Grid Magazine

#093 January 2017/Column/Guest Editorial

Farmworkers do dangerous work for little pay. They deserve better.

Illustration by Abayomi Louard-Moore The Hands Behind Our Harvest by Stephanie Dorenbosch We are lucky to have a vibrant and diverse community of stakeholders in Eastern Pennsylvania working to improve many aspects of our food systems, including groups working on local and seasonal food sourcing, sustainable production and food access in underserved communities. In addition, consumers

December 29, 2016

3 mins read

#093 January 2017/All Topics

The Kenney administration sets its sights on social impact

Copyright City of Philadelphia. Photo by Samantha Madera The People’s Mayor? by Alex Vuocolo At a campaign event in November 2015, then-mayoral-candidate Jim Kenney spoke to a packed room of Latino families and restaurant industry veterans about the importance of welcoming immigrants into the city. He stressed that newcomers were not “illegal immigrants” and condemned

December 29, 2016

3 mins read

#093 January 2017/All Topics

Harrisburg Watch: Wins in 2016, but fights ahead in the new year

by Grid staff While 2016 is a year many people are glad to have seen pass, it did contain at least two wins for the environment in Pennsylvania. Most significant was a Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruling on Act 13, which governs the oil and gas drilling industry in the state. The court struck down several

December 29, 2016

2 mins read

#093 January 2017/All Topics

In the wake of the election, Pennsylvania environmental organizers take stock

A Renewed Commitment by Heather Shayne Blakeslee In the days after President-elect Donald Trump won a narrow victory in Pennsylvania, statewide environmental group PennFuture gathered a who’s who of past and future advocates in downtown Philadelphia. In attendance were three former heads of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, current state Assembly members, myriad leaders

December 29, 2016

3 mins read

#093 January 2017/Column/The Right Question

Worried about who is in the White House? Don’t be

Illustration by Layla Ehsan Meet the New Boss by Jerry Silberman Question: Will President-elect Donald Trump change the direction of the country?The Right Question: How much influence does a president actually have? In reality, not much. The political tenor of this, or any country—as well as its economic success or failure—operates in response to systemic

December 29, 2016

3 mins read

#093 January 2017/Column

Our divisions are a grand illusion

State of mind by Heather Shayne Blakeslee This month, we swear in a new president. Some of us will be swearing a lot for the next four years. There is a mighty cognitive dissonance in looking at an overwhelmingly red map that exists side by side with the fact that nearly 3 million more Americans

December 29, 2016

2 mins read

#093 January 2017/Comings & Goings

January: Comings & Goings

Management Positions Change at Top Energy and Sustainability GroupsThe Managing Director’s Office of Philadelphia hired Nic Esposito as director of its new Zero Waste and Litter program. Esposito has worked previously for Parks and Recreation as a training specialist, project manager and—most recently—sustainable practices manager. The city’s goals for this program include: diverting almost all

December 29, 2016

3 mins read

#093 January 2017/Column/The Big Picture

Everything we know and love will one day be reduced to a thin strip of sediment. That’s strangely comforting.

Illustration by Lynn Scurfield The Long (Long) View interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee Elizabeth Kolbert’s book “The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History” is a great read for anyone who is in need of a little perspective about our place as humans on an ever-changing planet. It was 1705 when the first mastodon tooth was discovered

December 29, 2016

5 mins read

#093 January 2017/The To-Do List

January: To-Do List

Illustration by Kailey Whitman 1. Recycle your tree and wreaths There’s no reason to send holiday decorations to the landfill. Drop off trees at city sanitation centers from Jan. 2 through Jan. 14, or find a neighborhood program like Greenlimbs. 2. Program the thermostatIn addition to saving energy, using a programmable thermostat can help you

December 29, 2016

1 min read

#093 January 2017/Column/Food

Butternut squash and red lentils star in this one-pot wonder

Savory Winter Stew by Anna Herman Some version of this soup is always on my stove during open house gatherings in fall and winter. Although the recipe is somewhat vague on quantities, almost any combination of vegetables works. The key to a good soup—or any other dish—is the quality of the ingredients. Use whatever you

December 29, 2016

1 min read

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