As we move further along into a federal administration that is hostile to policies such as the Clean Water Act and efforts such as the Paris climate agreement, the role of states and populous cities becomes ever more important. Last year was, again, the hottest year on record, and climate projections for Philadelphia tell us
MoreThe Trump administration has openly questioned climate science, but there are more reasons to be concerned about the president’s budget proposal by Jared Brey Three years ago, after decades of waiting and pestering city officials to do something, residents of Bridesburg, a riverside community in Philadelphia between Frankford and the great Northeast, met at a
MorePhoto by Margo Reed Moving Forward by Heather Shayne Blakeslee The new approach to Greenworks will be disorienting and disappointing for anyone who was looking for a big reveal on Mayor Kenney’s sustainability priorities. The new version, released in its printed form November 2016 by the Office of Sustainability (OOS), is emblematic of some big
MoreIllustration by Lauren Rebbeck Victory Lap by Debra McCarty Despite its absolute necessity, clean water is something many take for granted. This was clear in the collective response to stories emerging from Rio de Janeiro during the 2016 Summer Olympics about waters tainted by the unchecked flow of sewage and other pollution. Confronted by the
MorePhoto by Margo Reed A Tale of Two Rivers by Matt Bevilacqua When Alan Robinson saw the turtle, he knew things had changed. It was 1990, and Robinson had recently taken up race walking after turning 40. He was practicing for the Schuylkill River Loop, a popular 8.4-mile race that takes participants from Boathouse Row,
MoreReport Shows Oil Trains are an Environmental Justice Issue Marginalized communities bear a disproportionate risk in the operations of oil train rails in Philadelphia, according to the report “Environmental Justice and Oil Trains in Pennsylvania.” Released in February by ForestEthics, ACTION United and PennEnvironment, the reportstates that people of color and historically poor communities in
Moreby Alex Vuocolo Before taking part in the Philadelphia Water Department’s (PWD) new vocational training program, Ayanna Turner, 19, never thought much about stormwater and how it affected the city around her. “I just thought about the sewer, to be honest,” Turner said. “I didn’t know there were other ways you could save it
MoreDiving into a New Life by Marilyn Anthony Paul Johnson is an Aquarius who believes he has found his life’s work with water. A few years ago, Johnson, a 24-year old Strawberry Mansion resident, didn’t have promising prospects. An aimless year at community college, followed by a series of low-paying jobs in security, maintenance, fast food
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If American wants to thrive in the future, we've got to invest in our infrastructure as if our lives depend on it. Because they do.
MoreCitiesAlive, the only conference series in North America dedicated to green roof and wall industries, is in Philadelphia this week. This year’s four-day conference, “Restoring Urban Waters,” hosted by the industry association Green Roofs and the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, will look at how green roofs and walls are part of Philadelphia’s plan to revitalize the
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