by Samantha Wittchen
Even in the world of landfilling—a world created by unwanted and discarded items—mattresses are unwelcome residents. They’re bulky and difficult to compress, and they frequently damage landfill machinery. Nearly 40 million mattresses are discarded each year, and with each mattress occupying up to 23 cubic feet, that’s over 900 million cubic feet of
The Latest
Philadelphia’s new director of the Office of Sustainability has an important goal: Make ours the greenest city in the U.S.by Natalie Hope McDonaldIn some ways, she has it easy. As the city’s new director of sustainability, Katherine Gajewski has walked into one of the most progressive posts in the mayor’s office during a time when
More5 mins read
The Philadelphia Eages tackle sustainabilityby Einav KeetWhen Christina Lurie, wife of Eagles owner Jeffrey, started chanting “Go green!” a few years ago, she wasn’t just cheering for a McNabb-to-Westbrook screen pass, but also heralding the organization’s ramped-up effort to reduce waste and energy use on and off the football field.
More1 min read
A local shoe designer gets LEED-certified by Natalie Hope McdonaldWhen it was time to expand its headquarters, shoemaker Dansko put its best foot forward and went green. The footwear designer may be best known for its comfortable clogs, sandals and shoes inspired by traditional Danish design, but as of this year, this suburban Philadelphia-based company
More3 mins read
You might not have heard of Kempton, PA, but if you’re interested in renewable energy, you should be there this September. The fifth annual Pennsylvania Renewable Energy & Sustainable Living Festival will be held on Sept. 18, 19 and 20 at the 66-acre Kempton Community Center.
More1 min read
It’s hard to know which earth-friendly cleaners get the job done. GRID rolled up our shirtsleeves to test some contenders—here are our picks.
More1 min read
When I was a freshman in high school, two soda machines were installed in our cafeteria. School lunches cost a dollar, but the truly rebellious kids bypassed the lunch lines entirely and would buy a soda for 50 cents and two 25 cent bags of chips. Katie Cavuto-Boyle (p.37) would not have approved! One day,
More2 mins read
In your too-brief months, our city really shines. Even though you came in this year with rainfall of biblically epic proportions, this didn’t stop any of us from filling our senses with your sights, sounds, tastes, smells or amazing activities.
More1 min read
The Cul-De-Sac Syndrome: Turning Around the Unsustainable American Dreamby John F. WasikBloomberg, $24.95Financial analysts, like the author of this book, have picked out the housing market as the trigger for the current economic downturn. In The Cul-De-Sac Syndrome, John Wasik, a personal finance columnist for Bloomberg News, agrees with that assertion, but says that our
More1 min read
Exposed: the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Powerby Mark SchapiroChelsea Green, $16.95There has never been a shortage of books critiquing American government policy or society, but with the current economic crisis, such books now have a lot more cachet. Exposed, by Mark Schapiro, editorial director of the Center for
More1 min read