tishman Make $1 Million Gift
February 3rd, 2011 • New School, News • Comments Off
In honor of trustee John L. Tishman’s 85th birthday, Dan and Sheryl Tishman, his son and daughter-in-law, have donated $1 million to establish the John L. Tishman Scholarships for Sustainable Development, Design, and Construction. New School students whose work advances sustainable urban environments, particularly through the transformation of the constructed environment, are eligible. As a leading figure in construction management, John L. Tishman and the firm he led for 35 years transformed the New York City skyline. In honor of his deep commitment to this city and to environmental concerns, the scholarships will give special attention to projects that lead to a more sustainable and resilient New York.
When President David E. Van Zandt announced the gift on Monday, January 24, 2011, at Tishman Auditorium, he marked the second generation of the Tishman family becoming major supporters of The New School. John Tishman was on campus that evening for a one-on-one conversation with President Emeritus Bob Kerrey about his years in the construction industry and the recent release of his memoir, Building Tall. At the conclusion of their armchair talk, President Van Zandt introduced Dan, who joined his father on stage to present this surprise gift. Read more »
Get Your Feet Wet: Water Week Preview
January 25th, 2011 • New School, News • Comments Off
Water is nearly as ubiquitous in academic disciplines as it is on our planet: from ecology to religious studies, from art to political science, water is an increasing presence in our intellectual discourse. This semester alone, more than 30 courses that touch on water are being offered at The New School.
Responding to the growing awareness of water, the graduate program of International Affairs has invited faculty and students from every division of the university to participate in launching Water Week, taking place from March 29 to April 1. To preview this weeklong series of interdisciplinary events, join the Water Week Team for the Water (Dis)courses Kick-Off on Friday, February 4, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m., in the Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street.
The Kick-Off features an explanation of Water Week, brief, dynamic presentations from scholars across the university, and musical performances. The event begins with a reception and mixer, at which attendees are encouraged to exchange ideas about interdisciplinary water-focused research and projects to present during Water Week.
Enviro Studies Chair Interviewed by Urban Omnibus
January 19th, 2011 • News • Comments Off
Five Borough Farm is a project of the Design Trust for Public Space, in partnership with Added Value, to create the first citywide, comprehensive urban agriculture plan for New York City. Over the course of this year, the Five Borough Farm team will be evaluating the city’s existing urban agriculture activity, establishing a set of metrics by which to quantify the benefits of urban agriculture and creating policy recommendations for relevant city agencies. The project officially kicked off in December with a half-day workshop that tapped the minds and expertise of 90 urban farmers and urban agriculture advocates. Two people have been selected by the Design Trust to lead the effort: Nevin Cohen and Rupal Sanghvi. Sanghvi, who specializes in program evaluation and public health, is the project’s Metrics Fellow and therefore is responsible for quantifying and measuring the impact of urban agriculture on the city and its residents. Nevin Cohen, an urban food policy expert and chair of Environmental Studies at the New School, is the Policy Fellow, which makes him responsible for surveying the existing urban agriculture landscape in New York City and identifying new opportunities and recommendations.
The full article can be found at Urban Omnibus…
http://urbanomnibus.net/2011/01/five-borough-farm/
Parsons Launches re:D Online
January 14th, 2011 • New School, News • Comments Off
Parsons recently launched the fall 2010 issue of re:D Online, a digital magazine serving Parsons alumni and the broader community. This online companion to the print version of re:D offers the Parsons community an opportunity to engage with a wealth of multimedia content related to the magazine’s articles. The current issue of re:D Online focuses on the theme Urban Ecologies. Soon, readers will be able to comment and interact with the content presented in each online issue.
Highlights from the fall 2010 re:D Online include a feature article on the Parsons entry into the 2011 Solar Decathlon, a conversation with Nevin Cohen and Radhika Subramaniam about their recent exhibition, Living Concrete/Carrot City, and a graphic exploration of the career path of alumnus Luis Berríos-Negrón (BFA, Fine Arts ’03), whose work bridges art, architecture, and community engagement. The issue also includes a portfolio section, in which students from one Parsons school critique the work of a classmate from another school, and alumni profiles.
To check out the entire fall 2010 issue of re:D, please visit regardingdesign.parsons.edu.
