Air quality emergencies, data centers, & more

Philly Phlotilla 2026, courtesy of Schuylkill River Greenways

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

100 kayakers take to the Schuylkill. To celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, Schuylkill River Greenways Association hosted a large kayaking parade highlighting the Schuylkill River’s significance in the Revolutionary War. Over 100 kayakers wore red, white, and blue while paddling the tidal river and being cheered on by spectators. Schuylkill River Greenways is a non-profit that promotes civic engagement along the Schuylkill River and Trail. Philly Voice

Canada wildfires ignite air quality emergency. This past week, Pennsylvania declared a Code Purple Air Quality Alert, warning that anyone – including healthy individuals – could be in danger of significant air pollution levels. The rise in pollution was due to wildfires burning in Canada, which have greatly increased in intensity this year as a result of higher-than-average temperatures caused by climate change. Residents were advised to stay indoors or wear a protective mask while outside. WHYY

Residents push back with environmental concerns over data center. The construction of a massive data center in Bucks County is facing pushback from concerned residents who fear for the strain the center will put on the electric grid, water sources, and air quality. Backup generators at the facility will also be powered by fossil fuel. Construction and environmental permitting were fast-tracked as a result of Governor Shapiro’s PA Permit Fast Track program. WHYY

Baltimore provides lessons on making waters swimmable. A program and partnership in Baltimore has worked for over a decade to clean Baltimore Harbor enough so that people can swim in it again on select days. The Philadelphia Water Department and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation are working to do the same in the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers.

Signs go up for SEPTA’s new routes. SEPTA is reworking the bus system starting in August in order to improve service and frequency. To inform riders ahead of time, the transit agency is installing new signs around bus stops with the updates. SEPTA General Manager Scott Sauer says that the team will continue doing so throughout the month. KYW Newsradio

Cover photo: Philly Phlotilla, courtesy of Schuylkill River Greenways

Angie Bacha

Angie Bacha (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based solutions journalist and recent Erasmus Mundus Master's in Journalism, Media and Globalisation student in Aarhus, Denmark. Previously, she worked as a student journalist at Community College of Philadelphia and Editorial Intern at Resolve Philly. Some other hats she has worn: Human Rights and Theatre Studies graduate; teaching artist; carpenter; AmeriCorps volunteer; and rock climbing gym shift supervisor.