On Tap: Gang Aft Agley

story by Lucas Hardison This month’s featured beer celebrates Scottish poet Robert Burns, owing its name to his famous line: “the best-laid plans o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley.” But don’t worry, lads, nothing went awry with this bottle.

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In a Pickle: Former policeman embraces the art of fermentation

story by Dana HenryTom forrest, owner of Wills Valley & Forrest Acre Farm in Lancaster, maintains that sauerkraut, done right, doesn’t need refrigeration or a warehouse. “There’s not a whole lot of equipment that we use,” he explains of Wills Valley, his minimalist organic vegetable fermentation production. “We’re taking [the product]

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Straphanger: Saving Our Cities and Ourselves From the Automobile

Straphanger Saving Our Cities and Ourselves From the Automobile by Taras Grescoe (Times, 336 pp., $25, April 2012)Across the globe, car-centric urban planning has wreaked havoc on many a city. In Straphanger, Taras Grescoe explores this problem by traveling on public transportation in cities like Tokyo, Copenhagen, Los Angeles and even

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Fool Me Twice: Fighting the Assault on Science in America

Fool Me Twice Fighting the Assault on Science in America by Shawn Lawrence Otto (Rodale, 380 pp., $24.99, October 2011)In Fool Me Twice, Shawn Lawrence Otto narrates the evolution of science in America. His story begins with the beliefs of the founding Puritans and leads all the way to the

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Garden Chic: Rain barrels that capture water—and the imagination

story by Shaun Brady | photos by Sam OberterMario Gentile describes his basic philosophy as a question: “How can the everyday homeowner buy local and afford something that looks really well-designed made out of relatively expensive materials?” His answer: Shift_Design.
Gentile started Shift_Design in 2010, after being laid off from his architecture

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Moving Mountains: Activists take aim at PNC Bank

Mountaintop removal isn’t happening in Philadelphia, but the controversial mining practice is a major local issue. Philadelphia’s Earth Quaker Action Team (EQAT) has launched a campaign against PNC Bank for their financing of companies that use mountaintop removal mining practices. This February, EQAT introduced a “Green Your Money” initiative to encourage Philadelphians to pull their

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Water Whirled: Local teens ride stationary bike to power irrigation

story by Missy Steinberg
At the Teens 4 Good farm on Eighth and Poplar Streets, growing produce relies on a surprising technology: a stationary bike. The bike-powered watering system is a recent addition to the urban youth farm, which previously used a nearby fire hydrant for irrigation.
The new watering system uses a 500-gallon

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