City Blotter: Sustainability legislation passing through City Council

BenchmarkingPassed June 21, 2012Requires commercial buildings of more than 50,000 square feet to track, measure and report energy and water use. Benchmarking is expected to save tenants and building owners money as well as encourage energy efficient practices. Takes effect in one year. Complete StreetsVote postponed until Fall 2012Revises Philadelphia’s traffic code to meet the

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Bag the bags: Philadelphia Plastic Bag Ban

Reusable totes are a great alternative to plastic. | Photo Credit: www.modernest.comToday, take a stand and ditch your plastic bags in honor of Philadelphia’s “Bag the Bags” day—a campaign for a city-wide ban on those pesky plastic grocery bags.
The bill to outlaw plastic bags was first introduced in 2009, but denied. Chemical companies

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Mo’ Paper Mo’ Problems

Can paperless government work in Philly?by Brian James KirkLong lines and mountains of paperwork await citizens seeking licenses and grants, trying to establish businesses or hoping to renovate their homes. City workers tap away at keyboards full-time, entering the requests into computers. The paperwork is then shipped to storage facilities to gather dust.

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