Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Getting ready for the weekend and buying brew-skies for your fridge?  Although we could all debate which brand of beer is best, buy your preferred beer in glass bottles over aluminum cans.  It takes less energy to create glass over aluminum, giving...

Looking for somewhere to eat downtown? Philadelphia's first (and currently only)Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is officially the Pita Pit, located at 16th & Sansom. I fell in love with Pita Pit at Penn State's location (We are!) Their speciality is pita sandwiches, a healthier alternative to fast food. I was psyched to hear they went green and wanted to learn more about it.Looking for somewhere to eat downtown? Philadelphia's first (and currently only)Certified Green Restaurant by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA) is officially the Pita Pit, located at 16th & Sansom. I fell in love with Pita Pit at Penn State's location (We are!) Their speciality is pita sandwiches, a healthier alternative to fast food. I was psyched to hear they went green and wanted to learn more about it.

Save the date for Philadelphia suburbanites (or those who venture to Delaware county): Willistown Environmental Festival on Saturday, September 20th, 11:00 AM - 6:00 PM in Newtown Square, PA (apprx 20 minutes from Philly).

Is running to Wawa or Starbucks for morning coffee a part of your daily routine? If so, bring your own reusable mug with you. You'll avoid wasting

One of my favorite speeches of the Democratic Convention was former V.P. Al Gore's. Since watching & reading both versions of An Inconvenient Truth, I've respected Gore's involvement with the climate crisis. This is one reason why watching "Recount" on HBO was truly depressing - especially when reflecting on Bush's enviro-damage record during his presidency...

Glancing down a grocery aisle, bottled water looks so tempting. The beautiful graphics of green trees, exotic water from Fiji or France... it looks so healthy. It's easy to be duped by this misleading advertising. Growing up the Philly suburbs, I never bought water. Luckily, our tap was clean and my Dad didn't get the point in buying a typically free product. (Who knew Dad's crazy protest was actually helping the environment? ) The bottled water industry is an environmental termite. When you're drinking a bottle of water, you're consuming approximately 1/2 of that bottle in oil - talk about hurting your Carbon Footprint! Why is bottled water so bad?

Carpools are catching on quite rapidly due to inflated gas prices. Make sure to reach out to others when driving to work, school, and vacations. You'll save gas, reduce your carbon footprint, and have a buddy to ease any road rage or traffic pains.

As I'm taking 10 glorious days to rejuvenate from my normally hectic schedule, I can't escape my green observations & habits. Being green is a part of my lifestyle, and I have "green guilt" if I knowingly do something un-green... Whether I'm on the beach, in our beachhouse, or going for a run. In the past few days, I've learned some lessons from my new-found friends in Avalon, NJ, I'd like to share:

With labor day coming up soon, many of you will be vacationing on the beach for one last hurrah. Make sure to pick up any trash or recyclables that you may have with you (or from nearby beachgoers) in the proper bin.