Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Wednesday, June 19, 2013

POSTED: Wednesday, June 12, 2013, 4:51 PM
Tesla Model S

As might be expected, the newest store for high-end merchandise at the King of Prussia Mall is just down from Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Neiman Marcus.

Except this one doesn’t sell purses or perfume.

It sells cars.

POSTED: Tuesday, June 11, 2013, 2:11 PM
Robert Redford (© Docuvitae LLC)

He’s 76 now. And Robert Redford hasn’t given up. Not by a long shot.

His latest film came out today, and it’s all of a minute and 20 seconds. It will run not in movie theaters, but online and in social media. Plus, there’s a downsized 30-second version that will run in Washington, D.C., where Redford is directing his words.

In the spots, Redford urges President Obama to have the courage of his convictions and to act on climate change.


POSTED: Monday, June 10, 2013, 5:18 PM
Antwann Aubrey (left) and Nicholas Dudley of the Neighborhood Bike Works program lead a ceremonial ride to open the new trail section. In the background are Deshawn Davis (left) and Rayon Bausso.

The region’s cyclists and other trail users have another segment to explore.

On Saturday, officials celebrated the opening of a 1.5-mile stretch of the 58th Street Greenway, which connects Cobbs Creek Park and Bartram's Garden in Southwest Philadelphia.

So now The Circuit — the region's developing trail network, with the goal of completing 750 miles of trails — is up to about 250 miles.

POSTED: Friday, June 7, 2013, 5:00 AM

     What to do about plastic bags.....

      Charge a fee? Encourage more recycling? Ban them? Keep things as they are?

       If you're interested in the issue, tune in to WHYY-FM at 11 a.m. today, for a thorough discussion on Radio Times.

POSTED: Wednesday, June 5, 2013, 5:45 PM

A big toast to beer companies that are starting to embrace water quality! After all, their products use a lot of it.

The latest is Saucony Creek Brewing Company in Kutztown, headed by X Games skateboarder and snowboarder Matt Lindenmuth. Head brewer Joe Percoco led the development of Stonefly India Pale Ale -- named for an aquatic insect that can’t survive in polluted water, so it’s an iconic indicator of a clean stream.

Saucony has also teamed up with the Schuylkill  Action Network and offered to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sales of Stonefly to restoration projects benefitting the Schuylkill River, a drinking water source for more than two million people. The Saucony Creek empties into it.

POSTED: Tuesday, June 4, 2013, 6:24 PM
The Fishermen's Energy buoy headed to its new offshore location. (Fishermen's Energy photo)

For more than a year, a weather buoy has been anchored just off the coast of Atlantic City, running through the drill of collecting and sending meteorological information that will help in the design of what could be New Jersey's first offshore wind farm.

Last week, having passed this initial test, it was towed offshore and reanchored at a site 11 miles east of Ocean City -- in an offshore area leased from the U. S. Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. It's also where Fishermen's Energy, which deployed the buoy, intends to build a 350 MW wind farm.

“The device is now operating in 65 feet of water and transmitting environmental and meteorological data back to Fishermen’s offices to support windfarm design and development,” said Stephen O’Malley, Fishermen’s Director of Metocean Assessments.

POSTED: Thursday, May 30, 2013, 5:25 PM

Some of the birds have already started leaving.

They have lifted off and headed for the Arctic, where they need to mate, breed, and get out quickly, before the early snows start.

And shorebird scientists who have spent the month of May on Delaware Bay studying the birds -- in particular, one on steep decline called the red knot -- are relieved.

POSTED: Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 5:47 PM

For more than 15 years, University of Delaware researcher Nancy Targett has been on an odd and elusive quest to identify just what it is in the scent of a horseshoe crab that makes it such an alluring bait.

Alas, she never succeeded. She still doesn’t know what precisely constitutes eau de crab.

But earlier today, she and other officials announced a breakthrough that could help solve one of fishery management’s most knotty problems — how to lessen the harvest of crabs to save some birds, yet still allow watermen who use them as bait to make a living.

POSTED: Sunday, May 26, 2013, 7:00 AM

Planning to take advantage of a Memorial Day sale to buy a new appliance?

As you prepare to plunk down a hefty amount, keep this encouraging news from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy in mind:

Newer appliances are not only more efficient, they also perform the same or better while including a large number of new features, the council says.

POSTED: Saturday, May 25, 2013, 6:45 AM
A lake in the Canadian boreal forest. (Boreal Songbirds Initiative photo)

In case you missed it and forgot to send a card -- as did I -- Wednesday was the International Day for Biodiversity.

What’s biodiversity?

Ask most people, and they think it’s related to the number of species in a particular area. The more species, the more biodiversity.

About this blog
Sandy Bauers is the environment reporter for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where she has worked for more than 20 years as a reporter and editor. She lives in northern Chester County with her husband, two cats, a large vegetable garden and a flock of pet chickens.

GreenSpace - her column about how to reduce your carbon footprint in everyday life - appears every other Monday in Health & Science. Reach Sandy at sbauers@phillynews.com.

Sandy Bauers Inquirer GreenSpace Columnist
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