First launched at AS220 in the summer, long before Hurricane Maria ravaged the island of Puerto Rico, Artistic Director Shey Rivera Rios’ interactive exhibit called FANTASY ISLAND was presented to “create awareness and educate folks here in the U.S. about the economic and socio-political condition of Puerto Rico.”
The immersive multi-media installation leads viewers into a real estate office selling luxury property in Puerto Rico. The re-created office is set inside a black & white grid utilizing video monitors showing computerized GIFs and showcases a performance by journalist/photographer Huáscar Robles who plays the role of the Real Estate Agent in the piece.
FANTASY ISLAND is currently showing at the Loisaida Arts Center in New York, and Rivera has noted a difference in response since the devastation of Hurricane Maria and the controversial response by President Trump.
“The art has taken a different role, before yes, it was about conversation and education, but now it's about galvanizing people and helping to support the efforts that other artists and other community organizers are doing.”
FANTASY ISLAND will be showing until November 18, more info on Rivera and her work can be found here.
Related Slideshow: 24 Ways to Go Green This Fall - 2018
According to the U.S. Energy Department, pumpkins cause major waste issues each year on Halloween. The majority of the 1.3 billion pounds of pumpkins produced in the U.S. end up in dumps and landfills, according to the Energy Department’s website.
Are you an ornithology enthusiast? Do you love the sights and sounds of songbirds outside your window?
Keep your feathered friends returning to your yard by using a pinecone as a natural bird feeder. Recycle pinecones found in your yard by adding birdseed and peanut butter to your pinecone.
In order to save some energy (and some money) turn down your house's thermostat a few degrees this fall. You may not notice the difference, but the environment sure will.
If you're still a little cold, throw on a sweatshirt. For even more savings, turn your heat down even lower when your family leaves for work school or a vacation.
When it comes time to get all the fallen leaves off of your lawn, don't reach for your electric or gas-powered leaf blower. Appliances like those can release pollutants into the atmosphere, and that is definitely not going green.
Instead, use manual lawn tools like a rake to save energy.
"Once you're done, reuse the leaves by transforming them into mulch for your plants or compost them to enrich your soil," wrote Itzler.
Think fall is for harvesting, not for planting? Think again!
Fall is the perfect time to plant spring-flowering plants like tulips to make sure you have gorgeous flowers when warmer weather rolls around again next year.
If you're headed to the grocery store to pick up food and supplies for your next party try to make as few trips as possible. You'll save money on gas, and have to drive less, making this a perfect way to go green.
If you can, try to get all your items at one store. This way, you'll use even less gas when shopping.
To keep the cold fall wind out of your home, and keep your warm air inside, be sure to seal up any drafts around windows or doors in your house or apartment.
"If your air conditioning was running non-stop all summer, then you might have unnoticed leaks in your home. Before it gets too cold, check all your doors and windows for drafty chills that could keep your heater running non-stop too," writes Itzner.
Drafts can do serious damage to your heating bill, and will be a major drain on energy usage, so make sure to seal them up soon.
For more information on how to seal them, click here.
Insulation is one of the best ways to save money and energy in your home. Insulation will keep the cold air out of your home, and, better yet, keep the warm toasty air right inside your house where you want it.
If you better the insulation in your home, not only will your home be warmer, you'll go green and save money on your heating costs.
Visit a pick-your-own farm and grab some of the freshest food that you can find.
Save on Energy writes, "visit a pick-your-own farm for fresh produce such as apples, pumpkins, and root vegetables. You may even find locations that let you pick fresh nuts such as pecans or walnuts."
Junk mail is the worst. No one likes it, and it only serves to clutter up our homes, trash cans and landfills. But, did you know there is a way to "opt-out" of junk mail?
You can get off most unsolicited mail lists simply by calling 1-888-5-OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688).
Also, instead of browsing through catalogs, look at products online—most catalog companies publish online versions of their products, perfect for saving paper and going green.
During the holiday season, there is plenty of energy to be saved on the highway by sharing rides with family members or friends headed to the same place.
Before you’re going somewhere, start thinking about who you might be able to carpool with and make arrangements so one car instead of two or three are on the road for the trip. Even if it’s just for a few miles, this adds up and can reduce gridlock and air pollution.
Everyone knows that water is the healthiest beverage option, but next time, instead of grabbing for a bottle of water, drink tap water out of a reusable cup or bottle.
World Watch says "use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste."
You can buy reusable water bottles at nearly any department or home goods store, and you'll save money by not constantly paying for bottled water.
Few things can warm a room as well as the sun. Those warm rays of the sun can heat homes, even when temperatures outside begin to dip.
"Before you go to work, open your blinds or curtains in your home where the sun shines most. When you get home, don't forget to close them to lock in your free heat. In areas where your home doesn't get much sun, especially in areas shaded from trees, keep your curtains and blinds closed," writes Save on Energy's Craven.
In order to save energy and reduce heating costs, open your shades during sunny days, even on colder days. The sun's radiation will do the work so your home heating system doesn't have to.
Changing the batteries to your smoke detector when you switch your clocks this Sunday? Make sure to recycle your batteries rather than throwing them away.
Recycling your batteries keeps them out of the landfill, where heavy metals may leak into the ground when the battery casing corrodes, causing soil and water pollution. If batteries are incinerated with household waste, the heavy metals in them may cause air pollution.
Dry cleaning is far more harmful to the environment than your standard load of laundry done in a conventional washing machine.
If you have clothes that can be machined washed rather than dry cleaning, try giving them a run through the washer. And, if you're in the market for a new wardrobe, don't buy clothes with the "dry-clean only" label on them.
"Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying," says World Watch.
Do you send your kids off every day with their lunch in a brown paper bag? Try using a reusable lunch box instead to cut down on waste.
Even after middle and high schoolers have grown out of using their favorite superhero lunch box, there are plenty of subtle and understated designs to complement their style.