Back in February, The Philadelphia Inquirer published an op-ed by former Mayor Michael Nutter that left me feeling confused. The piece argues for the role of fossil gas in the home energy mix for Philadelphians, because, Nutter claims, renewables are simply too expensive for low-income households. Yes, this is the same Michael Nutter who, in
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When Navy veteran Salome Jeronimo moved to Philly in 2020, the pandemic was raging. During their first two years here, they didn’t get to explore much of what the city had to offer. That changed in the summer of 2022, when Jeronimo signed up for a 10-week plant-care course at the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital
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The outdoors is surging with the warmth and light of spring. Birds are singing. Flowers are blooming. Shoots are sprouting. Your neighbors are digging in the soil. No matter the color of your thumb, you may feel the urge to get your hands dirty and plant something. Indeed, now is the time to get those
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On the first warm Saturday of the year, Taylor Bakeman organized a seed packing event to restock The Discovery Center’s new native seed library. Just a few weeks after opening, its seed supply was already running low. A dozen volunteers spent the day counting and sifting tiny seeds of New York ironweed, anise hyssop and
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Every Wednesday morning during spring and fall migration seasons, Peter DeStefano walks the brick sidewalks of Independence Mall in Old City in search of birds — dead ones. A volunteer for Bird Safe Philly, DeStefano combs the areas where, because of an abundance of large windows, migrating birds are most likely to meet their demise.
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The internet’s latest viral skincare ingredient might surprise you. Many are raving about the many potential skin benefits of using soaps and moisturizers made from beef tallow — yes, rendered cow fat. While the popularity of these products has been on the rise since about 2022, one Philadelphia-based soap company was years ahead of the
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The handmade dresses of red lace and black silk displayed in the tall, arched windows of Dafina Co. in Old City (47 N. 3rd Street) prompt passersby to pause and imagine slipping into such elegance. Inside the boutique, restrained electronic music and French artwork set the stage for the runway-ready clothing that designer Gerta Hebeja
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A few years ago a friend moved to the suburbs after decades in Philadelphia. Last week she came over for dinner, and she joked about a chicken bone she stepped over on the sidewalk on her way to our West Philly door. There’s nothing like chicken bones to let you know you’re back in the
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