Here are some ways to lessen your impact on the earth while getting to know someone a little bit better:

• First impressions do count. Dress to impress with some eco-friendly threads off Arcadia Boutique’s
• For a traditional first date dinner, dine on meat- free selections at Horizon’s fine vegan restaurant
• For a quick lunch, visit Maoz Vegetarian has delicious choices to top falafel pitas & other quick treats
• Support restaurants that use use locally sourced food – check Philly Homegrown’s website for a complete list.
• Ditch the car: Make sure to take public transit, bike or walk to your Philly destinations
• Stroll under the stars & take a view of nature (preferably on a hill, grass or bench)
• Volunteer to plant trees, help a soup kitchen or other local non-profit
• View some local gardens & plants – either at a botanical garden or nature preserve, or Fairmount Park
• Choose eco-friendly brews that don’t travel too far from brewery to tap – such as Victory Brewing, Yards, Philadelphia Brewing Company, Nodding Head & more
• If you want to get physical, rent or ride a bike and hit one of Philly’s bike trails – Choose from the Schuylkill bike trails, Manayunk, or Valley Forge
• Enjoy the nice weather outside by bringing some organic cheese & local wine to a picnic.You can find many local choices of cheese and snacks from one of Philly’s many Farmers Markets.

Click here for the full Philly Hot List Guest post. (Readers, there’s still time to vote on the Philly Hot List)

Posted by Julie

(Image: Graeme Weatherston/FreeDigitalPhotos.net)

They purchased the house in April and have hired Main Line’s Caledonia Renovations to green the property.

The Madson’s eco improvements include:
-Installing energy recovery ventilators
-Re-insulation for the home using soybean spray foam
- A geothermal heating and cooling system
-Energy-saving lighting

On September 25 Madson will receive an award for his efforts at the Manayunk Inagural Arts Festival. We thinks it’s well-deserved!

Posted by Beth

McGillin’s has already started their switch to completely LED lighting that lasts up to 50 x’s longer than their current lighting (90% less energy than traditional bulbs), saving the pub’s electricity costs by more than 25%. Besides reducing fossil fuels, McGillin’s efforts to go green include strict recycling practices and focusing on local draft beers instead of choices bottled and shipped long distances.

Chris Mullins, co-owner of McGillin’s says, “Though we remain true to our history by conserving and preserving our historic exterior, we try our best to incorporate green technology every chance we get. We expect real savings over time with no reduction in quality.”

The timing of the summer upgrade couldn’t be better for the pub, as LEDs produce much less heat and help reduce the peak electricity load during the summer months with air conditioning.  Energy-efficient lighting is one of the most effective ways to reduce fossil fuels & electricity, according to the EPA.  McGillin’s partnered with PekaSys, a Philadelphia-based business specializing in sustainable technologies, for their LED upgrade.

Posted by Julie

Our guest post comes today from Alexis Bonari who writes about New Low-Emission Shuttle Buses at the Philly International Airport:

In an effort to reduce air pollution and improve air quality, the Philadelphia International Airport is replacing its diesel-powered buses with eight new, low-emission shuttle buses. The EPA provided a grant of $475,669 to help finance the project, but US Airways is still spending over $3.5 million to replace the diesel buses.

The ribbon cutting ceremony for one of the new buses was August 18, putting the bus on display for tours. The Airport’s CEO stated that sustainability was a major priority and that the new buses were well adapted to that environmental initiative.

Diesel emissions are an especially important priority because reducing them improves ground-level ozone and reduces particle pollution, two air quality issues that can cause asthma attacks and other respiratory ailments. The new buses are expected to prevent pollution in over 1.18 tons of nitrous oxide, 1,540 tons of carbon dioxide, and .02 tons of particulate matter in local air, according to an EPA article. The Airport’s commitment to improving the environment was acknowledged and appreciated by the EPA, and Philadelphia is setting the standard for the reduction of diesel emissions across the mid-Atlantic region.

Posted by Alexis Bonari. She’s a freelance writer and blog junkie. She often can be found blogging about general education issues as well as information on college scholarships. In her spare time, she enjoys square-foot gardening, swimming, and avoiding her laptop.

(Photo courtesy of flickr)

The wedding coordinator at an unnamed venue in South New Jersey informed me that they only use plastic cups for all beverages served at the open bar. What?! I’m certain my disapproval showed on my face, as the wedding coordinator announced she would direct this part of the conversation at my fiance.

Here’s the thing… I’m not trying to call any friends or family out but our crew will certainly toss back a few spirits at the wedding.  Let’s say we invite 150 people and each guest enjoys 3 beverages during the 5 hour reception – that’s 450 cups! (Assuming that people don’t reuse their previous cup and I certainly wouldn’t expect them to remember to do so.)

So, suffice to say that place was out of the running. As mentioned here re: save the dates my fiance and I – like many GPB readers - are trying to keep waste at a minimum.

This interaction got me thinking …When it comes to your food and bar menu what are the best options?

Here’s a few tips:

- Look caterers that use locally grown and organic food. Don’t feel shy to ask where the food comes from when interviewing companies.  Fortunately, more and more catering companies are going the local and/or organic route and the more they hear this is what couples want the more likely others will make the shift.
- Seated dinner v. buffet: A seated dinner typically yields a lot less waste as the food is portioned. At a buffet people tend to head back for seconds they may not finish.                                                                                                        
-Spirits: Go for organic beer or wine. Another green option is to choose locally produced brews and wines.                      
-Stemware: Confirm your bar staff is using glass instead of plastic. A few venues may have strict rules about glass by open pool or outdoor areas, but most won’t run into this issue.

Readers: What other tips do you have for engaged folks?

Posted by Beth

Guest Blogger Clay gives Julie’s

“End-use-efficiency improvements are the cheapest, cleanest, surest, most rapidly expandable energy option we have…the ultimate limits on this option are…the lack of knowledge by firms and consumers about the opportunities that exist and how to exploit them.”

-John P Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy

Penn State University has successfully lead a campaign to secure $130 Million in grant funding over the next five years to start an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.  The Energy Innovation hub will focus on developing technologies and techniques to increase new construction and existing building energy efficiency.  While energy efficiency rarely receives as much press as electricity generation technologies (solar, wind, biomass, etc) the industry sector has proven the most financially practical of the new energy movement.  With more than 40% of US energy used by buildings the potential savings offered by increasing efficiency is massive.  The project is expected to begin by October 30th and will immediately generate 1,200 jobs in the area.

• Art Star Craft Bazaar
• Greenable
• Hana & Posy
• JuJu Salon & Organics
• SA VA
• The Franklin Fountain
• Tierra Mia
• TimeCycle, Inc.
• Best Urban Innovation: The bikes lanes on Spruce and Pine streets

Check out these green locals in the print- You still have time to pick up Philadelphia Magazine’s August 2010 issue in stores now.  (and remember to recycle it after!)

Posted by Julie

Common food we ingest, cleaning products we use, and personal care products such as shampoo, toothpaste, and lotion we use on a daily basis ALL contain potentially dangerous chemicals.

Lucky for us, Greening Your Family is a concise reference guide that gives us safer alternatives to everyday products.  Author Lindsey Carmichael, MPH, outlines what chemicals are dangerous (and how they’re listed on labels) and specific brands that are safe.  Easy to read, this book has tables, product lists, and additional references if you need more info.  Whether you’re starting your green journey or already have most of your house green, it’s convenient and easy to sort your green product needs.  Thanks to Lindsey, I made the switch to Tom’s of Maine toothpaste & cut the Parabens from my shampoo & conditioner.

We asked Lindsey a few questions about her book: (Read the full interview & ONE lucky commenter can download the app for free after the jump!)

Green Philly Blog: How did you research the products featured in the book?

Lindsey Carmichael: I reviewed the ingredient lists in many of the products that are mentioned in the book, and conducted research into the manufacturer’s claims of being environmentally friendly and making safer products. I became familiar with the ingredients associated with adverse health effects, and did not recommend products containing these dangerous chemicals. I also relied on the work conducted by the consumer advocacy group The Environmental Working Group – They’ve done considerable research in the areas of food and personal care products. Their work is highly respected, and I definitely relied on some of their tool, such as the cosmetics database, to help asses the safety of various products.

GPB: One comment I often hear is that buying organic products can add up for individuals and families. What products would you prioritize for buying organic?

LC: I am often asked the same question about wanting to be green consumers, but needing to be budget conscious. One strategy is to slash your cleaning supplies costs by making your own cleaning products. One chapter is dedicated to listing the ingredients & recipes for making your own cleaning products. Using basic and inexpensive ingredients (e.g. Vinegar, and baking soda) you can keep your house clean for very little money. With the savings realized from making your own cleaning supplies, you can opt for healthier food options. For example, suppose a family eats more apples than any other kind of produce. Because apples have been found to have a heavy pesticide load, the family could opt to buy the organic variety of apples, rather than conventionally grown apples that are sprayed with pesticides.

Another good approach to stretching your budget is to identify which products your family uses the most. If you are big consumers of milk and cheese, then consider buying only organic varieties of each. Or, sticking with the apple example, if your family eats more apples than any other type of fruit, then opt for the organic variety of fruit and perhaps opt for the less expensive and conventionally grown produce for other fruits. Also, the environmental working group has a great document identifying the ‘dirty dozen’ and ‘clean fifteen’.

Additionally, Lindsey created a Greening Your Family app for all Apple devices, a recap of safer brands cited in the book. Lindsey mentioned how the app grew out of her own need for recalling the safer brands while grocery shopping.

Greening Your Family can be ordered from any book retailer, Amazon & Barnes and Noble online or directly from lindseycarmichael.net. The app can be downloaded from the iTunes app store for $2.99.

Welcome to Part I in a series we’re featuring on greening the “Big Day” – as they call it.

As a recently engaged woman this subject is becoming high on my radar.  My experience thus far isn’t unique.  I want the day to be exceptional, fun, beautiful and authentic to my fiance and I.  But… I’d like to do what I can to keep the waste that can come along with a wedding at a minimum!

One of the steps that comes fairly early in the process is the traditional save the dates.  You book your venue, hem and haw over your guest list, point out that you have no clue who 10% of the people on your significant other’s lists are and voila it’s time to get crackin’.

So, how can you make this part of the process greener?

One option is to forego tradition and go for electronic save the dates. If your Mother (ahem) won’t go for this here’s a few other ideas:

- Choose a vendor who will print on recycled paper. A few to check out : Forever Fiances, Twisted Limb Paperworks, and Of the Earth.

- Cut to the Chase: Your save the dates don’t need to be wordy. You can inform guests about details like hotel options, directions, dress, your wedding party etc. via your wedding website. (Per “wedding etiquette” it’s OK to put your website address on the save the date, but not a formal invitation.)

- Try and use a local vendor. You’ll decrease your carbon footprint by sticking close to home.

Stay tuned for more!

Posted by Beth

Don’t: Wash your car in the driveway. Water that runs from your car on the driveway easily enters storm drains and into rivers, streams and creeks and eventually poisons innocent aquatic creatures.

Do: Use a bio-degradable soap like Simple Green’s Car Wash.

Live in the city without much elbow room and don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route? Do look for a local car wash that collects & recycles its water.

Posted by Beth