EDF Map of "Dirty" Heating Oil Usage in NYC
According to the Environmental Defense Fund, heating systems cause 50% more pollution in New York City than cars and trucks. EDF obtained data from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection in early 2009 showing which buildings in the city use the "dirty" No. 4 or No. 6 heating oil, as opposed to the relatively cleaner-burning No. 2 oil or natural gas. This Flash-based map, created from that data, shows a building-by-building status of heating oil in use, as well as pending applications for fuel changes. In addition, this map features an address search widget so that you can look for a specific building directly.
This "mapplication" features direct calls to action, including a PDF info sheet about the issue, a form to allow tenants to request that their building owners stop burning dirty oil, and an automated form to email NYC Mayor Bloomberg about the issue. The makers of the map also provided a link to the raw data underlying the map. The underlying data is now nearly a year old; it would be cool if NYCDEP would release the data as an XML or GeoRSS feed so that the map could be a little more timely.
