For years, the electric vehicle has been mentioned in hushed tones, believed to be the second coming of sorts for our car-dependent society, a clean-running innovation that would allow us to keep up our driving habit without that messy foreign-oil guilt. Yet electric cars have seemed as mythical as Sasquatch—often spoken of, but rarely, if
MoreFACT: More than 4 million pairs of eyeglasses are thrown away each year in North America.
According to the World Health Organization, 1 billion people who need glasses lack access to them. In developing countries, and here in the U.S., inaccessibility means that these people are losing educational opportunities because they can’t see clearly to read,
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One block off the grid may not be literally one block, or even technically off the grid—both are metaphors—but the program known acrostically as 1BOG is replacing an equivalent amount of power from traditional, dirty energy sources with renewable solar energy in the growing list of cities where it has rolled out its program. And
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Following the announcement late last year by the Philadelphia Eagles that Lincoln Financial Field would become the greenest stadium in the world—in part due to the 80 helical wind turbines to be installed on the rim of the stadium—the concept of harnessing wind power in an urban environment feels like less of a pipe dream.
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Over the past several years, smart grid technology has been held up as a way to achieve energy independence, combat global warming and improve grid reliability. Who could be against that? But for most consumers, the smart grid is a nebulous, monolithic technological advancement that has little relevance to their everyday lives. It’s hard for
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FACT: Globally, 51,000 to 82,000 tons of cell phone charger waste is generated per year.
PROBLEM: One hundred million cell phones become obsolete each year and, in most cases, so do their chargers. The European Commission has recently solved this problem for residents of the European Union by persuading 10 major cell phone manufacturers to sign
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Replace your lightbulbs and leave your lights ON - If you haven’t already taken advantage of PECO’s low-cost CFLs—available at retailers all over the city—get thee to a hardware store! According to EnergyStar.gov, swapping out the energy-guzzling incandescents in your five most frequently used lighting fixtures can net you $65 in annual savings.
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FACT: 3.5 billion metal hangers, the equivalent of 200 million pounds of steel, are used each year by the dry cleaning industry alone.
Problem: Metal (or wire) hangers are the scourge of the recycling industry. In addition to the low percentage of steel reclaimed per hanger, they can catch on recycling equipment and cause jams and
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Keep treadmills, tennis balls and tired sneakers out of the landfill! Fact: Approximately 20,000 tons of tennis balls end up in landfills every yearDonate: Goodwill accepts sporting goods (with the exception of bowling balls); visit goodwillnj.org to locate the donation center nearest you.
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According to the U.S. Department of Energy, heating and cooling costs account for 50 to 70 percent of the energy used in a typical American home. In most homes—especially in the older housing stock so prevalent in Philadelphia—inadequate insulation is a leading cause of wasted energy. EnergyStar estimates that you can save up to 20
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