Thursday, April 30, 2009

Greenest City in America!

My heart is bursting with pride to be living in Philadelphia, where our sustainable Mayor Nutter has unveiled the city's new website, Greenworks Philadelphia that supports activities that will ultimately make Philadelphia the Greenest City in America!

Our former Mayor, now Governor, Ed Rendell announced today that Pennsylvania is a leader in green buildings. The commonwealth is second only to California in total number of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified buildings with 138 in the state according to the U.S. Green Building Council. So Pennsylvania will soon be the Greenest State in the Union!

Friday, April 17, 2009

Where To Find a Rain Barrel?


I was surprised and delighted when I heard from Noemi Armstrong of the East Falls Development Corp. that the Philadelphia Water Department planned to give out free rain barrels to watershed residents. Unfortunately budget cutbacks have slowed the distribution of rain barrels from the PWD, and you'll read on the PWD website that there are no set dates to distribute them in Philadelphia in 2009. EFDC may be doing a workshop training for rain barrels at one of their East Falls Goes Green events, and the details are still being worked out. So before we waste any more precious rainwater that washes the hazardous waste off the streets and into our drinking supply, I have researched some alternatives to act on. When PWD gives away rain barrels, it's the Spruce Creek 54 Gallon Rain Barrels, that sell for $164.99 on their website. A 60-gallon size (pictured above) can be purchased for $99 from Home Depot, or if you have a food-grade waterproof barrel you can make one. It's important that you know what was in the barrel before reusing it. Whatever your budget, there are options to collect the water, beautify your garden, and improve stormwater management.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Green Money for PA Small Business Owners

Act NOW if you are a small, for-profit business (100 employees or less), there is still $2 million left for grants of up to 25% of projects costs incurred from the start date of January 12, 2009, with a maximum grant of $25,000 to acquire certain pieces of equipment or adopt certain processes that promote energy efficiency. The deadline for the application is May 1, 2009. Projects must be completed 180 days after funding or no later than October 30, 2009.

This is a very small window of great opportunity! To find out more, click here.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Sustainable Landscapes

Anyone whose work deals with landscaping or recreation, agriculture, or environmental issues may learn more about how sustainable landscapes can help the environment and save money during a conference on April 1. The Sustainable Landscapes Conference, to take place at the Milton Hershey School Founders Hall in Hershey, will offer attendees hands-on tools and ideas to manage and develop their lands in a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly manner. The event will feature well-known speakers including author Rick Darke. Breakout sessions include case studies, economic incentives, natural stewardship and human connections. An exhibit hall will feature a variety of nonprofit organizations and businesses offering advice, products and services for sale. The $31 registration fee includes meals, handouts, and carbon-offset credits to help make this conference as environmentally friendly as possible. For more information click here.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Green Alert!

Spring is HERE, and so is the MONEY to green your home so that you can cut costs in the summer heat and next winter's deregulation COLD.

If you are a Pennsylvania homeowner, go to: http://www.keystonehelp.com

And discover how Pennsylvania homeowners can improve the energy efficiency of their homes with special financing and rebates for high efficiency heating, air conditioning, insulation, windows, doors, geothermal and "whole house" improvements using Home Performance with Energy Star. Principally supported by the Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Treasury Department and the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency, the Keystone HELP® program helps make affordable energy efficiency available to all Pennsylvanians. Keystone HELP is administered by AFC First Financial Corporation, a Pennsylvania energy efficiency lender.

I've researched volumes of time-sensitive GREEN HOME data, that I will share with you in daily posts. If you can't wait, please contact me for more!