Articles Written by Julie Hancher

A train derailed this morning in Paulsboro, New Jersey and instantly made national news. Why?

We received an invite to review Washy Wonder, a tool to "encourage reuse" and be greener. Besides the fact that I keep mixing up the brand name for a place in Chinatown that ends with a "happy ending", this product appalls me. The Washy Wonder is made by polypropylene, or #5 plastics. The point of this "tool" is to wash plastic bags up to 25 to 30 times to save them from the landfill. Let's break this down.

After a long and exhausting day, I like to unwind with a good glass of wine... so much that I'm enjoying one in my hand as I type this post! (OK, maybe alternating typing & drinking...) But once you (or I) polish off a few bottles of sweet, sweet heaven, where can you recycle wine corks?

Want a soft serve-inspired dessert that's totally guilt free? Helllooooo, Banana Whip. This past summer, my sister-in-law raved about the Bashful Banana in Ocean City, NJ. I enjoyed their banana whip at least twice during the week (on top of soft serve a few times...) This frozen dessert not only satisfied my sweet tooth but I learned it was ONLY made of bananas. I had no clue how this was possible since I had previously put bananas in the blender for smoothies, and it's nothing like frozen yogurt. Don't worry friends, I've discovered the secret. And it's good. AND, this recipe is easy enough to be called a.... Half-assed recipe!

Black Friday is here! Don't feel like dealing with those lines and craziness? Stay cozy on your couch & shop for everyone on your list! Here's 10 of my recommendations that you can purchase online for Black Friday:

Why not balance out a local beer extravaganza with a talk about the state of our Carbon Dioxide emissions? I did just that by attending back-to-back Philly Beer Week-sponsored Bathtub Beer Fest and Bill McKibben's 350 Do the Math tour! (Find out about both events, after the jump).

Love it or hate it: We're about to be in the chaotic holiday season. The 4th 'R' of achieving green-ness is the one not often discussed: Refuse it. (Find out more, after the jump!)

Attention all those who bike Philly streets: The Complete Streets Bill is up for discussion in City Council TOMORROW, Thursday 15th. Councilman Mark Squilla, the  Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, the Streets and Law Departments, and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia all worked together to improve those often rowdy biker-car-pedestrian relations. Heck, maybe they even were inspired after reading my rebuttal to Carrie Denny's infamous "Cyclists suck, my gas-guzzling SUV rules all Philly Streets" Philly Mag post. (Maybe Philly Mag even got the point since they mentioned this bill is even good for cars.) The bill has 2 main goals:

Hey ladies - Do you have some extra used bras lying around? Or gents, have an ex or two's left over bra in your closet that you don't want to return? You can recycle used bras to give them a new life for a woman in need! (Find out where and how, after the jump!)