Philly

Happy New Year! As I stated on MNN, one of my new years resolution is to help pass Philadelphia reduce plastic bags. It's easy: we want common sense legislation to encourage reusable bags and discourage single bag use. How can you help and get involved to reduce plastic bags?

Happy New Years Eve! 2012 has been quite eventful for Philadelphia, especially with these 6 Philly green initiatives. Green Philly Blog's year was full of furthering sustainability, both online and off. We hosted a Philly Spring Cleanup Day Site in Northern Liberties, removing many pounds of trash and debris from a shared sports park. We were thrilled at the turnout and plan on increasing cleanups for 2013 due to the success. Our “Ban the Bag” day

How can you take those dying Christmas trees with all the pine needles and turn them into a greener 2nd life? We have good news for our Where Can I Wednesday column: there are a LOT of choices this holiday season! (Find out a full list of locations by neighborhood and guidelines to recycle those Christmas trees, after the jump!)

It's 5 days before Christmas and I can practically smell the excitement in the air. For some of us that anticipation may be commingled with final frenetic shopping. No matter, if you're still on the hunt for that last-minute sustainable gift idea Zipcar zipcertificates may be your answer. Have a young adult on your list? Research shows 18-34 year olds (the Millenials) are increasingly forgoing car ownership and adopting alternative means of transportation such as car-sharing services like Zipcar. In a Zipcar study, 78% of Millennial respondents said car ownership is difficult due to high cost of gas, parking and maintenance. Philadelphia provides good sources of public transportation but sometimes a car is just necessary for those major shopping hauls. family visits, or impromptu road trips. A Zipcertificate starts at $50.

We're trying to be the greenest city in the USA, but we still have a long way to go (although Philadelphia's starting to get a little bit of street cred. However, each year we see more and more progress in our city of sustainable love. Here's the top 6 green initiatives outta Philly that we're proud of from 2012:

Did you know that those "free" plastic bags are embedded in your grocery checkout bill? And that each plastic bag you use costs you an estimated $.17 in taxes? Whether you reuse, trash or recycle those plastic bags, you're still paying an estimated $85 dollars each year for the Philly Water Department to clean plastic bags out of our waterways. Plus, those plastic bags (like diamonds) are never ever (like ever) going away. Even in the landfill, they'll keep your takeout and old flowers perfectly preserved. And often times, they end up in the oceans, killing wildlife and littering our lands. The good news? The solution is a LOT easier than we think.

United by Blue pledges to remove one pound of trash for every product sold. But these Philly-based philanthropists don't just stop at oceans... They help when it matters most. This past Saturday, 100 volunteers school 'bussed' their way up to Staten Island, New York for Hurricane Sandy assistance efforts. Since (find out more after the jump:)

A train derailed this morning in Paulsboro, New Jersey and instantly made national news. Why?

This year why not take a break from gifting traditional department store sweaters and ties? A refreshing alternative is available in the form of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Holiday Pop Up Store. PHS has taken over a storefront in a prime retail location in Chesnut Hill. The 400 square-foot space will be transformed into a holiday shopping haven, adorned with birch wood and green garland, accented with touches of glitter and mercury glass, and offering exceptional gifts for the garden, design, culinary, and Flower Show enthusiasts on your holiday list.