Sick House Sick You – An Update

September 11, 2018

Last June we reported about our neighbor who had what can only be called: Sloppy Post Construction Clean Sickness.  To solve that we cleaned, changed filters, and got some fresh air flowing – he got better almost immediately.  Since that time I have been on a bit of a crusade, somewhat successful, to get folk […]

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Meadow – Second Year, Part 4

September 4, 2018

October: Fall Light Takes Hold Fall has taken hold but the meadow is determined to hang on.  The temperature varies across the field. Up on top it is much cooler and the plants start to go dormant sooner than the areas sheltered by the crest of the hill. The dawn’s golden light bathes the meadow […]

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Meadow – Second Year, Part 3

August 22, 2018

July: Joy One morning, just after dawn, I stood on the easternmost path next to the Old Construction Road and was distracted by what sounded like a motor.  Upon closer listening and inspection I realized it was hundreds of bees on the flowers. It was a bit alarming at first but they had no interest […]

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Meadow – Second Year, Part 2

August 16, 2018

April: Warp Speed Like a dream, spring took hold in April.  Along the edges of the meadow, we have planted hundreds of Daffodil and Grape Hyacinth bulbs. While the meadow is warming up and getting ready to erupt, there is a burst of color and scent around the property that makes signals that spring has […]

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Meadow – The Second Year, Part 1

August 7, 2018

January: Thaw and Tasks At the beginning of January, the wintry light on the frozen, stubbly grass is so bleak. And then it snows making the meadow come alive. The white snow reflects the light of the moon, the stars and the morning sun. The fire-y sunrise is awe inspiring against the starkness. But the […]

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The Myth of the Blue Bag

March 22, 2018

Philadelphia residential recycling does not accept plastic bags. Period. Why? Because they wreak havoc on the recycling process by getting caught in and fouling up the sorting machines – that is why the city refuse crews are not required, actually shouldn’t pick up any recyclables in plastic bags. Recycling needs to be put loose in […]

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Strengthening a Circular Economy With Food Waste: The Path to Zero Waste

March 14, 2018

Waste streams are full all sorts of interesting things – one of which is an enormous amount of food.  In fact, food waste represents 13-15% of the stream .  Many US cities, including Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco, have set zero-waste-to-the-landfill goals. If those cities were able to positively extract 15% of the waste stream, […]

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Philadelphia Litter Index

February 28, 2018

Philadelphia sent trained staff – people – out to walk and drive around every neighborhood in the city to assess litter conditions. From this walkabout, a map based Litter Index was developed that lets everyone see what ‘grade’ their neighborhood received. The Litter Index gives a 1-4 litter rating based on metrics from Keep America Beautiful, with a […]

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Carbon Monoxide Detector Can Save You

February 12, 2018

Do you have that Carbon Monoxide detector yet? If you don’t, especially if you heat with fossil fuels, go get one and install it.  If you have one installed, pay attention, and take it seriously when it signals an alarm. Carbon Monoxide (CO) is odorless, tasteless, and colorless so it can accumulate and creep up […]

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30(+) Ways to Apartment Sustainability

February 7, 2018

So you live in an apartment and are convinced that there is nothing you can do to live more sustainably…. Think again. Here are thirty plus things you can do to help lighten the load on the planet and fill your world with joyful sustainability: BE JOYFUL. Plant a kitchen herb garden or container garden […]

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