A few days ago we asked for your help in encouraging the City of Philadelphia to continue funding the PHS vacant land program. You responded with hundreds of e-mails and phone calls to Mayor Nutter, and we are very grateful for your passion and loyalty.
We learned on Wednesday that the $2.4 million funding at stake was not eliminated; however $849,000, or 35 percent, was cut from the vacant land program.
In coming days and weeks, we will decide on the best use of the $1.56 million that we will receive. We do know that the reduction means no new lots will be stabilized in Philadelphia. There will also be a reduction in maintenance of existing lots, as well as a reduction in the full- and part-time green jobs that maintain the land. The impact on the neighborhoods that have been transformed through the vacant land program will be considerable.
That said, please know that your support and outreach made a huge difference in the outcome of this program, which contributes so much to the quality of life, environment, and economy of the city.
This effort is not over, and we will continue to urge the city to restore this funding. You can send a letter to the Mayor by using this link to the Philadelphia Cultural Alliance website: click here.
If you haven’t already, please click on the link above and show your support for vacant land transformation projects in Philadelphia!
Here at TTF, we talk a lot about how recycling can help to protect our waterways. Our Ethical Electronics Recycling Events help keep dangerous chemicals from electronics from leaching into our creeks and rivers. But what about plastics? From all of our work doing stream cleanups, we’ve found that a huge percentage of the trash we pick up is plastic — usually in the form of food or beverage packaging materials and plastic bags. (The City of Philadelphia currently recycles plastics #1 and #2, but not #3-#7. Montgomery County has different regulations.)
This month’s Grid magazine has an article on where Philadelphia residents can recycle plastics #3-7:
Because No. 5 is the next most common plastic (after 1 and 2), Weaver’s Way Co-op (weaversway.coop) collects it—including Brita filters—as part of the “Gimme 5” campaign. Plastics must be clean, dry and clearly stamped with the number 5. Collections take place on the third Saturday of each month at the Co-op’s garage (524 Carpenter Lane), and all the plastics are then shipped to the Gimme 5 processing facility in New York State. The South Street Whole Foods (929 South Street) also collects No. 5 plastics.
The other numbers are trickier. The foam variety of No. 6–Polystyrene and the dreaded No. 7–Other categories are notoriously difficult to recycle. But Recycling Services, Inc. (365 Elm Street, Pottstown, 610-323-8545) takes all comers (numbers 1 through 7), and the facility is open for public collection on Tuesdays and Saturdays (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.). They charge an $8/car gate fee, so consider loading up with your neighbors’ No. 3 through 7s, too, before you head out there.
If you drink a lot of bottled beverages, you can recycle the caps at the Big Green Earth Store (934 South Street) and at Aveda stores throughout the Philadelphia region (the Shops at Liberty Place, Cherry Hill Mall, Willow Grove Park and Exton Square).
And, in addition to recycling plastic, we can just try to use it less — especially when it comes to unnecessary purchases like bottled water!
Pennsylvania – home to the best state parks system in the nation – is trailing Texas in the Odwalla Plant a Tree promotion. If you have not voted, please vote right now here.
If you already voted, you can vote again. When it asks you for the special Visitor Kit code, enter PA7000.
You do NOT have to have a Facebook account to vote. On the main screen after you click on PA on the map, simply enter your birthday and email on the right side of the screen. On the next page, select PA from drop down menu, and follow the rest of the instructions.
Help Pennsylvania receive money to plant trees by going to www.odwalla.com/plantatree and voting for Pennsylvania.
Beginning May 25, Pennsylvania will be competing with the 49 other states in the “Plant a Tree” campaign sponsored by Odwalla fruit juices. Citizens across the nation will be asked to go to the Odwalla website, www.odwalla.com/plantatree, and vote for their favorite state to have a tree planted. Odwalla is dedicating $200,000 in trees for this campaign. Each vote will count as a dollar, and once all $200,000 are allotted, the campaign will end. The number of votes a state gets will equal the number of dollars it receives to plant trees within state parks. Please help Pennsylvania become the top vote-getter. Log on early as votes will go fast. It costs nothing to participate and takes only a few seconds to vote for Pennsylvania.
Here are ten great reasons to plant more trees!
1. Trees help purify the air we breathe by absorbing pollutants.
2. Trees increase property values and improve the tax base in communities.
3. Trees improve neighborhood appeal, attracting businesses, shoppers, and homeowners.
4. Trees cool our cities and towns by reducing heat generated by buildings and paved surfaces.
5. Tree shade, properly placed, can save an average household up to $250 annually in energy costs. 6. Trees reduce the amount of pollutants in sewer systems, saving communities millions of dollars in water treatment costs.
7. Trees soften harsh building lines and large expanses of pavement, making urban environments much more pleasant.
8. Trees provide habitat for birds and other wildlife, maintaining a balance with nature even in urban areas. 9. Trees reduce the amount of water-borne pollutants that reach streams and rivers.
10.Trees reduce levels of domestic violence and foster safer, more sociable neighborhood environments.
With the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day approaching on April 22nd our government is challenging us to make a change.
President Obama explains that change won’t come from Washington alone when it comes to creating a healthy environment, it has to also come from each and everyone of us. President Obama and TTF challenge you to make a difference and this earth day resolve to do something to promote a healthier environment where you live.
Make everyday earth day in your watershed!
Plant a tree.
Clean your street.
Avoid driving a car when possible, instead take public transportation, walk or bike.
Plant a rain garden.
Make a rain barrel to water your homegrown fruits and veggies.
The possibilities are endless, please share your ideas for making a difference in your watershed!
Please read the important announcement below from the Pennsylvania DEP!
DEP Advises Residents, Anglers to Avoid Sewage-Contaminated Tookany, Frankford Creeks in Montgomery County, Philadelphia: Ongoing Sewer Overflow Releasing Untreated Sewage into Creek
NORRISTOWN — The Department of Environmental Protection is warning residents and anglers to stay out of Tookany and Frankford creeks in Cheltenham Township, Montgomery County, as well as in the city of Philadelphia, because untreated sewage is overflowing from a sewer line into the waterways.
According to DEP’s southeast regional director, Joe Feola, the raw sewage creates a potentially severe public health hazard.
“The ongoing raw sewage discharge into these creeks is creating a public safety and health hazard, so we are advising area residents and anglers to stay away until the problem is corrected,” Feola said. “With warmer weather, creeks make an inviting playground for children, and we are concerned that people could be sickened by sewage contamination. We are also advising residents to not let pets drink from the stream.”
The sewage overflow began during recent wet weather. Cheltenham Township, which owns and operates the sewer line, has crews working to filter and chlorinate the discharge, but this temporary measure will not adequately treat the water and remove pathogens that could cause serious health concerns.
DEP is working with local officials and the county to reduce the flow and correct the problem.
CONTACT:
Neil Weaver, 717-787-1323
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Dept. of Environmental Protection
Commonwealth News Bureau
Room 308, Main Capitol Building
Harrisburg PA 17120
Here at TTF we do talk a lot about how dirty our local waterways are due to pollution from stormwater runoff, illegal dumping, and litter to name a few things. We discuss these issues in order to demonstrate how our day to day activities as residents of this city affect our water resource and also to discover and promote new ways that all of us can help to keep pollutants out of our water.
Many people quote these same problems as contributing factors in why they decide to purchase and consume bottled water…
I am here to say STOP! Drinking bottled water is not healthy for you or your environment.
The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) does a fantastic job of cleaning the water from our rivers, the Delaware and Schuylkill to make it safe for us to drink. Not only are they already doing a fantastic job of keeping our drinking water clean, at each of the three water treatment plants they have test projects to find newer ways to make our water even cleaner. Knowing that, why would you want to pay for something you can get for free out of the tap.
Even more importantly though, bottled water is harmful to your body and our planet. Not only is the water that you buy in a bottle not regulated as strictly as the water that comes out of your tap, your water is absorbing toxic chemicals just by sitting in a plastic bottle.
Here is how the Philadelphia Water Department monitors water quality:
Throughout the water treatment process, our plant technicians analyze the water, monitoring its quality. Supported by the very latest in advanced chemical analysis equipment, our environmental laboratories examine over 12,000 samples of water each year collected from our reservoirs at more than 65 locations across the City. Each sample undergoes an average of five (5) tests to ensure that our customers enjoy safe water, free from contamination.
And here is how the FDA regulates water quality:
FDA monitors and inspects bottled water products and processing plants as part of its general food safety program. Because FDA’s experience over the years has shown that bottled water has a good safety record, bottled water plants generally are assigned a relatively low priority for inspection… FDA’s field offices follow up on consumer and trade complaints and other leads, as appropriate, on potentially violative bottled water products… As with other types of food, FDA periodically collects and analyzes samples of bottled water. Samples come from several different sources. Some samples are collected during inspections if the inspector’s observations warrant collection to test for contaminants or if the bottled water facility has a previous history of contamination. Other samples are collected in response to trade or consumer complaints.
Now I ask you, which water do you want to drink?
For more information about why you should TAP INTO TAP WATER watch “Tapped,” a fantastic documentary outlining the real and sometimes scary facts about bottled water.
Today is an international day to celebrate fresh water!
Every year since 1993, March 22nd has been a day to focus on one aspect of the world’s freshwater resources, this year the focus is on water quality. The goals of this years campaign are to:
Raise awareness about sustaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being through addressing the increasing water quality challenges in water management and
Raise the profile of water quality by encouraging governments, organizations, communities, and individuals around the world to actively engage in proactively addressing water quality e.g. in pollution prevention, clean up and restoration.
Do you part by learning here about Philadelphia’s plan to keep our waterways clean and by reading here about how you can contribute to cleaner waters.
The Ogontz Avenue Revitalization Corporation (OARC) launches contest asking neighbors to fill out “What Now? Survey” on energy conservation
Aiming to lead a “Go Green” revolution in city’s Northwest section, OARC is launching an energy-conservation contest for Northwest Philadelphia residents that will provide the winner and his or her neighbors with installation of energy-saving devices worth as much as $600.
OARC will launch its “What Now Survey?” essay contest on February 15th asking participants to describe how they would handle an energy disaster such as the shutdown of electricity grids throughout the northeastern United States, followed by the loss of public utilities such as water, gas and telephone service. Entry deadline is April 15th.
Submissions must be type-written and limited to 100 words per questions, and will be judged by a panel of OARC and PECO representatives based on how creative, realistic and financially resourceful they are.
The contest winner will receive a starter home energy retrofit that includes installation of interior and exterior energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs, automatic thermostats, low flow showerheads, water-saving aerators for sinks and faucets throughout their home and a complete home energy audit administered by Top Quality Home Services.
In addition, the winner’s block and block association may be eligible to participate in a future OARC sponsored Urban Energy Conservation Block Party. The estimated value of the energy retrofit for the prizewinner is $500-$600. “For the nation and world to succeed in reducing our carbon footprint, conserving energy must begin at home,” said Jack Kitchen, OARC’s President and CEO. “There are small steps we as citizens can take to not only preserve natural resources but also protect our individual financial costs.”
Participants must reside in the following zip codes – 19119, 19150, 19138, 19126 and 19144 – to be eligible for the contest. Interested participants can obtain the contest rules and guidelines on the OARC website at www.oarcphilly.org, and by calling the OARC offices at 215-549-9462.
“We hope this contest will help people realize that little acts of conservation can greatly impact their lives as well as the greater good,” said Kitchen. “Demand on our current infrastructures must be reduced.”
OARC’s Urban Energy Conservation Program and Block Parties are supported through a partnership with PECO, Home Depot, Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia Gas Works, PGW, TTF Watershed, Top Quality Home Services, ECA, The City of Philadelphia, Utility Emergency Services Fund, Foundations, Inc., and other energy service providers.
Last weekend, TTF received a Community Greening Award from The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society for our riparian buffer and outdoor classroom at Glenside Elementary School. The project, a 10,000 square foot riparian buffer along the main stem of the Tookany Creek behind Glenside Elementary School, was initiated by Glenside 4th grade teacher Linda Jephson and developed in partnership with Glenside Elementary School, Glenside Parent Teacher Organization (PTO), Cheltenham School District, the Cheltenham Environmental Advisory Council (EAC), and NAM Planning and Design, LLC, and funded by grants from TreeVitalize and the Royal Bank of Canada.
In the next phase of this project, we will install permanent educational signage and create outdoor classroom seating with safe, gated access to the creek so that students across the district can participate in hands-on environmental education.
The Community Greening Award, a collaboration of PHS and Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful, recognizes individuals, garden clubs, civic associations, businesses, municipalities and community groups who have created and maintained public green spaces that enhance their communities.
Several entries this year included innovative ways to capture storm water run off such as rain gardens. Nominations included train stations, public parks, Main Street planters, church gardens, and landscapes around municipal buildings and museums. Spaces were judged on a host of criteria, including variety of plant material, maintenance, design, visual appeal, and use of space. Though these landscapes were not competing against each other, it was the task of the committee to determine which plantings deserved PHS recognition.
For a full list of winners, please visit the PHS website.
Headquartered in Philadelphia, PHS is a non-profit membership organization with more than 16,000 members spanning 48 states. PHS is the producer of the world-class Philadelphia International Flower Show, which will celebrate “Passport to the World” Feb. 28- March 7, 2010. Philadelphia Green works in partnership with agencies, corporations and community groups to transform derelict vacant land, streets and parks into vibrant, stabilized and well-managed open spaces. These efforts contribute to the quality of life throughout Philadelphia, serve as economic stimulus for communities, and provide a model for similar efforts nationwide.
