Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Apparently, the Eagles are leaving no stone un-turned. After a kick-ass performance by Vick & 59-28 victory on Monday night and as we reported yesterday, PETA naming the Linc as #1 most vegetarian-friendly NFL stadium, the Eagles announced their plans to becoming the greenest stadium in the World. Talk about a few week's accomplishments. By next opening day next September, the Linc will have 2500 solar panels on the roof & facade, 100 spiral sharped wind turbines and a cogenerational power plant to run biodiesel or natural gas to fully power any game, lights, sound & crowd roars. Over the next 2 decades, the Eagles can save $60 million in energy costs. The Linc can compete for the (read more, after the jump)

Exciting update: 2 of our favorite green stores have opened 2nd locations! Big Green Earth Store opened downtown on November 1st at the Shops at Liberty Place between Godiva Chocolatier and ALDO, accessible through 17th OR Market St entrances. Starting Dec 1st, they'll have holiday hours - 9 AM - 9 PM at South Street & 9:30 AM - 8 PM @ Our Shops at Liberty Place through December 24th. Arcadia Boutique expanded to a 2nd Rittenhouse Boutique at 265 S. 20th St, right by 20th & Spruce. Their Grand Opening Reception is this Fri, November 19th from 5-9 PM, complete with cocktails, snacks & sales!

Citizens Bank Park has topped PETA's Most Vegetarian Friendly MLB Stadium in 2009 & 2010, even calling CBP an "undisputed dynasty" in the rankings. Now, Philadelphia Eagle's own Lincoln Financial Field has been named PETA's #1 Vegetarian-Friendly NFL Stadium. According to the PETA article, "Flying high at number one is the Eagles' Lincoln Financial Field, where protein-packed mock-steak sandwiches, faux-chicken sandwiches, veggie dogs, and veggie burgers are coming off the grill faster than DeSean Jackson in the open field". Opening in August 2003 & seating 68,532, the Linc has quadrupled their number of concession areas compared to the Eagles' former home of Veteran's Stadium. PETA released the news last week, but there is one very ironical part of this: Michael Vick's current position as dominating QB for the Eagles. 47 Pit Bulls were seized from Bad Newz Kennels in 2007, leading to Vick's prison sentence. The LA Times

We all have those old towels and blankets and towels that are too old for Goodwill or Salvation Army. Instead of throwing these out, donate them to a local animal shelter or humane society. PAWS is located right at 2nd & Arch (and loves fleece blankets since they dry quicker!) or 2900 Grays Ferry Avenue & PSPCA are great local candidates to contact! What a better idea for those rapidly approaching holidays for pups & cats?

"Solar Energy is way too expensive, can't work in cloudy places, unreliable, and ugly. Only people like Al Gore & millionaires can put it in their houses." Sorry guys, these statements are all wrong! Going solar is great for your home, pocket AND the environment. But where do you even start? Sunlight Solar Energy, Inc. is a leading national installer of solar electric and solar hot water systems. Located in Philadelphia, OR, CT & MA, Sunlight has stepped up to the plate to dispel rumors of solar energy through an ongoing educational campaign. The overall success of Sunlight Solar points to their reputation as a reliable source and easy approach of all things solar. Paul Israel, President of Sunlight Solar, attributes the company mission to "educate consumers and empower them to make informed purchasing decisions." Homeowners & businesses have plenty of factors to consider when going solar, (just learn what, after the jump!)

Come join a FREE informative Solar Seminar next Wednesday, November 17th, from 6 - 7:30 PM at the the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association community center at 700 N 3rd St (3rd & Fairmount). Solar energy is great for your home, your pocket AND the planet. But is it actually realistic for you? It can be, if you're informed! During this seminar, you'll discover what solar energy is, and how it works in your home or business, straight from Mallory Froeder from Sunlight Solar Energy. She'll discuss how to

Through my Zipcar Low Car Diet experience, I met & connected with Jason Meinzer, COO & co-founder of Philadelphia-based CityRyde - the world's largest bike sharing consultancy. Europe has been using bike sharing programs for a while, and the US is rapidly catching on. Although Jason & co-founder/CEO Timothy Ericson saw the potential and began with the intention to be a bike sharing company, their focus shifted to consulting. CityRyde specializes in assisting bike sharing companies in the stages of planning to implementation, helping over 40 customers & 100+ companies since 2007. What IS a bike share?

Yay for Philly! Rather than letting leaves collect in drains and litter our streets, Philly is having a 6-week Philly Bagged Leaf Drive to collect & compost them to fertilize gardens & nourish trees. From November 8-December 17, you can set out leaves on trash day to help Philadelphia's foliage - saving time & labor costs. How can you participate? Here are the Collection Guidelines:

It’s like getting back on a bike. After a few year hiatus, I finally took the plunge to go with 2 wheels. As author of Green Philly Blog, I feel as though I should have purchased a bike years ago. However, I stalled this decision based on my long commute to the suburbs, a naïve decision to purchase a new car after college (for the record, it has a low emissions rating) and the expense of owning a bike/living in the city using public transit instead. Since I’ve lived in the city, I’ve been able to get around sans car & bike on the weekends. After wanting to make the switch, choosing to participate in the low car diet finally put me over the edge to buy a bike. I visited a few shops, test rode a few bikes before settling on the one I called the One. It was quite an interesting process overall. I considered each type of bike for my decision, look at various prices and thought long and hard about what to ultimately select as my new wheels. For those who haven’t converted yet, biking in Philly is hotter now than ever. Spruce & Pine Streets have lanes devoted only to 2-wheeling citizens, the Bike coalition has many events , and Philadelphians recently participated in the Naked Bike Race to raise awareness of how much Bikes help the city and environment. For those who are thinking of buying a bike, here’s a few pieces of advice I picked up from my journey: