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Happy Friday! The upcoming holiday on Monday means we get to kick off a loooong (and much-needed) weekend. Have plans to head to the shore or mountains? Make sure to lessen your carbon footprint this holiday weekend regardless of where you go. Here's a few quick tips to stay sustainable:

AKA the post about why I'm majoring in environmental science...  “If all mankind were to disappear, the world would regenerate back to the rich state of equilibrium that existed ten thousand years ago. If insects were to vanish, the environment would collapse into chaos.” E.O. Wilson once said the above quote, which was one of the first I heard in my environmental science class. Although I understood that humans have been negatively impacting nature and environment, I didn’t realize the magnitude of the effects. Climate change and global warming have been increasingly covered topics, but why? These questions are why I decided to study environmental science. I was interested in how living organisms, especially humans, interact with their nonliving environment. Plus, humans do more than just contribute to global warming - we cause a lot of damage. Here’s 3 ways we're destructing the Earth:

I spent last weekend soaking up the loveliness that is Napa Valley. We stayed in the charming town of Yountville and enjoyed it to the fullest. Napa is gorgeous all year-round but the spring and fall months tend to be the busiest. If you're in need of lots of some wine and relaxation I'd consider it for your next vacation. Here are some of my recommendations: Explore One of my favorite things to do when traveling is aimlessly wander and see what I stumble upon. In Yountville its super easy to do just that. The town is small and walkable. I took a jog my first morning there to take in the beautiful hills and quaint shops.  I happened upon parks, a greenhouse, and shops opening for the first wine tasting of the day (yes, at 8:30am!)

Heading to your local bank or any sort of street fair tends to have one giveaway: Free Pens! And who doesn't need writing supplies - even in this digital age? Yet a few 'free' pens can stack up to a pile of half-full, glutenous answer to the mighty pen-or-sword  debate. Which brings us to our Where Can I (Wednesday) question: Where can you recycle used pens?

Bike to Work Day was last week, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to start biking now! Bike commuting not only leads to a healthier lifestyle – it reduces carbon emissions that contribute to global warming.  Plus, as the number one bike commuting city, employers and employees alike should encourage more folk to bike Philly. Here are 6 tips for Philly bike commuting in the fourth-best bicycling city in the country:

Although there's many passionate workers out there, companies aren't always in line with environmental goals. Mark Tercek, President & CEO of the Nature Conservancy is coming to the Free Library tomorrow to discuss his book Nature's Fortune: How Business & Society Thrive by Investing in Nature. One of the chapters highlights Philadelphia as the poster child of "Green Infrastructure", and how the city's Green Cities Clean Waters storm water management is using natural systems instead of engineered 'grey' solutions. Catch Mark at the Free Library of Philadelphia tomorrow (May 22) at noon it's a free event that doesn't require tickets. Want to enter to win a FREE copy of Nature's Fortune? Leave a comment below (and make sure to like us on Facebook) and you'll be entered to win! Contest ends EOD Friday 5/24. We chatted with author Mark Tercek about Nature's Fortune, "grey-green" companies and when the environment struck a chord with him. (Read the Q&A and enter to win a FREE copy of his book, after the jump!)

Composting.  We all hear about how great it is and that we should do it. But what is compost exactly and what are the benefits that make it worthwhile? Composting 101 Composting is organic matter that has been decomposed and can be used as fertilizer. Many gardeners are beginning to use it, but why? Here are five benefits of composting:

Have you made the switch to clean energy yet? It’s an easy solution to buy local and renewable energy: with Choose PA Wind. In Pennsylvania, we basically have two options of powering our homes. The first is natural gas, which is extracted through hydraulic fracturing (fracking). Supposed job growth or not, the side effects of fracking  in PA are plentiful enough to steer away.  Plus, those ‘secret’ fracking chemicals are toxic and scary enough to steer us away. The other option is a sustainable option: renewable energy, typically wind and/or solar. Pennsylvania has 24 (Find out more about this renewable energy option, after the jump!)

Don't leave your helmets at home! Tomorrow is the annual National Bike to Work Day - which is also a favorite in Philly. The League of American Bicyclists started Bike to Work Day in 1956 in hopes of showing the power of the bicycle. Riding bicycles is a healthy alternative mode of transportation and can save some gas money - and you know prices at the pump aren't getting any cheaper. Join Mayor Nutter in his 6th year and other public officials as a participant of this widely celebrated day of exercise. Here's a preview of the morning schedule for Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 17: