Stitched together by their mutual love of yarn, it’s a group of local makers and entrepreneurs that make the shelves of the South Philadelphia-born yarn shop Loop such a unique place to shop, according to the store’s co-owner Laura Singewald. Loop works with three to five small businesses in Philly—local vendors that either dye yarn
MoreJoe Evans was a carpenter by trade until his back went out. With some time off, he and his wife Angela, who shared a love of hunting for wild mushrooms, decided to try growing them. The venture was so successful that Joe quit his job and put his carpentry skills to use building customized, fabric-covered
MoreTrashing South StreetFor an entire year, Burnell Yow! went out every trash night, rummaged through people’s garbage and made a collage of what he found. Fifty-Two Collages in Fifty-Two Weeks is the result of that effort, and it’s hanging up in a brand new gallery space on South Street.
MoreFood Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Healthby Marion NestleUC Press, 2003; $16.95When you bite into an apple, you’re probably not considering the laws and regulations, complex legal relationships and huge amounts of money that go into promoting food products. On your behalf, though, Marion Nestle is.
MoreUnlike the rock ‘n’ roll documentary of the same name that marked the end of the innocent ’60s, this Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education (SCEE) design experiment is all about hope for the future. SCEE challenged local artists and designers to come up with innovative and sustainable shelter designs that connect the abstract ideas of
More1/2 can Three Springs Fruit Farm Canned Peaches3 tbsp Peach jelly 1 tbsp Cornstarch1/8 tsp Cinnamon 1 frozen Puff pastry sheet, thawed1 lg egg, beaten 2 tbsp Cold Green Meadows butter, cut into cubes1 tbsp Sugar
MorePhilly runs on uncertain energy. It’s hard to imagine, but our electricity actually costs less than it could. Currently, our bills are lowered through rate caps applied by the state. On December 31, 2010, those caps expire, prices are expected to spike and no legislation is in place to protect us.
MoreRenovations of the Friends Center, the first facility in Philadelphia to get its heat from deep-standing column wells (six holes drilled between 1,000–15,000 feet into the earth’s core), are nearly two-thirds complete.
MoreLiz Robinson talks about Philly’s energy problems and a different path forward
Liz Robinson has been helping Philadelphia conserve energy since 1979. As Executive Director of the Energy Coordinating Agency, an energy nonprofit that services low-income residents, Liz has worked on the EnergyEfficiency Resource Standard, which instituted early efficiency measures for Philly’s affordable housing. She also
Fluid Needs
Make your water coolerAt first glance, the office water cooler looks innocuous, especially if you forego the dumpster-bound plastic cup and refill your (Philadelphia Phillies, 2008 World Champions) glass instead. However, there’s one key wasteful component unaccounted for: energy consumption. Yup, those heavy jugs need to be manufactured and then carted around town by
Reaching OutPeople’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation
It’s kind of hard to get a job without knowing how to type or use the Internet. Yet, despite our technologically-driven times, many Philadelphians are computer-starved—one more barrier to opportunity.