My garden usually begins in December, when the first batch of seductive seed catalogs slip through the mail slot. I hide them in a special stack far from my husband’s rolling eyes. Once five or six varieties of direct-mailed garden goodness have been collected, I tear through them in one delightful binge.
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Dr. Vandana Shiva changed my life. You could be next.by Meenal Raval
I first heard of Dr. Vandana Shiva about nine years ago. At the time, I was burnt out from overwork, apathetic about the state of the world and just drifting through life. I received a postcard inviting me to a weekend-long technology and globalization
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Mike Landers churns out tasty vegan sweetsby Dana Henry
Mike Landers, founder of North Port Fishington Cookie Factory, is part of a generation of vegan bakers rewriting your grandma’s recipes. Those who’ve tasted the chewy oatmeal-cashew-cranberry cookie, the gooey chocolate peanut butter-frosted brownie or the ever-fluffy cinnamon roll have been known to exclaim, “I can’t believe
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A local cleaning company is as green as its mascot by Lee Stabert
After only a few minutes of conversation with Dos Funny Frogs’ Alex Suarez, it becomes clear that he has the mind of a scientist—discern a problem, research, test, solve. That enthusiasm for discovering a better (and greener) way to do things propels his
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Unfortunately, the dream has come to an end. The West Philly Hybrid X Team (profiled in July’s Grid) has been eliminated from the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize Competition. Both the team’s cars failed to reach the mileage standards in the “knock out” round of tests.
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Mural Arts celebrates the city’s gateways with a new sculptureby Lee Stabert
Mural Arts, one of the city’s strongest advocates for public art and community development, is expanding its reach. “RE:flect,” unveiled June 10 at the corner of 38th and Powelton Streets in West Philadelphia, is the city’s first “green wall” sculpture.
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As I’ve mentioned before, my backyard is basically one big slab of concrete. Fortunately, this story on Philly.com gives me some hope. Local folks are going all out, turning their backyards into extensions of their living space. They’re procuring outdoor rugs, lamps and even love seats. Indoor living has now infiltrated the outdoors, and I’m all for
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An artist’s depiction of the Berkeley Bike StationA few weeks ago, we told you about Slate’s Nimble Cities project. Today, the internet mag has published the results from an informal reader poll asking for solutions to contemporary urban transportation issues. One particularly interesting idea involves “bike transit centers”: Thankfully, there’s a solution, one that is
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I can’t wait to get my next electricity bill. By following low-tech energy guru Nick Pine’s simple advice—monitoring the difference between indoor and outdoor temperatures—I’m certain that I’ve already reduced my A/C usage significantly. (Another tool in the battle to conserve: a rock-solid American-made fan from the 1950s that shows no signs of slowing down,
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Grid cover story superstar Nic Esposito—who also happens to be a PHS employee—passed along this information for local entrepreneurial growers: The City Harvest Growers Alliance (CHGA) is a project sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s PhiladelphiaGreen (PG) program and funded by the USDA. Its purpose is to increase the supply of nutritious, locally-grown produce in Philadelphia, provide material and educational
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