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We're so excited to about yesterday's success! We had the Plastic Bag Ban petition shared by fellow Philadelphian bloggers all over yesterday. So many people were discussing #BanPhillyBags on Twitter (even though Twitter melted down midday!)  It was picked up by Sandy Bauers on Philly.com and Philly Mag! (We also had a few other mentions, both lovers and haters.)  There were thousands of people that saw our message and picked up an issue that had been dismissed since 2009. But, we Just Started. Yesterday begun our movement with such a big bang that we wanted to leave the petition open to encourage more signatures before sending to Mayor Michael Nutter, Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, the Office of Sustainability & Philadelphia City Council. We'll send the letter next week, but the petition will remain open until the plastic bag ban has passed. How can you help? Please keep sharing the petition and your personal stories!  If a 12-year-old in Chicago can do it, we can do it! The most inspiring part of yesterday was reading the enthusiastic comments on our Change.org petition. Here are some highlights:

Today, we're dishing the dirty truth about plastic bags. Each year... Americans use approximately 100 BILLION plastic bags ...creating 300,000 tons of landfill waste The average US family takes home 1500 plastic shopping bags An estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide ... Which equals over 1 million plastic bags used per minute. (Find out what we're doing to ban plastic bag, and how you can help NOW, after the jump!)

Your rooms may look beautiful and spankin’ new, but there’s a wee bit of paint left over.  So readers, what can you do with that unused paint cans?

A few weekends ago, I found myself in Pittsburgh for my friend's wedding and had time on Saturday morning to explore. Wanting to find Pittsburgh's green side, I received recommendations from Twitter friends Pittsburgh Tote Bag Project and Ali Shapiro for Phipps Conservatory. Dating back to 1893, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is set in Pittsburgh greenspace Schenley Park, right in eyesight of University of Pittsburgh (and the Cathedral of Learning). All of the exhibits are... (Find out more about Phipps, after the jump!)

My roommate sent me a picture, panicked: I immediately was transported to one sunny spring day in 1995. The school cafeteria was chattering full of fifth graders gossiping about the previous night's forbidden 90210 episode and the new TLC song. (Find out more about the gross side of going green, after the jump!)

Happy Friday! With only a few hours left of your rainy (and much needed rain, at that!) work day, here's some green links you missed:

Looking for a way to eat super-locally? Even if you have a more black-than-green thumb, many herbs are easy to grow. You can guarantee an organic & local food, from your yard to your plate! These plants grow quickly and are way cheaper coming from your own house. No outdoor space? No sweat! Herbs can prosper indoors, as long as you water them and give them a minimum of 6 hours of direct sunlight. Ready to get started? (Here's where to go for more info, after the jump!)

Damn, it's hot outside... Newsworks reported that the PA Horticultural Society (PHS)'s Pop Up Garden closed yesterday due (find out more, after the jump!)

Hey Green Philly Fans, We're eating a piece of (vegetarian, local) cake today to celebrate our 4th birthday! Starting as an online publication to help you be green as you can be,  our number one goal remains to help our readers, old and new. (Find out more, after the jump!)