New York City

Everyone has heard about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it has been all over the news since it began more than a month ago. Starting on April 20, oil has been leaking constantly into the ocean at a rate of between 12,000 and 19,000 barrels daily, making it easily the largest oil spill in history.

Though most of the oil remains underwater there are hundreds of miles of coastline threatened by the surface oil slick. If you are like me and have trouble picturing quite how big this oil spill is, or if you have any question of how truly massive it is, I suggest checking this Google Earth tool that allows you to compare the spill to your hometown.

These are pictures of my hometown in Palm Beach County and my current home in New York, or as close as I could get. As it turns out the oil spill is so large it would cover most of South Florida as well as much of the Tri-State area.

This isn’t even the entire oil slick, if you can believe it some is still off-screen.

Can you imagine if the oil spill was happening off the coast of Long Island?

With the well still not shut off, oil continues to spew into the ocean. Even if the flow is stopped soon the oil in the water will plague the region for some time to come; the area hurt by the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill has still not recovered completely. If you are interested in helping, this article from CNN gives an updated list of the organizations recruiting volunteers. These pictures really make you appreciate the extent of this problem so if you are in the region I am sure the clean up efforts could use your help.

As part of a new series of papers regarding federal, state and local decisions to expand energy efficiency choices for consumers, DEFG has published a free report on New York City’s “Greener, Greater Buildings Plan.” The GGBP is a key component of an effort to reduce pollution and energy costs in the city by 30% by 2030 and was initially touted as “first‐of‐its‐kind.” Not surprisingly, it was scaled back after pressure from local building owners. The author, Cynthia Boland, Esq., has provided a discussion of the opposition to the law, potential business and legal challenges, and comments on the future of green building legislation.

Why is the GGBP a harbinger of things to come? It is a landmark legislation that mandates compliance with four laws:

• a  municipal  energy  code  setting standards and  energy  use  in  large  buildings
• a  sub‐metering  requirement
• requirements  for  energy  audits
• requirements for retro‐ commissioning

Yet, the process and the politics can shed light on the complexities of getting this kind of legislation enacted in the future.  The story of GGBP can serve as a “learning experience” for other  major  cities  considering  legislation  to  improve  energy  efficiency  in  existing  buildings.

Finally, the story of GGBP highlights something we’ve known for years.  That despite all the commotion about federal climate change legislation, most of the action with respect to energy efficiency and renewable energy is occurring at the state and local level. This means that we can all have a big impact on promoting change—not just within your our own businesses, but by working together to change attitudes, influence policymakers, and promote innovation. When you begin to think about getting involved, think nationally, think statewide—and think locally. Many issues related to sustainability and your business—from energy policy to recycling services—are addressed at a local or state level.

Jennifer Kaplan is a Senior Adviser to DEFG LLC and the author of Greening Your Small Business (Prentice Hall 2009).

Photo: James D’Addio