Philly

Hey guys! Exciting news... After I applied on a whim, I was picked to be 1 of 20 lucky participants in Zipcar's Low Car Diet! Starting tomorrow for 30-days, I'll be virtually car-free! As co-author of Green Philly Blog, I know we all have skeletons in our trying-to-be-green closet... and haven't been able to kick my dreaded driving habit while working in the suburbs (which lacks a solid transit system). So I'm giving this a go, refraining from lunch outings and staying late on the weekdays. Every day, I'll be updating Julie's Low Car Diet blog to

GreenFest Philly 2010 GreenFest Philly returns to 2nd & South Street/Headhouse Square District for a fashion-themed event this Sunday, Sept. 12 at 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. The annual green festival will feature: Bike Philly 2010 This Sunday, September 12 at 8:00 am, join cyclists for Bike Philly, a morning of relaxed biking on certified car-free Philadelphia streets. This annual event is (Find out more about GreenFest Philly & Bike Philly, after the jump)

Got a green thumb? Gardeners of all levels should soak up the plants, gardening tips and all things green at the Free Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) Fall Gardening Festival on Saturday, Sept. 11, 11 AM-4 PM at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. The free festival will showcase PHS’s special programs for homeowners and gardeners, as well as food, live music, plant sales and demonstration. Highlights of the day include:

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...

Our guest post comes today from Alexis Bonari who writes about New Low-Emission Shuttle Buses at the Philly International Airport: In an effort to reduce air pollution and improve air quality, the Philadelphia International Airport is replacing its diesel-powered buses with eight new, low-emission shuttle buses. The EPA provided a grant of $475,669 to help finance the project, but US Airways is still spending over $3.5 million to replace the diesel buses. The ribbon cutting ceremony for one of the new buses was August 18, putting the bus on display for tours. The Airport’s CEO stated that sustainability was a major priority and that the new buses were well adapted to that environmental initiative. Diesel emissions are an especially important priority because

Congrats to the following Green local businesses & honors who made Philadelphia Magazine's Best of 2010: Art Star Craft Bazaar Greenable Hana & Posy JuJu Salon & Organics SA VA The Franklin Fountain Tierra Mia TimeCycle, Inc. Best Urban Innovation: The bikes lanes on Spruce and Pine streets Check out these green locals in the print- You still have time to pick up Philadelphia Magazine's August 2010 issue in stores now. (and remember to recycle it after!)

So you’re all psyched to be caught up in the green movement… you’re shopping at Whole Foods with your reusable bags… But what about your best friend?!? Don’t leave Fido, Max or Fluffy out of your green changes!  Good news...

Last night, I enjoyed a lovely evening out for the Philadelphia Orchestra's Planet Earth Live show at the Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Images of wildlife, seasons, Mt Everest, and the tundra were beautifully accompanied by the Orchestra's music. Some of the most beautiful scenes were of caves (who knew you could skydive into some of them?!?) and the polar bears playing were definitely drawing 'oohs & ahhs from the crowd. Composer George Fenton set up each piece by previewing why each location was significant and what we'd be seeing next. What was more fitting was that this show took place in the open air Mann Center on a beautiful summer night... and the Mann recently launched a new green initiative to celebrate 75 years of music in the park! Green changes the Mann has implemented include:

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: