Environmental justice funding, clean hydrogen, EV infrastructure and more.

The latest in sustainability news:

Environmental justice grants totaling $300,000 will be awarded to Philly orgs tackling air quality, climate, equitable food access, and more. 20 organizations will each receive $15k to fund projects addressing Philadelphia communities’ most pressing environmental justice issues. In addition to financing from the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund, recipients will also receive services offering grant writing, planning, and team management support.

Clean hydrogen production may soon become more practical in the Philly Region. The Mid-Atlantic Clean Hydrogen Hub received $18.8 million last week from the Department of Energy, enabling ‘MACH2’ to progress further in its plans to implement clean hydrogen infrastructure throughout the region. While SEPTA and Philadelphia Gas Works eye hydrogen as a power source for future fleets, opponents to the project doubt that using renewable energy to produce hydrogen will remain a priority once the hub is fully operational. WHYY Climate Desk.

Philly is becoming more electric vehicle-friendly, little by little. $11.1 million from the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant program will fund the installation of 75 EV charging stations in Philadelphia, totaling 150 new ports available for public use. 25 more stations will be installed in the region surrounding the city, and under-resourced neighborhoods will be prioritized during location selection. Billy Penn.

A historic community garden space is under new management. The Organic Gardens at Manatawna Farm property has been a green space and community hub for the Roxborough area since the 1970s. Abundant Philly, a local organization, is taking over management of the gardens from the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education.

Cover photo: VISIT PHILADELPHIA®

Suzanna Cook

Suzanna Cook is a lifelong Greater Philadelphia resident and graduate of Stockton University, where she obtained a B.S. in Sustainability with a concentration in Policy. Recently, she held positions on the editorial staff of her school’s independent student newspaper and as a Sustainability Specialist at Grand Canyon National Park. You can often find her riding the PATCO to Center City, crocheting with thrifted yarn, or practicing her latte art.