NEW YORK—New York’s environmental scene is an active and diverse one, crisscrossing industries, sectors, and lifestyles.
As the city is charging forward toward a more environmentally sound future, there was a need to share ideas and break boundaries within the environmental movement. Enter Green Drinks NYC.
Founded in 2002 by Margaret Lydecker, Green Drinks NYC offers informal networking events as a way for environmentally conscience New Yorkers to cross pollinate with like-minded people.
Green Drinks NYC is part of Green Drinks International. Many cities throughout the United States and around the globe host similar monthly meetings. The only prerequisite for opening a branch is following the code.
The Epoch Times: How vibrant is New York’s Green community?
Margaret Lydecker: It is! It is very vibrant. What makes New York’s green scene so special is that there are so many special niches. There are transportation issues and transportation groups working to promote more bike lanes. There is the green architecture movement and product design groups and entrepreneurs who are coming out with great design of everyday products: from jewelry to household design based on recycled items. There are more [green] stores opening today, we have a lot of green fashion design, and of course the nonprofits working on the water ways and environmental education and preservation. There is a lot more connectivity in New York City today.
The Epoch Times: How did Green Drinks affect your life, personally?
Lydecker: It broadened my horizons and opened my eyes to the diversity of issues and how many really wonderful people are in New York working on these issues and how important community is to people. Without a community of friends and people you can call up and talk about environmental issues, you can feel very hopeless sometimes, you feel isolated. When you have other friends who are dealing with similar issues, you can solve problems and get things done quicker. For me personally I got many more friends. I feel much more a part of the environmental community. It is a very important part of my life, of my identity.
The Epoch Times: Where will Green Drinks be in 10 years from now?
Lydecker: The role of Green Drinks will just keep growing and growing. We will have better and better events. Maybe we will develop some more programs. Perhaps we will get some funding or support from the city. I hope we just continue to be on a growth trajectory.
The Epoch Times: Do you know of any particular initiative that came out of Green Drinks networking?
Lydecker: I often don’t hear directly about things that come up, because so many times people will meet at Green Drinks and will go on to develop things but will not remember where they met the first time. I do hear about people getting married or people getting great jobs. One guy said he found his apartment, his girlfriend, and his job at a Green Drink event. Other people found internships. There was a financial group that funded a small entrepreneurial project. There are a thousand points of light in these connections. At Green Drink, we don’t need to get credit for those things; we just want to be the catalyst for making these kinds of connections happen. You need that kind of environment.
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