In his classroom at Lankenau High School, veteran teacher Matthew VanKouwenberg points out to his students the connection between average daily temperatures across Philadelphia and tree canopies, noting that the lack of tree cover can leave some neighborhoods — often poor, often majority-minority — overheated in summer. VanKouwenberg, who teaches chemistry and environmental science at
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By Alex Mulcahy
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“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” –F. Scott FitzgeraldI believe in the eureka moment: the experience of discovering something about the world or yourself that changes everything. This magazine has sought out those stories
MoreThe Coming Storm by Justin Klugh Nestled between 42nd and 43rd streets in Sea Isle, within earshot of the Atlantic, there was a house built in an odd place. “We were in someone else’s backyard, basically,” explains Dan Gallagher, whose father owns the property. “We always said, ‘If there’s ever going to be anything bad,
MoreYear One
It’s time to celebrate, Grid is turning one! In honor of this occasion, we’re throwing a party at Yards Brewing Company on Saturday, April 10 from 5 to 8 p.m. (see inside back cover for details). We would love if you stopped by, had a beer and said hello.
I suppose this is a time
Climate Cover-Up:The Crusade to Deny Global Warming by James Hoggan with Richard Littlemore, Greystone Books, $15It is no accident that about 41 percent of our fellow Americans believe that the seriousness of global warming is being exaggerated. It’s hard to believe that there’s any doubt anymore—it’s like believing that smoking doesn’t cause health problems.
Moreby Claire Connelly
Each year, as fall comes to an end, Philadelphians brace themselves for another long heating season. Though the weather has been milder in recent years and we’re able to wait a bit longer before cranking up the thermostat, the winter months can still have a devastating effect on our wallets and the environment.
Power Trip: From Oil Wells to Solar Cells--Our Ride to the Renewable Futureby Amanda LittleHarper, $25.99
Cycling into work on the Brooklyn Bridge on September 11, 2001, Amanda Little witnessed the horrific attack on the World Trade Center. Two years later, on August 14, 2003, Little was in her Manhattan office when the Northeast Blackout left
When we look back on 2009, we might realize that this was the year America started on the path to a sustainable future. There are finally a number of positive developments, and every week brings more good news. Carbon emissions are declining in the US—in fact, they’re down 9 percent since 2007! Electricity sales are
MoreRay Anderson will be in Philadelphia this month as the keynote speaker for 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action. What is 350.org? It’s an international campaign founded by American environmentalist and writer Bill McKibben, which focuses on reversing the disastrous path of our earth’s climate through a worldwide Day of Climate Action.
MoreA maverick CEO makes the case for sustainabilityby Alex Mulcahy
In 1994, Ray Anderson, the CEO of an industrial carpet manufacturing company, faced a task he dreaded: delivering a speech to his workers about his company’s environmental policy. The problem was that his company, Interface Inc., didn’t have an environmental policy. They weren’t breaking any laws;