BLASTING A LOT OF COLD AIR

in the hot, humid august weather, several businesses kept their doors open and sidewalks cool, flouting a law passed last summer.

walking throughout manhattan's busy shopping strips, eric goldstein, director of natural resources defense council's new york urban program, found that 25 percent of the 400 stores he personally surveyed in manhattan left doors open with the air conditioning running.

last year, the council passed a law authored by gale brewer to target stores larger than 4,000 square feet that were wasting energy by cooling the sidewalk.

(goldstein's survey included stores that were less than 4,000 square feet.)

in the unscientific survey, the broadway between west 86th and 96th streets had some of the borough's most energy-conscious businesses. only 16 stores out of 99 had doors open with the air conditioning operating.