Grid Magazine

#002 March 2009/Energy/Environment/Politics

Ask Mark

Philadelphia’s Director of Sustainability, Mark Alan Hughes, answers our readers
Q: When I saw you speak at Johnny Brenda’s a few months ago, you mentioned an idea to make Philadelphia government offices more energy-conscious by tracking their usage, setting goals and rewarding conservation efforts. Since that time, Mayor Nutter has announced massive cutbacks and I couldn’t

March 1, 2009

2 mins read

#002 March 2009/Farming/Food/gardening

Urban Jungle, Concrete Farm

Philly represents at statewide urban farming conference by Phil ForsythOn February 7, over 80 enthusiastic farmers and eaters packed a workshop called Small Space Community Food Production in State College. Lisa Mosca and Sharat Samashekara of Philly Green—a division of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society—energized the crowd about the possibilities of sustainable agriculture in an urban

March 1, 2009

2 mins read

#002 March 2009/Cooking/Food/GridPhilly

Recipe: Peach Turnovers

1/2 can Three Springs Fruit Farm Canned Peaches3 tbsp Peach jelly 1 tbsp Cornstarch1/8 tsp Cinnamon 1 frozen Puff pastry sheet, thawed1 lg egg, beaten 2 tbsp Cold Green Meadows butter, cut into cubes1 tbsp Sugar

March 1, 2009

1 min read

#002 March 2009/Farming/Food

Daily Dish

Farm to Philly hosts bloggers who eat locally, seasonally
by Tenaya Darlington
I may not be a locavore—the word for someone who tries to source food from within 100 miles of her home—but I am definitely a locavore voyeur. I like knowing what people are cooking within 100 miles of my house. No wonder I’ve become a

March 1, 2009

2 mins read

#002 March 2009/Circular Economy

From the Editor: Creative Change

When the New Kensington CDC was faced with mountains of garbage being dumped on their neighborhood’s vacant lots, they came up with an ingenious idea: plant trees around the perimeters of vacant lots. Just the presence of trees stoically standing guard proved discouragement enough for would-be garbage dumpers.

March 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment/GridPhilly

The Energy Issue

Philly runs on uncertain energy. It’s hard to imagine, but our electricity actually costs less than it could. Currently, our bills are lowered through rate caps applied by the state. On December 31, 2010, those caps expire, prices are expected to spike and no legislation is in place to protect us.

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment/Farming/Food

Waste Not!

Biogas technology will save Philly some serious money
by Matt Jakubowski
Biogas isn’t sexy. There are no sleek silver solar panels, no turbines on a windswept hill. It’s a part of your regular routine, but we’re only beginning to tap into its explosive potential. Biogas generation, the unmentionable alternative, uses methane, a potent greenhouse gas that

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Community/education/Race and Equity

Girl’s Best Friend

Around 3 p.m., the girls trickle through the front door of a former upholstery shop. From public and private schools in Germantown, Mount Airy and beyond, they arrive in pleated skirts and blue jeans. Yvonne Haughton welcomes each by name as they shed jackets and knapsacks before helping themselves to pudding and hot chocolate.

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Community/transportation

Flash of Hope

An ode to Frankford Ave. And the Elby Nathaniel Popkin
The third-floor factory window frames the view, the restive city in the side-glance of the winter sun. Here’s a swollen plume of white smoke and the granite-colored river, and the Betsy Ross Bridge in the muted but improbable green invented by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Amtrak flies

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Design/Energy/Environment/GridPhilly

Redesigning the Friends Center

Renovations of the Friends Center, the first facility in Philadelphia to get its heat from deep-standing column wells (six holes drilled between 1,000–15,000 feet into the earth’s core), are nearly two-thirds complete.

February 1, 2009

1 min read

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