Toyota 2013 Prius Plug-In-MPG Challenge: I Will Be Representing Waterkeeper Alliance During the Month Long Event

Posted by Paul E McGinniss

I was invited to participate in a month long Toyota Prius Plug-In-MPG Challenge. On Wednesday, June 10th, I and a select group of six other environmental advocates will each pick up  a Toyota Prius Plug-In-Hybrid at Solar One, the green arts and education center on the East River in Manhattan, NYC.

As part of the challenge, Toyota partnered with seven environmental influencers from the tri-state area for the 2013 Prius Plug-In-MPG Challenge - a competition to help educate local communities on the benefits of electric vehicles.

Times Square on  Earth Day NY 2013

Participants like myself will borrow a Prius Plug-In for 30 days.  The highest overall MPG per 30 day challenge, according to the Prius computer, receives a $2,500 donation to the charity of their choice - with second-place and third-place finishers earning $1,000 and $500 charitable contributions.


My charity of choice is the awesome Waterkeeper Alliance.   Founded in 1999 by environmental attorney and activist, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and several veteran Waterkeeper Organizations, Waterkeeper Alliance is a global movement of on-the-water advocates who patrol and protect over 100,000 miles of rivers, streams and coastlines in North and South America, Europe, Australia, Asia and Africa.

Beginning this week, you can follow me as I travel throughout NYC and The Hudson Valley, reporting on cool, inspiring green people, places, businesses and happenings in New York. 

My enthusiastic involvement in this challenge was made possible by Earth Day NY.


(More details about this event will be forthcoming on July 10th, once the official media announcement  is released by Toyota.)

My good friend, Margaret Lydecker, founder of Green Drinks NYC, will be accompanying me to the opening event and be my first Toyota Prius Plug-In-Hybrid passenger!  As a native New Yawker (sic), I am pleased to report that Green Drinks NYC, with almost 15,000 members, is the largest Green Drinks Chapter in the world .  (There are over 600 Green Drinks chapters around the world.)

2009 Photo of Margaret Lydecker, Founder of Green Drinks NYC, with Edwin Datschefski, founder of the world's very first Green Drinks Chapter (London). There are now over 600 Green Drinks Chapters worldwide..

Pamela Lippe, Executive Director and President of Earth Day New York

I have Pamela Lippe to thank for suggesting me to be part of this Prius event.  I have known Pamela for many years,  having run into her time and again, including Green Build in Chicago to the annual North East Sustainable Energy Association conference in Boston! Besides spearheading Earth Day New York,  Pamela is President and Principal of e4, inc., a green-building consulting firm. Notably, e4, inc. consulted on the first “green” skyscraper built in the US by the Durst Organization, the Condé Naste Building in NYC.  

Picture I took in SoHo, NYC a few years ago with Adrian Grenier, producer Peter Glatzer, architect Lauren Gropper and Pamela Lippe, founder Earth Day NY.

Everyone should know that Earth Day is already hard at work putting together next year's Earth Day events in New York.  Please get in touch now, if you'd like to get involved!  Earth Day NY works with an incredible,  wide variety of individuals and organizations throughout the 5 boroughs of NYC, including environmental advocacy campaigns, media outlets, national companies, schools, community organizations, and local businesses.  Feel free to reach out at 212-922-0048 or info@earthdayny.org for information.

Please Check out My Facebook and Twitter Stream. 

#‎PlugInForCharity‬

And, I would like to thank Element, Times Square West for providing hotel accommodations while I am in NYC for the challenge.

 Check Out the Earth Day NY Video Below
(Double click to watch full screen)

 

Copyright Paul E McGinniss 2013 

Please Check out My Facebook and Twitter Stream.