It can be easy to get discouraged these days. Everywhere we look, there are signs of a struggling planet and, often, it’s difficult to see a clear path to an effectual response. 2022 may well eclipse recent years as the hottest on record. Rainfall has alternated between being absent or violent in Pennsylvania, one of
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By Alex MulcahyWe can all breathe a sigh of relief upon hearing the news that the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in Southwest Philly will be closing. And after we exhale, it might finally be safe to inhale again, too. Make no mistake, this is a huge victory for the residents of Philadelphia. PES has been
MoreBy Jillian BaxterWhile the City seems content to keep giving Philadelphia Energy Solutions more chances, others have run out of patience.“There are thousands of Philadelphians who live in close proximity to this plant and 1,000 workers who show up everyday with the goal of providing for their families and getting home safe,” says At-Large Councilmember
Moreby Alex MulcahyShould you be concerned about the aftermath of the explosion at the Philadelphia Energy Solutions oil refinery? It depends who you ask. “If I lived there, I would not be in my home right now,” says Dr. Peter DeCarlo, a professor from Drexel’s College of Engineering, whose research interests include outdoor air quality
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By Alex MulcahyCan a business succeed if it puts its values first? In the cover story this month, we look at three cacao-plant businesses that focus on the welfare of the farmer as their primary goal. (The Philly Foodworks ad on the inside back cover has a similar message, and it’s worth reading about their
MoreBy Jillian BaxterClimate Dads, a group founded by a couple of Philadelphia fathers, has partnered with This Place Will Be Water to spread the word that rising sea levels won’t just affect coastal communities. Neighborhoods all over Philly - Port Richmond, Fishtown, Society Hill, and Southwest Philly, just to name a few- all face serious
MoreBy Jillian BaxterThe Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) is offering a workshop June 18th-20th to teach how to design, build, and maintain an accessible and sustainable garden. The workshop is a mix of lecture and hands-on activity – teachers and community leaders will offer training, and attendees will actually build a garden.
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by Jillian BaxterSustainability icon Judy Wicks does not want John Boehner, or people like him, bogarting the burgeoning cannabis and hemp business. Boehner, former Speaker of the House and longtime defender of anti-marijuana legislation, now stands to make millions from the sale of marijuana investment firm Acreage Holdings as a member of the board. Meanwhile,
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By: Jillian BaxterAnything on your to-do list? UK-based marketing agency Blueclaw claims you have about 2,136 years until climate change spurs a series of unsurvivable catastrophes that decimate the whole of the human population and commences what we like to call “the end the world.” Better get moving!The online guide How Will the World End
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By Constance Garcia-BarrioBlack women centenarians have seen Philadelphia go from oil lamps to LEDs. Their recollections paint a spoken portrait of the faith that has leavened their lives, and of their bedrock work of homemaking, guiding children, nursing the sick and other tasks essential for a thriving city.
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By Bernard BrownJust past midnight on Friday, April 26, a common greenbottle fly sleeping on a leaf was immortalized by Navin Sasikumar in iNaturalist as Philadelphia’s first observation for the City Nature Challenge 2019.
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