Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Did you know that globally 70% of water used is for agriculture?  Were you aware that 1 in 3 people worldwide are affected by water scarcity? Although water problems may seem foreign to us, water conservation is still essential here in our hometown.  As we pointed out on our Twitter feed, yesterday (March 22) was World Water Day, which focuses on the sustainability & importance of freshwater. Assess your household's water usage with

Oh no! Did you forget to bring a reusable container to your favorite restaurant and need to get a to-go container? Good news for you - plastic cups, plates & to-go containers can all go into your single-stream recycling bin. However, food-stained boxes, stryofoam (ugh) and pizza boxes must go in the garbage.  (I personally cut the grease-stained pizza portion off to recycle the untainted part).  **Update: Philadelphia residents can take Foam (or styrofoam) containers #6 to the Northeast Sanitation Convenience Center at State & Ashburner Streets, but can NOT go in Single-Stream recycling.   Try to avoid

When I first heard about the Hunger Games, I had my doubts. But when my ‘too cool for YA” BFF demanded that I read the series, I reconsidered. Although the book doesn’t state the exact event, major landmasses shifted and the sea level rose to unknown heights to change the Earth’s landscape we know it which develops Panem into its current state.  Does Collins use any of the Hunger Games themes or district circumstances to address our current environmental issues?  Let’s explore further, after the jump.

Do you like water? I love showing off my SIGG water bottle. It's pretty yet dented from the number of times I've dropped it.  And I keep filling it up with tap water.  But, there may be a time I can't fill it up anymore with tap. The Safe Drinking Water Act protects our precious water in Philly. Yet, fracking is a threat.  After hearing lots of questions from readers, I'll now break down why Fracking is a danger to your water supply and the latest developments:

Hey GPB readers! Green Philly Blog and Philadelphia Sports & Social Club (PSSC) are joining efforts to host a Philly Spring Cleanup site at 8th & Poplar Streets in Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. The site is home to hundreds of Philadelphians participating in Kickball, Softball and other outdoor sports.  Although this area is loved by many recreational athletes, litter & debris affect the field’s beauty. (Bonus: PSSC is having the softball field diamond restored prior to coincide with the cleanup efforts.)  Plus, there's a few vacant lots & littered around the area that could use a cleaning. Join us on Saturday, April 14th* from 9 AM – 2 PM to help with litter pickup, tree tending, and other projects that will help clean up the fields.  We’ll provide supplies but feel free to bring your own gloves, rakes, etc. if you do own these supplies. Here’s how to sign up:

I have a problem.  My headphones break. A lot.  But, I use them everyday: at work, running, the gym, on mass transit… etc.  They get their fair share of use. Headphones (especially broken ones) are tricky to recycle since not many companies take them.  You can

Damn. Philly has a LOT of choices for CSAs. Which means you can support local farmers AND get fresh produce straight from a farm TO your table. I loved my CSA excursion last year and can't wait to subscribe to one this year! We gave you a few CSA choices in Philadelphia last week.  Here's a few more for you to mull over:

Confession: When I chose to "go local" for 40 days, I didn't really prepare. My first email from a friend addressed the biggest hurdle:  "Sounds quite intense my friend... What if you wanna go out and get a drink? you're going to 40 days of local brews. "   (But to calm your beer belly fears, there's typically at least 1 or 2 varieties of local wine in Philly liquor stores.) Since I've started my challenge, I'm determined to find products produced within a 75- mile radius. Some may fear there's not a lot of brand choices locally produced,(find out if the fear is a legit one, after the jump!)

Free Movie Tickets because we love you! We have 5 pairs of tickets to giveaway to the Thursday, March 22nd 7:30 PM screening of feature film Salmon Fishing in the Yemen (starring Ewan McGregor & Emily Blunt, by screenwriter of Slumdog Millionaire) at the AMC Waterfront.   Based on a novel, Salmon Fishing is about a sheik who wants to bring fly-fishing to a desert environment.  Want to win tickets?  Simply leave a comment on this post about why you want to see the film. As for what you missed this week: