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I recently found myself in North Carolina on a cool weekend in January to see the sights with my companion. Although it was the midst of a southern winter, the desire to get outside and do something athletic (and obviously sustainable) was high as ever. After searching for a few options, we found Zipquest Zip Lining. (Find the full story and tons of pictures (AND video) after the jump!)

Hosting a Super Bowl Bash on Sunday? Here's quick tip that will save you money (and help out the environment!)

After embarking on our ‘plastic bag reduction’ journey, I wanted to dig deeper on plastics. After a quick search of the Google, Beth Terry’s “Plastic-Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and You Can Too” landed on my Kindle. Terry has a very challenging mission: She wants to live plastic-free. At first, it sounds simple – stop buying water bottles, disposable crap, DIY or find natural versions. But then you realize that EVERYTHING is plastic. I didn’t think of my shiny Macbook Laptop as 'plastic' (it's a miracle!), nor the Pyrex lids on my containers. Not clothes I wear, seats I sit in, airplanes I fly in…  Plastic is EVERYWHERE. Terry does a great job at (Find out more, after the jump!)

The big game is right around the corner - The PUPPY BOWL! (Speaking of which, fun fact! Last year, 9 of the pups came straight from Pennsylvania SPCA shelters!)  (Oh, and that other game for those football fans.) With Puppybowl and Superbowl translates into dips, appetizers and parties! And with all those dips come chips! Herr's, Lays, Sun, Tortilla, and many other chips! Oh, chip heaven is on the way for me! But now the green question... Can you recycle those chip bags?

Flying Fish Brewing Co. has announced that they'll debut a new beer early this February and donate 100% of the proceeds to New Jersey victims of 2012's Superstorm Sandy. The new beer named "Forever Unloved Sandy" or F.U .Sandy for short is dubbed a hybrid wheat-pale ale. I say hats off to Flying Fish; The thing that strikes me as especially cool about this is Flying Fish isn't just donating profits but every dollar and cent to NJ Sandy Storm Relief. The F.U. Sandy brew will produce approximately 100 kegs of beer, sales of which will generate $50,000 directly towards a charity.  The recipient of the F. U. Sandy funds will be a grassroots NJ-based charitable organization dedicated to Superstorm Sandy relief and chosen by Flying Fish fans via social media.  Read on to find out how you can nominate a charity.

Riding SEPTA isn't just good for sustainability, our public transit system is  learning to save dollars too, according to Plan Philly! SEPTA is in its third year of its formal sustainability program. All of the initiatives are trying to add environmental, social and economic value.  But, SEPTA is finding that sustainability is an easy way to save money too! Last year, they tried creating energy in creative ways, including  braking trains (captured & reused at power stations) and turned unused real estate into a self-sustaining urban farm. Here are some examples of how dollar bills were accumulating in SEPTA's pockets:

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During cold and flu season it's important to be especially diligent about washing our hands.  But are the often touted antibacterial soaps really better when it comes to preventing germs? Some experts say that plain ol regular soap and water do the job just as well. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) has made statements that hand washing with regular soap is as effective at removing germs as antibacterial soaps, and they don't necessarily endorse antibacterial soap. So what's the key to cleanliness and germ-fighting?

Philadelphia gets more sustainable street cred, this time from the Mayors! The US Conference of Mayors recognized Philadelphia's public-private partnership with Recyclebank with an Outstanding Achievement Award. Last weekend, the Washington DC ceremony honored the city's Philadelphia Recycling Rewards program, based on criteria including: