Philadelphia

I love mascots. The Phillies Phanatic is the best entertainment for baseball, the Nittany Lion did the complete Napoleon Dynamite dance in between quarters at Penn State... and even Swoop is entertaining to watch. My least favorite mascot? Polar bears. Cute, white Coca Cola symbols may have been what came to mind when you thought about polar bears ten years ago. Now, most people associate polar bears as the "mascot" of global warming. Even Coke is promoting a fund to save these animals instead of using them as "marketing material." Environmental action groups constantly send out emails requesting funds to 'save the polar bears' featuring pictures of these beautiful animals dying from ice melting around them.

Spring has been very busy for the Green community in Philly - Here are a couple of events in the next week: Want to help a local school win a Hybrid bus & become America's Greenest School? Our Lady of Sacred Heart (OLSH) has received a Green Power Award for a Gold LEED renovationof their school including solar panels on the roof, conserving water in bathrooms and planting native plants on the school site. Next, they're hoping to achieve the title of America's Greenest School. Vote online for Brianna, age 18, on America's Greenest School websiteuntil May 17th. Thirsty ?

My favorite radio station, WXPN 88.5 is featuring a segment on Sustainability. They launched the piece for Earth Day, and it’ll run for a few weeks.

Wednesday, April 22nd is Earth Day! How are you celebrating? Here's a variety of ideas in & around Philly from volunteering to free drinks - So attend as many as you can:

Head to Jenkintown this Sunday, April 19th, for the Green Living Fest. Held from 12-4 in the Jenkintown town square, it's an ideal way to kick start your Earth Week celebration (April 19-25th.) The event is sponsored by Green Jenkintown, the EAC for the Borough of Jenkintown. Come and support their first green fest - Their goal is to make it annual. Some of the cool activities include:

Tomorrow night head to Green Drinks for a mid-week brew. (Come on you deserve it!) The first Wednesday of the month Green Drinks hosts a get-together to connect green communities. This month another location has been added:

Tired of your typical exercise routine? Looking for a workout that appeases your green conscience? Lithe fitness studios in Rittenhouse Square, Northern Liberties (and now Ardmore) are a perfect antidote. The Lithe Method incorporates some elements of Pilates, Yoga and Dance. But it’s no ordinary workout. I’ve taken Pilates - Trust me, this is BETTER. Why?

Don’t forget to check out Philadelphia’s first Go Green Expo in Center City Philly this weekend. Head to the Pennsylvania Convention Center Saturday (10am – 6 pm) and Sunday (10am – 5 pm.) Weekend passes are just $10, and FREE to children...

Tomorrow evening WHYY hosts Going Green: Sustainable Brews. Join Jim Coleman of WHYY-FM's A Chef’s Table and Dean Browne & Keith Wallace from the Philly Beer School to learn what makes a brew sustainable, while sampling beer from breweries using sustainable methods. What you need to know: