With the announcement of Greenworks Philadelphia, Mark Alan Hughes exiting the Mayor's Office of Sustainability in triumph, it would seem that Philadelphia is well on its way to the stated goal of "Greenest City in America."
But the question Earth to Philly asked back in March still pertains: Lots of cities, if not all of them, want to be the "greenest in America" - what do we think gives ours the edge?
There's a move right now to ban plastic bags from supermarkets, which E2P will cover in further detail when the smoke clears. Instead, though, our ace in the hole could be that our mayor is someone who has been pushing universal recycling since the 20th century. And Mayor Nutter has stood firm in stepping up curbside collection in the face of painful budget cuts. But in this area, we're still left in the dustbin by San Francisco.
Already the city with the highest recycling rate in the nation, yesterday S.F. pushed the envelope further by making recycling - and composting! - mandatory and punishable by fines: $100 a pop for residents and most small businesses, all the way up to $500 for others. The ordinance will take effect this fall.
Here at Earth to Philly, we're all for exploring new ways to get people into the mindset that recycling should be automatic. But it's not just municipal jealousy to say this seems a little much. People joke about "the recycling police," but this would make that a wacky reality.
At the very least it would probably have been a better idea to phase the law in, starting with larger businesses, where a massive amount of waste occurs daily, and whose employees are likely to be city residents. After six to nine months of corporate consciousness-raising (and high-profile publicity when fines must be assessed), individuals would be better primed to get with the proverbial program.
As it is, with the problem of enforcing this on a per-house basis, there's a real chance for a backlash. That would be bad for San Francisco - and good for Philly! But only in the short term, because it would be bad for the planet, and as that recycling icon reminds us, what goes around comes around. So come on, West Coast, and get it right!
The experts at Philadelphia's Energy Coordinating Agency answer your energy questions in our regular feature Stay Warm, Stay Green. Send in your question or questions to energy@phillynews.com.
Look for Jenice Armstrong to supply tips on green living as well as occasional columns on the subject of Green. She also blogs at Hey Jen.
Becky Batcha stays tuned for the here-and-now practical side of conservation, alternative energy, organic foods, etc. - stuff you can do at home now. Plus odds and ends.
Flavia Colgan has been telling Citizen Hunters how to "go green" since back before everyone got tired of that phrase. She brings her knowledge of the worlds of politics and of entertainment to the table and point you to the most useful ideas she finds on the Web.
Laurie Conrad recycles from her ever-growing e-mailbag to pass along the latest travel deals, fashion statements, household strategies, gadgets, cool local events and other nuggets of interest to those who appreciate a clean, green world.
Vance Lehmkuhl looks at topics like eco-conscious eating, public transportation and fuel-efficient driving from his perspective as a vegetarian, a daily SEPTA bus rider and a hybrid driver, as well as noting the occasional wacky trend or product.
Ronnie Polaneczky sees the green movement through the eyes of her 12-year-old daughter, who calls her on every scrap of paper or glass bottle that Ronnie neglects to toss into the house recycling bins. Ronnie will blog about new or unexpected ways to go green. She also blogs at So, What Happened Was...
Sandra Shea and the DN editorial board opine on any green-related legislation or policy. And we'll pass along some of the opeds on the subject that people send us.
Jonathan Takiff will be blogging mainly about consumer electronics - those things that we love to use and that suck too much energy. He'll spotlight green-conscious gizmos made in a responsible fashion, both in terms of materials used and the energy it takes to run them.
Signe Wilkinson draws the comic strip Family Tree, which follows the Tree family as they try to live green in the face of nattering neighbors, plastic-wrapped consumer products, and the primal teenage urge to spend vast quantities of money on hair care products of dubious organic quality.
In addition to these updates from our newsroom bloggers, watch for an occasional feature, Dumpster Diver Dispatches, from Philadelphia's original "green" community of artists, the Dumpster Divers. You'll learn about creative ways to reuse and recycle while you reduce, and about the artists who are making little masterpieces from what others throw out.
Sept. 17: A head start on cold season
Oct. 8: Help with fuel bills
Oct. 29: Last-minute ways to winterize
Nov. 19: Budgeting for the big bite
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