Philly

I haven't been able to post much this week due to unforeseen circumstances on the homefront, but Paige Wolf graciously allowed me to guest post for her. Here's how placing a fee on plastic bags will help (and check out the rest of Paige's blog too!): From Philthadelphia to America's Greenest City.

The Streets Department once again held the Philly Spring Cleanup Day this past April. I must admit, I wasn't as enthused as I was last year. The sixth annual city-wide collaboration returned to our previous hosting site at 8th & Poplar, and we had a few hiccups along the way: a few less participants as last year, a technical glitch that missed our site at the pickup center, and a forgotten printed form. Our cleanup team worked from 9 to 2, picking up everything from used water bottles to sweeping cigarette butts in the masses. One of our volunteers, the lovely Jessica, even joked that the Hurricanes 40s must have been pretty good since there were so many bottles laying around the field... Find out the benefits of cleaning Up Philly (year-round), after the jump...

As the owner of Chewy’s, one of our top seven green food trucks, Charlie Sokowski's love for food fuels his ambitions. This past weekend, Chewy’s competed with other finalists at the 2013 Vendy Awards in Penn Treaty Park for a chance to be crowned the best food truck in Philly. Sokowski and his staff handed out samples of delicious Carolina pulled-pork sandwiches and maple syrup-covered fried chicken to lucky patrons. Find out more about Chewy's sustainable efforts after the jump!

OK, so we can't come in first every time. The Trust for Public Land came out with the ParkScore list, ranking Philadelphia #14 out of the major US cities (top 50). Find out how does ParkScore works and how Philly measures up, after the jump!

Have you "Done the Math" recently on the carbon counts on our atmosphere? It's passed a milestone - and not a good one at 400 parts per million. This guest post comes from Clean Air Council's Federal Advocacy Coordinator, Russell Zerbo.   30 people came out to LOVE Park and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 3 headquarters on Thursday to listen to speakers and meet with the Public Affairs Director. Why? To demand that EPA finalize standards on carbon pollution to protect public health and curb climate change. Shipley High School students, Clean Air Council and Sierra Club members and other concerned Philadelphians, set up umbrellas and beach chairs on a swatch of grass in LOVE park to draw attention to the damage done to the Jersey Shore from Superstorm Sandy. The damage has been exacerbated by rising global temperatures, sea levels and carbon dioxide emissions. Last year, the U.S. experienced 11 extreme weather events that cost more than $1 billion each in losses and resulted in 349 deaths. The largest global disasters of 2012 were Hurricane Sandy (costing $65 billion) and the year-long Midwest drought ($35 billion). These events accounted for nearly half of the world's economic losses. Find out about what is the Federal Carbon Dioxide Pollution Standard - and the current status - after the jump.

Hate plastic bags getting caught in trees and littering our streets? We have great news to share: Logan Welde, Staff Attorney of the Clean Air Council will be on WHYY Radio Times (90.9 FM)  to discuss plastic bags and our proposed legislation, today from 11 AM - 12 PM. I've been working with Logan for almost a year on these efforts (like at Greenfest 2012) and he is a passionate, intelligent guy. It will be a great broadcast. Inquirer columnist Sandy Bauers also published our open letter to City Council this morning to coincide. Logan will be debating Hilex Poly, which is the biggest plastic bag manufacturer in the US (and a part of the American Progressive Bag Alliance). Many people have been asking: So what has been going on with plastic bags?

The annual Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Pop Up Garden is taking over the University of the Arts campus, at the lot consuming 313 S. Broad Street. PHS is also refreshing University’s Dorrance Hamilton Hall (320 S. Broad Street). The lot at 313 S. Broad Street includes (Find out more and how to score BEER, after the jump.)

Save the Valley - Petition & Background My BFF sent me a link a few weeks ago to a Change.org petition. After browsing, I realized that 750 acres of woodland & farmland are in danger for a Wal-Mart, a few housing developments & more retail stores. This area wasn't in a foreign country endangering panda bears or chimpanzees. Instead, it was in my hometown. My territory where I grew up for 18 years. Throughout my childhood, I noticed my quaint suburban neighborhood slowly developed from open land to forests cleared and made room for McMansions. Although I wasn't able to fully process it at the time, more deer and animals dashed onto the back roads. There were even a few tragic car accidents as drivers were killed by confused deer during daylight savings time. As time wore on, more and more stores were put in on more corners. A 10 minute drive to the local movie theatre delayed into 15 or 20 due to traffic congestion on the highway. Fast forward: It's 2013 and Beaver Valley (or "the Valley") is another precious land at stake. Nestled in Delaware County, 750 acres hidden behind Route 202 are a wildlife refuge, public lands for hiking and biking, and a rarity in the ever-booming suburbs. It's so beautiful and rare, National Geographic even recently caught wind. Developers want to Find out more about this land at stake, after the jump.

You may know your neighborhood garden like the back of your hand, but do you ever out what the other neighborhoods in Philly are doing? We ventured over to West Philly to check out the University City District's latest sustainability initiatives. University City District of Philadelphia strives to promote a vibrant and safe public living and social environment. It works for the neighborhood by providing opportunities, hosting events, and shaping public places. So what is the University City District doing to stay green?