Grid Magazine September 2012 [#041]

S u s ta i n a b l e Ph i l a d elp hi a

sept 2012 / issue 41 gridphilly . com

take one!

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LOCAL CRAFT BEER & GERMAN BEER FESTIVAL

KING of

PRUSSIA BEERFEST ROYALE

October 5th & 6th, 2012

2 Days, 2 Tents . . . Beer, Food, Music Yeah, that does sound fun.

Presented by: kopbeerfest.com

kopbeerfest.com

Presented by

It’s your future.

Make the future happen with a BS or MS in Community and Regional Planning or certificates in Environmental Sustainability, Sustainable Community Planning, or Transportation Planning.

Classes offered at Ambler, Main, Center City and Harrisburg campuses.

Department of Community and Regional Planning School of Environmental Design www.temple.edu/ambler/crp 267-468-8300

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gridp hilly.com Sep tember 2012 / i ss ue 41

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Green Living The Tide is Turning: Make your own toxin-free laundry detergent | Recycling Challenge: Fire extinguishers

We’ve been Greening on the Railroad.

10 Energy Capital Gains: The race is on to be the biggest green power purchaser in the country

24 Urban Naturalist Hidden Gems: A search for the elusive and stunning milk snake 25 Shoots & Ladders A New Leaf (Or Two): Starting up leafy greens for the cooler season 26 Events Enjoy the last weeks of summer with gardening and canning workshops, an outdoor street festival in West Philadelphia, and sundae-making demonstration featuring farm fresh ingredients.

30 Dispatch Cashed Out: Suzanne Levy tries her hand at a no-spend weekend

14 Food Canned Goods: Preserve the best of summer | Cheese of the Month: Havilah | The Feed: Little Baby’s Ice Cream, SAGE and Vernick Food & Drink

Now One SEPTA Station is Among the Nation’s Greenest.

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18 Hire Education Local universities arm graduates with advanced degrees in sustainability

Speci al Ins e rt

SEPTA rebuilt its Fox-Chase Station to be eco-friendly by design, and people-friendly on purpose. It earned the nation’s first LEED Silver Certification for a train station. This recognizes leadership in energy and environmental design. It is an unprecedented accomplishment and an honor for SEPTA.

Power SURGE

The Quest For Energy Efficiency Produced in partnership with The Energy Coordinating Agency

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Letter from the Executive Director

4

Smart Meters, Home Energy Score and Benchmarking Legislation

5

Energy Saving Actions

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Draft Dodgers: Three homes improved through retrofits

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Collective Bargains: A unique program encourages communities to save energy together

cover il lust rat io n by m e li ssa m cfe ete rs

10 Circuit Training: A jobs center in North Philadelphia retrofits workers for the clean economy 13 Directory of Energy Auditors and Contractors

go green go 215-580-7800

septa.org

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The Joy of Work publisher

“Follow your bliss.” After studying the world’s religions, that’s the advice noted mythologist Joseph Campbell gave his students. It seems pretty simple: do the things that make you happy. Yet how many people do we know who are dissatisfied with their work or, for that matter, their lives?

All nine people featured in our cover story have undertaken their version of “the hero’s journey,” to borrow a little more language from Campbell, embarking upon a path that isn’t always easy to follow.

Now, I know there are people who were certain from the time that they were seven years old that they want to be a meteorologist, and 20 years later…what do you know? They’re live on TV, telling us what the dew point is and whether or not we should go to the beach this weekend.

But they’re the exception. Most of us spend time fumbling around in the dark, trying to figure out who we are and what makes us happy, all the while trying to pay the rent and keep food on the table. Which is why I love stories like that of Christina Bianco (p. 21). Bianco took a class on energy that inspired her to look for work that would make her part of the solution to one of our world’s most pressing problems. And stories like the profiles of Alex Dews and Fern Gookin (p. 19), who were both doing research that so impressed their subjects that they were offered jobs.

The quest for meaningful work can also be found in Power Surge, the insert we created in partnership with the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). The ECA’s amazing Green Jobs Training Center is not only creating a workforce that will be prepared for the jobs our economy needs, but that’s knowledgeable about why the work is important. Fixing up a house and selling it for a quick profit provides one reward, and performing work that makes our country more self-reliant and our environment cleaner provides another.

Also in that section, I’d like to draw your attention to the EnergyWorks Select Partnership

Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102 alex@gridphilly.com managing editor

Liz Pacheco liz@gridphilly.com art director

Jamie Leary jamie@gridphilly.com designer

Jon Loudon distribution

Jesse Kerns 215.625.9850 ext. 100 jesse@gridphilly.com copy editor

Andrew Bonazelli production artist

Lucas Hardison writers

Program, which allows community, civic and faith-based groups to pool together and benefit from group discounts on home efficiency audits. It’s a free service, and it’s a great way to approach making your home more comfortable while lowering your utility bills—not to mention that it’s a great opportunity to work with people in your community. Here at the Grid Headquarters, we will soon be taking part in the EnergyWorks at Work program, which is a free, hour-long presentation the ECA offers to explain the ins and outs of EnergyWorks. Why don’t you sign up, too?

Shaun Brady Bernard Brown Tenaya Darlington Suzanne Levy Marisa McClellan Leah Troiano Char Vandermeer Samantha Wittchen photographers

Dave Fitzpatrick Gene Smirnov Albert Yee illustrators

Daniel Fishel Kirsten Harper Zachary Kutz Melissa McFeeters interns

Amy Stansbury Amanda Stillwell ad sales

Alex Mulcahy 215.625.9850 ext. 102 alex@gridphilly.com alex j. mulcahy, Publisher alex@gridphilly.com

bookkeeper

Alicia McClung published by

Red Flag Media 1032 Arch Street, 3rd Floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 215.625.9850 g r i d p h i l ly . c o m

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SOCIAL VENTURE

I N S T I T U T E

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Green living

The Tide Is Turning

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s with many household products, we rarely look closely at the ingredients. But next time you’re in the laundry room, check out your detergent. Some common ingredients are:

Phenols Can damage your lungs, heart, kidneys and liver, and are easily absorbed into the skin. Deemed toxic by the National Institutes of Health.

Optical brighteners Can trigger strong allergic reactions in humans, and are extremely toxic to fish (can cause mutations).

Save money by making your own toxin-free laundry detergent by leah r. troiano so commonly used can pose such serious risks to our health. Here’s a less toxic alternative that’s easy to make, inexpensive and gentler on both the environment and your skin.

Ethanol, benzyl alcohol, linalool, phosphorus, ammonia, naphthalene, phenol, sodium nitilotriacetate Can cause skin

irritation and respiratory issues.

Then, consider the residue detergent can leave on clothes that can be absorbed through our skin. It’s hard to believe that something

leah r. troiano, a certified cancer support educator, works with people who have cancer or would like to prevent cancer. Lowering toxicity is just one of many ways to get your body in cancer-fighting shape.

For more information, visit CancerHealthandWellness. com or e-mail Leah@CancerHealthandWellness.com .

How to

For a Front Load Washer

make Your own Laundry soap

❑❑ 1 bar of non-moisturizing soap, grated ❑❑ 2 cups of Borax ❑❑ 2 cups of Super Washing Soda (not baking soda)

For a top load washer You will need

5-gallon bucket

In a container with a tight-fitting lid, grate the soap. Add Borax and Super Washing Soda. Mix well, breaking up the clumps. Use about 1 tablespoon per load.

1 bar of non-moisturizing soap

1 cup Super Washing Soda (not baking soda)

½ cup Borax

*

2 cups of water, plus three gallons for the bucket

directions

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2

1. Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan.

2. Grate soap bar.

3. When the water comes to a boil, add the grated soap a little at a time. Stir to completely dissolve.

(Add slowly—the water may bubble up.)

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4. Add three gallons of water to the five-gallon bucket. Add the completely dissolved soapy water mixture to the bucket. If you see soap chunks in the mixture, break them up and stir to dissolve.

5. Add Super Washing Soda. Stir well.

With this product, and all other cleaners, keep out of reach of children and pets.

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7-8

6. Add Borax. Stir well.

7. Cover and allow to sit for 24 hours.

8. You may notice a jelly-type substance, or soap curd, on top of the mixture. This is perfectly fine.

Just give it a good stir. Use one cup per load.

by samantha wittchen

Fire Extinguishers Fire extinguishers should be inspected annually to make sure they’re charged properly and in working order. Every six years, an extinguisher must be taken apart, examined and recharged.

fact

Fire extinguishers in the U.S. are often filled with Halon 1211, the trade name for an ozone depleting gas that is hazardous to breathe. When empty, fire extinguishers are completely recyclable since the bodies are made of steel. Empty canisters can also be recharged. When full, they’re treated as hazardous waste.

problem

The Philadelphia Streets Department collects fire extinguishers for proper disposal at their Household Hazardous Waste events.

The next event is September 22 at the 3rd District Highway Yard (22nd and York Streets). For a full list of upcoming events, visit philadelphiastreets.com.

If your fire extinguisher is empty, you can have it recharged. Philadelphia and Pennsylvania Fire Protection Co. in West Philadelphia (5111 Chestnut St., 215-472-1000) recharges fire extinguishers, as does Schweizer Fire Protection Co. in Kensington (2516 Frankford Ave., 215-634-0857). If you’re not interested in having your extinguisher recharged and want to make sure it’s recycled, you can take it to a ferrous scrap metal recycler. S.D. Richman Sons, located in Port Richmond (2435 Wheatsheaf Ln., 215-535-5100), allows regular passenger vehicles into their facility, so they’re a good option for residents.

Just make sure you remove the spraying head first (which is generally made of brass and plastic) to show that the canister is truly empty. 

solution

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Energy

Capitol Gains

Can Philadelphia beat D.C. and become the biggest green power purchaser in the country? by samantha wittchen

PHL

DC

’s delphia ut Phila o b a e g re n mo y Challe To learn mmunit rs, o e C r id e v w ro o p owe r p Green P n e . re g wer.com a list of reenpo and for g ia h lp ilade ptions, visit ph l green o For loca oop or energy.c visit the inc.com y ityenerg n u m m co

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fter hearing Philadelphia’s plan to unseat Washington D.C. as the top city green power purchaser, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray had a message for his East Coast neighbor.

A letter, hand-delivered via Chevy Volt to Mayor Nutter on June 20, concluded with this challenge: “I say to you, in the spirit of friendly competition for a great cause, ‘BRING…IT…ON!’” On September 1, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will start tallying green power bought by cities participating in their Green Power Partnership program. This voluntary program invites local governments, businesses and residents to collectively purchase green power, such as wind and solar, in amounts that meet or exceed the EPA’s minimum requirements.

For a city Philadelphia’s size, this requirement is three percent.

Although the EPA launched this program in September 2011, Philadelphia didn’t join until June 20 of this year. As of that date, the Philadelphia community had purchased almost 600 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green energy, representing 4.1 percent of our total energy consumption, and putting us in fourth place overall. This was largely due to Target Four of Greenworks Philadelphia, the City’s sustainability plan, which aims to derive 20 percent of all electricity used in Philadelphia from alternative sources by 2015. Since the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability had already been tracking progress against that target, they knew exactly what their numbers were when the EPA knocked on their door. “It was a no-brainer that we should become a Green Power Community,” says Kristin Sullivan, energy manager for the City of Philadelphia and director of its Solar City America program.

“Philly has been a hotbed of sustainability and alternative energy conversation, but a lot of it has revolved around what the City’s doing,” explains Alex Fuller-Young, electricity program manager at The Energy Cooperative. “This is the first time that the challenge has been thrown out to the residents.”

The City of Philadelphia already purchases 20 percent of its energy through renewable wind energy credits. Institutions and businesses such as the University of Pennsylvania, the Eagles, the Phillies, Kennett Restaurant and Yards Brewing Company, are all voluntarily purchasing renewable energy.

But who wants to be in fourth place? Not Mayor Nutter, who is challenging Philadelphians to take our city to the top. The current number one, Washington D.C., buys a little more than 750 million kWh of green energy. Will Philadelphians rise to the challenge? Fuller-Young thinks the biggest hurdle is that D.C. has a head start. We have a deficit of at least 150 million kWh to make up. It may seem like a long shot, but remember, there’s nothing Philly loves more than being the underdog.

Samantha Wittchen is partner and cofounder of iSpring (ispringassociates.com), a sustainability firm serving companies and organizations in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys.

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food

Canned Goods Five ways to preserve your delicious tomatoes story and photos by marisa mcclellan

F

resh corn and juicy peaches are great, but there is no summer food more versatile than plump, sun-ripened tomatoes. Because their season is fleeting, I make a point of preserving as many tomatoes as possible in as many ways as I can. Here are some ways I stash away enough Romas, Sungolds, heirlooms and grape tomatoes to hold me through the winter and beyond.

1

Frozen Grape Tomatoes

If you’ve ever frozen strawberries or blueberries, you’ll be familiar with this process. Wash and dry tomatoes, then spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and put into the freezer. When they’re hard as marbles, pour in a bag. They can be tossed, still frozen, into soups, stews and pasta sauces.

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Marinated Oven-Roasted Heirlooms

These tomatoes are delicious and remarkably easy to make. Slice heirloom tomatoes and toss with a marinade (see recipe on p.

13). Then, slow roast in a 200-degree oven for six to eight hours. If you can keep yourself from eating them all immediately, they freeze beautifully.

3

Tomato Jam

A few years ago, a friend gave me a jar of her tomato jam and it changed my life. This jam is essentially highclass ketchup. I eat it on turkey burgers, dolloped on roasted sweet potatoes, and love to pair it with goat cheese and baguette rounds for an instant appetizer.

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Pickled Red Tomatoes

Most people are familiar with pickled green tomatoes, but rarely do you see pickled ripe tomatoes. Firm, meaty tomatoes like Romas or Juliets work best, and pair well with a slightly sweet spiced brine. Put them on homemade pizza dough, cut them into strips to eat with cheese, or simmer them with a bit of their brine for a quick toast-topper.

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Dehydrated Sungold Tomatoes

Dehydrated tomatoes require special equipment, but it’s worth the investment. Simply slice Sungolds in half and lay them cut-side down on a dehydrator tray. Run it at 135 degrees until they’re small and quite dry. The Sungolds are so sweet that, once dry, they taste like chewy tomato candy. marisa mcclellan is a food writer, canning teacher and dedicated farmers market shopper who lives in Center City. Find more of her food (all cooked in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, foodinjars.com .

Marinated Oven-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes 3

pounds heirloom tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 1

lemon, juiced

4

garlic cloves, crushed

1

Tbsp chopped rosemary

1

tsp Aleppo pepper flakes

1

tsp kosher salt

1/2

tsp freshly ground pepper

Place tomatoes in a large, non-reactive bowl (glass, ceramic or stainless steel). Whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over the tomatoes.

Let sit at room temperature for one hour.

Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and arrange the tomatoes in a single layer on the sheets. Place sheets in a 200-degree oven and cook for 6 to 8 hours, until the tomatoes shrink and caramelize in places. Rotate pans 2 to 3 times during roasting, to ensure even cooking.

Once they’re cool, pack roasted tomatoes into pint-sized, freezer-safe containers, and stash in the freezer for a dark, cold day.

Save leftover marinade for use as a salad dressing or dipping sauce for bread.

Tomato Jam Makes 3 pints 5

pounds tomatoes, cored and finely chopped

3

cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 2

tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1

tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves 1

Tbsp sea salt

1

Tbsp red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a large, non-reactive pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to low. Simmer the jam, stirring regularly, until it reduces to a sticky mess. This will take between 1 1/2 and 2 hours, depending on how much water the tomatoes contained.

When the jam is nearly done, prepare a boiling water bath and jars. Place the lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water and simmer over very low heat.

When the jam has cooked down sufficiently, remove the pot from the heat and ladle the jam into the prepared jars. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

*

For more tips on canning, visit foodinjars.com

Visit us

Across the Way!

Our new store “across the way” from Weavers Way Mt. Airy

IS NOW OPEN!

Pickled Red Tomatoes Makes 3 pints 2 1/2 pounds small, meaty tomatoes, peeled (like Roma, plum or San Marzano) 1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar 2

Tbsp pickling salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar 1

2-inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced

3

Tbsp pickling spice

If canning, prepare a boiling water bath canner and three regular-mouth pint jars. Place lids in a small saucepan, cover them with water and simmer over very low heat

Combine vinegar, 1 1/2 cups of water, salt, sugar and ginger slices in a large pot, and bring to a boil.

Line up your jars and measure 1 tablespoon of pickling spices into the bottom of each jar. Pack peeled tomatoes into the prepared jars, taking care not to crush them. Slowly pour the brine over the tomatoes, leaving a half inch of headspace.

Gently tap the jars on a towel-lined countertop to help loosen any air bubbles. Use a wooden chopstick or plastic knife to help remove any stubborn bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if necessary. Make sure to include 2 to 3 ginger slices in each jar.

Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings, and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Let these pickles cure for at least a week before eating.

We offer a great selection of personal care and wellness products, including vitamins and supplements, herbal remedies, homeopathics, with new brands like Blûm, Liddell Laboratories, Dr. Woods, Nunn and J.R. Watkins, and expanded selections from Giovanni, Country Life, Canus, COPA soaps, Dr. Bronner’s, Rainbow Light Vitamins, derma E, Alaffia, Aubrey and Boiron. Plus greeting cards, kitchenwares, candles, and more. While you’re there, visit our award winning natural pet products department!

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You buy your food locally, but what about energy?

SWITCH TO

CLEAN LOCAL

ENERGY NOW

food cheese of the month

Havilah

Here’s a cheese perfect for the onset of fall, a rawmilk beauty that pairs well with apples, nuts and even chocolate. Havilah, from Lawrenceville, N.J., is a firm, nutty cheese that’s somewhere between a mild Cheddar and a mountain-style Swiss. It’s sweet and milky with a pleasantly bright finish similar to apples. If you’re setting out a snack plate or looking for a good munching cheese, this is a good choice.

Havilah is also great cubed and tossed onto a salad, alongside dried cranberries and pecans.

Havilah is made at Cherry Grove Farm by Kelly Arding and Sam Kennedy. The duo employs sustainable farming techniques and has one of the more innovative facilities in the area. Their cows are pasture-raised,

and a band of roving Berkshire pigs feeds on the whey from their cheesemaking. The cheese facility runs on wood donated by local tree surgeons.

Cherry Grove Farm produces a number of great regional cheeses, including Buttercup Brie and Toma Primavera. Havilah, one of the farm’s newest creations, is a sure winner. It’s rustic and toothsome with the kind of mellow vibe that encourages even the most timid of mice to keep nibbling. Try it with a lager or an easygoing red wine. –Tenaya Darlington, madamefromageblog.com

Cherry Grove Farm, 3200 Lawrenceville Rd., Lawrenceville, NJ, 609-219-0053, cherrygrovefarm.com

The Energy Co-op offers

100% RENEWABLE ENERGY generated right here in Pennsylvania

215 413 2122 Call today, with your energy bill in hand, or visit us at TheEnergy.Coop, and join the clean energy movement.

the feed A newcomer to the Rittenhouse neighborhood, Vernick Food & Drink is the latest in restaurants serving local ingredients. Chef Gregory Vernick—a Cherry Hill, NJ native—is sourcing from the Lancaster Farm Fresh Cooperative as well as the Rittenhouse Farmers Market. Don’t miss the homemade sodas and unique cocktails.

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Little Baby’s is expanding from their ice cream-toting tricycles.

Their new flagship location in East Kensington opened August 3, and serves an extended menu of the unusual flavors you already love, plus milkshakes, soda floats and ice cream sandwiches.

Art in the Age, the makers of ROOT, SNAP and RHUBY, bring you a new spirit to enjoy during the last weeks of summer.

Inspired by the horticulturist Bernard McMahon, who moved to Philadelphia in 1796 and published the country’s first seed list, SAGE is made with organic American botanicals, including thyme, rosemary, lavender, fennel and sage.

2031 Walnut St.

Hours: Closed on Mon., Tues.Thurs. 5-10 p.m., Fri. 5-11 p.m., Sat. 2-11 p.m., Sun. 2-10 p.m.

2311 Frankford Ave.

116 N. Third St. For purchasing locations and cocktail ideas, visit

vernickphilly.com

littlebabysicecream.com

artintheage.com

Get to to know know the the faces facesbehind behindyour yourfood. food.

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Handmade Soda, Microbrewed Kombucha, Zero Gigantic Flatscreen TVs Live Music every 2nd + 4th Sunday 7136 germantown ave. (mt.airy)

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The Future Is Retro Three homes made more efficient through EnergyWorks

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12 easy ways to save on utility bills

Neighbors improve homes— and cut costs—together

16 pages of energy-conserving tips, powerful profiles and

enlightening features, brought to you by Grid and EnergyWorks.

Save Energy, Save Money With EnergySense from Philadelphia Gas Works

Get up to $2,000 for your new boiler or furnace and save on home heating bills

PGW’s EnergySense puts money back in your wallet.

Learn more at: www.PGWEnergySense.com or call 215-684-6000 today 2 | Energy Coordinating Agency

Energy Efficiency Takes Off in Pennsylvania savethedate!

EnergyWorks for Savvy Homeowners Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave., 7-8:30p.m.

Meet energy efficient experts and qualified contractors as they discuss how a home energy assessment can achieve maximum comfort and savings. This workshop will show homeowners how to take advantage of rebates and low-interest loans to make energy efficient upgrades.The result: lower utility bills and a more comfortable home all year long.

Sept

19

For more information, visit weaversway.coop Keystone Energy Efficiency Conference Harrisburg, PA A two-day conference on energy efficiency policy and program developments from utilities, industry leaders, and local, state and federal government officials. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in an Energy Action Day and meet directly with state legislators and key staff.

Sept

24 25

For more information and to register, visit energywisepa.org/KEEAConference2012 Home Energy Improvement Workshop WORC, 2010 Chestnut St., 6-8 p.m.

Learn how to make home improvements that will ensure your home is environmentally safe and your utility bills lower. The Women’s Opportunities Resource Center hosts this workshop for first time homeowners. Attendees can also enroll in WORC’s matching savings program for low- to moderate-income families.

Sept

27

For more information, call 215-564-5500 Annual Sustainable Energy Conference Philadelphia This conference will focus on new developments in energy efficiency and stormwater management in our region, and a Town Hall Meeting with public and private sector leaders.

On New Year’s Day, the ECA issued a challenge to Philadelphians to “Save 20% in 2012.”

Today, thousands across our region are well on their way toward that goal. This is a result of many efforts, including PECO’s energy efficiency programs (backed by state legislation), PGW’s expanded initiatives and the federally-funded EnergyWorks program. Many people are starting small: changing their incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescents, and installing programmable thermostats. But others are diving deep for big savings: air sealing basements and attics, adding insulation, switching from old oil-fired furnaces to high efficiency gas, and solving other problems along the way.

All this effort is beginning to build a real energy efficiency industry in our region. More than 200 new jobs have been created for auditors, installers and in manufacturing. We estimate that before 2012 is over, 1,350 gigawatt hours will be saved, 300 jobs will be created, and more than $200 million will be saved by area residents and businesses—not just this year, but every year.

2013 promises to be an equally exciting year, as these efforts continue to improve and mature, even without stimulus funding.

PECO and PGW will be rolling out new programs. In its final year of federal funding, EnergyWorks will be reaching more than 1,500 new homeowners across the region, bringing savings and increased comfort to people tired of high bills or drafty houses. And new tools, like PECO’s Smart Meters (p. 4) and the national Green Button initiative (which will provide easy access to energy usage data), will give customers innovative and powerful ways to track and control their energy use. Most of these new tools require customer education and active engagement, which brings me to the most important development I’ve seen yet: more people taking control of their energy use.

Communities, religious groups and other organizations are participating in EnergyWorks as a group—not just as individuals. Neighbors go through the energy home improvement process together, using their group numbers to get the best price and service from contractors.

Active engagement is the ultimate driver toward a more energy efficient and sustainable future. From where I sit, I think this critical change is finally underway. The key is to keep it moving.

oct

18

For more information and to register, visit ecasavesenergy.org/events

Liz Robinson Executive Director, Energy Coordinating Agency

Power Surge was produced by Grid and published by Red Flag Media, 1032 Arch St., Third Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19107

cover illustration by zachary kutz

publisher

art director

writers

Alex Mulcahy alex@gridphilly.com

Jamie Leary designer

Shaun Brady Samantha Wittchen

managing editor

Jon Loudon

photographer

Liz Pacheco liz@gridphilly.com

illustrator

Albert Yee

Zachary Kutz

Energy Coordinating Agency | 3

10 09 08 07

On a Scale of 1 to 10…

How would your home score?

06 Ever wonder how energy efficient your home is compared to others? Thanks to Home Energy Score, a program 04 designed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), you may soon be able 03 to find out.

Here’s how it works: A DOE-quali02 fied energy assessor performs an hourlong inspection of your home. The 01 collected data is input into the Home Energy Scoring tool. The home is given a score on a one to 10 scale. One means the home needs extensive energy efficiency improvements; 10 means the home has excellent energy performance.

While the score isn’t a comprehensive energy audit, it still suggests energy improvements a homeowner can make, and how these changes can reduce utility bills. During 2012, the DOE is partnering with state and local governments, utilities and nonprofits to implement Home Energy Score programs. Here in Philadelphia, the Energy Coordinating Agency has taken up the task with a goal to score more than 200 homes in the area.

05

look who’s talking Smart meters tell tales while providing better connections

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hen hurricane irene hit the East Coast last August, millions of residents were left without power for more than a week. In Philadelphia, PECO restored service to 90 percent of their customers within three days. This rapid response was possible because of PECO’s advanced grid equipment—namely their smart meters.

Since 2003, PECO has been converting to advanced meter-reading technology (also known as “smart meters”), which allows them to access a meter remotely. This year, PECO is updating their technology even further with advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). “The change for our customers is not very dramatic as far as the technology that’s attached to their home,” explains Cathy Engel Menendez, spokesperson for PECO. “These meters obviously read remotely as well, only they provide two-way communication and some enhanced capabilities.”

4 | Energy Coordinating Agency

This two-way network allows PECO to directly communicate with its meters, as well as enable meters to communicate with each other and other pieces of advanced equipment on the the system. This is especially important during power outages, helping PECO to see exactly where— and why—the grid is failing.

The plan is to have 600,000 meters installed by spring 2013. PECO is currently updating customers in Bucks County and Northeast Philadelphia. The deployment is being done by region. Next will be lower Chester and York Counties, followed by the rest of Philadelphia, then Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties.

In addition to helping PECO answer service calls more quickly and efficiently, the new meters will improve their ability to connect and disconnect service remotely, which is particularly important in neighborhoods with colleges and universities.

Another byproduct of the improved technology is a new web tool, expected to be released early next year, that will provide customers with their hour-by-hour energy usage records. —Liz Pacheco For more information on smart meters, visit peco.com/technology

For more information, visit eere.energy.gov/buildings/ homeenergyscore/index.html

Hitting the Mark New legislation to make commercial buildings’ energy and water usage public On June 21, the Philadelphia City Council unanimously passed legislation mandating energy benchmarking and disclosure in commercial buildings of more than 50,000 square feet. These buildings are required to track energy usage, which can lead to increased efficiency. The legislation takes effect in one year.

ELECTRICITY is sold in kWhs or kilowatt-hours. 1 kWh = 1,000 watts metered one hour.

save

$252

save

$101

save

$49

save

$37

Or 1,800 kWh per year

Or 620 kWh per heater, per year

Or 350 kWh per family of three, per year

Or 267 kWh per family of three, per year

Unplug your second refrigerator or freezer.

Reduce your need for electric space heaters. Weatherize your house and wear warm clothing.

Switch from air conditioning to fans to stay cool.

Turn off unused televisions, lights and appliances.

Electric usage adds up.

gas is sold in CCFs or Hundred Cubic Feet

save

$145

save

$113

save

$95

save

$48

Or 91 CCfs per household, per year

Or 71 CCfs per household, per year

Or 59 CCfs per household, per year

Or 30 CCfs per household, per year

Install a clock thermostat with a five degree setback at night.

Seal up large holes in your top floor and basement.

Caulk and rope caulk windows.

Close storm windows or install plastic window kits.

Lower your water temperature to warm or normal and wrap your hot water heater.

water is sold in CCFs or Hundred Cubic Feet. 1 CCF = about 8 gallons

save

$640

save

$130

save

$80

save

$28

Or 150k gallons per active leak, per year

Or 30k gallons per active leak, per year

Or 18,000 gallons per family of three, per year

Or 6,000 gallons per family of three, per year

Repair running toilets and big leaks in pipes and faucets.

Repair dripping faucet and pipe leaks.

Take shorter showers or half baths.

Shut water off when washing dishes, brushing teeth or shaving.

graphic by zachary kutz. source: energy coordinating agency

Energy Coordinating Agency | 5

From Cold to Cozy Eric Eklund of Media made major improvements to his glassenclosed room.

Draft Dodgers by samantha wittchen Three homes hen it comes to home efficiency, every improveimproved ment—no matter how small—helps save energy through and money. If you want to get started, there are a retrofits

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number of do-it-yourself improvements you can make, such as caulking and weatherstripping around windows and doors, filling larger holes with sprayfoam, adding insulation to basement, attic and exterior walls, replacing the air filter on your heating or cooling system, and installing (and using) programmable thermostats. However, to get the biggest bang for your buck, you should hire a professional energy auditor to perform a home energy assessment and create a prioritized list of improvements. ¶ Grid talked to three homeowners who did just that, and subsequently had residential retrofits completed through EnergyWorks, a federally funded program of the Metropolitan Caucus—a group of local elected officials from the five counties in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The program, available in the five-county region, vets contractors and auditors, supplies lowinterest home improvement loans, and ensures that work is done properly.

6 | Energy Coordinating Agency

Air Sealing and Insulation Improvements Eric Eklund was cold in his own house. “We had wool throw blankets everywhere,” he says, “and we just never felt fully warm.” His 1956 split-level home in Media was quite drafty, largely due to original doors and windows, and a predominantly glass room at the end of his house that was connected by French doors. He was investigating geothermal energy for his home when he heard about the EnergyWorks. The low-interest financing available through the EnergyWorks program were appealing, so he decided to have an energy audit performed, hoping to make his house more comfortable.

An audit was performed in early 2011, and Eklund was given a menu of options to improve comfort and efficiency. He chose to have the glass room converted to a three-season room. A thermal barrier was created between the room and the house, and pocket doors replaced the French doors. Blown insulation was also added to the attic to increase the insulating value from R-19 to R-49 (The recommended insulation level for homes in the region is R-38 to R-49.). Other work included replacing the original doors and windows, installing an insulated doggie door and making sure the home was properly air sealed, which keeps conditioned air from escaping the

photos by albert yee

Insulation Elation Virginia Thompson and Tom Shaffer’s home in Swarthmore underwent a total retrofit; which included having the entire house insulated.

house. Eklund was also able to take advantage of the EnergyWorks audit rebate and loan program.

Eklund says he felt confident the work would be completed properly because the contractors wouldn’t be paid unless the efficiency improvements required by EnergyWorks were met. He couldn’t be happier with the results. In the winter, he’s been able to turn the thermostat down by three degrees, and the days of extra wool blankets to combat the draft are over.

Whole House Air Sealing and Insulation Improvements Every winter, the second floor of Virginia Thompson and Tom Shaffer’s two-story colonial house in Swarthmore was two to four degrees colder than the downstairs. “We would sit at our computer in the kitchen during the winter and feel the drafts sweeping in through the doors and walls,” she says. But Thompson was hesitant to have the problem addressed; she didn’t know whom to contact, which contractors to trust, and if she could even afford to have the necessary work done. When Thompson saw an ad for EnergyWorks in November 2010, she decided it was time to investigate having her home retrofitted.

After an audit, Thompson had the entire house insulated—the walls, attic and basement. Since the exterior doors had no insulating value—interior doors had been used instead—the contractors replaced all of the doors and added storm doors to the front and back of the house. Thompson needed to call the contractors back twice, but in both cases, Thompson says the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA), which performs quality assurance checks of EnergyWorks projects, and the contractors were very thorough, and they solved the problem right away.

Despite needing return visits from the contractors, Thompson is very positive about her experience with EnergyWorks. “There’s never going to be a program that’s as easy, as simple, as reassuring as this [one].”

Fuel Switch Adeline Ciannella and her husband Peter were concerned with rising prices and the environmental impact of burning oil. “[We] talked a great deal about the moral issues in using oil or

natural gas,” she Adeline. “Both choices present problems that are hard to justify, so we focused more on efficiency.” They also knew that their century-old carriage house in Media was leaky, but not to what extent. So when EnergyWorks offered a discount on a comprehensive home energy assessment, they decided to have one performed. After having the assessment last fall, they discovered that their house wasn’t quite as leaky as they thought. Unfortunately, some energy conservation measures available to most people weren’t viable for them due to the age and construction of their house. The auditor did, however, suggest replacing their heater.

Through EnergyWorks and a recommendation from a co-worker, the Ciannellas evaluated several contractors. The whole process was very easy and completed surprisingly quickly, says Adeline. Now, the energy bills are lower, the heating ducts cleaner, and the system a lot quieter.

The Ciannellas didn’t take advantage of the low-interest loan available through EnergyWorks, but they were able to receive a tax credit for making the switch. Adeline says it was definitely an impetus for getting the work done sooner—before the tax credit expired. Now they’re looking ahead to other energy efficiency options—solar panels may be in their future. ~ Interested in making your home more energy efficient? EnergyWorks is currently offering comprehensive home energy assessments at a discounted rate of $150, reduced from $400.

For more information and to sign up, visit energyworksnow.com

Oil Change Auditors advised Adeline Ciannella in to buy a more efficient heater for her home in Media.

Energy Coordinating Agency | 7

by shaun brady

A unique program encourages communities to save energy together

Collective Bargains U

ndoubtedly, the biggest barrier to improving home energy efficiency is cost, but a secondary hindrance is a lack of knowledge. The EnergyWorks Select Partnership Program is working to address both these obstacles by allowing community, civic and faith-based groups to pool together and benefit from group discounts on home efficiency audits, as well as provide a group setting for solving problems.

Since the program began about a year ago, eight partnerships have formed, including neighborhood groups from University City and Queen Village, and co-ops like Weaver’s Way and the Energy Co-op. “We’ve found that the partnerships take a little more time to nurture,” says Tanya Morris, director of communications and outreach for the ECA. “But the reward at the end is greater because of the impact that it has on the community as a whole.”

There is no minimum number of households required to qualify for a partnership. (“We want it to be more than two,” Morris says with a laugh.) The program is loosely defined, but essentially matches the community groups with a building analyst and contractor who can recommend improvements at a discounted price—as little as $150—since several area homes can be visited in a single day.

Further rebates are offered after a certain number of improvements are completed, and low-interest loans are available for improvement work.

Working closely with these groups, says Morris, helps spread the ECA’s mission to reach more people through local leaders. “Having strong leadership in these partnerships allows us to keep pushing this sustainable agenda and making an impact on our community.”

8 | Energy Coordinating Agency

Queen Village Even before joining the Select Partnership Program, Queen Village residents were already being encouraged to improve their energy efficiency by a neighbor. Clay Bedwell, a member of the Queen Village Neighbors Association’s (QVNA) Sustainability Committee, was using his website, paenergy.org, to educate his neighbors on energy efficiency. The Select Partnership Program developed as an extension of that work.

“While I’ve had some success over the internet, we were looking for ways to engage a more localized group of people,” says Bedwell. “We really wanted to educate the community. And offer an excellent value, so the partnership was a way to creatively problem-solve convincing people to get audits.”

The QVNA arranges group purchases of energy audits on a seasonal basis—ideally twice yearly in the spring and fall. They have contracted with auditor Jeff Lane, president of Star Energy Solutions of Fort Washington. In the fall of 2011, there were 14 audits. Four of those homes continued with contracted improvements. This spring, eight audits were completed, but no repair work so far.

“The people who go full-bore have already seen a drastic change in how their house performs as well as their overall comfort and energy

The people who go full-bore have already seen a drastic change in how their house performs as well as their overall comfort and energy performance. ❞ —> Clay Bedwell, Queen Village

performance,” says Bedwell. “People with newer homes have had minor improvements, while others have just had the audit done to give them a road map for what to do in the future. Awareness is the first step for us.”

Queen Village is a perfect fit for the program, explains Bedwell, because of its architecture and the environmental awareness of its residents.

“We have a lot of old rowhomes that by nature are efficient because they abut each other, but they’re also inefficient because they have a lot of old windows and cracks in the masonry and so on. Many older houses lack modern insulation technology and have old appliances. So we have a great framework—it’s just a matter of making positive changes in that direction.”

University City District Although University City District (UCD) joined the program less than a year ago, the community is already the most successful in the program. Thirty-six residents have undergone audits, and six have followed up with home improvements.

“I’d love to increase that number,” says Seth Budick, UCD’s manager of policy and research. “But it’s valuable just to have the audit, because there’s a lot of stuff that you learn there about basic behavioral things that you

photo by albert yee

can change—caulking for drafts, smaller-scale improvements.”

The program was advertised in the UCD’s bi-weekly newsletter and the University City Review, as well as through social media outlets and on a small West Philadelphia radio station.

The results have been impressive.

“Our best performer saw a 27 percent reduction in the leakiness of their house as a result,” says Budick. “The average house in the area was found to be 3.86 times as leaky as the target number, while the worst was 5.49 times. When houses were designed in the 19th century, a certain amount of leakiness was intentional to release carbon monoxide fuels from burning coal, so some of that is by design, but there’s definitely room for improvement.”

Budick is still brainstorming ways to encourage residents to take advantage of the discounted

audits offered by Lowry EcoSolutions on the Main Line. The audits are only part of UCD’s broader push for sustainability initiatives.

“Our mission is really about quality of life,” says Budick. “Helping residents to reduce energy costs is a component of that. We look for opportunities where we can bring the power of the crowd and use our reach in this neighborhood to collectivize the demand and thereby encourage more people to participate. Of course, we’re also interested in sustainability as a pure environmental goal on its own because we want University City to have that value attached to it.

We have plenty of residents and institutions who are totally committed to that.” ~ To learn more about Select Partnerships and to start one in your community, visit ecasavesenergy.org/ content/community-partners

EnergyWorks at Work Not ready to start a partnership in your community? Host an EnergyWorks at Work session in your office. During this brown bag lunch event, an EnergyWorks representative will talk about home energy efficiency improvements, financing options and home energy assessments. It’s a great opportunity to learn and discuss energy efficiency improvements with a knowledgeable EnergyWorks representative, and a convenient way to schedule a home energy assessment. For more information, visit energyworksnow.com/about-us/additional-resources/energyworkswork/

Energy Coordinating Agency | 9

Circuit Training

by liz pacheco

A jobs center in North Philadelphia retrofits workers for the clean economy

L

ast March, Roger Lewis was laid off from his job at Hostess Brands. An electrician by trade, Lewis had worked in food industry manufacturing facilities for the past eight years. His recent job was as an industrial mechanic. “That’s basically making sure the building is running properly, all the electrical systems, plumbing and the machinery that produces the products,” explains Lewis. After a couple months looking for employment he saw an ad in the paper for free job training through a program with the Community College of Philadelphia and the Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA). “I figured I’d give it a try,” he says.

Lewis’ story is commonplace at the James L. Knight Green Jobs Training Center. Most students enroll in the training because they’ve lost their jobs. A class in July consisted mostly of out-of-work architects. Marco Ricca, now a lead instructor, had enrolled as a student at the center after working as a realtor and home remodeler. “I had 10 years experience working on not only my own properties, but properties of investors,” says Ricca. “I would help [investors] buy [a property], help them rehab it and help them sell it. I had the market cornered as long as there was a market.”

The training center is one of seven certified by the Department of Labor and Industry. Since it opened in March 2010, more than 2,000 men and women have been trained, with about 70 percent going directly into jobs. The center offers more

10 | Energy Coordinating Agency

than 17 certifications in skills like weatherization, building retrofits and energy audits—they were the first in Pennsylvania to be a Building Performance Institute (BPI) affiliate, a national standard for residential energy efficiency retrofit work. In February 2012, Philadelphia City Council named the facility a “Center of Excellence” for the success its education and training programs have had in creating opportunities for individuals in the sustainable job market. “[The students] are getting marketable job skills,” says Ricca. “They’re also getting personal knowledge and personal enrichment on energy efficiency, how to save money on their home, things that they can do to improve the air quality and water quality in their own homes, as well as in their communities by getting jobs.”

Building a Teaching Tool From the street, the training center looks just like other old warehouses in North Philadelphia.

But what once housed a Civil War uniform factory is now a LEED Gold certified facility. The building, redesigned by local sustainable design firm Re:Vision Architecture, has an insulated white roof, a rainwater harvesting system, solar thermal hot water heating, a solar photovoltaic system for on-site electricity, and low VOC materials, paints and wood finishes, among countless other energy efficient and environmentallyfriendly elements. The close to $1.7 million in retrofits was funded mostly by the John S. and James L. Foundation with additional support from The Kresge Foundation.

The second floor boasts heating and insulation labs, life-sized mock-ups of rooms, even a small model home that allows students to see exactly how heat moves through an entire house. The curriculum reflects these hands-on teaching tools. Classes have two parts: a written portion and field work. “They have the ability to utilize any of our mock-ups and labs,” explains instructor Chris Robinson, a home performance contractor who has been in the field for eight

photos by albert yee

Training Day Standing on the roof of the Energy Coordinating Agency’s training center, Miles Grosbard (green hard hat) instructs students from the Community College of Philadelphia on rooftop solar thermal heaters (left) and refrigerant direct expansion air conditioning (bottom).

“It’s not just abstract theories or ‘death by PowerPoint’—but hands-on, tactile learning.”

Scott Coleman assistant direct or

years. “I like to balance—spend equal parts in the classroom and equal parts in the lab if possible.”

Robinson’s teaching methods go hand-inhand with the center’s goals for learning. “It’s not just abstract theories or ‘death by PowerPoint,’” says Scott Coleman, Assistant Director, “but really hands-on, tactile learning that leads to some kind of retention and, hopefully, competency. So, getting people involved in group problem solving, getting them to use their hands instead of just sitting down.”

The most impressive “hands-on” teaching tool at the center is the walk-in model. A series of rooms represent a house with actual working appliances—stove, refrigerator, hot water heater, furnace and dryer. Students use the model to for a full diagnostic test. The walk-in model, says Walt Yakabosky, Director of Training, is the only one of its kind in the country.

Expanding on the Vision When the center first opened in 2010, the economic crisis had made the demand for green job training greater. And, thanks to the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the

funding was there to support the programming.

Although Pennsylvania was delayed in applying this money to new programs and curriculums, the state has since done exceptionally well in supporting green job training.

“The ECA has been around for almost 30 years,” says Yakabosky. “[But] I think the stimulus really put this industry on the map.” Aside from being the first to offer BPI certification in Pennsylvania, the center was also the first in the state to offer a federally-approved apprenticeship program for weatherization technicians and auditors. In this program, the Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) provides formal education and credit in the form of a certificate, and an employer provides the on-the-job training. CCP has developed an Associate Degree in Building Science with the training center as well.

High school seniors even have opportunities to take courses and receive certifications thanks to a career pathways model created in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia.

The training center is also recruiting students by establishing relationships with local and regional organizations. “The way we were

going to do [recruitment] is not by me, the old white guy, going into a community and convincing people what a great opportunity this is, because no one is going to pay any attention to me,” says Yakabosky. Instead, the center made partnerships with community-based organizations, such as the Federation of Neighborhood Centers - Philadelphia, Foundations Inc., Impact Services and the National Association of Minority Contractors.

Keeping Ahead of the Curve While the ARRA funding was important in launching the center, it limited training to focus on weatherization assistance programs. That funding for weatherization training ended on March 31, 2012, but with support from non-federal grants, the center has been able to market its extended curriculum—which has been in development since its opening—to those in other job fields. “[Yakabosky] has designed the curriculum, the mock-ups, the training center in its entirety to be adaptable to any kind of audience that we would encounter, and able for us to put it in very workable terms for students, for trainees who come through the center,” says Coleman.

Yakabosky had conversations early on with the training center’s leadership in which they asked what certifications would be required to work with utility companies and contractors.

Then, the city won the grant that created EnergyWorks. “We were managing [EnergyWorks] and started to put curriculum together to have these contractors certified in whatever discipline they needed to become part of the whole process,” he says.

Energy Coordinating Agency | 11

Practice Field Students at the training center can utilize life-sized mock-ups of rooms to practice their new energy efficiency retrofit skills.

Certifications are a driving element of curriculum development. “We do our best to stay ahead of the curve in terms of where we see all these certification requirements are headed,” says Dan Casper, who does curriculum development and project management. “We always try to be one of the first people to offer these certifications.”

Keeping ahead of certifications also means that training center students are better prepared and more desirable in the job market. “A lot of money that’s funded into the green economy is from government agencies, and is stipulated for the workers to hold credentials,” explains David Dennis, an instructor and curriculum designer.

“The credentials that we offer here—the certifications—follow those trends. As the credentials change, a lot of times our training changes [as well].”

One example is the new curriculum Ricca, Casper and Dennis created for the Philadelphia Water Department on stormwater management practices for residents. Previously, stormwater management was something handled on construction sites, and the practices weren’t

12 | Energy Coordinating Agency

adaptable for residential use. The team of instructors has scaled down the practices and created a curriculum from scratch.

“We have a lot of experience in a lot of different fields, primarily energy, but we’ve really headed in the stormwater direction,” says Casper. “That’s not something that we did very much, and then there was an opportunity. We sought experts who had the expertise and we developed the expertise in-house.” This flexibility to adapt to changing technologies and needs is

what has made the center so successful. Students are learning cutting-edge skills that lead to jobs as well as healthier homes and neighborhoods.

And that’s exactly what students like Roger Lewis are counting on.

“This is the wave of the future. Everything is going green,” says Lewis. “In order to adapt to the job climate you got to pick up new skills. Five, 10 years from now, BPI certification is probably going to be a major thing, so it’s good to get a head start on it. ~

photos by albert yee

Directory

Wondering who to trust with your energy improvements? Look no further! All auditors and contractors below have been vetted and approved by the Energy Coordinating Agency, and are eligible to take part in the EnergyWorks program.

Energy Auditors Affordable Comfort Systems affordablehvacpro.com Paul Pujol 16 Eric Ln. Media, PA 484-574-8700 paulacs@comcast.net Berkley Energy, LLC Scott Milne 467 Rick Rd. Southampton, PA 215-364-5040 215-783-5743 scott@berkleyenergy.com DSB Energy Services David Berg 100 Quail Ct. North Wales, PA 215-997-7186 dberg@dsbenergy.com East Penn Energy Solutions, LLC W. David Wallace 117 Woodside Dr. Boyertown, PA 610-906-3350 eastpennenergy@ windstream.net david@ epenergysolutions.com Ecocentric Energy Solutions Todd Nixon 303 Louise Ave. Croydon, PA 267-812-1360 ecocentrices@ comcast.net Efficient Home Products ehpgreen.com Al Lopez 604 W. Leigh Dr. Bristol, PA 877-769-1313 Energy Solutions Al Boro 1002 Marlin Dr. West Chester, PA 610-719-8652 albols@mac.com

Gallagher Construction Greg Gallagher 837 Parkside Ave. West Chester, PA 610-585-7236 ggall111@verizon.net Great Valley Propane gvpropane.com 57 Lancaster Ave. Malvern, PA 610-251-2203 Greener U Consulting Mitchell Rose 29 Chestnut Ave. Lower Merion, PA 215-203-2594 mitchell@ greeneruhub.com mitchellrose14@ yahoo.com Green Home Solutions Ross Seeley-Lopez 760 N. Woodbourne Ave., Ste. C Langhorne, PA 215-757-4200 Green Steps Paul Thompson 719 E. Passyunk Ave. Philadelphia, PA 267-519-3564 greensteps@ greenstepsonline.us Homeworks NRG Stephen Gastright 956 N. 8th St. Philadelphia, PA 215-625-4162 sgastright@ homeworksnrg.com Lowry EcoSolutions, LLC Eric C. Lowry 109 St. Pauls Rd. Ardmore, PA 267-257-5898 ericlowry@ lowryeco.com

MaGrann Associates Anthony Medley 1 Crescent Dr. Philadelphia, PA 856-813-8789 emmaraymont@ magrann.com lorettacampbell@ magrann.com PBC Alternative Energy Solutions aes.pfaffbros.com 112 Oak Ln. Glenolden, PA 610-461-2559

PHP Energy Solutions Rodney Purnell Lansdowne, PA 267-765-9221 rodney@ phpenergysolutions.com Pro Energy Consultants Paul Giorgi 210 Pointer Ct. Chalfont, PA 215-491-2223 pgiorgi@ proenergyconsultants. com

Saving Green Energy Audits Anthony Hyde 655 Mohican Dr. Easton, PA 484-860-2878 hyde18040@yahoo.com info@SavingGreen EnergyAudits.com Star Energy Solutions, Inc. starenergysolutions inc.com 405 Leah Dr. Fort Washington, PA 267-222-2439 starenergy@comcast.net

The Ultimate Green Group Ken Copper 325 Harwicke Rd. Springfield, PA rkcopper@comcast.net West Philadelphia Home Solutions 254 S. 46th St. Philadelphia, PA 267 -257-6118 westphilahome@ yahoo.com

Energy Coordinating Agency | 13

Contractors Adkins Management Inc. 4113 Colonial Ct. Valley Forge, PA adkinsmus@aol.com Airtronix, Inc. * Bernard (Bud) Griffin 96 W. Rambler Dr. Southampton, PA 267-254-9146 airtronixinc@aol.com Alderfer Glass Co. alderferglass.com 144 Telford Pike Telford, PA 215-723-1192 Alek Air Management, Inc. alekair.com 125 E. Street Rd. Feasterville, PA 215-253-5680 All Good Energy 5027 Bernville Rd. Bernville, PA 610-488-5222 Alternegy, Inc. 6122 Reedland St. Philadelphia, PA 215-847-0131 America’s Best Mechanical & Electrical Contracting Services, LLC americasbestcomfort. com 1147 Second Street Pike Richboro, PA 888-456-2525 Arvak Energy Solutions 12 Spruce Ln. Boyertown, PA 484-948-8515 Brinker’s Fuels, Inc. brinkersenergy.com 445 North West St. Doylestown, PA 215-348-2670 Buckminster Green, LLC buckminstergreen.com 958 N. 5th St. Philadelphia, PA 484-432-2692

Buzz Duzz Plumbing, Heating & Air philadelphia-plumber. zoponline.com/ buzzduzz/ 5918 Tulip St. Philadelphia, PA 215-533-7000 Can DO Mechanical, Inc. candomechanical.com 7160 Wissinoming St. Philadelphia, PA 215-338-2411 C.W. Cook Geothermal cwcookinc.com 425 Ridge Rd. Sellersville, PA 215-285-1720 Chambers Remodeling, Inc. Paul Chambers 210 Silverbell Ct. West Chester, PA 610-524-8841 cchampc@aol.com Chelsea Heating & Air chelseaair.com 946 Lake Rd. Avondale, PA 610-268-2200 Chestnut Creek Construction chestnutcreek construction.com 113 E. Chestnut St. Souderton, PA 215-721-0299 jim.held@verizon.net Christian Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. christianhvac.com 1320 Industrial Highway Southampton, PA 267-984-4830 Classic Plumbing Heating - Cooling, Inc. classicphc.net 2500 Ridley Ave., Unit #7 Chester, PA 610-872-4306 Comfort Air comfortairofPA.com 1000 S. Broad St. Lansdale, PA 215-237-3666

14 | Energy Coordinating Agency

Con-Lyn Home Improvement Co., LLC con-lyn.com 304 Industrial Ln. Avondale, PA 610-268-5592 Cost Rite Improvements costriteimprovements. com 306 Cornell Dr. Exton, PA 484-886-2856 D A Virelli, Inc. davirelli.com 1714 Jackson St. Philadelphia, PA 215-467-8233 Davis Modern Heating & Cooling davismodern.com 334 W. Germantown Pike Norristown, PA 610-277-2656 DCI Enterprises, LLC 4206 York Dr. Doylestown, PA 215-794-4578 DCOIT Enterprises, LLC 1209 W. Wingohockin St. Philadelphia, PA 215-529-8916 DiBiase Heating and Cooling * dibiasehvac.com 1617 Heather Dr. Downingtown, PA 610-873-1244 Dogstar Energy, Inc. Joseph Knoll 11 Ichabod Ln. Allentown, NJ 609-385-0134 609-658--0799 800-385-3506 info@dogstarenergy.com Domain Building Performance domainbp.com 445 Maple Ave. Doylestown, PA 215-598-5588 Doylestown Building & Remodeling doylestownbuilding.com 6433 Ferry Rd. Doylestown, PA 215-297-8600

Dwyer Oil dwyeroil.com 152 S. Main St. Ambler, PA 215-248-4300 Dowd Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. * dowdhvac.com Joe Dowd 2490 Williamson Ct. Bensalem, PA 215-752-3638 jdowd@dowdhvac.com Earth Smart Remodeling, Inc. earthsmartremodeling. com 304 Corporate Drive East Langhorne, PA 267-684-6561 Eco Green Home * 4ecogreenhome.com Craig Sauler 1337 Pottstown Pike West Chester, PA 610-436-1216 craig@4ecogreenhome. com Edward Powell Pump & Well Drilling, Inc. powellpumpandwell.com 17 Mount Pleasant Rd. #B Aston, PA 610-469-1098 Emerald Window & Glass Co, Inc. emeraldwindowsinc.com 2301 N. 9th St. Philadelphia, PA 215-236-6767 Engel Air Conditioning and Heating engelair.net 940 Pennsylvania Blvd.

Feasterville, PA 215-364-3522 Five Seasons Construction, Inc 1519 Green Lane Rd. Lansdale, PA 215-361-3003 FT Young Associates ftyoung.com 51 Cedar Dr. Richboro, PA 215-357-4300

Hometown Green hometowngreen.net 1350 Edgmont Ave. #2550 Chester, PA 610-627-4663

Gehringer Mechanical gehringermechanical. com 336 S. Ironstone Dr. Boyertown, PA 610-367-8271

Horizon Services, Inc. horizonservicesinc.com 900 Adams Avenue Audubon, PA 610-644-1025

Global Home Improvement, Inc. globalhomeinc.com 1680 Loretta Ave. Feasterville, PA 215-953-5151 info@globalhomeinc. com

J.A. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning Inc jasmithheating.com 360 Patricia Dr. Warminster, PA 215-956-9400

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Jim Buck Builders * Andy Buck jimbuckbuilders.com 329 Friendship Dr. Paoli, PA 610-725-9559 andybuck711@ hotmail.com

Green Dog Foam Solutions greendogfoam.com 2528 Huntingdon Pike Lower Moreland, PA 215-947-5168 Green Pointe Energy greenpointeenergy.com 1055 Westlakes Dr. Berwyn, PA 800-619-9880 info@greenpointeenergy. com Green Stone Energy, LLC greenstoneenergyllc.com P.O. Box 755 Frazer, PA 866-274-9389 dutch@ greenstoneenergyllc.com Ground Source HVAC groundsourcehvac.com 866 Grubbs Mill Rd. Berwyn, PA 610-306-6245 H & H Heating & Cooling delcohvac.com Essington, PA 610-228-4421

J. Halligan & Sons jhalliganoil.com 414 Darby Rd. #R Havertown, PA 610-449-9001 J.O.B. Design & Construction, Inc. jobconstruction.com 64 N. Hanover St. Pottstown, PA 610-327-3454 JCarosella Design Build, LTD kandacarosella.com P.O. Box 1507 Havertown, PA 215-465-2700 contact@ CarosellaDesignBuild. com K E Seifert, Inc. Doylestown, PA 215-348-1151

Harry Worrall Builders harryworrallbuilders.com 110 W. College Ave. Yardley, PA 215-493-6356

Keystone Insulators, LLC keystoneinsulators.com 2815 N. Delaware Dr. Mt. Bethel, PA 570-290-0680

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Nu Comfort nu-comfort.com 2306 Welsh Rd. Willow Grove, PA 215-659-0600

Richard M Crossan, Inc. rmcrossan.com 1133 Newark Rd. Toughkenamon, PA 610-268-8548

SPS Insulation spsinsulation.com 272 Burmont Rd. Drexel Hill, PA 610-623-5421

Oliver Heating, Cooling and Plumbing * oliverheatcool.com 101 Waverly Ave. Morton, PA 610-544-4884 800-522-4884 tcaserta@oliverhvac.com

Rost Artisan Builders rostartisanbuilders.com Upper Black Eddy, PA 215-292-3462

Sulpizio Inc 1211 Clearbrook Rd. West Chester, PA 610-496-6111

Saintco Mechanical Heating & Air Conditioning saintcomechanical.com 86 Park Ln. Glen Mills, PA 610-558-8167

Start Smart Energy Use, LLC * Robert Stoy Newtown, PA 610-996-0750 bob@ startsmartenergyuse. com sseu@comcast.net

Orange Energy Solutions, LLC * orangeenergysolutions. com 1395 Lawrence Rd. Havertown, PA 610-449-2444

Oval Heating & Air Conditioning * 7138 Valley Ave. Philadelphia, PA 215-508-1893 ovalhvac@aol.com Penn Windows & Doors pennwindows.com 1518 Union Blvd.

Allentown, PA 610-433-4196 Post Remodeling & Handyman posthandyman.com 1510 Lucon Rd. Oreland, PA 610-828-7181 rob@posthandyman.com Princeton Air Conditioning J. Scott Needham princetonair.com 39 Everett Dr. Princeton Junction, NJ 888-771-1102 scott.needham@ princetonair. lincservice.com Ray P. Litwin Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. * raylitwinhvac.com 6031 Ward Ln. Levittown, PA 215-945-1598 Remodeling Concepts, LLC remodelingconcepts.net 71 Steam Whistle Dr. Warminster, PA 215-343-5557

Scatton’s Heating & Cooling scattonshc.com 920 Allentown Rd. Lansdale, Pa 215-855-6144 Sunrise Restorations Inc. * sunrise-restorations.com 539 Franklin St. Hamburg, PA 484-660-3040 sunriserestorationsinc@ gmail.com Signature HVAC, Air Conditioning, Heating, Solar, Geothermal signaturehvac.com 325 Westtown Rd. #6 West Chester, PA 610-738-8310 Sila Heating and Air Conditioning sila-air.com 290 Hansen Access Rd. King of Prussia, PA Smith Sustainable Design * smithsustainabledesign. com 25 S. Main St. Yardley, PA 215-260-7905 info@SmithSustainable Design.com Spring House Window and Door shwdinc.com/ 908 N. Bethlehem Pike Spring House, PA 215-643-1155

Summers Heating & Air Conditioning, Inc. summershvac.com 6031 Rising Sun Ave. Philadelphia, PA 267-888-2566 THE PLUMBER, Inc. theplumberusa.com 702 Moore Industrial Park Prospect Park, PA 610-328-7618 Thermal Installation SVC LLC West Chester, PA 610-431-1393 TG Wells Remodeling Contractors & Construction Company * tgw-construction.com 105 Pennsylvania Ave. Yardley, PA 267-583-3482 Til-Mar Designs tilmardesigns.com 1708 S. 25th St. Philadelphia, PA 215-339-8453 Unique Indoor Comfort uniqueheating andcooling.com 11 Union Hill Rd. Conshohocken, PA 610-825-4400

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E R HI N O I T A C U D E Local universities arm graduates with advanced degrees in sustainability by liz pacheco

Philadelphia has been a national leader in higher education since Ben Franklin founded the University of Pennsylvania in 1740. Our local institutions of higher learning are adding to this proud legacy by blazing trails in graduate-level sustainability education. Compared to traditional programs, these degrees are typically more interdisciplinary. Students are not just encouraged, but required to take courses in different fields, and to collaborate with peers and professors outside of their academic specialties. The result is a unique experience in solving real-world sustainability problems with skills that directly translate to careers.

But is the job market ready for graduates with new degrees from these nascent programs? We feature nine students who completed sustainability-centered graduate programs in Greater Philadelphia. These profiles highlight the many career paths that await those who seek work in the green economy.

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Brad Sherman Product Designer, TerraCycle Trenton, NJ | Class of 2009

I had never been in a setting where you work so closely with a team. I think it’s that collaboration that makes the program so effective. So you’re not only learning from the curriculum, but you’re learning from each other. That’s one of the tenets of sustainable design.”

—bRAD sHERMAN

A

fter taking a course in sustainable planning as an undergraduate, Brad Sherman realized he was more passionate about sustainability than his urban planning major. So, he enrolled in the one-year option of the Sustainable Design program (the first student to do so), thinking he might pursue a career as an architect. But a course in green materials had Sherman again reconsidering his career path.

He began thinking more about waste, and designing buildings and products with minimal impact on the environment. During the green materials course, he learned about TerraCycle, which converts hard-to-recycle and non-recyclable waste into products and materials. Hoping to get a job with the company, Sherman applied (and was accepted) for an internship. Today, he is a product designer (or “design junkie”, as they say internally) for TerraCycle, and is also responsible for the recent renovations to the company’s office in Trenton. “[The Sustainable Design program] equipped me with the tools to successfully run and manage a 20,000 square-foot renovation on a $20,000 budget,” he says, speaking about the office renovations. “I designed every last detail—from the desks made out of old shipping pallets and doors to the pen holders made from old Sharpie casings.”

Philadelphia university

Masters in Sustainable Design

[ e st. 2 0 0 7]

Courses are taught by sustainable designers and engineers for an interdisciplinary curriculum focused on applying creativity and knowledge to real world sustainability problems. Degree options: 12-month accelerated, 2-year full-time, 2-year part-time, 18-month hybrid online/ on-campus. philau.edu/green

Fern Gookin Director of Sustainability, Revolution Recovery; Co-founder of Recycled Artist-in-Residency philadelphia | class of 2010

Alex Dews Policy and Program Manager, Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, City of Philadelphia Philadelphia | Class of 2010

A

lex Dews initially enrolled in the program at Philadelphia University intending to learn more about green building, and how that knowledge could be applied to real estate development.

But when his work as a graduate research assistant required him to work with Councilman Curtis Jones’ office, Dews’ interests shifted to city government’s role in sustainability issues. His timing couldn’t have been better. The spring after Dews enrolled, Mayor Nutter released his Greenworks Philadelphia plan. Dews started thinking about sustainability on the city level, and for his thesis decided to look at sustainability policy implementation. His research led him to Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability, where he was eventually hired as the policy and program manager while he finished his thesis. “I was really eating, sleeping, breathing sustainability policy implementation,” says Dews about his last semester. “It was great for me, great for that project.”

W

ith a background in architecture, experience managing indoor environmental health hazard rehabilitation projects, and a passion for sustainability, Gookin was attracted to the interdisciplinary nature of the Philadelphia University program.

While writing her thesis—which examined the role of art in creating awareness about sustainability issues—she met local artists who were receiving materials from Revolution Recovery, a construction waste recycling company based in Northeast Philadelphia. The academic project inspired Gookin to co-found the Recycled Artist-in-Residency program with Philadelphia artist Billy Dufala, and helped her land a full-time position with Revolution Recovery as Director of Sustainability. Today, Gookin handles all sustainability-related projects, such as guidelines for recycling on LEED-certified construction, office renovations and stormwater management on the property.

There are so many people from so many backgrounds in the program, and the same [can be said for] the professors that are teaching in the program.

I was able to pull from a lot of different experiences throughout the program as I got a collaborative learning experience.”

—fERN gOOKIN

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Masters in Sustainable Engineering [ e st.

Villanova university

2 0 1 0]

The Sustainable Engineering master’s program is one of the first of its kind in the country. Although housed in the College of Engineering, the program is multi-disciplinary and open to students without an engineering background.

Once enrolled, students choose from one of four academic tracks: Alternative and Renewable Energy, Watershed Sustainability, Environmental Sustainability, or Sustainable Infrastructure and Built Environment. Degree options: Full-time, part-time, online villanova.edu

Sarah Barnett Associate Engineer, Environmental Resources Management (ERM) Annapolis, MD | Class of 2011

A

s Sarah Barnett was finishing her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Villanova University, she began looking for opportunities to develop her skills in the sustainability field. But she found few options for graduate school. Fortunately for her, Dr. Bill Lorenz, a chemical engineering professor and Barnett’s senior research project advisor, was helping start a sustainable engineering program at the University.

Barnett became the program’s first student. Following graduation, she moved to Annapolis to work with ERM as a consultant on sustainable strategies for corporations. In this role Barnett helps companies reduce their environmental impacts and then report their achievements. “Basically what I learned at Villanova led directly to my position here,” explains Barnett. “Not only the technical expertise and understanding of what sustainability is— and that there’s more than environmental impacts to all of the activities that we do—but that social and economic impacts are also just as important.”

It sounded like the perfect combination of technical engineering along with more business savvy-type things related to sustainability and sustainability strategy for companies.” —Sarah Barnett

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Andrew Horning Project Manager, Bala Consulting Engineers Philadelphia | Class of 2012

U

nlike many of his classmates, Andrew Horning came into the Sustainable Engineering program with years of work experience. Horning, who has a degree in civil engineering, had spent 21 years doing commercial construction work in Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley area before being laid off in 2008. While out of work, he pursued energy efficiency-related jobs and decided to continue his education on sustainability.

Through a combination of night and online classes, Horning completed his degree while starting a new job as project manager with Bala Consulting Engineers. “I’ve been able to use the technologies and information presented through the Villanova program in our company and with our outside clients,” says Horning, whose work includes developing energy reduction strategies for large buildings.

lEHIGH

university

Masters in Environmental Policy Design, Environmental Initiative [ e st. 2 0 0 9] The Environmental Initiative was started in 2009 as an interdisciplinary program supported by four colleges within the University, including the core departments Earth & Environmental Sciences and Civil & Environmental Engineering. The program offers two independent graduate programs: Environmental Law and Policy, and Environmental Policy Design. cas.lehigh.edu/CASWeb/ei

I felt that I had the interest and enough background from having an undergraduate degree in environmental studies, but I really needed that practical application and theory behind environmental policy change that would come with the environmental policy design masters program.”

Christina Bianco Ratings Associate, B Lab Berwyn, PA | Class of 2010

—Sarah Morgan

Doing something related to the environment just seemed appropriate. There needed to be more people working on these issues and I just feel like there weren’t. —Christina Bianco

W

hile pursuing a double major in environmental studies and Spanish, Christina Bianco took a course on the impending energy crisis. During the class, Bianco realized what she wanted from her future career. “I felt like there’s this problem, and if I’m going to go down a career path, I want it to be one where I feel like I’m needed in the current state of the economy and the environment,” she says. After finishing her degree at Lehigh University, she continued into a master’s program offered through the Environmental Initiative program. “I thought I wanted to work for the EPA,” she says. But while pursuing her master’s degree, Bianco interned with Lehigh’s Purchasing Department, and helped choose environmentally-friendly furniture for a newly built LEED building and write a green purchasing policy. The experience encouraged Bianco to apply for a job with B Lab, a nonprofit in Berwyn, Pa. that helps businesses become certified as environmentally and socially responsible businesses, or B Corporations. Bianco works directly with companies that want to certify as B Corporations and assists in determining ratings of their social and environmental performance for their investors.

Sarah Morgan Transportation Manager, Heritage Community Initiatives Pittsburgh, PA | Class of 2010

S

arah Morgan admits that her interests were very different from her fellow classmates in the Environmental Policy Design master’s program. “Most were concerned with the design of major environmental laws. My interest was always in local environmental decision making,” she says. “I wanted to know the theory behind environmental laws and regulations… to help shape how I was going to affect change once I was out in the world.” Morgan entered the program after completing a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies at Lehigh. Even though the University doesn’t have an urban planning school, the program’s flexibility allowed Morgan to study those ideas through an environmental policy lens. “[It was] a totally new perspective that really allowed me to get the most out of the program, which was a totally unique experience I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else.”

After graduating, she worked with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Association in Newark on developing climate adaptability and mitigation plans. Interested in a more hands-on approach, she took a job with the nonprofit Heritage Community Initiatives.

As transportation manager, Morgan handles the shuttle service that supplements the existing public transportation service for people who need to get to work or work-related support services.

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university of

university of

Pennsylvania delaware Masters in Environmental Studies [e st.

19 9 4 ]

Students in the Environmental Studies master’s program can choose from a number of concentrations, including environmental sustainability, resource management, or even create their own. All programs of study are considered interdisciplinary and students are allowed (and encouraged) to take courses in different schools at the University. The program also offers special dual degrees in business administration and governmental administration. Degree options: Part-time, full-time. sas.upenn. edu/lps/graduate/mes

Masters in Energy and Environmental Policy [ e st.

19 9 7]

The Center for Energy and Environmental Policy is one of the oldest sustainability education programs in the Philadelphia area. In 1997, the Center (founded in 1994) created the graduate degree in Energy and Environmental Policy—the first in the country. Students can choose from a doctoral or master’s program. There is also a degree option for undergraduates. ceep.udel.edu

EMILY LINN Environmental Protection Specialist, Environmental Protection Agency philadelphia | class of 1999

Lia Mastropolo Water Resources Team, AKRF, Inc. philadelphia | class of 2010

A

lthough Lia Mastropolo graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English, she knew her interests aligned more with environmental work.

So, she took a job with the Nature Conservancy as a volunteer coordinator. After a year, she decided a more technical background was necessary—especially if she wanted to pursue a career in urban water resources. “There are not a lot of environmental programs in a big city like Philadelphia,” says Mastropolo, who was attracted to the University of Pennsylvania both for the urban location and the opportunity to take courses in multiple departments, like city planning, landscape architecture and environmental studies. Mastropolo created an individualized program on water resources policy, and paired her coursework with internships at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and AKRF, an environmental, planning and engineering consulting firm.

Mastropolo now works on the AKRF water resources team.

Part of her job involves being a consultant for the Philadelphia Water Department on a design assistance program for commercial property owners. Under Mastropolo and her team’s recommendations, these commercial customers can make changes to their property to reduce impervious surfaces and receive credits on their bill.

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The classroom setting and the conversations that take place in the classroom are pretty amazing. [CEEP] really provided me with a lot of great knowledge and skills I’m able to use today.”

—emily linn

I

n 1997, as emily linn was finishing her bachelor’s degree in history, she began looking for graduate programs in sustainability. At the time, the academic offerings in the field were still fairly limited. “There really weren’t a lot of programs out there that had a sustainability focus that you could actually get a degree in,” says Linn. But that year, the University of Delaware created a master’s and doctoral option in their Center for Energy and Environmental Policy. Linn jumped at the opportunity, attracted by the small size and diversity of the program. “CEEP also offers a lot of on-the-ground practical opportunities to apply what you’re learning in the classroom to the real world,” says Linn. “So, there were a lot of opportunities to engage in research, teaching [and] internships.” After graduation, Linn looked for jobs in which her work would have an impact on the community level. She worked for the Clean Air Council before transferring to the Philadelphia office for the Environmental Protection Agency, where she helps run volunteer and energy and climate partnership programs.

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23

urban naturalist

by bernard brown

A young Eastern Milk Snake at Valley Forge Park.

Hidden Gems T

he birds and the butterflies get the majority of attention, and rightly so.

You can’t ignore a scarlet cardinal or a swallowtail butterfly flashing its way across your garden. Our more brilliantly colored birds and insects have evolved to be seen. Almost as a rule, our native reptiles and amphibians have evolved to avoid notice. No one is dazzled by garter snakes or brown snakes, and the redback salamanders, however cute, will never take your breath away. Anything that we find beautiful about these creatures is subtle: elegant patterns in greens and earth tones, but nothing poster-worthy.

Milk snakes are one exception to the rule. As these nonpoisonous snakes age, their pattern darkens, but they begin life with vivid patterns in crimson blotches edged with black on a cream background. Other regional varieties of milk snakes—they range west from Quebec to Montana and south to Ecuador—mimic brilliantly banded coral snakes their whole lives; ours get one, maybe two years of beauty.

I found one of those gems under a rock in the Wissahickon in 2005, and I’ve been obsessed 24

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The vivid milk snake still lives in Philadelphia, but where? by bernard brown

with finding another ever since. I continue to fail.

It’s not for lack of effort. Milk snakes generally do not wander in the open, so I have spent hour after hour peering under rocks in the wilder sections of Northwest Philadelphia. I’m very specific in this obsession: I’ve found milk snakes outside the city limits, but they don’t count. Lest I think they’re extinct here, or I wean myself off the obsession, friends continue to send me photos of Philadelphia milk snakes found under rock walls or freshly killed on the road. Staff at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education tell me they see milk snakes all the time (just not while I’m there).

Milk snakes got their name from their love of mice. Early livestock farmers in the Northeast suspected that the snakes were stealing milk from their cows, but they were actually drawn to barns by rodents. Philadelphia doesn’t have many barns anymore, and neither does it have many stretches of woods, fields, or any other habitat free of heavy motor vehicle traffic.

Cities can be tough environments for the nonhumans. Studies of urban vertebrates have identified a few keys to succeeding: Don’t be picky

about what you eat or where you live (think house sparrows); devote your reproductive energy to producing lots of babies, the better to rebound from the occasional near-extinction (think rats); and stay small to make better use of the small chunks of habitat available in a city (and to avoid the risk of crossing a street).

Snakes have it a little harder than most other vertebrates—humans are particularly inclined to kill them—so they tend to do better by staying away from people.

As I’ve discovered, milk snakes are quite adept at staying out of sight. They are a little large for a city snake—averaging two and a half feet—and need just a little too much territory to survive in places other than the fringes of Philadelphia. The fields and forests we have out on the edges might be enough.

To be an urban naturalist is to accept the limitations of our depleted ecosystem, but maybe the milk snakes can hang on. Keep looking under rocks for the crimson-and-cream gems, and let me know if you find any.

bernard brown is an amateur field herper, bureaucrat and founder of the PB&J Campaign (pbjcampaign.org ), a movement focused on the benefits of eating lower on the food chain.

Read about his forays into the natural world at phillyherping.blogspot.com . p hoto by dav e f itzpatri c k

shoots

ladders

by char vandermeer

A New Leaf (Or Two) The greens that keep on giving by char vandermeer

N

ow that cooler nights and shorter days have taken over, it’s time to bust out the greens and radishes again.

And they’re easy—really! I know gardeners always say growing vegetables is “easy,” but often they’re stretching the truth, and sometimes they’re flat-out lying. Not so with loose-leaf lettuce, Swiss chard and kale. So if you’ve been too busy or too intimidated to get your hands dirty, now’s the time to turn over a new leaf and start a garden.

There are only three keys to greens: fresh seeds, a little dirt and a little water. Leaf lettuce, in particular, has a very short root system, so shallow containers work just as well as larger ones. Birds love those tender leaves, so consider draping a loose netting over the pots to protect them from predators. Don’t worry too much about overcrowding, either. Plant seeds a scant quarter-inch deep, and leave an inch or so between seeds—once things start looking a little too tight, gently pluck out a few young plants, clean them and make a salad. This gives the remaining plants more room to move, and now you can simply harvest the outer leaves as needed. Be sure to plant a bunch of different varieties (Red Sails, Ashley, Arugula, Black Seeded Simpson are some favorites) and a few dozen radishes to

ensure a tasty and aesthetically pleasing salad.

Plant a new box of lettuce every couple of weeks and you’ll have an almost endless supply of fresh goodness arriving in your kitchen.

Odds are good that I’ve praised Swiss chard and kale in these pages before, but there’s a reason. Swiss chard—unlike lettuce, which gets bitter and coarse after a few harvests—just keeps on giving. Five plants, started from seed, yielded more than enough chard to feed a family of three last year well into December.

And kale is a super food. It’s jam-packed with vitamins and nutrients, like vitamin A, fiber and calcium. And if you consider its excellent anti-inflammatory properties, kale is great for rapidly-aging gardeners. The added bonus: kale isn’t picky about soil and can even survive light frosts. In fact, frost may even make the leaves sweeter and more tender. As with Swiss chard, if you get your seeds in the ground by mid- to late-August or early September, you should be enjoying leafy greens well into those early, but inhospitable winter months. char vandermeer tends a container garden on her South Philly roof deck; she chronicles the triumphs and travails at plantsondeck.com

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Aug

Freshwater Mussel Surveying

Join the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership for a morning surveying the increasingly rare freshwater mussels and help guide the restoration of these important animals.

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→→ Sat., Aug 11, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., free, Intersection

of Adams and Newtown Avenues. For more information, visit ttfwatershed.org/events/

Aug 18

Tree Surveying in West Oak Lane Volunteer with the Takoony/Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership to identify locations for new trees to be planted in West Oak Lane.

→→ Sat., Aug 18, 9:30-12 p.m., free, Simons Recreation Center,

7200 Woolston Ave. For more information, visit ttfwatershed.org/events/

Aug 12

Yellow Springs Farm Cooking Demos: Ice Cream Sundaes

Enjoy a tasty treat with Catherine and Al Renzi of Yellow Springs Farm as they make ice cream sundaes from farm fresh ingredients. →→ Sun., Aug 12, 2-4 p.m., $30 Cooking Spotlight,

609 Village at Eland, Phoenixville. To register, visit cookingspotlight.com

Aug 15

Philadelphia Orchard Project Happy Hour

Enjoy a happy hour at The Wishing Well in support of community orchards in Philadelphia. Twenty-five percent of sales will go to the Philadelphia Orchard Project. →→ Wed., Aug. 15, 4-7 p.m. free, The Wishing Well,

767 S. Ninth St. For more information, visit phillyorchards.org

Aug

Sustainable Chanticleer

Discover the ways Philadelphia’s Chanticleer garden uses green practices to help reduce its impact on the planet’s limited resources.

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→→ Wed., Aug 15, 6-8 p.m., $18 members/$23 non-

members, Chanticleer, 786 Church Rd., Wayne.

To register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

Aug

Night Market

The Night Market returns to Mt. Airy.

Enjoy your favorite Philadelphia food trucks, local beer and music from soul artist Ryan Shaw at this street food festival hosted by The Food Trust.

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→→ Thurs., Aug. 16, 6-10:30 p.m., free, 6500 to 7200

Germantown Ave., Mt. Airy. For more information, visit nightmarketphilly.org

Aug

Beers with Bankers

Aug

Healthy Environment and Healthy You

A networking event to connect local entrepreneurs to lenders, microfinance experts and other financial institutions that serve small businesses. Hosted by the Sustainable Business Network.

Discover how the environment shapes our lives with an event from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Academy of Natural Sciences.

→→ Thurs., Aug. 16, 6-8 p.m., free for SBN

→→ Tues., Aug. 21, 1:30-2 p.m., free, PHS Pop-up

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members/$10 for non-members, Triumph Brewery, 117 Chestnut St. To register, visit

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Garden 2012, 1905-15 Walnut St. For more information, visit pennhort.net/calendar

sbnaugustmeetup.eventbrite.com/

Aug

Garden Chat: Birds and Bees

Aug

Bounty Hunters

Stop by for an informal chat and learn how to attract birds, bees and butterflies to your garden.

Join Chanticleer’s Doug Croft for a stroll through the garden. He will highlight some more unusual vegetables and discuss ways to cook and prepare them.

→→ Thurs., Aug 16, 5:30-5:45 p.m., free,

→→ Wed., Aug 22, 6-8 p.m., $18 members/$23 non-

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PHS Pop-up Garden 2012, 1905-15 Walnut St. For more information, visit pennhort.net/calendar

Aug

University City Dollar Stroll

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members, Chanticleer, 786 Church Rd., Wayne. To register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

Aug

Harvesting and Preserving Food

Roam through University City and enjoy $1 dining specials from more than a dozen restaurants, street performers and live music during this outdoor street festival.

There’s nothing better than opening a can of tomatoes in the middle of winter.

Learn time-saving tips and advice for freezing, canning and drying the garden’s bounty.

→→ Thurs., Aug 16, 5:30-8:30 p.m., University City District. For more information, visit universitycity.org

→→ Thurs., Aug 22, 6-7:30 p.m., $15,

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Aug 18

Master Gardeners of Camden County Plant Clinic

Stop by the Camden County Environmental Center with garden questions, sick plants, bug-eaten leaves and flowers, insects and conversation.

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The Salvation Army Kroc Center of Philadelphia, 4200 Wissahickon Ave. To register, visit pennhort.net/eventregistration

Aug

25

Indoor Gardening: Improving your Indoor Air Quality Workshop

Learn the basics of indoor gardening, including how to purify indoor air with houseplants, and the right plants for different homes.

→→ Sat., Aug 18, 9 a.m.-12 p.m., Camden County

Environmental Center, 1301 Park Blvd., Cherry Hill, NJ. For more information, visit camden.njaes.rutgers.edu

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→→ Fri., Aug 25, 1-3 p.m., $20, Greensgrow Farm, 2501 E. Cumberland St. To register, visit greensgrow.org

Aug

Veg Cocktails

Join the Humane League for a night of conversation and drinks. The night’s menu will also feature many vegan options.

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→→ Wed., Aug 30, 7-9 p.m., Nodding Head Brewery,

1516 Sansom St., 2nd Floor. For more information, email lydia@thehumaneleague.com

Aug

Orchid Lecture

Sept 7 8 9

Honey Fest A three-day event to raise awareness about bees and the impact of local honey on our economy, and to promote urban beekeeping and gardening.

→→ Fri.-Sun., Sept. 7-9, free, various locations. For more

information, visit phillyhoneyfest.com

SEPT

Plants for the Shady Garden

Join environmental educator Brenda Sullivan as she talks about the fascinating world of orchids. Learn about their history and how to care for them.

Learn tips from master gardener Michelle Sokoloff on soil preparation, watering and fertilization for growing plants in a shady garden.

→→ Thurs., Aug 30, 6-8 p.m., $18 members/

→→ Sat., Sept. 8, 9:30-11:30 a.m., $10, Fairmount Park

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$23 non-members, Meadowbrook Farm, 1633 Washington Ln., Meadowbrook.

To register, visit pennhort.net/calendar

SEPT

United By Blue Cleanup

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Horticultural Center, N. Horticultural and Montgomery Drives. For more information, visit extension.psu.edu/ philadelphia/programs/master-gardener

SEPT

Greenfest Philly

United By Blue will be firing up the grill for a free pre-cleanup cookout, followed by a few hours of picking up trash along the Schuykill River.

The largest environmental festival in the area with more than 100 exhibitors and vendors. Enjoy great food, local music, live demonstrations, kid-friendly activities and more.

→→ Tues., Sept. 4, 5 -7 p.m., free, Bartram’s Garden,

→→ Sun., Sept. 9, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., free, 2nd Street between

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54th St. & Lindbergh Blvd. For more information, visit unitedbyblue.com

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South and Pine Streets. For more information, visit greenfestphilly.org

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Cashed Out

My weekend without shopping by suzanne levy

S

ometimes, I’m just astonished. I look at the credit card bill and think—how did we spend that much? The evidence is on the page—a latte, a run to the office supply store, a visit to the hardware store. It’s not exactly an extravagant lifestyle, yet cumulatively these small purchases seem to gang up and kick us in the financial groin.

But can you just go cold turkey and not buy things? Is that possible in our consumerist culture? I decided to declare a “no spend weekend” to see if I could go an entire 48 hours without spending a dime. I chose a weekend when my partner was away, so it was just me and our fouryear-old daughter, Melissa. Friday night was a breeze. We ate, we played, she went to bed. No temptations. I went to sleep smug.

The rest of the weekend didn’t play out so smoothly. Saturday morning was met with a crisis—no discs left for the coffee machine. In a

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nanosecond I was at my laptop ordering more when I realized my coffee addiction would need to wait. I had some chamomile tea instead.

Later that day, while playing outside with Melissa, she pointed to some lavish bird poop splattered on the car. “That’s okay, honey. We’ll take it to the car wash,” I said. Then I remembered the no-spend policy. Sheesh. Wash it myself? I don’t think so. Washing the family car was one of my chores growing up, and I have no intention of starting that again. Hmm. Money sure can be helpful.

I made lunch, and listening to WHYY, became caught up in a story about a classic jazz album that sounded great. The idea of downloading the song began to dance in my head. I could have that music! Now! I had to sternly wag my finger at my intense desire and say—can you exist without this? I was beginning to see how money just drains away.

In the afternoon, it was getting hot, and Melissa was getting whiny. My automatic thought was “let’s get some ice cream.” I had the car keys in hand when I realized what I was doing. Now this was difficult—a combination of my spending addiction and my sugar addiction. I couldn’t believe how automatic my thoughts were. Heat plus stress meant ice cream equaled spending. It seems my default solution to momentary distress is to spend money.

On Sunday there was a “meet the counselor” session at Melissa’s upcoming summer camp.

Since this was a social interaction with nothing to buy, it was temptation free, and I felt strong, contained and oddly—pure. I can do this! I can resist the forces out to take my money! But on the drive home, I saw a sign for “local strawberries” and almost turned into the parking lot. Am I really that Pavlovian—offer me something and I must buy?

By late Sunday afternoon I was on the home stretch and feeling good. I hadn’t spent a thing.

But suddenly I heard the buzzing of a lawn mower. Oh no! I’d forgotten that a neighborhood kid cuts our grass every two weeks. I felt a sense of panic. Does writing a check count as spending? Had I blown it? I told myself that as a pre-arranged expense, it didn’t count, and got out my pen. (Rationalization is at the heart of all spending, it seems.)

Monday morning, I felt proud. I’d made it!

I took stock of what I’d learned. If I saw every desire to purchase something as a choice, rather than a need, then perhaps I could intercept myself and think: Do I really want this? But it’s going to take a lot of practice. Maybe there’s a book I could buy to help? I reach for the laptop.

Noooooooo! suzanne levy is a journalist and TV producer from Cherry Hill, NJ, who is constantly on the lookout for ways to sustain her soul. illustratio n by ki rsten harper

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What matters most?

Water Matters.

Students in the University of Pennsylvania’s Master of Environmental Studies program are passionate about clean water.

Many of them combine academic work on local and global water issues with fieldwork opportunities through the Philadelphia Global Water Initiative to put what they’ve learned in the classroom to work where it’s needed most.

From Cameroon to Kenya, from Bangalore to Sri Lanka, from Chicago to Philadelphia, MES graduates are part of an active community of thinkers and doers determined to find solutions to the world’s water problems.

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