Articles Written by Beth Funari

At this risk of sounding like an annoying daytime television commercial, "Yes I suffer from terrible seasonal allergies." For me and other allergy sufferers fall can mean tissues, eye drops and lots of cursing your bad fortune. I've learned a few tricks over the years to help clean household air and reduce allergy symptoms:

Philly residents have a lot on their mind - will the Eagles squeak out a win again this Sunday, will the Phils make the playoffs, how long will the beautiful weather last? However, we continue to feel pleased to hear that Philadelphians also care about the city's plastic bag use. When someone signs our plastic bag reduction petition we ask that they list a reason why this initiative is important to them. Here's just some of the reasons Philadelphians are saying prompted them to sign the plastic bag petition:

Eco-minded Philadelphians were graced with a picture-perfect day yesterday for GreenFest. The historic Headhouse Square was lined with rows of green businesses and non-profit organizations. It was refreshing to look around and see hundreds of like-minded people gathered in one place. Though we're constantly interacting with so many of Philadelphia's eco- activists and green companies, it's always revitalizing to chat in person. For us, much of the day was focused on discussing the Plastic Bag Ban.

This September 15th the Camden waterfront is the site of the Philadelphia Red Bull Flugtag competition. Red Bull Flugtag challenges teams of everyday people to build human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight! Flugtag means "flying day" in German, but typically these crafts simply splash into the waters below. But that doesn't make the event any less fun. Teams are judged not only on their flight's distance, but creativity and showmanship as well. One of the team's participating this year is a group of Rowan University students who are members of the university's environmental club. They recognized the opportunity to create an "aircraft" using upcycled materials. I spoke with team captain, Brooke Golden, to get the scoop on the team's Flugtag initiative and her team - The Filthy English Kuh-Knights.

Zipcar is one of Philly's prime car sharing solutions for urban dwellers who want to live a mostly car-less life but need wheels every once in awhile. Now the world's leading car sharing network is expanding to include Zipvan™ cargo van service across North America. Zipcar is launching the Zipvan service in Philadelphia, Seattle, Los Angeles, and Portland, Oregon and will expand to other markets over the next year. I had a chance to ask Zipcar Philly's General Manager, Peter Bruvik, some questions about the new van sharing initiative . Read on for the Q&A.

It's that time again! As much as we all don't want to say sayonara to summer the school season is upon us. Back to school time brings a myriad of emotions - excitement, anxiety, relief (helloooo, parents) and for the childless worker bees among us - a bit of nostalgia. Beyond the new clothes, fresh notebooks and binders - parents and students have to think about what to pack for lunch each school day. Of course, most schools offer cafeteria options, but let's face it they can be pretty nasty and more expensive than bagged lunches. Click through for some ideas to make lunches a little greener.

Shark week continues... OK, what the heck is squalene? Shark squalene is an organic compound found in a sharks liver. So, what's the problem? Shark squalene is heavily used in cosmetics, contributing to unsustainable fishing and damage to marine life. One reason the population of sharks is declining is due to overfishing for the purpose of obtaining the squalene. Click through to read on!

Wondering what to do with that abundance of CSA or farmers market vegetables? This ratatouille recipe kills two birds with one stone - ensuring you don't waste any errant vegetables and meeting your daily veggie quota. I used the local vegetables I had on hand but this recipe would also work well with mushrooms, eggplant or anything else that appeals to you. Ratatouille is a traditional French dish, but I have Italian in my blood so I used plenty of seasonings you might find in an Italian dish. I was really pleased with the results. Click through for the recipe!

I spent this past weekend blissed out listening to the vocal stylings of some of my favorite bands at the Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago. There's not many things I love more than live music so it was one those ideal summer getaways. The lineup included Passion Pit, Santigold, The Black Keys, Of Monsters and Men, Jack White and Philly's Dr. Dog. So, how did the festivals green efforts fare? Click through to find out!