QUEENS, NY -- (Marketwire) -- 09/25/12 -- World Maker Faire will be showcasing its sustainability practices and the latest in DIY green skills, projects, goods and more, at its upcoming event on Saturday, Sept. 29 and Sunday, Sept. 30, at the New York Hall of Science (NYSCI) in Queens, N.Y. As committed as World Maker Faire is to providing a public platform for the latest technological and scientific advancements from the maker community, it is equally committed to reducing its environmental impact.
World Maker Faire has partnered with GrowNYC, Build It Green!NYC, and NYC Compost Project Local Organics Recovery Program (a program of Build It Green!NYC) to increase the awareness of and opportunity for waste reduction at the event as well as educating makers and attendees alike about these efforts. Compost and recycling bins will be abundant at the event alongside GrowNYC's brigade of volunteers who will educate attendees on what can be composted or recycled, resulting in a significant reduction of waste headed to a landfill.
"We love the DIY, low-impact renaissance we're seeing across the city," said Marcel Van Ooyen, executive director of nonprofit GrowNYC. "New Yorkers care about the lifecycle of what they use: how it's made, how long it lasts, and how it's disposed of. We're teaching people to keep as much stuff out of the landfill as possible, and events like World Maker Faire and our own free Stop 'N' Swaps give people a chance to think about new ways to use what's already out there."
Build It Green!NYC will be working with makers to collect materials that can be upcycled or reused in an effort to keep these items out of the landfill. In addition, World Maker Faire is using materials for promoting and constructing the event that can be reused or recycled along with providing opportunities for makers to engage in these efforts. For example, all food makers at the event can offload their used cooking oil to Tri-State Biodiesel to convert it into biodiesel, a renewable source of energy. And, the NYC Compost Project Local Organics Recovery Program will be on-hand all weekend to collect food scraps and turn them into nutrient-rich compost, reducing the methane gas production of such waste in a landfill.
As part of a quest to shave down landfills, Schick® Xtreme3® brand teamed up with MAKE Magazine to launch Project ReMAKE, a contest that invited makers to share creative ways to reuse everyday objects. The Schick Xtreme3 Eco razor was designed for maximum sustainability with a handle and packaging made of 100% post-consumer waste. Rescuing 118,000 pounds of waste in the first year of Eco's production, the Schick Xtreme3 brand set out to turn shaving into an act of good and invited consumers to do the same. At World Maker Faire, Schick Xtreme3 will celebrate the winning Project ReMAKE submission, a vehicle transformed by maker Lynne Perera to use waste vegetable oil as fuel. Visitors will also be able to interact with materials from different stages of the Eco razor production and enter to win an up-cycled workbench created by eco-conscious celebrities Amy Smart and Carter Oosterhouse.
In addition to World Maker Faire's elevated commitment to reducing its environmental footprint and educating its community about sustainability practices, the event will host many makers and presentations focused on DIY green, local, upcycled, and recycled projects and skills. Learning opportunities for attendees range from creating treasures out of trash to gaining skills that support individual and community sustainability efforts. Several highlights include:
- Home-Scale Biodiesel Production: Ben Jorritsma and Bruce Fletcher will demonstrate how to convert used cooking oil into fuel for use in unmodified diesel engines, modified heating oil burners, and tuned turbine engines. Faire goers can learn from Ben and Bruce how to craft their own processor using commonly available hardware.
- GLANK music!: See unique instruments make from "found objects" like saw blades, propane tanks, auto parts, and simple household objects. The folks from GLANK will demonstrate how these instruments are made, and show kids and parents how they can make simple percussion instruments using found and recycled materials.
- DontFlushMe from Parsons Presents: Created as a means to better understand the complexities of the NYC sewer system, DontFlushMe utilizes a network of Arduino-based sensors, communication tools, and visualization devices to give NYC residents real-time status of the NYC sewer system. The goal of DontFlushMe is to encourage residents to conserve water at critical times to increase the overall health of local waterways.
- Creating an Urban Tiny House Community: The founders of Boneyard Studios in Washington, DC, will talk about their attempt to create the model of the first tiny house on wheels community in the nation and their adventures with city planning officials, utility companies, supportive and hostile neighbors, architects, builders, and other folks in DC who are creatively tackling urban infill and sustainable, affordable housing. Attendees will hear Boneyard Studios' discoveries about city codes, planning, and building and discuss what needs to happen in large metropolitan areas to allow for more creative, small-scale and flexible housing and communities.
- Trashion Workshop: Patti Robinson mixes trash with high fashion to create truly fashionable Trashion in collaborative workshops. Attendees can make a unique, fun, and wearable accessory while visiting Trashion.
- Worm Bins Made Easy: The NYC Compost Project in Queens will teach the essentials of indoor composting with worms, ideal for those who want to compost food scraps but do not have access to an outdoor space. The demonstration will include how to set up a simple worm bin for home, office, or classroom indoor composting.
- Skraptacular: Skraptacular raises eco-awareness by working with children and communities to transform trash into art and science. At World Maker Faire, attendees can help Skraptacular create a bicycle powered "waterfall," build a community sculpture, or make-and-take adornments -- all from trash.
- Garden Gadgets - Design & Technology Workshops for Green Infrastructures: Folks from The Pratt Institute's Programs for Sustainable Planning & Development will present their first DIY environmental monitoring workshop results, and future ideas on green infrastructure community workshops that support on-campus design projects.
- Bicycle-Powered Water Pump For Rainwater Harvesting: Lenny Librizzi of GrowNYC has designed and built a bicycle-powered water pump from a bike trainer and other off-the-shelf parts. His display includes a pegboard rainwater harvesting system with a 50 gallon recycled plastic barrel and he'll talk with attendees about how he devised this system and how they can, too.
- General Motors Company: General Motors Company, a Coppersmith Sponsor of World Maker Faire, will have two cars on display: an EN-V, the electric car of the future, and a SPARK mini car. Attendees will be able to get up close and personal with these two new vehicles.
Schedules for all World Maker Faire presentations, workshops, and panel discussions can be found at http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2012/schedule/index.html. A list of makers exhibiting at World Maker Faire can be found at http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2012/makerinfo/.
World Maker Faire is sponsored by RadioShack, Cognizant, Atmel, Red Bull, Disney, Time Warner Cable, ASUS, Autodesk, Crayola, Delta Faucet, Epilog Laser, Schick Xtreme3 Eco, ShopBot Tools, SketchUp, and General Motors LLC.
Calendar Editors
Tickets are now on sale at makerfaire.com. Ticket prices include admission to both World Maker Faire and NYSCI. Tickets are $27.50 - $30 for adults (18-61), $12- $15 for youth (2-17), $22 - $25 for seniors (62+), and $16.50 - $20 for students with a valid ID. Weekend passes are also available. Advance sales pricing ends on Friday, Sept. 28, 2012. Check the Maker Faire website for more information. Discounted tickets are also available now at Whole Foods Markets at a number of downtown New York locations. Check the Maker Faire website for specific locations and ticket pricing: http://makerfaire.com/newyork/2012/attend/index.html. Hi res photos available upon request: pr@makerfaire.com.
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About Maker Faire
The inaugural Maker Faire was held in San Mateo, Calif., in 2006. Maker Faire Bay Area held its seventh annual Bay Area event in May 2012 with over 110,000 people in attendance. As Maker Faire has grown in popularity and relevance, additional Faires were launched in 2010 in Detroit and New York City. Community-driven, independently produced Mini Maker Faire events inspired by Maker Faire are now being produced around the United States and the world. Maker Faire is supported by MAKE magazine and O'Reilly Media, the information source for leading-edge computer technologies. For more information about Maker Faire, please visit makerfaire.com.
About the New York Hall of Science
The New York Hall of Science presents 450 exhibits, demonstrations, and design spaces that explain science, technology, engineering and math. A visit to NYSCI is a hands-on, energetic educational experience where you can indulge your curiosity and nurture your creativity. NYSCI offers professional development for teachers, produces curricula and resources for classrooms, and studies how technology, gaming and play affect how we learn. NYSCI was founded at the 1964-65 World's Fair and has evolved into New York's center for interactive science serving a half million students, teachers, and families each year.
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Bridgette Vanderlaan
Maker Faire
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