Lifestyle

I officially live in the coolest neighborhood in Philly. Northern Liberties (so hot right now!) is featured in National Geographic Traveler. What's cooler (and GPB-approp) is the number of green 'sites' on the interactive map such as:

It's that time of year again... the time I'm envious of college students everywhere trekking back to campus, ready to engage in the best time of their lives. Thinking about going to school (whether graduate or undergrad) with an eco-friendly mindset? Want to know if your alma mater is a green-friendly campus? The top 15 Greenest Colleges came out from the Princeton Review as follows:

The Kensington Community Food Co-Op is turning Philadelphia’s First Friday into a charitable affair. Head to the The Caterpillar starting at 6:00 p.m. this Friday, August 7th where you can check out 5 cool bands for a good cause:

Looking for a capturing read that you can't put down? No, I'm not talking about the Twilight series. I've been recommending Eye of the Whale by Douglas Carlton Abrams to many friends and family members. The story follows Elizabeth McKay, a marine biologist who is finishing her PHD program with a thesis of cracking humpback whale communication. When a humpback swims up the Sacramento River with an unprecedented song, the clock starts ticking as Elizabeth must save the whale from danger. But as her journey to free this whale progresses, she starts catching the media and world's attention... including opponents who are trying to cover up many dangerous secrets from Elizabeth and the world. Quickly, Elizabeth finds herself in danger, jeopardizing her marriage, her career - and even her life. An ecological thriller, Abrams does an excellent job bringing in

Listen up chocolate lovers - Endangered Species Chocolate is where it's at. I tasted this delicious cocoa treat in Southern California recently and was hooked. As a chocolate lover, I felt like I was living under a rock having not heard of it previously. What's even better? Endangered Species is registered with and meets all requirements of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. ) They practice the 3 R's

I'm quite excited to hear some of my favorite bands this weekend during 88.5 WXPN's XPoNential Music Festival. Also, I can rest easy knowing XPN's taking many eco-friendly steps for a low impact festival (especially after all the controversy regarding U2's outlandish Carbon Footprint...) Village Green is coming back to the Festival for its second year, where Delaware Valley environmental leaders can teach concertgoers about sustainable and eco-friendly products and services. Topics such as renewable energy, solar power, green building materials, organic soil, bamboo clothing and socially responsible investing will be discussed. Bringing tykes to the Kids Corner? Interactive demonstrations for kids to learn 'how to keep the earth happy' are an extra incentive to bring your eco-activists to the three-day festival. Village Green Participants '09 include:

A glimpse into U2’s collective carbon footprint from Helen Roberts of carbonfootprint.com has sparked controversy among environmentalists. This year alone, the world-renowned band’s tour (from 44 shows) is reportedly emitting the equivalent carbon footprint of a return flight to Mars....

Nowadays, when you purchase a new cell phone, most companies provide a means to recycle or refurbish your old phone. In case you need further incentive –  The Dave Mathews Band (whose latest CD, Big Whisky and the Groo Grux...

While I'm a huge fan of long distance running, I was more than willing to take a mini-vacay from the sport since my Philadelphia Marathon debut in November. Anyone who's run a marathon can vouch the time commitment and excruciating pain hours after completion. That's why I was fascinated by this video of two Canadians who ran 11,000 miles (aka 1 marathon per DAY) for a year to inspire eco-action: (Video courtesy from their Run for One Planet site) Matt Hill & Stephanie Tait ran across North America (Forrest Gump style) and completed their journey in May, crossing through 25 states and 10 provinces. Congrats Matt & Stephanie!