Lifestyle

As a thank you to our readers we’re giving away a copy of the educational and entertaining children’s book, “What’s So Bad About Gasoline? Fossil Fuels and What They Do ” What’s the occasion? Nada… we just like you! “What’s So Bad About Gasoline?” written by Anne Rockwell and illustrated by Paul Meisel is a worth-it read for kids with straight forward answers to the question’s title. Click through to read on!

“PA has to change its story. PA is in the process of being destroyed NOW.” –Filmmaker Josh Fox “Fracking” has been thrown around as a foreign term for natural gas mining. Definition: Short for hydraulic fracturing, “fracking” refers to the procedure of creating fractures in rocks and rock formations by injecting fluid into cracks to force them further open. The larger fissures allow more oil and gas to flow out of the formation and into the wellbore, from where it can be extracted. I attended a Gasland Screening last week at Franklin Commons. Although I had read about fracking prior, I didn’t know too much about the process. Luckily, the event organizer arranged two special guests to address the issue: PA Senator Andy Dinniman & Filmmaker of Gasland Josh Fox. Senator Andy Dinniman started off the session, (find out more, after the jump!)

Rachael Kennedy recently completed her Low Car Diet with Zipcar, just like I did last year! We had a chance to ask her a few questions about her experience. She’s a recent Temple University graduate who moved to Philly last August. Just as she was going on her second year as a city-dweller and sick of the parking scene, she heard about Zipcar. The Low Car Diet seemed like a perfect trial period to go car-less. Now, for the questions: Green Philly Blog: How does it feel to be car-free?

Ever since I read the eco-thriller "Eye of the Whale", I've wanted to see whales in the flesh. The fictional novel is fascinating, as it’s full of true whale facts and habits. And I knew I HAD to see a little blowhole sooner than later... When I saw a Philly Dealyo deal for Whale Watching in Cape May, I was almost suspicious that whales wouldn't cross the dirty jersey seas. However, I was quite pleased to find out they did! Five of my friends from an Avalon shorehouse and I decided to embark on the 2.5 hour tour from Cape May Whale Watch & Research Center at 9:30 on Saturday morning. (Find out more & see sweet sea pics, after the jump!)

Fossil fuels are used to fertilize, harvest and process much of the food we eat.  Ample gas is spent transporting food from processor to manufacturer. Considering the valuable resources spent on food processing, it’s disturbing that over 40% of food produced in America is...

Whether you’re hosting a barbecue, enjoying a picnic in the park, or hitting up the beach one last time during this Labor Day weekend keep in mind these simple tips : Reduce your carbon footprint and use public transportation or carpool with friends and family to your destination. Use the final celebration weekend of summer to enjoy locally grown produce like (get more info, after the jump!)

The schoolbus is going round and round... which means for a lot of us, more traffic on the roads. But for that special breed of the population responsible for the development of our future leaders, it means time for to educate our youth. While we gave some tips for Teacher Appreciation Week, it's time to remind teachers to try to remember eco-friendly themes in the classroom. After all, you're the ones molding our children and can help them be environmentally-conscious individuals! Here's a few more ideas of what you can do:

Sometimes you hear a story about someone who has faced adversity and not only risen above their challenges but done something good because of them. Stories like that are inspiring, and have a way of putting things in perspective. In my eyes this is one of them. Alex Elman lost her sight at 27 years old due to complications from diabetes. Her loss of one sense helped heighten another - taste. She discovered she possesses an exceptional palette for wine tasting. Read on after the jump!

GPB reader, Jack asks... Q: I see the term “fair trade” on products. I know this is a good thing but what does fair trade really mean? A: The term fair trade refers to the movement that helps farmers or producers experience better trading conditions. Essentially, the approach focuses on exports coming from developing countries to developed countries and emphasizes paying the producers more (and more fairly.) Read on!