A friend forwarded me this link of Whole Tree Architecture creations and I wanted to share!
How cool is this? Roald Gunderson creates buildings from whole trees! From the site: “According to the Forest Products Laboratory, a whole, unmilled tree can support 50 percent more weight than the largest piece of lumber milled from the same tree.”
Enjoy!
Continue 2 Comments December 30, 2009
It’s all about self improvement as we approach the new year. Check out this list of 52 (! )simple ways to lower your carbon footprint.
It’s ideal for our readers who are college students. But, there’s plenty of tips that are applicable to all!
Posted by Beth
Leave a Comment December 28, 2009
I received this from the Phillies & thought it appropriate for the holiday !
Happy holidays from Green Philly Blog!
J & B
Leave a Comment December 25, 2009
We wish we could report Copenhagen was a brilliant success, but unfortunately not so folks. Initiatives fell severely short of our hopes. Here’s guest blogger Clay Bedwell’s take:
Years of anticipating a climate conference where the US was represented by anyone but a half-witted oil baby quickly faded away when Win Jabao of China eagerly took the roll of DoucheLord, stripping the deal of almost every meaningful goal. (Mark Lynas provides a spectacular first hand account of the negotiations.) Ultimately, like Bush at Kyoto, China chose the all mighty dollar over the environment, failing to understand that economic growth and sustainability are anything but mutually exclusive.
To a certain extent though its clear that China understands the value of sustainability. They tout some of the fastest growing and most aggressively subsidized solar and wind industries in the world, and they have made their intention perfectly clear; one day they will supply the rest of the world with Chinese made renewable energy hardware. Whether this prophecy comes true or not, it’s important to understand the distinction between renewable energy implementation and responsible renewable energy implementation. Not surprisingly, China has a preference towards
Continue Leave a Comment December 24, 2009
Copenhagen Climate talks are all over the news.
This NY Times article was sent to me by a friend – Great reading while you’re snowed in!
Enjoy!
Continue Leave a Comment December 22, 2009
Hot Cocoa is the perfect Christmas treat in my opinion. It brings me back to my childhood and puts me in a festive mood while I’m wrapping presents (or watching It’s a Wonderful Life for the 50th time.)
This year I decided to put an eco-friendly twist on an old classic by making a vegan version (no animal products used.) It was even better then the original!
Plus, sometimes it’s just soothing to make something from “scratch” rather than use a prepackaged food.
Tasty Vegan Hot Cocoa Recipe:
Want to limit the eco-impact from your gift-giving this year? 
Instead of the typical gift ideas, give an ‘experience’ gift. Movies, concerts, restaurants, massages or cooking classes all are thoughtful alternatives of the typical stocking stuffers.
Another bonus: You can pick something you & the recipient both enjoy to spend time together!
My friends, co-workers & family know I co-write “Green Philly Blog” and ask for green advice. While I often can assist, I occasionally don’t even know the answer… (Sorry to expose that fact.) As Beth & I have mentioned before, the green route isn’t always crystal-clear – especially with green imposters. When I was asked about eco-friendliness of toilet paper, I had to do a little research.
My old roomie & I were meant to be: As one visiting friend pointed out, we were huge fans of 1-ply toilet paper – not always found at mid-20, chick apartments. However, it turns out this mutual love of 1-ply is quite eco-friendly.
Want to know what to look for in TP purchases? Experts recommend:
Continue 2 Comments December 11, 2009
Please mind our appearance while we improve Green Philly Blog for you!
Julie & Beth
Leave a Comment December 10, 2009
Introducing : Philadelphia Recycling Rewards
Last week, Mayor Michael Nutter announced the Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program that will be citywide by July 2010. Philadelphia Recycling Rewards is a partnership between the Streets Department & RecycleBank that allows residents to earn points for discounts, full-value gift cards or charitable contributions at participating merchants and non-profits. Previous RecycleBank’s partnerships have proven to increase recycling efforts & aid the local economy. According to Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, this program is Philly’s biggest Greenworks initiative to date in helping the City become the Greenest City in America.
Philadelphia is now the largest City in the US to reward residents for recycling efforts. The program is anticipated to bring the City’s recycling diversion rate- the amount of recyclable materials that are diverted away from landfills—to record levels. $$ talks – Every ton of waste diverted from landfills saves the city about $65.
City residents will be notified when Philadelphia Recycling Rewards will launch:
