Articles Written by Julie Hancher

The Philly Bike Share Forum at the Academy of Natural Sciences (of Drexel University) brought together four cities to discuss bicycling safety, potential & bike share plans last evening after a day-long Pedestrian & Bicycle Summit at Independence Hall. Ever since Mayor Michael Nutter announced the bike sharing in China back in 2012, word has been buzzing on the street. Philadelphia is joining 42 other US bike sharing cities in this milestone initiative. The evening forum was surprisingly funny, interesting and informative. A few 'tweets' into the meeting, I decided to do an impromptu live-tweeting of the event. (Sorry for the lack of notice, readers - but it was fun to do and I'll give an advanced warning next time. ;-) Many of the tweets are embedded below the summary if you'd like to check out.) Rina Cutler, Deputy Mayor for Transportation and Utilities, (Philadelphia) moderated the event. She

I'll admit it. I wanted to be 'greener' a few years ago, so I cut out dryer sheets from my laundry. Instead, I found those small, spikey "blue balls" at the dollar store that were reusable to soften my clothes. They even claimed to reduce my drying time, saving me dolla' bills for the clothes drying machine. What I didn't know? Those plastic dryer balls are made out of PVC, (Find out more about those 'blue' dryer balls and an amazing sustainable alternative, after the jump!)

Let's be real: It's essential to get our youth on board with sustainability. We're psyched to see a Philadelphia school taking action and getting recognized for it! Albert M. Greenfield Elementary School received the national Green Ribbon Schools Award from the US Dept of Education for increasing its environmental awareness, health & wellness. Greenfield has reduced (Find out how Greenfield has earned national recognition, after the jump!)

Massages and a trip to the spa are the time you want to relax and let go of all worries. It's also the last place you want to contemplate what chemicals are being used on your body. Eviama Life Spa is the original, natural Philadelphia spa. Need proof? Owner Penny Ordway genuinely "got" the natural movement before it was even a blip on most people's radars. From the moment you step foot on the second floor, green space through the window and Buddhist statues set the calming tone and remind you how an urban structure can coexist with the surrounding environment. As Penny explain's Eviama's mission: (Find out more about Eviama, and how to get into their VIP party! You won't want to miss this...)

Do you have half-used medications and unused drugs stashed around your home? Perhaps a prescription you didn't take completely but it's sitting in your medicine cabinet? Those pill bottles just clog up your cabinet space and can be a P.I.A. Luckily, there's a collection event on Saturday for your unused drugs. (Find out where & when to dispose of your unused prescriptions safely, after the jump!)

Love the environment and looking for a job? You may be in luck! Philadelphia came in at #9 for green jobs, with 789 job listings according to Simply Hired. There are over (Find out more about our title & why, after the jump!)

We celebrate our "Earth Day" every day, but today gives us an opportunity to reflect on what Earth Day means to those around our city. Philadelphia has thousands of amazing individuals working to help us achieve cleaner air, water, transit and healthier food options. In honor of this green holiday, we asked a few local individuals what Earth Day means to them:

With Earth Day coming up on Monday, we have a guest post about an event to challenge your bottled vs. tap water knowledge. Elizabeth Kobert is a local coordinator for Think Outside the Bottle. She is a junior at the University of Pennsylvania. What do water and national parks have in common? They're both priceless public assets that should be free and accessible to all! We are challenging national parks to Think Outside the Bottle and (Find out more, after the jump!)

If you haven't started seedlings yet for your spring & summer crops, it's time to get started. First thing: which potting mix should you choose? Although Miracle-Gro tends to dominate Home Depot & conventional 'home' stores, you may be supporting a scary brand. Miracle-gro has fertilizers and synthetic chemicals, criticized for not improving soil over the long term but instead leaching unnatural chemicals into streams and ponds. (Find out more, after the jump!)