Climate Week, Climate Science Fair return to NYC this weekend: A breakdown of events
After a year of record-breaking heat and flooding, urgency is the tone for the 16th annual Climate Week NYC.
The theme for this year's event, which is the largest climate affair of its kind, is "it's time." The climate networking mega-fair consists of eight days of more than 600 events and connects the public with the most influential activists, innovators, and business and political leaders from all over the world for panel discussions, technology demos and nature tours. It's hosted by the nonprofit Climate Group and is held concurrently and in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly from Sept. 22-29.
"The time is now to take on these big challenges," said Gabe Kleinman, a spokesperson for Climate Science Fair, a four-day event on the High Line that coincides with the festival. "That means big solutions deployed right now with a sense of urgency."
Lecture halls and institutions like the New York Botanical Garden and the American Museum of Natural History will host events, but Climate Week events will also take place in the city's waterways and parks.
Here are the highlights.
Science Fair on the High Line (and meet Bill Nye)
More than 30 inventors and start-ups will present solutions for transitioning to sustainability in a traditional science fair setting on the High Line. Innovators will demonstrate their ideas and answer questions from the public at tables set up throughout the elevated park.
The second annual science fair, which is organized by the Emerson Collective, isn't part of Climate Week NYC's official lineup (it also starts a day earlier), but rather one of the event's many offshoots.
This year's participants include Biolite, a company that offers easy, lightweight and inexpensive alternatives for backup power for those living off the grid or in areas with frequent outages. The company's light, portable battery can provide emergency power to refrigerators and any other appliances or devices that can plug in. With more than two days of energy, it can be recharged in a couple of hours and used again, the company said.
Another exhibitor, Kelvin, devised a three-phase solution for heating older buildings, which are among the most difficult to electrify. The first step is a radiator cover that can regulate temperature and save up to 40% on heating costs, according to the company. The second phase is a hybrid system that uses a structure's pre-existing heating system when it's below freezing. Above freezing, a simple heat pump system kicks in. When a building's boiler is ready for replacement, a full electrification system based on data collected through the phased process is tailored for the building, including air conditioning units that are mounted on outside walls, freeing windows from bulky air conditioners.
The free fair is open to the public from Sept. 21-23, and will feature an appearance from Bill Nye the "Science Guy" from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 22.
Take a climate boat tour
Circumnavigate Manhattan on a nearly three-hour tour narrated by the American Institute of Architects on a 1920s-style yacht. The tour will cruise by sustainable parks, green buildings, new flood walls and an assembly pier for future offshore wind, and participants will learn about how New York City is addressing climate change. Tickets are required and can be purchased in advance for multiple days and times during Climate Week. They also include a complimentary drink.
Meet the Battery Park Beekeepers
The beekeepers at Battery Park City will host a one-hour information session about urban beekeeping and its role in sustainability. The event is free and open to the public on Sept. 24, but registration is required. The hive is located at the Chambers Street entrance to Rockefeller Park.
Ride an electric school bus with your child
Families are welcome to join in afterschool fun on Sept. 24. After an information session on the impact of clean transportation for students, adults and children can get on board an electric-powered, emissions-free bus ride. The event is organized by Mothers Out Front, a nonprofit dedicated to climate justice for kids. The ride is free, but registration is required.
Go birding with NYC Bird Alliance
The NYC Bird Alliance, formerly NYC Audubon, is sponsoring bird-watching at various locations around the five boroughs, including Central Park and Prospect Park. Guided by birding experts, participants will observe many species of colorful birds, such as warblers and thrushes, before the birds make their fall migrations south. Observers will learn the basics of identifying birds as well as ecology. Check out the Climate Week NYC calendar for dates, times and registration information. The 1.5-hour events are free, but some sessions require registration.
Sit in on a panel discussion
Climate Week includes lectures and panels on everything from recycled fashion to energy transition to climate-friendly computing. Most of these talks are free and open to the public. The NYC Mayor's Office on Food Policy will participate in a conversation on the future of food. The topics include what humans will eat in 100 years and new technologies that are advancing lab-grown meat and aquafarming as an alternative to climate-polluting industrial agriculture. The free event is an opportunity for foodies to network and nerd out on the modern meal. Registration is required.
