Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Quick decision! You're waiting for a friend to run into Wawa and are on your way to the shore. Do you cut the engine or keep it running? (Find out after the jump!)

Want to get a FREE tree (or two) for your yard this fall?!? (Find out how, after the jump!)

Reader Terry (Delaware County) asked: Where I can recycle mercury thermometers? I have three of them.

What would you do with 50,000+ beer cans? One man turned them into his house.

Philly's got a ton going on in the sustainability scene. If you haven't been out and about, here's a few excuses to get out of the house & get active:

Happy October! Can you believe it's time for pumpkin spice lattes and pumpkin... everything? (Even though the stores have been stocked since August...) Here's what you missed on the interwebs lately:

Philly's cleaning up!  Both the 'city blocks' & 'vacant lots' are both being judged HARD in Philly this week by two Philly-based organizations. The Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC) is in the middle of judging 17 city blocks to wrap up the 2012 "cleaning season" in Philadelphia. The 2012 Clean Block Contest selected finalists from over 6,600 organized blocks which had cleanups throughout the year. Fun stats for this year's beautification efforts include: (Find out more about city efforts & see a before/after, after the jump!)

"You smell like pine needles, and have a face like sunshine!" Hopefully if you were a bridesmaid, your experience was better than that one. Although Beth's walked down the aisle, I've only been the warm-up to the main event... Approximately 7 times. Which  means I've acquired quite a few unwearable, unflattering bridesmaid dresses. So what should you do with those old dresses? (Find out what you can do, after the jump!)

There's a lot of talk about plastic pollution in our oceans and by plastic bags, but what is anyone doing about it? The 5 Gyres Institute is launching a Last Straw Plastic Pollution Solutions Outreach Tour, conducting beach & watershed cleanups all over the East Coast from Boston to Charleston. The 1400 mile bike tour is hitting up major cities to discuss problems (and solutions!) for the plastic plague. The 5 Gyres tour is coming to Philly on October 15 - and you won't be bummed out by their visit. (Find out more about the awesome upcoming visit and how YOU can win free stuff, after the jump!)