NYC East River Ferries Going Green with Eco-Friendly Upgrades: NY Waterway is introducing new technology to all 31 vessels in its fleet that will reduce emissions of pollutants known as nitrogen oxides by 30 tons each.

As part of the project, diesel oxidation catalysts, or DOCs, will be added to all 31 NY Waterway ferries. The equipment controls emissions by helping the boats burn fuel more efficiently and emit less smoke, Goodman said. In addition, nine of the oldest boats in the fleet will be outfitted with new, more environmentally friendly engines. Currently, the state does not regulate emissions from marine vessels.

http://www.dnainfo.com/20111018/murray-hill-gramercy/east-river-ferries-going-green-with-ecofriendly-upgrades

One of my preferred modernist Poets is Henry Dumas. He was born in Sweet Home, Arkansas, in 1934, and moved to Harlem when he was 10. He attended City College in New York before joining the Air Force at which time he spent eighteen months at Dhahran Air Force Base in Saudi Arabia. Here he developed an interest in the language, culture, religion, and mythology of the Arab world.

During his life, Dumas was active in civil rights and humanitarian efforts, including transporting food and clothing to protesters in Mississippi and Tennessee. He taught and directed language workshops at Southern Illinois University. He and his wife, Loretta Ponton, had two sons. At the age of 33, Dumas was shot and killed by a New York City Transit policeman in a case of mistaken identity.

His writing was published posthumously.

Protest Spurs Online Dialogue on Inequity:

What began as a small group of protesters expressing their grievances about economic inequities last month from a park in New York City has evolved into an online conversation that is spreading across the country on social media platforms. Inspired by the populist message of the group known as Occupy Wall Street, more than 200 Facebook pages and Twitter accounts have sprung up in dozens of cities during the past week, seeking volunteers for local protests and fostering discussion about the group’s concerns.

The Twitter conversation was producing an average of 10,000 to 15,000 posts an hour on Friday, October 7th, about Occupy Wall Street, with most people sharing links from news sites, Tumblr, YouTube and Trendsmap. More here…

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/nyregion/wall-street-protest-spurs-online-conversation.html?src=me&ref=nyregion

The Occupy Wall Street protests are almost completeed engineered via Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites. Protesters in New York’s Zuccotti Park are receiving everything from pizza and medical supplies from donations via the Internet.

More than 700 protesters demonstrating against corporate greed, global warming and social inequality, among other grievances, were arrested Saturday after they swarmed the Brooklyn Bridge. The group Occupy Wall Street has been camped out in a plaza in Manhattan’s Financial District for nearly two weeks staging various protests.

Misinformation has added to the confusion. For instance, a rumor sprang up on Twitter that the New York Police Department wanted to use tear gas on protesters — a crowd-control tactic the department doesn’t use.

One video surfaced on social media website Youtube of a group of girls shot with pepper spray by NYPD Deputy Inspector Anthony Bologna. The woman claimed they were abused and demanded the officer resign, and the video has been the subject of several news articles and commentary.

Documentary on Keith Haring in New York City during the 1980’s. One of Pop Art’s best!