Last week, I met two of the most charming fellows. They went by Ecoman and the Skeptic, but in actuality they were Philadelphia University professors Rob Fleming and Chris Pastore.

Rob, who is Ecoman, is director of the university's sustainable design program. He's big into the philosophy of green. 

Chris, the Skeptic, is head of the architectural engineering program. He's big into the science of green. If there's no data to back it up, there's no green. 

Together, they host a weekly online radio show about environmental matters that's informative, fast-paced and fun.

Last week, I was the guest, there to talk about toilet paper and facial tissues and other similar products.  You can buy ones made of recycled paper, or you can buy ones made of trees. Big difference.

They were nice to me. Even Chris. (I was scared of the Skeptic!) So I suppose I might be considered biased. But here goes anyway. I was so impressed with how well they had prepared for the hour-long show. In a room off a student lounge with a few microphones and a bunch of laptops, they start off with 15 minutes of news, all delivered with an easy banter.  Then it's time for the guest. They grilled me not just about TP, but about all manner of things I had written about recently, from better-burning wood to green burials. I tried not to sound like a chipmunk -- or an idiot -- and I think it went okay. Either way, it was fun.

At the end, Rob and Chris square off on a weekly true-or-false Green Wash quiz about eco events, hosted by Prof. Rob Frye, who usually tries to trip them up. Last week, they needed to know whether Republicans were supporting climate change legislation and what the big data point was that Bill McKibben is so hot on. Skeptic is winning so far, but Ecoman shows promise. 

This week's show, live at 11 a.m. tomorrow, will feature actor and environmentalist Ed Begley Jr., star of Living With Ed and author of Ed Begley, Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living, Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life.  The "dueling duo," as Rob and Chris are sometimes referred to, will delve into practical tips for living green – while still getting along with your spouse.  Begley's probably a real live wire. In his first book, Living Like Ed, his wife got to chime in with segments they dubbed "Rachelle's Turn," which were often hilarious. She'd stumble over the solar oven and freak out trying to switch the battery system over to the grid. So what Ecoman and the Skeptic want to know is:  Will Ed and his wife Rachelle be able to strike a balance between doing good and living well? What are the three steps to energy independence?

You can get more info -- and tune in to boot -- at http://www.philau.edu/ecomanandtheskeptic/

Better yet, if you're listening and you have questions, call in during the broadcast at 1-888-346-9141. 

Whether the Phillies will win the World Series or not remains, well, iffy at best, at this point.

But at least the team has been making hits when it comes to its green initiatives.

Last year, as part of a broader effort in Major League Baseball, the Phillies announced a new initiative to increase recycling, switch to biodegradeable cups and buy renewable energy. The link to the story has expired, so I’ll copy it below from our archives.

Now, an MLB spokeswoman has an update: “With the Phillies confirmed to represent the National League, they have really done a lot over the last two years and are one of our strongest green teams. For the American League, the Yankees new stadium was built with environmental considerations and the Angels have done a lot to become more environmentally friendly.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council has been working with the teams, and here’s a blog update from Jessica Esposito. Not only was Esposito out at Yankee Stadium last week promoting recycling of fans’ game waste, she also noted some of the behind-the-scenes efforts: “Games played at Yankee Stadium will use renewable energy offsets from Bonneville Environmental Foundation, sourcing 100% of the energy from wind farms in North Dakota and Minnesota. Offsetting the games at Yankee Stadium means saving more than 3,500 metric tons of CO2 pollution during the four potential games there. Games played at Citizen Bank Park will also all be offset with 100% renewable energy credits from WindStreet Energy.”

Meanwhile, MLB has passed along some of the Phillies’ latest recycling data. The team has a goal of increasing the
the ballpark recycling rate to exceed the current 15% rate. In 2008, approximately 251.16 tons of cardboard/white paper and 95.72 tons of commingled material (plastic or glass bottles/aluminum cans) were recycled. So far this year:

• During the month of April 2009 (15 home games), collected 179.75 tons of trash and 34.82 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for a 16% recycling rate.
• During the month of May 2009 (15 home games), collected 192.98 tons of trash and 37.20 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for a 16% recycling rate.
• During the month of June 2009 (9 home games), collected 180 tons of trash and 34.82 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for a 16% recycling rate.
• During the month of July 2009 (17 home games), collected 342 tons of trash and 59.42 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for a 17% recycling rate.
• During the month of August 2009 (12 home games, 1 concert), collected 268.52 tons of trash and 46.34 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for a 17% recycling rate.
• During the month of September 2009 (13 home games), collected 213.64 tons of trash and 37.98 tons of recycling (cardboard & commingled) for an 18% recycling rate.

Go Phillies.

And here's the story from May 1, 2008:

The Phillies players all wore green hats last night.

Whether it did anything to help their game, no one will know.

But it was a sign of the team's new environmental strategy and its new logo: Red Goes Green.

Yesterday, the team rolled out an entire green program, announcing that it would buy enough renewable energy - wind, in all likelihood - to cover all of its energy use at Citizens Bank Park this year.

The 20 million kilowatt hours will make the Phillies the third-largest purchaser of green power in the city. It will heat the fryers, light the field, power the scoreboard and more.

In short, it will juice everything except Chase Utley's swing.

The team also plans myriad smaller greenings such as switching to biodegradeable cups and plates.

The fry oil from the chicken tenders and French fries will be converted to biodiesel.

The stadium's cans and bottles - 20,000 for sodas alone - will be recycled.

All in all, it will be enough to turn the Phanatic . . . oh, wait, he's already green.

Major League Baseball executive vice president John McHale Jr., who donned his own green cap along with Mayor Nutter and Gov. Rendell at an afternoon ceremony, termed the Phillies' commitment "unprecedented."

He said the club had gone far beyond what his office imagined when it challenged the league's teams in March to green their operations.

It also opened the door for a host of groaner puns, from suggestions that saving the planet requires "a team effort" to hopes that the new initiative would be "a hit."

Meanwhile, the accolades flowed. "We will hold you up as an example to the rest of the country," said regional Environmental Protection Agency administrator Donald Welsh.

"This is absolutely a great thing," said Allen Hershkowitz, a senior scientist with the national environmental group Natural Resources Defense Council, which advised the league for free. "There's no downside to it."

He said it was important that a cultural icon like baseball would throw its considerable weight behind environmental initiatives, and to do so "in a fish bowl. It's a courageous thing."

Said Rendell: "It's our hope the fans will emulate the club."

The Washington Nationals may be building the nation's greenest stadium, and the Eagles may have beat them to it with their own burst of green projects last fall, including toilet paper made from recycled materials. But the Phillies are leading on the renewable energy front. With the wind-power purchase - expected to cost about $250,000 - they have become the first major-league baseball team to join the EPA's "Green Power Partnership," which encourages groups to buy green power.

In the city, the team will rank behind the nearly 200 million kilowatt hours the University of Pennsylvania purchases, and just below the 21.5 million kilowatt hours the city purchases for City Hall and the airport.

The team is also one of only 13 groups in the state to purchase the renewable energy equivalent to 100 percent of the energy it uses.

This does not mean, however, that a field of wind turbines will literally be sending the electrons they generate to Citizens Bank Park.

What the team is actually buying is renewable energy credits, brokered by WindStreet Energy Inc., a Perth Amboy, N.J., company.

Here's how it works:

All kinds of generators, from coal plants to wind turbines, pump electricity into the grid.

But in the case of wind turbines, solar panels and other forms of renewable energy, the environmental benefits - no air pollution, for instance - of each kilowatt hour can be separated and sold as "renewable energy credits."

The credits are certified by an independent auditing body - in the case of the Phillies, a company called Green-e Energy - and registered so they can only be sold once.

The credit system helps offset the higher costs of generating clean energy. So while the Phillies aren't literally powering the park with wind, "if people weren't buying these credits, the wind farms would not have the financial incentive to operate," said WindStreet president Christopher Kent.

Jeff Deyette, an energy analyst with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a nonprofit unconnected with the effort, called Green-e certification the "gold standard" for ensuring the validity of the credits.

Other than hooking the stadium directly to wind turbines or solar panels, "it's the next best thing they can do to support clean energy," he said.

Penn's new environmental sustainability coordinator - which tops the nation's colleges and universities with its wind purchase - welcomed the Phillies into the clean energy fold.

"The idea of influencing behavior through associating with things you like is very powerful," said Penn's Dan Garofalo. "So the Eagles and Phillies are greener; every little bit helps influence the general population."

The NRDC's Hershkowitz also saw potential for green growth. "The story as I see it is that one of the most culturally influential organizations is saying, 'We're going to look at our supply chain and our operations to see where to reduce our impact,' " he said.

"It really is a huge cultural shift . . . There's motherhood, apple pie, baseball, and now there's environmentalism."
 

House finch (Photo by Brian E. Small)

An experienced birder might think this lame, but I've been confused for quite a while now about one of the species that regularly visits my feeders every winter. Was it a house finch or a purple finch? 

Thanks to Brian E. Small and Paul Sterry, I have my answer.

Sterry is a wildlife author who has written or co-authored more than 50 books. Small, the current photo editor of Birding magazine, has contributed photographs for a number of field guides.  The two have teamed up on two new photographic field guides,  Birds of Eastern North America and a counterpart for western birds. They're due out from Princeton University Press today, and each costs $18.95.

The book is flat-out gorgeous.  We see the birds standing, swimming and in flight. There's the usual field buide-style information -- maps of their range, what they sound like, etc. -- but this book seems to make things uniquely clear. I can't wait to go try it out on gulls at the shore.

Meanwhile, I've been able to conclude that the reddish bird at my feeders is, indeed, a house finch. The picture was unmistakeable. Better yet, the purple finch and house finch were on the same page, so I didn't have to flip back and forth to compare them. The house finch, is widespread in lightly wooded habitats, Sterry notes. Like my yard. I'll have to listen for it, too. It's voice, he says, is a series of "rich, chattering phrases," and its call is "a shrill whee'ert."

In case you'd like to see one yourself, here's an observation tip: "Hard to miss."

I should have known.

The details of plastic bagdom are ever in flux. Cities are trying to ban them. Stores are giving people money to not use them.

Today, a major national pharmacy retailer joined the fray. CVS announced what is basically a 25-cent giveback for every bag a customer doesn’t use. Great deal, right? Especially when you consider that most grocery stores only give in the neighborhood of a nickel.

But there’s a catch. You need one of those horrid little cards — “loyalty” cards is what they’re often called — to take advantage of the deal. Actually, you need TWO of those horrid little cards.

Do I need to say here how much I hate all those horrid little cards and tags that we’re supposed to carry around on our key chains to get a discount at some store or other? Am I alone?

I have cards at two grocery stores. For a while, I had a card that gave me a free cup of coffee every tenth time. My pet food store gives me some kind of cut if I use their card. And so on. If I took advantage of all of the cards and deals, I’d just about need an extra purse.

So, yes, I rolled my eyes when I heard about yet another discount card, even though CVS promises theirs — a “GreenBagTag” in the shape of a green leaf — is made with corn-based material and 100 percent recycled silicone.

Except that the 25 cents really is a good deal, so bear with CVS in figuring out how it works. I've distilled it into ten easy steps:

1) Sign up for an “ExtraCare” card, which is free and entitles you to various discounts. You cannot get a GreenBagTag without it.

2) Hand over 99 cents.

3) The clerk will give you the tag. 

4) The GreenBagTag comes in a little package — it’s made of recycled paper, but still, go figure. Please save this so you can recycle it.

5) Next time you buy something and don’t use a bag, swipe the ExtraCare card AND the leaf-shaped tag.

6) Do it again.

7) Do it again.

8) Do it one more time. Only after the fourth bag denied does the computer tally a $1 discount, which CVS calls the “Extra Buck.” It’s printed on your receipt. Your paper receipt.

9) And now ... don’t lose that receipt! May I suggest paper-clipping it to your leaf card, just in case your key ring isn’t already bursting?

10) Next time you’re back in any of the 7,000 CVS stores in the nation, hand the receipt to the clerk, who will scan it to give you the ExtraBuck credit on your purchase.

Got it? Stay tuned for the tally on how many plastic bags this saves.
 

This weekend, I'll probably crank up the fireplace insert and start burning. Last year, using it for heat kept my oil usage to 440 gallons, a little more than half of what it was without the insert.

But not all fires, not all fireplaces, and not all woods are created equal. To help people sort things out, the Environmental Protection Agency has started a "burn wise" campaign to help reduce pollution from wood smoke -- which, as the agency notes, is "a mixture of gases and fine particle pollution that isn’t healthy to breathe indoors or out – especially for children, older adults and those with heart disease, asthma or other lung diseases."

It's like those days when people are burning leaves, and you think it smells so good. Actually, you're breathing harmful particles. And by the way, if you ant to purchase a more efficient wood-burning stove, you may qualify for a federal tax credit.

According to info from the EPA:

If you’re burning wood, you can have a cheaper, safer and healthier fire by following these tips:

· Burn only dry, seasoned wood. It’s better for the air and your wallet. Look for wood that is darker, has cracks in the end grain, and sounds hollow when hit against another piece of wood. Dry seasoned wood is more efficient at heating your home and can add up to significant savings over the winter. Never burn painted or treated wood or trash.

· Maintain your wood stove or fireplace and have a certified technician inspect it yearly. A certified technician can clean dangerous soot from your chimney and keep your wood stove or fireplace working properly, which reduces your risk of a home fire.

· Change to an EPA-certified wood stove or fireplace insert. These models are more efficient than older models, keeping your air cleaner, your home safer and your fuel bill lower, while keeping you warm in the winter. An estimated 12 million Americans heat their homes with wood stoves each winter, and nearly three-quarters of these stoves are not EPA certified. An EPA-certified wood stove can emit nearly 70 percent less smoke than older uncertified models.

More information on Burn Wise: http://www.epa.gov/burnwise  The site has all sorts of useful information and makes for interesting rummaging for a while.  It even has an on-line calculator that provides a cost comparison between different fuel types including hardwoods, softwoods, gas, oil, and electric.  And it solved the mystery of why, when I was camping in Nova Scotia earlier this fall, I saw signs warning against burning driftwood in the fire circles at each campsite. It releases toxic chemicals. Ack.

(Clean Ocean Action photo)

On Saturday, Clean Ocean Action is holding its annual beach clean-up in New Jersey. Apparently, there's always plenty to do. Last year, 5,163 volunteers collected 289,976 pieces of debris from 63 locations during two cleanups, held in spring and fall.   The total weight was 36,041 pounds. 

Plastics overall pretty much always top the list of items.  But as far as individual items, cigarette filters remain the most ubiquitous, smoking bans at various beaches notwithstanding. According to the 2008 annual report, the  "Roster of the Ridiculous," which lists the most unusual items found, include: 1977 Bradley Beach badge in Point Pleasant, a Canoe, bottle of Holy Water, $20 Bill, beer keg, Whole Jar of mayonnaise, containers from Asia, a refrigerator door, a vacuum, a ship brace from an old ship, a high chair, and 500 pounds of lumber.

The beach sweep events are more than people picking-up trash from beaches, the nonprofit association points out. The intent is also to build community support for solutions to marine litter, as well as raises awareness about the negative impacts of litter on wildlife and the ocean.

The sweeps will be held from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and you can get information about where to meet at the organization's website, www.CleanOceanAction.org

Speaking of things washing up on beaches, Congress is taking steps to get cruise ships to quit dumping raw sewage into coastal waters. According to Friends of the Earth, cruise ships are now allowed to dump raw sewage just three miles offshore -- which is roughly as far as you can see to the horizon. So if you're at the shore, and you see a cruise ship ... 

On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) and U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Calif.) introduced legislation that would end the dumping. It would establish a no-dumping zone in waters within 12 nautical miles of U.S. shores and strengthen standards for treatment of waste outside that zone. The bill also would require an onboard monitoring program. 

"This practice is not only disgusting, it can threaten the public health, coastal tourism, fishing economies, and marine ecosystems,” said Neesha Kulkarni, legislative associate at Friends of the Earth, in a prepared statement. “Advanced technology is available to treat this waste, but the cruise industry has failed to install this equipment on a majority of its ships. The Clean Cruise Ship Act would put a stop to this practice and hold the cruise industry accountable.”

 Some ships carry 7,000 passengers and crew. In one week, a ship with 3,000 passengers can generate 200,000 gallons of sewage and 1 million gallons of graywater (water from showers, floor drains, and kitchens).

"The cruise ship industry is way overdue to take responsibility for its actions,” Farr said. “It’s ironic that the cruise industry relies on a clean ocean and pristine coastlines for its livelihood, but doesn’t put in the effort to sustain them. This carelessness must not be allowed to continue.”

More information can be found here.

President Mohamed Nasheed at the meeting.

Momentum is building toward an international day of climate change action this Saturday. The day is the brainchild of Bill McKibben and his organization, 350.org, which is attempting to inspire the world to respond more diligently to the challenge of climate change. Many scientists was 350 parts per million is the safe upper limit for carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. Problem is: We're now at 390.

The movement is spawning all kinds of activities not only this Saturday, but all week and beyond.  I love the one held last Saturday in the Maldives, a country that would be one of the first to be submerged under rising waters caused by melting polar ice caps. President Mohamed Nasheed and his ministers held an official cabinet meeting under water. With scuba tanks. (Yes, they'd been taking lessons.) They communicated by hand signals.

In Philadelphia, the main event will be at Independence Mall, beginning at 1 p.m.  Speakers will include Ray Anderson, described as a "radical industrialist and environmental heavyweight," and Katherine Gajewski, the city's Director of Sustainability.  Afterward, people will do a human graphic formation _ arranging themselves into the giant number, 350.  They plan to take a photo from the top of the Bourse. The local website is www.350philly.org

Elsewhere in the world,  Israeli, Palestinian and Jordanian activists will gather on the shores of the Red Sea and arrange themselves into the pattern of huge 3’s and 5’s and 0’s.  In China, students at 300 universities are coordinating scuba marches with people dressed in snorkels and flippers.  Images from more than 3,000 other events will stream across screens in New York City’s Time Square.

For more information and events, go to www.350.org.  

Other events in the region not necessarily tied to 350.org, but nevertheless about climate change, include a  clean energy summit planned for Thursday in Media at Delaware County Community College, hosted by state Rep. Bryan R. Lentz.  It will include a panel of regional and national clean energy experts, and they'll talk about renewable energy, including how the country can strengthen national security by reducing dependency on foreign oil, and how it can create jobs here at home instead of outsourcing manufacturing overseas.
 

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Panelists include Panelists include Lentz,  Dr. Jerry Parker of the college, a Truman National Security Project representative, Tony Girifalco of the  Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center, Nathan Willcox of PennEnvironment, Steve McNally, of the  International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union 654, Eric Thumma of Iberdrola Renewables and Drew Devitt of New Way Airbearings.

This week, military veterans are embarking on a 21-state bus tour to talk to citizens about the dangers of climate change and the threat to national security. On Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. they'll be in the mayor's reception room at city hall as part of a town meeting -- also with state Rep. Lentz. 

The tour is sponsored by Operation Free, a coalition of veterans and national security groups working together to raise public awareness about national security threats posed by climate change and the importance of building a clean energy economy that is not tied to fossil fuels. For more information about the tour, visit the Operation Free Veterans for American Power Bus Tour website (http://www.operationfree.net/on-the-bus/).
 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinlabar/ / CC BY-NC 2.0

Here's a great idea for how to expand an area's tree cover -- particularly in this region, where oak forests dominate.

Go pick up acorns and spread them around.

Think it's a joke? The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has been doing it for five years.

Earlier this month, 91 volunteers and agency biologists spread out to two state parks and the Smyrna rest area (just off Route 1) to collect acorns that had fallen in areas where seedlings would be unlikely to grow -- places like mowed areas along trail edges, open spaces, roadsides, etc. They encouraged landowners to help out as well, and one in particular wowed everyone. Betty Ann Cooper collected 150 pounds of acorns on her property in Frederica. Get this, she's 84. Her view: "I don't like to waste things." And, hey, the squirrels have plenty already, I'm sure.

Altogether, the department collected 1,191 pounds of acorns this year, the most since the program began in 2005.

The acorns will be scattered in reforestation areas to grow on their own.  Some also will be grown into oak seedlings to be transplanted later.

Okay, so the Halloween connection is about as hokey as it gets. In fact, I can almost feel myself gagging.

But what the heck: Vampire power sucks, as they say, and any time something comes along to help people kick the habit of keeping all those power-draining devices plugged in, I’m for it.

So welcome to a new website: www.VampirePowerSucks.com, which is the brainchild of iGo, a company that develops eco-friendly chargers and power management systems.

The problem is that in most homes, even when you think an electronic device is turned off, it’s probably not. In reality, it’s little electronic brain may still be humming along. It’s still remembering settings, noting the date, at the ready for an internet connection, ever on the alert for a signal from the remote.

Researchers say that the typical house has three dozen appliances that never really shut down. Want to explore? Look for anything with a little red light. That’s the first clue. Look for anything with a touch pad, a digital display, a remote control.

Some are just teeny drains. Like a cell phone charger. (Even if the phone isn't plugged in, it's drawing power.) Others are real power hogs, the Humvees of household suckers. According to Alan Meier, a Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory energy analyst who was one of the first to take the issue seriously, some of the new cable and satellite boxes draw 40 watts when “off” — about half of what an entire refrigerator draws. The cost at current PECO rates would be upwards of $50 a year.

I wrote about Meier and the issue over a year ago, but the points still stand. Click here to read the story. 

For those who want to explore their own hidden power hogs, the VampirePowerSucks website has an interactive graphic where you can find your devices on a list, “drag” them into a virtual home and see what you wind up with.
Or, you could get a Kill-a-Watt meter, which you plug into an outlet, then plug the device in question into the meter, and it reads out the power draw.

Or, you could simply be conscientious: Go around and unplug everything that you can think of.