Grid Magazine

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment

Ask Mark

Q: [What is] your vision for residential solar power in Philadelphia’s energy future? Many Philadelphians, like me, have homes with flat roofs that receive plenty of direct sunlight. Is the city considering any programs that would help us tap into that potential power, like California’s “Million Solar Roofs” project?—Tom Schrand, Director of the Environmental Sustainability

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Community/GridPhilly

Digital Inclusion

Reaching OutPeople’s Emergency Center Community Development Corporation
It’s kind of hard to get a job without knowing how to type or use the Internet. Yet, despite our technologically-driven times, many Philadelphians are computer-starved—one more barrier to opportunity.

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Art/Community/Culture/GridPhilly

Nexus Radio

Philly's Got Culture
With TV waves going digital this February, Nexus/foundation, an experimental artist collective, thought it might be time to go old-school. So they turned their gallery, located in the Crane Arts Building (1400 N. American St.), into a low-frequency AM radio station for the months of December and January. Their control room, made of

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment/GridPhilly

Starting Up: Greensteps

Laura Blau taught energy savings to her six year old son, Nandor, using the green cloth dragon that hangs from his bedroom door. Every night, if Nandor’s clothes are still clean, he puts them inside the dragon’s pouches and wears them the next day. Overtime, Laura does less laundry and when she does, she uses

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Circular Economy/GridPhilly/Recycling

Making It Happen: Alexis Rosenzwieg

This popped! creator and organizer admits that today’s music festivals aren’t exactly sustainable endeavors, but that hasn’t stopped her from trying. At last summer’s festival, each recycling station was managed by a volunteer who informed festival-goers about proper recycling. Businesses and organizations were discouraged from passing out flyers and encouraged, instead, to present their information

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Community/GridPhilly

Spend a Saturday: West Mount Airy

This five block stretch of Germantown Avenue isn’t gushing to tell its secrets. You’ll find tall trees and narrow, stone-laid storefronts, not neon lights. But don’t let the formal appearance fool you. Step inside. A shop owner, who probably lives just a few blocks away, will show you Mount Airy’s experimental side.

February 1, 2009

1 min read

#001 February 2009/Community/Food/gardening

The Other Economy

Don't Panic, Philly--there's work to do!
by Kenneth D. Smith, Ph.D.
Many Philadelphians feel anxious about the unfolding economic crisis. So far we’ve witnessed eye-popping declines in our 401Ks, unprecedented layoffs from CitiBank to City Hall, and planned cuts in City services, including libraries, firehouses, recreation centers and public swimming pools. Given the tense environment, is there

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Food

Doctor’s Orders

When Greg Salisbury opened Rx restaurant in University City, almost no one in the Philly restaurant industry was thinking local. “When we started in ’01 there was only one other restaurant doing this,” says the laidback and laconic Salisbury. “My first exposure to a CSA [Community Supported Agriculture] in 1997, at 17th and South, caused

February 1, 2009

2 mins read

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment/Politics

State Support

New legislation could mean Pennsylvania is finally turning around its energy policy
by Will DeanPennsylvania has long lagged behind other parts of the country in terms of supporting alternative energy and energy conservation. Perhaps because of our massive coal resources, the Keystone State has kept its thinking about energy production firmly in the past. In 2008,

February 1, 2009

4 mins read

#001 February 2009/Energy/Environment

Sun City

Alternative energy entrepreneur Mike McKinley talks about what solar can do for Philly
by Dana Henry
Mike Mckinley was a cognitive neuroscientist working for Pfizer in southern California when the lights went out. Utility spikes caused by the deregulations of Enron and Reliant Energy (the same will happen with PECO in 2010) had led to a series

February 1, 2009

5 mins read

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