Clean and Healthy New York

Building NY's Healthy Economy & Environment

On December 6th & 7th the Legislative Office Building was abuzz with talk of building New York's Healthy Economy and Environment.  Led by Clean and Healthy New York, this two-day conference highlighted successes in making financial sound, and environmentally- and health- protective changes in academia, schools, businesses and the public sector.  The 8th annual NYS Environmental Excellence Awards were presented as part of the conference.

The Keynote address was given by David Calligeros, Founder of Remains Lighting, which has developed an innovative factory in Brooklyn, NY.  A former Environmental Excellence Award winner, David focused on the simple decisions his company made that saved money from the start - shades and fans instead of an HVAC system for a company that uses heat-producing machinery.  

He highlighted some choices that have longer-term payoffs: A roof that's green - both because of the plants that reduce storm water run-off and because of the solar panels that provide the factory's electricity needs.  Though the pay-off term was fairly long, David said, "I basically paid for nine years of electricity up front." After that, the system will provide electricity with minimal cost. 

A Tale of Two Cities

Or: A recap of Assembly Hearing in New York City and the  Healthy Economy and Environment Conference in Albany yesterday. 

By Kathy Curtis, Executive Director

The Assembly Environmental Conservation, Consumer Affairs and Protection, and Health Committee Chairs hosted a hearing at 250 Broadway about toxic chemicals in children's products. Numbers in the room showed an outpouring of support for child-safe products: doctors, moms, businesses, lawyers and others outnumbered opponents by more than 3 to 1. Some of the opponents were no surprise: the American Chemistry Council and the Business Council of New York State.

The Mattress Matters: Toxic chemicals in crib mattresses

A report from Clean and Healthy New York finds a significant portion of the crib mattresses in the U.S. market contain one or more chemicals of concern. The report titled The Mattress Matters: Protecting Babies While They Sleep, also finds that a number of mattress makers have made significant strides in reducing chemicals of concern.

Specifically,  the report found:

52% of mattress models surveyed were made with conventional materials, including chemicals of concern. 

Sustainably Advancing your Bottom Line

Resources for New York Businesses

There is growing, widespread public concern about the chemicals used to make everyday products. The marketplace is shifting, and new government regulations around the world are requiring companies to pay closer attention to the materials that go into their products. For New York's economy to thrive, it is important that its businesses are at the forefront of this trend.

To that end, we have created fact sheets and brief narrated power point presentations to share knowledge and resources with the business community. We invite you to utilize these materials as we work together to promote safer, less-toxic chemicals and products in New York's economy.