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Opening to the City, Opening to Inspiration: Mindful Writing Workshop
by greenspacewriter 09/29/2012I leave my apartment in the morning with a fuzzy head, squinting at the pavement. I try
not to make eye contact with anyone as I head to the subway, a place I decidedly do not
want to be. I canter down the stairs, bracing myself for whatever smells are about to hit
me, cram my headphones in my ears and try not to bump up against anybody inside the
car. I tentatively hold the subway pole, grimacing, thinking of the germs dancing up the
sticky metal. A little girl’s pigtails unfurl against the back of my hand and I tense up. I
feel eyes everywhere. I shut my eyes. I want to shut everything out so I can get where I’m
going without any problems, without any stress. I think I’m doing a great job.Before I know it I’ve emerged from the subway and walked some number of blocks, two
or maybe eight, and arrived at my destination—work, a class, a doctor’s office. I don’t
really remember how I got there, or who I saw, or what I heard on the way. I spent the
ride stewing about how much I didn’t want to be traveling, and I felt very alone in my
anxiety. Now I don’t feel good, I don’t feel open, and I certainly don’t feel like writing.In a city like New York that’s teeming with people and often with uncomfortable
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situations, we need our defense mechanisms in order to function—so we tell ourselves.
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Mastering Global Public Health
by greenspacewriter 09/09/2012Every year, it seems, healthcare systems and policies become more and more prevalent in the news. Nearly every online news source features a health section, covering everything from announcements of new drug approvals to breakdowns of the Affordable Care Act.
Regular visits to such pages can reveal the high level of activity surrounding public health issues today. Recently, in fact, it was reported that researchers in South Africa believe that they have discovered a one-step malaria drug. Though the drug has not yet begun the clinical trial phase in humans - nor will they before next year - the drug’s potential to cure a disease that threatens nearly half of the world’s population, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
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Marshall McLuhan Retrospective: A Global Village On Its Way
by greenspacewriter 09/03/2012McLuhan was forward thinking. His publications rode the sea change. In the early 60s McLuhan wrote two books “The Gutenberg Galaxy” (1962) and “Understanding Media”(1964). These were impactful and in many cases revolutionary. He challenged the media, defined communications, and made deep and often uncanny observations about the contemporary state of electronics and the future of technology and man.
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Can a Luddite Contribute to a Hackathon?
by greenspacewriter 08/28/2012*** A Guest Post by Andrew Haner ***
When offered an opportunity to participate in this event, I quickly accepted. My lack of understanding at what a hackathon actually was has not lessened my enthusiasm in any way.
I use technology comfortably, but I’ve always been most comfortable with a pen in hand and a small ream of trace cascading to the floor as ideas flow from my hand to numerous quick line strokes. So, the idea of participating in an event with quality tech specific minds can be a little intimidating.
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Hackathon Pre-Game
by greenspacewriter 08/26/2012The Hackathon is nearly upon us and as we gear up to resolve challenges regarding sustainable practices via the use of digital software, it’s often helpful to take a look at existing programs that address current issues.
Take Hackathon leader, Pablo Schuhmacher, owner of the social media company loci.st. Loci.st is a social networking app that allows users to communicate activities to fellow loci.st users.
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Greening Economics
by greenspacewriter 08/01/2012The opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics illustrated, among other things, one of the most impactful and significant movements of Western civilization: the industrial revolution. Much like the staged interpretation demonstrated, the agrarian society of the past as to be stripped away gradually in order to make way for the upcoming industrialized society.
While this fundamental transition laid the groundwork for a culture that would embrace innovative technologies father than shun them, agrarian culture was, subsequently, pushed out to the margins of the social consciousness.
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GreenspaceNYC Hackathon
by greenspacewriter 07/29/2012The theme is sustainable development. Bring your laptop + notebooks + ideas.
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Join 1 of 4 working teams. Open-source platforms are recommended.
Proposals will be judged by the quality of the idea and the presentation.
Designers, web developers, engineers, writers, artists, social entrepreneurs, and friends are all welcome.
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Human-Centered Design in Everyday Things
by greenspacewriter 07/22/2012Don Norman examines the psychological principles that make user-centered design more successful, acknowledging the predominance of poor design and usability issues in the world of everyday things. From clocks to cockpits, revolving doors to the alphanumeric keypads on your smart phones, these everyday products and technologies can be frustrating and confusing.
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Everything in Moderation: Don’t Brown Out
by greenspacewriter 07/14/2012Summertime in the city is arguably one of the most beautiful times of year. It’s also a time to be especially careful about energy consumption.
With high New York’s high buildings and population density, the concentration of bodies and concrete can make for a hotter than hot stretch in time. As much as the summer is a time for getting outside, it’s also a season in which many are seeking out some relief from steaming temperatures. That said, the use of air conditioning units, fans, and sprinklers is abundant, to say the least.
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Rio+20 Takes on the World
by greenspacewriter 06/19/2012Tomorrow, Wednesday June 20th, marks the beginning of the Rio+20 Conference. This gathering of “world leaders” and representatives from governments, NGOs, private organizations, and other groups will be a 3 day event. Participants will explore potential solutions to the issues that effect mankind on a global scale, including poverty, “social equity,” and environmental conservation. As the world population continues to grow, so too do the problems surrounding such topics become exponentially greater.
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