Chards of Conversation

It all started after overhearing a conversation in Nepali. The Bhutanese couple behind me on the bus was talking about their first days in America. I had learned bits of the language years ago when I worked on organic farms in Nepal after high school, so I turned around and said, “Namaste.” Almost immediately they

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Return to Power: Why we need a new Benjamin Franklin

At the peak of February’s ice storm, 715,000 households in the Philadelphia region were without power. But is being “without power” the same as being powerless? I live in a Montgomery County neighborhood that has managed to escape weather extremes: no tornadoes, hurricanes or drought-induced wild fires. But icy rain and bitter cold overwhelmed us.

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City Learning: New fellowship in Philly provides environmental research experience

  Image via esf.edu/urban/Are you a graduate or undergraduate student studying urban and environmental studies? Are you interested in topics like landscape architecture, engineering, conservation and urban natural resources? The new Sustainability Science Fellowship is an ideal opportunity to put those interests to practice right here in Philadelphia. The fellowship, a new program of the

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The Local Tweet: Philly birds in the news

Image via allaboutbirds.orgHere’s something worth tweeting about: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education is doing a bird census this Saturday, January 7, and they’re looking for volunteers. Don’t worry, budding ornithologists, no experience is required. You can join their birding team to help collect important data about wintering bird populations. My phone is predicting a

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All About Philly: TEDx bringing conference on “The City” to Philadelphia

TEDxPhilly Promo from Free Film Collective on Vimeo. Last year’s sold out success, TEDxPhilly, will be making its second appearance next Tuesday, November 8. This year’s theme is “The City” and features speakers, performers, and exhibitors who will share their experiences and perspectives of being part of Philadelphia. The all-day “idea” conference is multidisciplinary and will

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Intersections: Money Matters

If Philadelphia hopes to become one of the greenest cities in America, now is the time. Thanks to two multi-million dollar grants from the federal government (distributed as part of President Obama’s Recovery Act), Philly is embarking on initiatives that will create green jobs, address energy concerns and offer sustainable solutions to some of the

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