Viewing NYC Articles Categorized Under Pollution

[WATCH] Exploring the Heavily Polluted Gowanus Canal

2025-11-17T12:00:00-05:00

Join me as I paddle the entire length of the infamous Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, NY. The canal is known to be one of the most polluted waterways in the United States, but finally the EPA has started its cleanup efforts. The canal was bustling with activity and there was so much to see. I also took a detour to check out the old Red Hook Grain Terminal and paddled alongside a huge vessel which looked to be out of commission. It was great to be back on the Gowanus Canal and I hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as I did!

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[WATCH] Urban Kayaking: 7 Miles on One of NYC's Most Neglected Waterways

2025-04-17T12:00:00-04:00

Come with me as I explore New York City's Newtown Creek. Newtown Creek is one of the most heavily polluted industrial waterways in the United States, but that didn't stop me from wanting to venture into the area via kayak. This creek separates Brooklyn and Queens and connects to the East River. In 2010 Newtown Creek was officially designated as a Superfund site and is scheduled to be cleaned up by the EPA in 2032. Organizations like the Newtown Creek Alliance have also been formed to revitalize and improve the creek. Despite the heavy contamination, there were many interesting sights to see along the way and it was a unique experience.

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[VIDEO] New York City's Dangerous Gowanus Canal Situation

2025-04-13T12:00:00-04:00

The Gowanus Canal, situated in Brooklyn, New York, boasts a rich yet checkered history that mirrors the evolution of urban landscapes in America. Originally a serene tidal inlet surrounded by marshlands, the canal underwent a dramatic transformation in the 19th century when it was dredged and transformed into an industrial waterway to accommodate burgeoning commercial activities. The canal became a vital artery for Brooklyn's industrial expansion, serving industries ranging from shipping to manufacturing. However, this rapid development came at a cost, as the canal became heavily polluted due to industrial runoff and sewage discharge. Despite its ecological challenges, the Gowanus Canal remains an emblem of New York's industrial heritage and is undergoing extensive restoration efforts aimed at revitalizing its waterfront and addressing environmental concerns for future generations.

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[WATCH] Meet Anthony Mule, the Man Cleaning Up Your Gum Off the New York City Streets

2024-02-03T12:00:00-05:00

Gum Busters is one of the companies who are tasked with cleaning up the New York City streets… literally.

In this video from BRIC, meet owner Anthony Mule and follow him as he goes throughout a typical day of cleaning gum and other gunk off of the City sidewalks.

Anthony Mule, a former MTA transit worker, realized that gum plagues the streets of NYC and decided to capitalize on it. The CEO of his now 16-year old company, Gum Busters thinks there is a gum pollution problem.

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[WATCH] Dead Horse Bay, Short Film Reveals the History of New York City's Buried Trash

2024-01-10T12:00:00-05:00

Local photographer, artist and musician Adel Souto recently created this great mini-documentary revealing the history of one of the most polluted areas in the City, Brooklyn's Dead Horse Bay and its eroding layers of buried vintage trash.

Using photographs, I have been documenting Brooklyn's Dead Horse Bay since 2011, but only recently decided to film the area, and put the footage together into a short documentary. I hope this video can help many understand what we are (often unwittingly) doing to our oceans, and even our own neighborhoods.

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[WATCH] New York City Covered In Orange Smoke From Canada's Wildfires

2023-06-08T12:00:00-04:00

New York City had the worst air pollution in the world on June 6 when smoke from Canada's wildfires covered the area.

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[VIDEO] Newtown Creek Nature Walk with Artist George Trakas

2021-07-28T16:00:00-04:00

In this video from NYC Water, take a nature walk down the creek with artist George Trakas, comparing 1999 footage with current day to see how it was developed.

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[REPOST] Report Shows How Much Air Pollution You Inhale When Biking Around New York City

2020-08-05T16:00:00-04:00

From VICE News:

Air pollution now causes more than 4 million deaths a year. And it might be having a surprising impact on one group in particular: the 86,000 New Yorkers who commute by bike every day.

Equipped with a spandex biometric shirt and a vest holding two air quality monitors — one measuring black carbon, the other PM 2.5 — VICE News set off on a day of bike riding over New York City’s bridges, down its greenways and through its crowded rush-hour streets, to find out one thing: how much air pollution cyclists are actually inhaling.

We wanted to see what it was like to participate in “Biking and Breathing,” a Columbia University research project that aims to understand how air pollution affects cyclists’ health. Because cyclists are, on average, inhaling more air — they’re also breathing in more air pollution. The Columbia study is trying to figure out just how much more.

For the past three years, the researchers have collected data from more than 90 commuting cyclists over a period of six days. They’re measuring both air pollution as well as how much air a cyclist inhales, allowing them to estimate how much pollution reaches a cyclists’ lungs. They call this the “potential inhaled dose.”

“What really matters for health is dose, and dose is a function of two things. Number one how much air pollution is in the air. And number two how much you are breathing,” says Darby Jack, an assistant professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University.

New York City has made big strides since the 1960s, when its air was among the dirtiest in the country. But air pollution is still a leading environmental threat to the health of those in urban areas. And even low amounts of exposure to air pollution can have negative effects.

In New York, researchers aren’t trying to change the number of people commuting by bike. They ultimately hope that their findings will be used to help inform city policies on how to develop bike lanes on routes with less pollution or further away from cars.

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Which NYC Neighborhoods Have The Best – And Worst – Air Quality, According To New Yorkers?

2020-07-23T12:00:00-04:00

Construction marketplace Amast recently published an interesting interactive map and article showing which New York City neighborhoods have the best and worst air quality according to a poll of locals. Here are some of the key findings:

According to 175 complaints filed by New Yorkers this year, the Greenpoint/Williamsburg area has the most polluted air in the city

The Upper West Side is a close second, with 151 air quality complaints filed so far in 2020.

At number three on our list is Astoria, where residents filed 132 complaints

In Midtown Manhattan, a total of 112 complaints related to air quality were filed since January.

Residents in the Bronx filed the least air quality complaints in 2020

Check out the full article for more info.

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[WATCH] Sewer-in-a-Suitcase Demonstrates Why You Shouldn't Flush Your NYC Toilet During a Rainstorm

2020-07-02T10:00:00-04:00

Sewer-in-a-Suitcase is an educational tool developed by the Center For Urban Pedagogy (CUPS), a non-profit org that "uses design and art to improve civic engagement."

In this video from WNYC we see the kit in action, and get an explanation from New York City Soil and Water Conservation District executive director Shino Tanikawa as to why we should not flush toilets during a rain storm in the City.

Educators can take it around to classrooms and community workshops and set it up. Inside the wooden box, is a model city, with a street grid and buildings. And underneath teh strreets [sic] lies a sewer system that, when it rains, gets backed up and, instead of sending water into treatment plants, releases the untreated effluent directly into wateways. [sic]

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