Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Sustainability is about what we're shoving into our mouths as much as recycling & reducing your waste. You're probably aware of the Dirty Dozen - produce you should be purchasing organic because of pesticides in conventional varieties.  Hopefully you've cut back on seafood since overfishing is a critical problem of our oceans... and fish farms aren't exactly a great solution either. However, if you're going to splurge on a fish selection - What should you avoid? Here's the list according to Food & Water Watch:

Hot enough for you Philly? Make the best of that HOT sun outside and use... solar energy to charge up your goods!  Solar backpacks and chargers are

I feel for Lolo Jones' big secret. The dating world is tough, and things that make you different can be uncomfortable to share with someone you're just getting to know. My little secret?

Happpppy Independence Day Week! The celebration to kick off America's birth has begun, and we're celebrating all things red, white & green. (Whattt?) Here's a few links for your enjoyment:

With Dirt Factory debuting in University City this week, everyone's talking about composting. Whether you're a University City resident or not, where can you turn your orange peels & egg shells into plant-satisfying goodness?

One of the beautiful things about a CSA is getting a crapload of veggies which you have no idea what to do with. I may have overdosed after having goat cheese, almond & cranberry salad 7 days straight for lunch. My next dilemma? I had various vegetables and wanted something asian-influenced to go along with my 5% Asian self. Luckily I found a package of spring roll wrappers from the grocery story recently and decided to be creative with them. Note: you can swap out the veggies I suggest with your own fillings. But mine were pretty damn delicious... Here's my vegan recipe: Julie's Half-Assed Veggie Spring Rolls

We've all heard it before: - Air conditioners "work" harder when they're cooling down your house after a hot day ... But it's (True? False? The anticipation is killing me... so just click through & find out, after the jump!)

I recently received an invite to attend an evening sold as a "conversation" about the local food movement. (Disclaimer #1: Specifics withheld:My intention is not to embarrass any individuals, but to discuss my frustration from this experience.) Since I've been screaming 'GO LOCAL" on GPB for the past few months, I felt like I wanted to rejuvenate my feelings on the topic and get some new insight. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. The format of the discussion was pretty straight forward: Young woman "expert" wrote a thesis, presented a PowerPoint with a few short clips (including Food Inc. & Freakanomics), followed by discussion. The most frustrating part of the evening was the presenter's arguments against the local food movement. (Disclaimer #2: I've read a book pro-locavore and anti-locavore.) Although I love a good debate, I felt that many of her anti-locavore arguments weren't well explained. Therefore, I've analyzed a few of the "Going local isn't all it's cracked up to be" arguments:

I've had a few friends move and therefore ask this question lately: Where can I get a recycling bin?