Wind chill, Stop Trashing Our Air, MLK Day, & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

Philly honors MLK Day of Service. Philadelphia is home to the largest and oldest Martin Luther King Day of Service in the country. On Monday, the Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service honored its 31st year with the theme of promoting equity through education. Due to the freezing temperatures, other projects throughout the city – including a neighborhood cleanup in Germantown and a Wissahickon horse stable clean-up – were postponed. CBS News- Philadelphia

Community farmers grow free food for neighbors. After a Southwest Philadelphia nonprofit was able to procure vacant lots from the Philadelphia Land Bank, they began gardening and giving away free food to the neighborhood. The Original American Foundation hopes to purchase more parcels from the land bank to keep green spaces active in the community. WHYY

What is wind chill? During this week’s freezing temperatures, staying mindful of the effects of wind chill can go a long way in keeping warm. Read about the young Pennsylvanian who coined the term “wind chill” after an expedition to Antarctica at 19 years old. (Note: The city has activated a Code Blue emergency to keep people safe during the cold. If you see someone outside who needs help, call 215-232-1984.) The Philadelphia Inquirer

Stop Trashing Our Air Act progresses through City Council. The Stop Trashing Our Air Act is a bill introduced by Councilmember Jamie Gauthier to prohibit burning the city’s trash at incinerators, particularly one in neighboring Chester County. Incinerating waste leads to higher levels of respiratory illnesses and diseases. The bill is undergoing a second reading at City Council this morning.

Cover photo: A person walking on a snowy day. Photo by Dyana Wing So on Unsplash

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.