The Energy Issue: CAPsized

The PECO rate caps are about to expire. Are you ready?story by Samatha Wittchenillustration by Michael Miller
there’s an elephant in the room. You might have overlooked him because it’s a big room—the entire Philadelphia region, in fact. That said, he’s also a big elephant—a big, electron-filled elephant.

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10 mins read

The Energy Issue: This Year’s Model

Replacing your old appliances could save you some serious dough by Samantha Wittchen
When it comes to energy hogs, large appliances are second only to your home’s major mechanical systems. According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, appliances like refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers make up 13 percent of your annual energy bill. Upgrading your

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3 mins read

Dispatch: Battle of the Bulb

essay and illustration by Jacob LambertEnvironmentally speaking, there are a few things i’d like to experience before I die. Hopefully, the coming decades will bring a collective snubbing of our oil-centric exurban lifestyle. A move towards energy creation that doesn’t involve strip mines and cluster bombs would be also encouraging, as would genuine mainstream interest

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2 mins read

Film Review: Gasland

Ready to be outraged? The devastation chronicled in Josh Fox’s documentary Gasland hits very close to home. Offered almost $100,000 dollars for drilling rights to his family’s land in northeast Pennsylvania, Fox sets off on a mission to discover how the extraction of natural gas affects local water supplies and residents’ health. The news isn’t

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1 min read

Fresh, Local, Seasonal: Corn

Sometimes i feel bad for corn. With the preponderance of industrial/monoculture-raised/processed corn products, the golden ears have become synonymous with the face of food evil. It’s like having a punk sibling whose bad deeds tarnish the whole family.

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1 min read

Farm Profile: Green Meadow Farm

“Someone once said, ‘If you do what you like, you’ll never work a day in your life,’” muses Green Meadow Farm’s Glenn Brendle. “But the key is to make what you like pay the way. I liked to garden, but it wasn’t clear that I was going to be able make it work well enough

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2 mins read

Cheese of the Month: Shellbark Hollow Farm’s Extra Sharp Cherve

by Tenaya Darlington, madamefromage.blogspot.com
Pete demchur might be the only cheesemaker in America making extra sharp chevre. He produces an array of goat’s milk specialties from his long-established herd in Chester County, including kefir and yogurt, but the recipe for Shellbark’s Extra Sharp remains his best-kept secret.

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1 min read

Recipes: Raw Deal

When the heat hits, give your stove a breakrecipes and photos by Marissa McClellan, foodinjars.com
Here in Philly, August is a notoriously steamy month. Temperatures hover in the 90s and the air is so thick with humidity that walking from one room to another can leave you dripping with sweat.

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2 mins read
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