The Green Revolution: Where Fitness Meets Renewable Energy

The Green Revolution retrofits Spin bikes to generate electricity that feeds back into a club's power system, reducing the club's reliance on the grid and reducing the carbon footprint of the club. The Green Revolution is a suburban Philadelphia company. It is also a start-up.

The Green Revolution has been submitted to the GE Ecoimgaination Challenge. If the Challenge generates enough interest, GE may invest in some of these companies. Winning the Ecoimagination Challenge could secure more funding for the Green Revolution and help them continue retrofitting Spin bikes to make the world a cooler place.
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Want to see more videos of The Green Revolution? Here's a starter and there are more on Youtube!

Rejoice: Recycle All Plastics Curbside Now!

Officially you can stop peering at the underside of your plastics now. Starting August 1, the city opened curbside recycling to all plastics, from old standby #1 PETE to the new amalgamated #7. No longer do you need to organize special collections or to feel guilt and shame when you purchase yogurt. Chuck it all into your mixed stream recycle bin and get on with living. (PS: always reduce what you use where possible, recycle next).

A Toxic Blow Out for Your Hair?

What's the latest service at the salons? A Brazilian blow out uses leave-in conditioner and a blow dryer to straighten your hair. Allegedly the results last longer and are *ahem* more permanent. This is achieved by using formaldehyde, a known carcinogen. Yes, the same preservative that soaked the frogs you dissected in high school...applied to your head.

The cheaper less toxic solution? Break out your own organic conditioner--any type will do, including the traditional kind that you typically rinse out. Apply a layer, plug in your hair dryer and dry your hair without removing the conditioner. Gently comb while you blow out your hair and you'll end up with soft, straight hair.

For more information about toxicity in beauty products, consult The Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. Always remember there is no federal agency that regulates the cosmetics industry.

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off This Saturday!

Two day countdown 'til you can dump your hazardous waste without creating three-eyed fish! This Saturday, June 26, is the next household hazardous waste collection. Simply take your hazardous waste (list of materials accepted) to Domino Lane and Umbria Street between 9 AM and 3 PM.

Unsure if you have anything to contribute? You do. Common household items like batteries, paint, antifreeze, pesticides, household cleaners, & moth balls do not belong in the trash. Bring them to Household Hazardous Waste and save a planet!

Can't make it this time? The next collection date is July 22 so mark your calendars.

Specific Acts of Weatherization

We've just had our crawl space and basement (cellar, if you're not fancy) treated with foam spray. The foam spray should retain heat and cut our energy usage while reducing our energy bills and delivering a tax credit.

The process did not take long. The contractors showed at about 8 AM as expected. At 11 AM, I asked if they minded if I took the dog for a walk around the block. They replied that they were already done.

Our old house is drafty and rather cold in the winter. Even when wearing slippers and socks, our feet feel cold. We know we suffer immense heat loss. The foam treatment should reduce our heat loss and make us more comfortable.

The best factor is that we get a tax credit for our act of weatherization. We not only hope to see a longterm reduction in our heating costs but we will see additional savings on our tax bill. The money comes later but winter is soon. Hurry to stay warm and save!

Erase Your Trace

What's your annual carbon dioxide emission? You can find out at Erase Your Trace, a new tool from the City of Philadelphia. Erase Your Trace is a carbon calculator that estimates carbon dioxide usage by asking questions about your habits and behavior.

Whatever your usage is, Erase Your Trace aims to nullify it while increasing tree coverage. The project uses the CarbonPlus Calculator, developed by the U.S. Forest Service, to estimate carbon production. Using a carbon price at 20 dollars per ton, the price currently used by the Obama Administration, Erase Your Trace assigns a dollar value to your own carbon emissions. Users then donate part of that cost to The Fairmount Park Conservancy, which in turn will donate the combine money to neighborhoods for tree planting.

Trees help reduce carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, and they reduce other pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, ozone and particulate matter. Philadelphia currently has approximately 2.1 million trees that sequester 16,100 tons of carbon per year. Philadelphia’s trees also reduce urban heat island effect, decrease stormwater runoff, and increase property values.

While Ms. Philly Organic knows we can't live without an impact and we can't simply erase our carbon emissions, we can plant trees, benefit the city and parks, and minimize the effect of our carbon output with a few clicks of the mouse. Why not learn more and reduce the effect of your personal carbon production?

Carrotmobs: Coming to Philadelphia

Carrotmobs, similar to flashmobs but completely different from protests and boycotts, are coming to Philadelphia. What is a Carrotmob? Carrotmobs encourage business to implement more environmentally sound policies by directing customers and sales to the business during a targeted time. The aim is to show the strength of green movement and to show how much money we have to spend, thereby encouraging targeted businesses to go greener.

The organizers work to identify businesses that are open to the message and that may have existing plans to become more environmentally sound. The Carrotmob organizers and the business arrange a time and date, then ask supporters to come and shop. It's been so successful in some cities that Carrotmobbers form long queues just to make a purchase!

Carrotmobs started in San Francisco and are spreading around the country. Philadelphia is one of the earlier growth sights! There are also offshoots in Europe. To participate, you just have to shop at the right time and place. To learn the right place and time, you have to visit their blog or follow them on Twitter.