Y’all, I’m a semi-finalist for Greenest New Yorker. Clearly I have failed at social networking by not requesting that you vote for me already! It’s simple: go to this link, scroll down to the bottom, wait for the voting app to load, and vote for me. Me! unless there’s someone else you like better but really! me!
It was really hard writing the brief bio. I only had 250 words, and there are so many things I left out. I hit the important stuff like Tiny Choices and motorcycling, but I didn’t talk about my professional chops as much as I could have. Here they are: civil engineering degree from Cooper Union, professionally licensed, hold my LEED AP, masters degree from CMU in environmental engineering and green design, and working in environmental consulting for over 10 years primarily on remediation sites. Active in sustainable remediation groups such as SURF. Co-author of a paper titled “Framework for Integrating Sustainability into Remediation Projects” slated for publication in Remediation Journal this summer. Office lead on company Green Team which is focused on reducing our local impacts on the environment. Seriously, yo: how could I fit all that into 250 words?
Here’s the official bio I submitted – they modified it a little, but I like this one best (because of the MYSTERY surrounding the central leatherstocking district!):
I would love to be selected as “Greenest New Yorker” – I try hard to stay green! Every day I evaluate my choices and decisions to try and find easy ways to be more green. I write about these “tiny choices” on the blog I co-founded four years ago: TinyChoices.com. Most of my blog posts come from my personal life – I live in an old farmhouse with a long commute and understand the kinds of daily decisions most New Yorkers are faced with. We are making our home more efficient, and I ride a motorcycle and drive a hybrid for my commute. We vacation in New York – at least annually we have a fancy weekend date in a new part of the state, and more frequently we have fun family camping and hiking trips. Motorcycling taught me that my favorite kind of trip requires me to take a slower route that focuses on the ride, not the destination – and it’s changed the way I see much of New York State as I explore the backroads on two wheels. I’ve supported local CSAs (and learned to pickle), attended NYS craft and fiber festivals, and am endlessly fascinated by the name “central leatherstocking.” I write about many of my daily activities at www.karinajean.com. My day job is environmental engineering, where I clean up hazardous waste sites and perform sustainability analyses. I heart New York! and love the time I spend getting to know the state better.
