Grid Magazine

Opposition to fracking—and other new fossil fuel infrastructure—is a moral imperative

Illustration by Nicholas Massarelli Faith in Action by the Rev. Cheryl Pyrch and Rabbi Malkah Binah Klein “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” JEREMIAH 29:11 A low-level but corrosive despair and cynicism pervades

June 2, 2016

3 mins read

Column

Do any of us really understand why we believe what we believe?

The Halo Effect by Heather Shayne Blakeslee When I was 6 or 7, I thought that Jesus was born in Pennsylvania. My reasoning was this: Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Bethlehem is a city in Pennsylvania, therefore Jesus was born in Pennsylvania. It’s an argument form that seems so solid and obvious that logicians have

June 2, 2016

2 mins read

The To-Do List

May: To-Do List

1. Hit the spring fairsIt’s that time of year where every weekend has another street festival with local food and music. But your kids will appreciate a good old fashioned Ferris wheel and some funnel cake, too. 2. Commit to the community part of your community gardenSure, you’ve cleaned up your plot. But those common

May 6, 2016

1 min read

Comings & Goings/Community

May: Comings & Goings

Mayor Kenney’s Commitment to Protected Bike Lanes Gaining SupportAfter a February announcement by Mayor Jim Kenney to add 30 miles of protected bike lanes to Philadelphia’s streets (and an announcement to create Philadelphia’s first-ever department of Complete Streets), advocates are pushing for progress. The urbanist PAC 5th Square is actively fundraising in order to galvanize

May 6, 2016

3 mins read

All Topics

With activist roots, House of Our Own is a bookstore for the people

Photo by Margo Reed Open House by Emily Kovach When you step into House of Our Own, you first notice the sheer quantity of books, and the echo of history in the space. It is indeed a house, squeezed between University of Pennsylvania fraternities on Spruce Street, resplendent with Victorian architecture details: high ceilings, arched

May 6, 2016

2 mins read

Community

The future is now: six innovations from regional college campuses

story by Justin Klughillustrations by Nicholas Massarelli Furniture built from mushroom spores? Zero-energy houses? Dreamers and doers at our region’s colleges and universities are committing to a sustainable future where clean air and water, sensible energy use and social entrepreneurship are the norm. Here are six of the many products and services we saw that

May 6, 2016

4 mins read

Guest Editorial

From one academic’s perch, sustainability curricula have hit a plateau

Sophomore Slump by Rob Fleming You might assume that colleges and universities would serve as the vanguard for sustainability. Some of the most intelligent and progressive people in the world can be found in their hallowed halls. And yet, if we were to examine the transcript of grades for higher education we will find—at best—a

May 6, 2016

2 mins read

Column/The Right Question

Thinking of a college degree? Consider trading the ivory tower for greener pastures

Illustration by Laura Weiszer School’s Out by Jerry Silberman Question: What college program can best prepare me for a career in mitigating and adapting to climate change? The Right Question: Is going to college the best choice? Education, especially college and postgraduate education, is extremely expensive. And yet, the proportion of young people enrolling in

May 6, 2016

3 mins read

The Big Picture

Global futurist Jack Uldrich: A sustainable economy will require unlearning what we think we know

Illustration by Corey Brickley Learning to Forget interview by Heather Shayne Blakeslee It’s unlikely that any particular college degree would prepare you to become a “futurologist.” But that’s exactly what polymath Jack Uldrich calls himself. His breathless recitations of game-changing inventions and ideas that entrepreneurs and environmentalists should be on the lookout for run the

May 6, 2016

6 mins read

All Topics

The Fight to Divest from Fossil Fuels

Illustration by Nicholas Massarelli Swarthmore students helped spark a national movement toward fossil fuel divestment. But their own school has yet to take action. by Steve Neumann When freshman Kate Aronoff arrived in 2010 on the small, idyllic campus of Swarthmore College, a “Little Ivy” tucked away in the suburbs of Philadelphia, she was already

May 6, 2016

15 mins read

The Latest