Brooklyn, NY — November 1, 2009 – Boro Fuel Oil Co., Inc., a Brooklyn fuel and energy services dealer for 80 years, is going green.

      On November 1^st the company will introduce BioGreen™ – a new premium biofuel that’s kind to both heating systems and Mother Nature. Boro Fuel Oil is the first heating oil dealer in New York City to offer BioGreen™.  A blend of traditional heating oil and 10% soybean oil, eco-friendly BioGreen™ premium biofuel is clean, renewable, biodegradable, and non-toxic. BioGreen™ is also kind to the American economy: Domestically produced from soybeans grown in the U.S.A., BioGreen™ helps to support American agriculture and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

     BioGreen™ also offers heating oil customers the following benefits:

• BioGreen™ burns cleaner than conventional heating oil – it contains almost no sulfur, and significantly reduces emissions that contribute to air pollution and global warming.
• BioGreen™ has the highest BTU content of any alternative fuel, for satisfying warmth.
• BioGreen™ lubricates heating system parts more thoroughly and efficiently – resulting in fewer service calls and a longer heating system lifespan.
• BioGreen™ costs the same as conventional heating oil – and consumers don’t need to modify their heating equipment or change their warranties.

      BioGreen™ users will also be rewarded financially, thanks to New York State’s Bioheat^® Tax Credit, which allows Boro Fuel Oil customers a direct tax credit of 10 cents for each gallon of BioGreen™ they buy through 2011.

     “We are proud to be at the forefront of the green energy revolution with our eco-friendly BioGreen™,” says Jeff Cohn, President of Boro Fuel Oil.  “And, of course, we’re proud to be the first heating oil dealer in Brooklyn to offer this breakthrough product. Not every fuel company out there offers a green, clean fuel like BioGreen™. It’s one more way we’re helping our customers save energy … which also saves them money.”

     “BioGreen™ is just another way Boro Fuel Oil has been going green,” continues Cohn.  “For decades, we’ve been helping our customers save energy – whether by installing the latest high-efficiency comfort equipment, performing annual tune-ups to keep their heating systems working at top condition, or offering conservation advice to help them reduce their carbon footprint.”

     “With the introduction of BioGreen™, we’re making New York City a greener place to live,” says Cohn.

     Boro Fuel Oil is particularly pleased to enter the exciting world of biofuels. Available to residential and commercial customers, the company is rolling out its BioGreen™ brand with a dedicated Web site, www.BioGreenNY.com and phone number, (888) OK-BIOGREEN, as well as a promotional campaign that includes newspaper, radio and television advertising.  For additional information on BioGreen™, contact Jeff Cohn at (718) 854-7500 or (888) OK-BIOGREEN.

     Founded by Joseph Cohn in 1929 with offices in Borough Park, Brooklyn, Boro Fuel Oil is a family-owned and operated energy company serving Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. In addition to heating oil and diesel fuel delivery, Boro Fuel Oil installs and services oil- and gas-fired boilers and furnaces, hot water heaters and oil tanks for its residential and commercial customers. Jeff Cohn is also a principal in Great Eastern Energy, providing discounted natural gas in seven states and from twenty different utilities.

CONTACT:

Jeff Cohn, President
Boro Fuel Oil Co., Inc.

(718) 854-7500 or (888) OK-BIOGREEN

www.borofueloil.com ? www.BioGreenNY.com

###

Yup. They got me too. I’m sold. Twitter is too freakin’ cool for words (or at least for grammatically-correct complete sentences).

Do you twitter?

• Follow GBK @greenbk.
• Add the hashtags #gbk or #greenyc to your tweets to keep it local and green.
• Follow the #gbk hashtag by bookmarking this link or subscribing to the feed.
• Same with #greenyc. Follow it here, subscribe here.

The more people who use the hashtags, the better it gets, so spread the word to your green friends, my green friends.

Many of you have probably heard through the Brooklyn blogosphere, but we, as a community, have sustained a tremendous loss in the death of blogger, journalist, photographer, Brooklynite, and friend of GBK, Robert Guskind.

I, myself, am still dealing with the shocking loss. I knew Bob, met him once or twice, and we occasionally traded emails about our respective blogs. He was always friendly and offered nothing but encouragement and support for my writings and Green Brooklyn. I looked up to him and admired his dedication to telling the story, whether through Gowanus Lounge, or his work at Curbed, or his simple but elegant photos of graffiti’d vans or a lonely street couch. I mean, c’mon, who else would have a whole category of blog postings for street couches? He was one-of-a-kind.

Here is a snippet of an email conversation we had back when I had only made a handful of posts, December 2006:

While I cast a wide net around Brooklyn, I clearly feel strongly about Gowanus and the Gowanus Canal itself. Much talk of making things green, but then I look at things like the oil and the current storm and sewage flow into the canal and what Atlantic Yards would do and, well, it’s distressing.

[...]

I like “Green Brooklyn” as a name. It’s an excellent idea and there are many, many opportunities to do good and exciting work.

You can post your thoughts and comments at the Gowanus Lounge memorial post. Also check out the incredible list of tribute postings at Flatbush Gardener’s blog and this poignant video of Bob being Bob posted by New York Shitty blogger Miss Heather.

We have lost not only one of the best investigative journalists in New York City, and one of the best advocates for the people of Brooklyn, but a friend as well. He is already missed…

Rest in peace brother. And we bid you good night…

The First Family

Still in disbelief? I am.

I’m sure everyone is fully saturated with commentary about the historical meaning of the 2008 Presidential Election and the promise of a newer, greener life in America…

…but I would like to take this moment to personally thank every single person who did something to help get this extraordinary man elected. To everyone who put up with my political posts and rants, clicked on Obama-related links on GBK, made phone calls, knocked on doors, emailed their friends, or otherwise volunteered: thank you!

Before we get back to our regularly-scheduled green programming, Politico drops word of a spectacular photographic retrospective of the Obama campaign — from the lead-up to the now-legendary Iowa caucus to this Tuesday’s historical election. The photos are just a fraction of the incredible body of work produced by Brooklyn-based photojournalist Scout Tufankjian, and it is called (appropriately enough) Yes We Can: Barack Obama’s History-Making Presidential Campaign.

Yes We Can is a comprehensive and intimate portrait of this transformative campaign, ushering a new era in American politics. With more than 200 color photographs by Tufankjian, the book transports readers to each emotional stop on this historical journey, punctuated with highlights from Obama’s most memorable speeches. Tufankjian artfully captures the impact this amazing candidate had with Americans of all stripes.

From coffee shops and diners to auto manufacturing plants and bowling alleys, Tufankjian followed Obama as he wooed potential voters in middle class neighborhoods as well as in poverty-stricken Indian reservations. She covered the primaries, the debates, and the final weeks of the hard-fought campaign, shooting more than 12,000 images—compiling the widest variety, the most intense moments, and the greatest ecstatic receptions to greet the young politician on the campaign trail. Yes We Can is as much about Americans and their visions for America’s future as it is about the man that gave them voice—and hope.

There is a great video — a feature by NBC’s Brian Williams about Scout’s work — on the powerHouse Books page. Go watch it.

The book will be out on December 8th, and is being published by DUMBO, Brooklyn-based publisher powerHouse Books.

You can pre-order the book here.

And speaking of photos, check out a set of truly awesome behind-the-scenes pictures of the Obama family and the Biden family waiting for the election returns on Tuesday night. The photo at the top of the post is also from this awesome set on flickr, shots by photographer David Katz from Obama for America.

Thank you again, everyone. We did it! Now let’s get back to work advocating for strong green policies — yes, the change we need — for both Brooklyn and beyond.

View Larger Map

Okay, yes, I am election obsessed.

And yes, Barack is looking pretty electable right now.

But let me paint a picture for you.

There are a handful of counties around Philadelphia: Berks County, Bucks County, Chester County, Delaware County, Lehigh County, and Northampton County. They are a mixture of suburban and rural… If Barack Obama does well in those counties, plus Philadelphia-proper and Pittsburgh, he wins Pennsylvania and makes it virtually impossible for McCain to pull off a dramatic last-minute upset.

Also, Pennsylvania does not have early voting. So for PA voters, it all comes down to one tiny slice of time out of one day of the year — from 7 am - 8 pm, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4th — and that slice of time could very well determine the course of history.

Does every single vote matter? Yikes! Of course! Especially places like Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio.

Remember this: 537 people, out of millions, saying things like: “Nah, I just don’t have the time,” or, “I just don’t feel like it,” effectively gave George W. Bush the Presidency in 2000. Yes, George W. Bush beat Al Gore by 537 votes in the state of Florida in 2000, and thus took the Oval Office. And we’ve seen the results…

I’m just saying…. that if we don’t want a President who will deregulate the power industry to benefit the worst polluters…. if we don’t want a President who would rather cater to the NRA, logging, and drilling than protect endangered species…. if we don’t want a President who gives billions upon billions of dollars to massive corporations that produce unsafe food from factory farms…. if we don’t want a President who will refuse to stand up to Detroit and their 20 mpg cars…. if we don’t want a President who will promote “Drill, baby, drill” over 5 million green jobs…. if we don’t want a President who will stay in Iraq for 100 years or 1,000 years or will joke about bombing Iran….

THEN WE HAVE TO WIN THIS ELECTION.

We have to. And that means making sure PA stays blue.

They will slime, they will suppress, they will subvert…. but regardless of those underhanded tactics not trying hard enough to get Barack elected is simply not an option.

Okay, so what to do?

First, if you know anyone in PA, here are some important links for them:

• www.votespa.com — The Pennsylvania Department of State’s online voting information and resource center
• Find your polling place in Pennsylvania.
• VotesPA.com’s Voting Reminder Sign-up — receive alerts delivered right to your phone or computer
• Any questions? Contact your county elections representative.
• Any problems? Were you not allowed to vote for some reason? Was your voting machine switching your vote from Barack Obama to John McCain? Never walk away from the polls if you are having problems. Simply report the problem immediately to poll watchers on-site. If you are turned away, you should be able to vote by provisional ballot. You can vote by provisional ballot right then, and they will be counted separately but added to the total within 7 days of Election Day.
• If you have any problems or see anything fishy, don’t hesitate to contact the media. CNN has a Voter Hotline: 877-GOCNN-08. Send photos and videos to iReport.com. Another number to call is 866-OUR-VOTE (or 888-VE-Y-VOTA for Spanish-language help). Put that number into your cell phone before you go to the polls! Do you Twitter? Report problems, lines, delays, and any other such update to TwitterVoteReport.com.

And lastly, below is an email I sent to my whole address book yesterday. Feel free to copy and paste it into an email of your own:

———————————————————————————-

Hi,

So we have this big election on Tuesday. I have decided to do everything I can to help my candidate, Barack Obama.

My message is two-fold:

First: Please vote. Please make voting on Tues Nov 4th your #1 priority. Please be determined to cast your ballot come hell or high water. Vote as if your life depended on it. B/c the direction this country takes will drastically effect your life, as we have seen.

Second: Take 5. Please take 5 minutes and send an email to your whole address book. Call 5 people - or all people - in your cell phone. Take 5 people to the polls with you on Tuesday. Call 5 swing state voters. Meet up with 5 friends at a phone bank and make some calls (there are dozens of phone banks set up in cafes and clubs all over the place)… Please remind people to vote and ask them to remind 5 of their friends.

Here are some links/resources where you can help out… pass ‘em on!

• Find your Polling Location (and what you need to bring in order to vote, if anything):
  http://www.govote.org
• Call Swing States from Your Home:
  http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/phonebankmap
• Call Obama Voters in Swing States from Phone Banks in NYC-area (these are committed Obama voters, you’re just reminding them to get out and vote):
  http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/nylastcall/
• Obama Events, Gatherings, Parties, Phone Banks, etc (search by zip code and radius):
  http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/search_simple
• Call MoveOn.org Members in Battleground States:
  http://pol.moveon.org/obama/teams/index.html?id=14931-3543074-GKMyW2x&t=2
• Are you a lawyer? Volunteer to help the Obama Voter Protection Program make sure the election is fair and legal:
  http://my.barackobama.com/page/s/vpcvol2
• Got Friends + Fam in Florida? Schlep out the Vote!
  http://www.thegreatschlep.com/schlep/election_day_reminder
  http://www.thegreatschlep.com/schlep/phone_call
• NYC to Philly GOTV Trips:
  http://www.brooklynforbarack.org/2008/09/26/gotv-weekend-help-bring-pa-home-for-barack/
  http://www.brooklynforbarack.org/2008/09/25/oct-26-fired-up-for-philly-lets-bring-pa-home-for-barack/

Let’s get out the vote, and, as Barack says: “let’s change this country and change the world!”