http://www.greenphillyblog.com Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:34:44 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Philadelphia's on the fast track to becoming one of the greenest cities. You've carpooled, recycled all those shiny plastics and even made your dog eco-friendly. Before you can get to plan your green wedding, you gotta conquer another hurdle to lessen your carbon impact: dating. Dating can be done quite well with an eco-friendly touch. Here are some ways to lessen your impact on the earth while getting to know someone a little bit better (after the jump - see excerpts from my recent guest post - readers, still time to vote on the Philly Hot List)]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/09/03/11-ways-to-green-your-philly-dates/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=11-ways-to-green-your-philly-dates Phillies Pitcher Ryan Madson is making eco-friendly Philadelphia fans proud. He and his wife, Sarah, have decided to make their Wayne home greener. They purchased the house in April and have hired Main Line's Caledonia Renovations to green the property. The Madson's eco improvements include:]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/09/02/phillies-ryan-madson-greens-home/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=phillies-ryan-madson-greens-home McGillin’s Olde Ale House (13th & Drury) recently chose to switch from traditional light bulbs to energy-efficient LED lighting to both reduce their carbon footprint & energy costs. 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,]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/09/01/mcgillins-eco-movement-philadelphias-oldest-bar-goes-green/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mcgillins-eco-movement-philadelphias-oldest-bar-goes-green 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 ]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/31/guest-blogger-new-low-emission-shuttle-buses-for-the-philadelphia-international-airport/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=guest-blogger-new-low-emission-shuttle-buses-for-the-philadelphia-international-airport While venue hunting for my wedding, I had a moment of pure disappointment while discussing stemware (of all things.)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: ]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/30/greening-your-wedding-your-menu-and-bar/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=greening-your-wedding-your-menu-and-bar Guest Blogger Clay gives Julie's nostalgic obsession alma mater a shout out & updates us on the PSU Energy Hub. Read more below! "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 ]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/27/penn-state-energy-innovation-hub-coming-to-the-philadelphia-neighborhood/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=penn-state-energy-innovation-hub-coming-to-the-philadelphia-neighborhood Philadelphia Magazine's Best of 2010:

• 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!)]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/26/philadelphia-magazines-best-of-2010-green-contenders/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=philadelphia-magazines-best-of-2010-green-contenders Researchers took samples of umbilical-cord blood of ten babies and found 285 industrial chemicals present. Scary, right? 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!)]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/24/greening-your-family-guide-for-safe-food-personal-care-cleaning-book-review/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=greening-your-family-guide-for-safe-food-personal-care-cleaning-book-review 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? ]]> http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/13/green-weddings-installment-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=green-weddings-installment-1 http://www.greenphillyblog.com/2010/08/10/car-wash-quick-dos-donts/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=car-wash-quick-dos-donts