NY Climate Tech: March 13 - March 20, 2023
Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
We know it’s been quite a weekend for anyone impacted by the SVB fallout, but it’s been inspiring to see the climate tech community step up to support each other as it all played out. Thankfully things are looking a bit more stable today, and if you need anything, please use us as a resource as you get back to work this week.
Hi friends,
It’s another busy week of events, opening today with seventeen events throughout the week. Find the full list further down this email, but in the meantime, a few highlights: on Tuesday, head to NYU for the Sustainable Business Practice Forum. On Wednesday, stop by Green Drinks Brooklyn for networking and talks from Stephanie Doba of the Sierra Club, Nate Poon of Avol Aerospace, and Mike McGuirk of Bliss Factory. On Thursday, head to Flatiron for Climate is the New Economy, a roundtable and networking event from Urban Future Lab and Kaplak Partners. On Friday, head to the NY Climate Tech First Third Friday, a casual get-together for climate people at a bar in the East Village (we’ll be back on first-Friday schedule next month). On Sunday, check out the World Water Film Festival at Columbia. Then on Monday, go back to NYU for a panel on equitable food systems hosted by NYU CLACS, the Lower East Side Ecology Center, Urban Democracy Lab, and NYU Environmental and Racial Justice Network.
Next week we’re hosting two events for NY Water Week in partnership with the Consulate General of the Netherlands. The first is 🌊 Making Waves, a panel event on water tech moderated by our very own Sonam Velani! We have an incredible speaker line-up, and would love to see you there. The second is a water-themed 🗽NY Climate Tech March Meetup, with food and drinks provided by our Dutch friends. Because these will both be at the Chrysler East Building, be sure to RSVP—we need to submit names to the building in advance of the events!
Cheers,
Alec and Sonam
As always, you can find this week’s full events list at the bottom of the email!
Hot Take: The Champagne of H2O!
By Kathy Zhang, edited by Sonam Velani
You might not believe it, but water from the NYC watershed is considered to be the “champagne” of drinking water. It consistently wins annual taste tests – we’re not making this stuff up!
As we shared in last week’s Hot Take: Climate Change = Water Change, every single level of government is working behind the scenes to control our water supply. Today, we’re taking a closer look at how water policy plays out in our day to day, and how the acronym soup of government agencies come together to make sure the H2O in your life is just right!
As New York City developed from a small Dutch outpost into a global metropolis, the water system grew with it. A piecemeal patchwork of ponds and streams ultimately became inadequate, especially given water shortages during the Great Fire of 1835. In 1842, the city created its first reservoir with the development of a dam on the Croton River - and there was so much fanfare that we even had parades and fireworks to mark the occasion!
Fast forward to 1974 and the US Safe Drinking Water Act gave the Environmental Protection Agency authority to set national water quality standards and states had the power to set even stricter requirements. The New York State Department of Health, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Public Service Commission came together to govern water quality standards and practices for water suppliers, wastewater treatment facilities, and industrial facilities. They also coordinate with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which operates and maintains an entire system of water bodies and pipes, ensuring it works in clockwork fashion.
Today, 1 billion gallons of water flow through a sprawling network of 3 controlled lakes, 19 reservoirs, and 6,000 miles of aqueducts, tunnels, and pipes all the way to your kitchen sink. The water comes from as far as the Delaware, Catskill, and Croton watersheds, 125 miles up the Hudson River. Combined, the one million acres spread across these watersheds have limited limestone and a natural pH balance of 7.2 - as close as it gets to “pure water” pH balance of 7. This is the stuff that makes it into your pizzas and bagels, and makes our delicacies the envy of the world!
Astonishingly, 90% of that water never makes it to a filtration plant – and instead relies on an army of humans and robotic sensors that test the 1.6 million times a year (!) for over 250 contaminants to make sure it’s as clean and safe as ever. The final step is a facility built under the golf course at Van Cortlandt Park that uses UV radiation to kill off any remaining bacteria before it gets to your tap. Our water system is a global model and our friends from Australia, China, India, Singapore, and Colombia regularly visit NYC to learn about this marvel.
So, what’s next? Given the increasing rate of climate disasters and their impact on our infrastructure - from our water supply to our coasts and beyond (more on that next week!) - NYC is making a huge investment in ensuring that the tap never goes dry. The city is building a third water tunnel (cleverly named City Tunnel No. 3…. marketing is not the government’s strong suit!) to increase redundancy in the system. The largest capital project in NYC history, this new tunnel will enable DEP to close City Tunnel No. 1 and City Tunnel No. 2 for repairs, built all the way back in 1917 and 1936, respectively!
Along with these giant infrastructure investments, DEP has also developed a huge educational campaign to help New Yorkers use less water - and it has worked! In 1979, we used 1.5 billion gallons of water per day; today that number is just shy of 1 billion. From low flow faucets, showers, and toilets across NYC’s 1,400 schools to conservation projects across our parks and recreational facilities, millions of gallons of water are saved every year. DEP even works with local universities to reduce water usage on campus and develops programs to spur innovation in blue tech solutions to continue this progress. Demand management projects are in the works and you all are welcome to join the fun.
All to say, the next time someone asks you for a glass of bubbly, you know what to serve them!
Community Shoutouts
🔌 itselectric $2.2M fundraise
Extremely excited to see Tiya Gordon and Nate King of itselectric announce their pre-seed raise to bring curbside EV charging to cities. A New York-based startup, itselectric partners with local property owners to bring curbside charging to every neighborhood.
👩🏻🔬The Carbon 2 Value Initiative
The Carbon 2 Value Initiative is bringing innovative carbontech solutions to scale— and accepting applications for the Year 3 Cohort! Read the RFP and submit your solution to collaborate with Urban Future Lab, Greentown Labs, Fraunhofer, and NYSERDA by March 31!
♻️ Clean Tech Open
Applications are now open for the 2023 Cleantech Open (the world’s largest cleantech accelerator!). Get access to expert and specialized mentors, a full business development training program, and investor networking! Apply today at bit.ly/cto2023. The application period is open until 11:59 PM PST on April 16th.
Events This Week
📈 2023 Wall Street Green Summit: Mon, Mar 13
💨 New York City Offshore Wind Drinks: Mon, Mar 13
🌱 NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business Practice Forum: Tue, Mar 14
⚖️ Tipping the Scale: Girls’ Education as a Climate Solution: Tue, Mar 14
🔌 The Grid Collective - Growing NY's Green Businesses and Jobs: Wed, Mar 15
🏙 Urban Green Council Spring Member Reception: Wed, Mar 15
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn: Wed, Mar 15
🚿 Good Trouble: Design for Water: Wed, Mar 15
🌃 NW Battery Park City Resiliency Project Workshop: North Cove: Wed, Mar 15
🌱 Climate is the New Economy: Thu, Mar 16
🎨 ATMOSPHERIC EXPERIENCES: Immersive Exhibition: Thu, Mar 16
🍺 NY Climate Tech
FirstThird Friday Meetup: Fri, Mar 17🎬 Let's Talk About Water & Mayors Make Movies + NY Water Week: Sat, Mar 18
📽 World Water Film Festival: Sun, Mar 19
💦 Forum on Circular Water Economy and Student Exhibition: Mon, Mar 20
🥗 A Seat at the Table: Uplifting Voices for Equitable Food Systems: Mon, Mar 20
🐟 The UN of Rivers, Deltas and Estuaries: Conversations: Mon, Mar 20
Read on for more details about this week’s happenings and upcoming events this month
Events This Month
💧 Can Technology Solve the Water Crisis?: Tue, Mar 21
🌊 Aligning and accelerating collective action for water stewardship: Tue, Mar 21
🧵 Crafting Sustainable Futures Exhibition Opening: Tue, Mar 21
📣 ERA Climate Founders Pitch Night (Virtual): Tue, Mar 21
🚰 Water Management Innovation for Underserved Populations: Wed, Mar 22
🌳 How Histories of Trees and Peoples Can Help West Africa Plan for the Future: Wed, Mar 22
🏡 Volunteer with GreenHomeNYC!: Wed, Mar 22
🚸 Sustainable Streets: Fixing our cities's street infrastructure: Wed, Mar 22
🍻 Socialize at SJC Green Drinks: Wed, Mar 22
🌊 Climate & Water Risk: Technology Showcase: Thu, Mar 23
🚰 Climate Resilience: Addressing Drought and Flood: Thu, Mar 23
💧 Side Event at the Water Conference - Why We Need a Technical Support ?: Thu, Mar 23
🌊 Making Waves: UN Water Week with NY Climate Tech and Consulate General of the Netherlands: Thu, Mar 23
💦 Innovation in Water Governance: Breaking boundaries for water and climate: Thu, Mar 23
🏙 Climate Resiliency in NYC: Thu, Mar 23
🗽 NY Climate Tech March Meetup: Thu, Mar 23
🍽 Climate Tech Roundtable: Thu, Mar 23
🌊 Urban Stormwater & Coastal Resiliency: Fri, Mar 24
⛵️ Ocean Stewardship from the Bronx to Brooklyn: Fri, Mar 24
👩🌾 Indoor Farming through Hydroponics, a solution based practice: Sat, Mar 25
🥦 Food and Energy Resiliency with Small Scale Biogas: Sat, Mar 25
🧫 Exploring the Microbiome: Sat, Mar 25
🚌 The Climate Museum - Field Trip: Sun, Mar 26
👖 Sustainable Fashion Community Meeting: Mon, Mar 27
🗑 Curbside Compost Sustainability Coordinator Full Day Training: Tue, Mar 28
🌇 Climate Mobilization Act Primer: Tue, Mar 28
👩🏫 Climate Tech: Why It Needs the Humanities and Social Sciences: Tue, Mar 28
🌿 Learn about sustainability in NYC : Green For Blue: Wed, Mar 29
🧶 Sustainable Fashion: A Mending and Repair Workshop: Wed, Mar 29
🧑🏫 Transformative Education for Sustainability: Thu, Mar 30
🚣 Venice: Laboratory of Sustainability for the Earth: Thu, Mar 30
👷♀️ WISE: Women's History Month, Where Are We Now?: Thu, Mar 30
🧩 NY Zero by Fifty? Decarbonization Pathways and Local Action: Fri, Mar 31
✏️ Prep For Earth Week! Start Moving Towards Sustainability!: Sat, Apr 1
Events This Week
📈 2023 Wall Street Green Summit
When: Mon, Mar 13th at 7:00 AM to Tue, Mar 14th at 5:30 PM
Where: Cornell Club, 6 East 44th Street, New York, NY 10017
The 2023 Wall Street Green Summit is in its 22nd year and is one of the longest running and most comprehensive events focused on sustainable finance. The event will be held at the Cornell Club in New York and online via Zoom. Leading experts in ESG, Carbon Markets, Clean Energy Technology and Sustainable Finance will share their knowledge and experiences over this two day event.
💨 New York City Offshore Wind Drinks
When: Mon, Mar 13th from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Olly Olly Market, 601 West 26th Street, New York, NY 10001
Meet offshore wind professionals and developers, network with elected officials and their teams, find your firm’s place in the offshore wind supply chain, learn about employment and training opportunities.
🌱 NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business Practice Forum
When: Tue, Mar 14th from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Where: NYU Stern School of Business, 44 West 4th Street, New York, NY 10012
The annual Practice Forum hosted by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business is an industry-leading event convening investor and corporate sustainability leaders to discuss the latest research and insights on operationalizing and monetizing sustainability. This year’s event is generously sponsored by Glenmede, Investindustrial, KPMG, and Qintess, with media partner Financial Times.
⚖️ Tipping the Scale: Girls’ Education as a Climate Solution
When: Tue, Mar 14th from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Where: UN Chapel, 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017
Tipping the Scale will highlight the interconnections between climate change and girls’ education - how on one end of the scale, climate change is worsening barriers to girls’ education through displacement, conflict and economic hardship, and how on the other end of the scale, girls’ education is a potent climate solution, saving lives, building resilience and sparking global action.
🔌 The Grid Collective - Growing NY's Green Businesses and Jobs
When: Wed, Mar 15th from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Where: The Greater Allen AME Church, 110-31 Floyd H. Flake Blvd (formerly known as Merrick Blvd), Jamaica, NY 11433
As a part of National Grid's Project C, TGC is working towards Climate and Environmental Justice for all of our New York communities while also providing workforce development and training for residents and vendors in the clean energy sector. Join National Grid in building a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
🏙 Urban Green Council Spring Member Reception
When: Wed, Mar 15th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, 7 World Trade Center, 27th Fl., 250 Greenwich St. New York, NY 10007
Join us for our first Member Reception of 2023! Connect with friends and colleagues in NYC’s sustainability community and hear about what we have planned for the year ahead. The reception will be held at the offices of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in lower Manhattan. Space is limited for this in-person event, so register today!
🍻 Green Drinks Brooklyn
When: Wed, Mar 15th from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Where: Estuary Brasserie & Bar, 159 Bridge Park Drive, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Is your work related to the environment or sustainability? Are you interested in sustainability or environmental issues. Do you want to meet some like minded folks and share your thoughts and passion. Come down to Estuary at ONE15 Brooklyn Marina for Happy Hour drinks. We'll have a few folks introduce themselves and their work. Tell anyone from NGOs, academia, government, business or anyone interested in the environment/sustainability issues and ask them to bring a friend!
🚿 Good Trouble: Design for Water
When: Wed, Mar 15th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: City Tech - New Academic Building, 285 Jay Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
“Good Trouble: Creativity + Collaboration” features architects, academics and change makers - and considers solutions to some of the most pressing problems in the built environment. The AIA framework for design excellence serves as an anchor and a springboard to explore sustainability, inclusivity and resilience in our borough, our city, and beyond. This month's event is "Design for Water": What are the challenges for water access in vulnerable communities and how have designers tackled this issue with innovation?
🌃 North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project Workshop: North Cove
When: Wed, Mar 15th from 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: Community Center at Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers Street, New York, NY 10280
The North/West Battery Park City Resiliency Project is mapping an approach for protective measures along the northern and western portions of Battery Park City to reduce the risks associated with storm surge and sea level rise. BPCA is committed to a robust approach to community engagement to ensure public input is considered in project planning. We want to keep hearing from you!
🌱 Climate is the New Economy
When: Thu, Mar 16th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Rise New York, 43 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
A new climate economy needs to be imagined if we are to solve the climate crisis and ensure a just transition. Given the amount of collaboration needed to solve the climate issue, this event series will connect new and established voices, including climate justice organizations, investors, startups, corporates, and policy makers, as we map solutions to policy, sector by sector.
🎨 ATMOSPHERIC EXPERIENCES: Immersive Exhibition by Rasa Smite & Raitis Smits
When: Thu, Mar 16th from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Where: Olympic Tower Atrium Gallery, 645 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10022
ONX Studio presents a new exhibition open to the public, ATMOSPHERIC EXPERIENCES by artists Rasa Smite & Raitis Smits March 16-17, 2023. The exhibition features two artworks: the VR experience “Atmospheric Forest” (2020) and the immersive visualization “Deep Sensing. RT-32 Revisited” (2002 / 2022).
🍺 First Friday Meetup
When: Fri, Mar 17th from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Belvedere Lounge, 77 E 7th St, New York, NY 10003
Monthly happy hour for people who care about climate, tech, and building cool things!
🎬 Let's Talk About Water & Mayors! Make Movies celebrate NY Water Week!
When: Sat, Mar 18th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: Florence Gould Hall, 55 E 59th St New York, NY 10022
Come celebrate New York Water Week and the UN Decade on Water with the critically acclaimed Nigerian feature documentary Marcher sur L'eau, the world premier of Mayors Make Movie's "Nairobi." Animations by the OECD Principles on Water Governance ...and many more! Prepare to be both informed and dazzled by water related films from round the globe!
📽 World Water Film Festival
When: Sun, Mar 19th from 9:00 AM to 7:00 AM
Where: The Forum at Columbia University, 601 W. 125th St., New York, NY 10027
The World Water Film Festival will showcase a variety of 20 short and feature films made by water advocates from around the world, featuring workshops, guest speakers, and a 4-hour "Women in Water Energy & Film" summit led by Youth for Global Health & Social Justice founder, Dr. Sheryl Simmons.
💦 Forum on Circular Water Economy and Student Poster Exhibition
When: Mon, Mar 20th from 1:30 PM to 4:30 PM
Where: Kimmel Center for University Life, 60 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10012
The Water Environment Federation (WEF) is a UN Water Partner. In alignment with UN Water 2023 in NYC, WEF has partnered with NYU to provide a forum for emerging leaders to help foster a transition to the circular water economy. This forum will feature an interactive session about defining the circular water economy concepts for 2030 and beyond, followed by networking and student poster presentations. The forum will conclude with insights on how to build a circular water economy and an award presentation for the best student posters.
🥗 A Seat at the Table: Uplifting Voices for Equitable Food Systems
When: Mon, Mar 20th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
Where: KJCC Auditorium, 53 Washington Square South, New York, NY 10003
Save the date! Join CLACS and the LES Ecology Center for a community dialogue exploring the systemic inequities in our urban food ecosystem, primarily focusing on communities of color in NYC through the lenses of community composting, urban farming, and mutual aid. We’ll hear from BIPOC activists, community composters, urban farmers, and youth leaders working towards building an equitable food system. Through this dialogue, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges that grassroots efforts face in addressing food equity and what actions are needed at the individual, community, and systemic levels for meaningful change.
🐟 The United Nations of Rivers, Deltas and Estuaries: Conversations
When: Mon, Mar 20th from 6:00 PM to 8:30 PM
Where: The New School, 72 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10011
Strategies and methodologies aimed at the sustainable management of water and water ecosystems need to go beyond technical and economic driven approaches. The event aims to gather the perspective of artists, activists, and indigenous representatives.
Join the Fun!
Submit Events
We know all of you are cooking up great events across that highlight the latest and greatest in our collective effort to save our city - and our planet! 🌍 We would love to spread the word. Please share any event details and we'll add them to the list!
Climate Tech Cities
We are expanding! We started as an 8-person dinner and now have over 4,000 members in our community. We’ve had people across the world reach out to us to start their own chapters - so we’re launching a new Climate Tech Cities organization this year! If you have friends who are interested in becoming chapter leads, please share the word. Here’s to a global network of local communities making a positive impact!