About arielyardeni
It's quite a New York thing to engage in a full conversation with another person before even exchanging names. If I ever meet you, which I hopefully will, I might know your view on recent news, opinion of globalization, or your heartfelt complaints about the MTA before I know how I should call you. I'm not sure if it's that we're feeling people out to see potential for connection, or for a reason to trust them, or that we just value our ideas before we value our given names. I don't think it's of a cold or off-standish nature, it is just an endearing product of our society that is unlike anywhere else in the world.
So if you see something, say something. I think that quote is really catchy, but I mean to say, if you see something that interests you on my blog, talk to me about it! I may just do the same to you.
Oh, by the way, I'm Ariel. Self-introductions are not my forte.
Posts by arielyardeni
Our group is focusing on composting in New York City and the environmental benefits it brings as a sustainable way of removing waste and acting as a natural fertilizer. Specifically, we are focusing on improving the public image of composting and how to get people to partake in it, as well as the challenges that exist in New York against composting and possible incentives that will convince people to partake in it. By analyzing the current situation, we can see how to improve the public image of composting in the future. We plan to interview people in the composting industry and other related environmental fields to learn about the barriers they face in promoting composting, as well as their opinions on how to most effectively increase the amount of people that compost. We have already interviewed several experts in the composting field and have set up future interviews as well. The articles we found encompass ideas and themes that will help us better understand the public’s current involvement in food composting. We also plan to participate in a composting event ourselves in order to see what the experience is like. The video will provide an overview of the current barriers composting organizations face in getting more people to compost and how we can initiate change and encourage more people to take part in it.
Download (DOCX, 1.66MB)
The “PlaNYC” reading references a 17-part plan for energy, to both improve energy planning and increase energy efficiency. Many of the points rely on encouraging various parties to transition to use greener energy and greener practices. However, in “The Long Slow Rise….” it is discussed that renewables are “not taking off any faster than the other new fuels once did, and there is no technical or financial reason to believe they will rise any quicker….” (The other new fuels refer to coal, oil, and natural gas).
“The Long Slow Rise of Solar and Wind” says:
“Of course, it is always possible that a disruptive technology or a revolutionary policy could speed up change. But energy transitions take a long time.”
Do you think that policy goals set by organizations like PlaNYC discuss revolutionary policies and disruptive technology that will speed up the transition to greener energy use, or will the energy transition to using greener energy take a long time?
The Future of Organic Food and Compost Within NYC
Our video is about organic food and why and how we should naturally compost it. We will explore how these compost practices can be further developed and implemented within NYC, and how they can help our city become more efficient and stable in the future.
Download (DOCX, 138KB)
Comments by arielyardeni
"I think that a common set of principles, standards, and procedures should be set for green accounting. The question stated at the end of the article is:
Is it possible that full accountability will not be achieved in this movement until quantitative measures are created that permit organizations to assign relevant costs to the social and environmental components of the Sustainability Framework and the Integrated Reporting Model?
I believe that if these standardized quantitive measures that are created so organizations can assign relevant costs to social and environmental components of their business, then businesses will finally be held fully accountable for their influence in either component. A common set of principles , standards, and procedures, established by a group with less bias, and not established by businesses themselves, will really be what makes green accounting hold businesses accountable for their actions. The idea of businesses voluntarily integrating sustainability into every facet of their organizations sounds ideal, and better than using a cookie cutter model, but not every business will comply or be fully honest in the way they report things."
--( posted on Feb 15, 2014, commenting on the post
Role of Accountants on Sustainability )
"I definitely believe that there needs to be more research into ways to completely transmit waste into something useful with a less negative environmental effect. While the WTE incineration facilities are a great step, and have reduced the harmfulness of emissions, they also require a large number of truck trips to deliver waste, and that has a negative impact on our environment as well. While there are new promising methods of decomposing organic materials and converting products into energy, not all waste is organic waste and there are many methods of waste disposal yet to be discovered. While the framework for waste management outlines recycling targets and plans to reorganize MSW disposal by boroughs becoming self-sufficient and long-haul trucking eventually being eliminated, I wonder why there appears to be no mention of researching into new technologies for waste disposal that could actually aid boroughs in becoming more self-sufficient. Maybe there should be more of a focus into researching new solutions and less of a focus on fixing up existing ineffective ones?"
--( posted on Feb 15, 2014, commenting on the post
One Man’s Trash… )
