News

Clayton Bedwell is our expert on Wind, Solar & Alternate Energy. Check out his latest post: With domestic wind energy development down 71% percent this year, it seems like an odd time for the oil industry to kick the anti-wind spin machine into high gear, but that's exactly what's happening. Recently, The Wall Street Journal ran "Wind Power Won't Cool the Planet" where Robert Bryce argues that the technical accommodations necessary to integrate the variable generation of wind energy into the grid ultimately result in little to no carbon reductions versus the traditional power plants they are replacing. Considering the complexities of electricity generation and distribution in addition to the the havoc that variable generation technologies (wind and solar) can have on America's aging grid system (designed for the constant generation of traditional power sources) Bryce introduces an interesting and unintuitive thesis only to sink the article with the choice of some of his source and how he interpreted others. Greentech Media countered "Wind Power Won't Cool the Planet" with

This past Sunday marked Philly’s 2nd Annual Naked Bike Race. The #1 reason was to promote “fuel-conscious consumption” – with bikes lessening our city’s carbon footprint.  This city-wide trek draws attention to environmental awareness & cyclist safety. While not every...

Phillies Pitcher Ryan Madson is making eco-friendly Philadelphia fans proud. He and his wife, Sarah, have decided to make their Wayne home greener. They purchased the house in April and have hired Main Line’s Caledonia Renovations to green the property....

Guest Blogger Clay gives Julie's nostalgic obsession alma mater a shout out & updates us on the PSU Energy Hub. Read more below! "End-use-efficiency improvements are the cheapest, cleanest, surest, most rapidly expandable energy option we have…the ultimate limits on this option are…the lack of knowledge by firms and consumers about the opportunities that exist and how to exploit them.” -John P Holdren, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Penn State University has successfully lead a campaign to secure $130 Million in grant funding over the next five years to start an Energy Innovation Hub at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The Energy Innovation hub will focus on

Philadelphia Streets Department has installed 20 BigBelly solar-powered eco stations on Ogontz Avenue in West Oak Lane, funded by the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant Program (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.) Philly's well on their way to its goal of nearly 1,000 (949 in total; 394 have recycling capabilities) BigBellies that will be installed by the end of 2010. Last year's 474 BigBellies (210 with recyclers) have saved $850K with an estimate of ten years at $13 million. Other benefits of Big Belly include:

Philly, it's hot. And it's going to get hotter. As many of Philly-ites head to the shore this weekend to cool off (myself included!), we should be thankful we're testing the oil-free waters of NJ & DE. After 80 days of Gulf oil spilling, apprx 86 - 169 million gallons oil, a pathetic lack of clean up effort from BP, a new BP backup plan regardless of fate being left in the hands of Kevin Costner, and wildlife tragedy, it's hard to even read the news. For those of you who have been upset for 3 f'ing months too long, here's a little comic relief courtesy of the BP Spills Coffee video:

Back in the day, I remember a Saved by the Bell Episode where Bayside started drilling for oil to get rich... and instead, Zack & co's hearts were broken as Zack's favorite duck Becky dies and the football field is ruined. Lucky for Bayside, Zack makes a 2 minute presentation to the oil tycoons and they end the drilling because of his speech. Unfortunately, the Gulf of Mexico doesn't have a Zack Morris. 1 month ago today, BP had (arguably) the largest environmental disaster with its massive oil spill. Recap of what's currently going on in the Gulf:

School's out for summer... which means a new batch of students are coming in the fall! Besides factors such as location, campus size and party school ranking, students often take a university's sustainability into account for deciding on a college. The Princeton Review & Green Building Council published a “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” to help students find the top green schools - It's the 1st college guidebook to list schools with the most environmentally-responsible campuses and school-wide commitment to sustainability. The Princeton Review’s “Guide to 286 Green Colleges” looks at an institution’s

Good news for sports fans and environmentalists alike - the NFL's first ever LEED certified stadium will open as early as 2011. LEED (Leadership in Environmental Initiative and Design) gives certificates to buildings that adhere to stringent environmentally sustainable building practices. The Los Angeles stadium has not been named home to a team yet. But, the stadium is already making history...