[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 161 (Friday, September 28, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1349]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    HONORING GROUNDWORK HUDSON VALLEY SCIENCE BARGE 10TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ELIOT L. ENGEL

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 28, 2018

  Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, the Yonkers waterfront is a remarkable 
natural resource for our community, and for 10 years now Groundwork 
Hudson Valley has made incredible use of it with their Science Barge.
  The Science Barge is a prototype sustainable urban farm developed by 
NY Sun Works and acquired by Groundwork Hudson Valley in October, 2008. 
Since then, it has been operated as an environmental education center. 
The Science Barge greenhouse, floating on the Hudson River, grows an 
abundance of fresh produce including tomatoes, melons, peppers, 
eggplant, and lettuce with zero net carbon emissions, zero pesticides, 
and zero runoff. All of the energy needed to power the Barge is 
generated by solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels while the 
hydroponic greenhouse is irrigated solely by collected rainwater and 
purified river water, thus operating completely ``off the grid.'' It is 
the only fully functioning demonstration of renewable energy supporting 
sustainable food production in New York. The Science Barge is open for 
weekday educational programs and field trips for schools, camps, and 
other groups from mid-April through the beginning of November.
  Mr. Speaker, our planet is changing. Climate change is real and 
having a profound impact already. We need more initiatives like the 
Science Barge to help us learn and adapt to these changes, while 
simultaneously teaching us about sustainability. I'm proud to have the 
Science Barge in my district and I congratulate the entire Groundwork 
team on 10 terrific years.

                          ____________________