Results tagged “greenscene”

How can we feed Philadelphia? And we’re not talking about cheesesteaks and soft pretzels here, folks. We’re talking about locally grown, healthy food.

We all know there are a few more criminals in Philadelphia than we would like. Well, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em!

Now that our heat wave is only a memory and we’re back to Spring showers, let’s talk about rain barrels and why they are important to the health of our watershed.

First and foremost, Happy Earth Day! Go outside and do something nice for the planet. Pick up some trash, eat some locally-grown, sustainable food (get some ideas here), and maybe plant a tree, shrub, flower, or vegetable.

Picture this: Empty, garbage-strewn lots replaced with vibrant community gardens; Abandoned factories retrofitted and revitalized; Green infrastructure popping up everywhere in the city. While this may sound like a dream, it is totally possible in our post-industrial, beloved Philadelphia.

Earthfest 2009 — Hosted at Temple University’s Ambler campus, more than 10,000 visitors are expected to attend the Earth Day festival. There will be more than 90 exhibitors, including the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, Adventure Aquarium, the Elmwood Park Zoo. April 24th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Click here for more information.

For some reason unbeknownst to us, a vast majority of Philadelphians think it is their God-given right to litter. You know you’ve seen it: trash thrown out a window, soda bottles thrown down a storm drain, McDonald’s bag dropped on the sidewalk. That’s why it’s so important that you participate in the Second Annual Philly Spring Cleanup.

Whether you know it or not, if you live in Philadelphia, you are a stakeholder in the future of the city. And if you’ve lived here long enough, you know that Philadelphians are scrappy and are going to pull through these tough times. What we need to be thinking about now more than ever is Philadelphia’s sustainability and future.

The weather report for the weekend looks pretty dreary, so why not spend part of your weekend going green inside? The Go Green Expo is coming to the Philadelphia Convention Center this weekend, and for a mere $10 you can get a weekend pass. Here’s a preview of what you can expect.

Even though there is snow on the ground and a biting chill in the air, we bet you are dreaming about Spring and the bounty that it brings. Now’s the time to think about joining a CSA. “CSA” stands for “Community Supported Agriculture,” in most cases. How it works is that you buy a share of a farm and in return you get fresh, seasonal, local, fruits and veggies every week. By joining a CSA, you are buying food directly from the farmer and essentially cutting out the middle man of the grocery store. It’s a win-win situation: you get the freshest food possible and you support your community by keeping your food dollars local.

Water, as we all know, is the foundation of life. Which is why protecting our water supply is vital to our sustainability as a city. Enter the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA generously given—not loaned—Philadelphia two million dollars to implement a system to protect our drinking water. And, if the EPA has the money, it could give the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) up to $9.5 million over the next three years.

While we are all waiting with bated breath to see how Barack Obama’s stimulus package is going to help the economy and our wallets, we thought you’d be interested to know that Mayor Nutter (along with all the mayors of cities with populations greater than 30,000) has already made a wish list for what he wants to do with the money from the stimulus when it starts rolling into Philadelphia. The list is a long one and has a variety of green initiatives that will bring green jobs to the city and help it become more environmental. Here are some of the green things, and their price tags, we could see happening in our fair city if we get enough money from the stimulus package.

Spring is in the air, which means growing and gardening season can’t be far away. And with the economy in the tank, this year is a good time to start growing some of your own food if you don’t already. Think about it. A packet of tomato seeds costs about $2, and can produce pounds of tomatoes. Even if you buy some seedlings (small plants that a nursery has grown from seed), you’re going to be saving money. Here are some things to think about if you interested in growing an urban eden.

Have your heard about Grid? It’s a new magazine all about Philadelphia and issues of sustainability. The inaugural issue just hit newsstands, featuring stories about eating locally, energy audits and solar energy and boy, does it look sharp. Its mission: “Grid inspires the people of Philadelphia to create a more just, livable and sustainable city.” Dig it.

Philadelphia has a great local food movement where a locavore can easily find something grown within 150 miles of our city. We’ll get to that in a minute. But first, we should talk about what it means to eat seasonally and locally. The average fruit or veggie travels 1,500 miles before meeting your taste buds, which means it travelled by train, plane, or auto and emitted a lot of carbon to do so. Eating seasonally means choosing a locally-grown apple to nosh on rather than a kiwi that has come all the way from New Zealand.

Say what you will about Mayor Michael Nutter, but his first year in office has been greener (think more eco-friendly) than mayors past. When he took office last year, he said he wanted to make Philly the greenest city in America. And, he's made significant strides. Last Spring, he organized the city's biggest clean up, collecting 2.5 million pounds of trash. Then, he created and filled the position of sustainability director. Then, this past summer, he brought Philadelphia into the 21st Century by introducing citywide single stream recycling, meaning you can put all of your recyclables in one bin. Now, the city has announced that you can put your recycling out each week the same day as your trash. That's right, folks. No more archaic green week, blue week business. No more spying on your neighbors to see if they are putting out their recycling so you should too.

So, money is tight for everyone these days and being green sometimes cost a little extra. But, what if we told you that you could be green and save money? Well, you can! One of the easiest ways to save money is to cut your energy consumption. Sure, you’ve probably already changed all of your light bulbs to CFLs, but there are numerous other things you can do to save some pennies.

In just a few hours it will be 2009 and we know you’ve been making your list of resolutions. Here are some green ways you can turn over a new leaf in the new year.

If you celebrate Christmas, you likely have a tree standing small or tall in your apartment or house. The question is, what the heck do you do with your lovely tree after the holiday season has come and gone? Fear not, Philadelphia earth-minded citizen! We have the solution for you. But first, here are some facts about Christmas trees.

While the only birds most Philadelphians care about is their Eagles, this time of year is great for birdwatching. To some folks, bundling up and going out in the cold to count birds this time of year is as common as lighting the menorah or decorating a tree.

Apparently the downturn in the economy is leading businesses to overload our mailboxes with an increase in holiday catalogs, sale fliers, and other junk mail. While we understand that it’s important for companies to promote their wares to keep their business alive, we know that all of those catalogs come from chopped down trees.

It seems these days that everyone wants a piece of the $700 billion bailout bill, and now you, Philadelphia bicyclist, can have your piece of the monetary pie. Hidden within the bailout bill was a provision for anyone who bikes to work "regularly" to receive a $20 a month tax break from their employers, courtesy of the federal government.

Phillyist is pleased to welcome new writer Lori Litchman. Lori is a Philadelphia environmental journalist and narrative writer. She is currently finishing up her M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction at Goucher College and working on a collection of personal essays about her relationship with her adopted city, Philadelphia.