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Greenstorming
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| PA DEP |
I think we can all agree that cameras tucked secretly away behind stoplights are just plain, total evil. But a hidden camera placed near a lot that people routinely litter at not so bad, right? According to ABC's Action News, Mayor Nutter has already ordered that dozens of the anti-litterbug cameras be placed throughout the city, with more to come in future months.
The cameras have allegedly already caught teens spray painting and adults tossing out tires, so let this be your warning: If you want to throw out that couch of yours, don't take it to an abandoned lot. Just put it outside your house, for chrissakes. Last time I did that, when I was moving out of Fishtown, two guys picked it up in less than an hour and kindly thanked me for it.
Don't know what to do tonight? Don't worry, we've got you covered.
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| Rooftop Gardens |
For those of you following Night Moves, I apologize for the date confusion about the NORML meeting earlier. Hopefully I haven't lost your trust completely. I guess the only excuse I can offer is, I was high? No matter. Another event you can hit up is the weekly city gardening class at the PA Horticultural Society. Topics vary each week from how to grow rooftop crops to which plants thrive in Philly, and free pizza is served. And, since there's no entry fee (only appreciated donations are accepted), it's really, truly free.
The vibes there are good lots of chatter, excitement (rather than distrust) of urban gardening newbies, and field trips. And don't worry about showing up late. I will be too, and they won't mind. Promise.
Every Wed., 6 p.m., free, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, 100 N. 20th Street, 5th floor, 215-988-8800, pennsylvaniahorticulturalsociety.org.
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| He's at Penn today, but you won't see him. The event is closed to the public. You can probably catch him later at Home Depot, though. |
| weeklystandard.com |
As part of President Barack Obama's "Middle-Class Task Force" (see, he does love you, average American!), V.P. Joe Biden will be talking about green jobs at the University of Pennsylvania's William B. Irvine Auditorium today at 12:30 p.m. This is the first stop of the task force's, which is made up of Energy Sec. Steven Chu, Transportation Sec. Ray LaHood, Agriculture Sec. Thomas Vilsack and others. The Philly regulars will be joining them: Gov. Ed Rendell, Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey, and Reps. Chaka Fattah and Robert Brady, as well as members of the Graduate and Professional Student Assembly's Executive Board at Penn.
The task force's goal is to discuss how green jobs can benefit the middle class in Philly and Pennsylvania, and how to create more of them. Biden's got big plans, which he outlined in an op-ed in the Inky:
According to the Council of Economic Advisers, green jobs pay 10 to 20 percent more than other jobs. They also are more likely to be union jobs. Building a new power grid, manufacturing solar panels, weatherizing homes and office buildings, and renovating schools are just a few of the ways to create high-quality green jobs that strengthen the foundation of this country.
More green jobs can also mean more money in consumers' pocketbooks at the end of the month. They can reduce your electric and heating bills, leaving you more disposable income for other things.
Right here in Philadelphia, for example, there are 400,000 rowhouses that could be weatherized and made more energy-efficient. Just doing that would lower household energy consumption by 20 to 40 percent, saving families hundreds of dollars a year.
All good ideas. Hopefully Biden will seek out Paul Glover (of Green Jobs Philly) when he's in town.
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| greenoptimistic.com |
For a while there, it looked like Philly was poised to become the Eastern capital of wind power. In 2004, PECO gave citizens the option of purchasing wind energy to power their homes and businesses. Two years later, Gamesa, the second-largest maker of wind turbines in the world, opened three manufacturing facilities in Bucks County. And then the city really got serious about wind power — by involving its beloved football team. Last year, the Eagles announced that wind energy would power its training complex and Lincoln Financial Field.
Unfortunately, the region's wind industry has reached a roadblock. This month, Gamesa said that it will close its blade-manufacturing branch in Bucks County, laying off 184 workers. The branch will relocate to western Pennsylvania, where there is more physical space to make larger blades. The Philadelphia region can't really compete with that. But, as Hamida Kinge reported in Next American City, Gamesa faces another problem:
“We have lost a generation of skills in this country because manufacturing has been shipped overseas,” says Peck, “and we now need to retrain our people in key manufacturing areas to keep up with the renewable energy sector.” In the past, Gamesa has had to send some of its green-collar workers to Spain for training.
The good news is that Bucks County seems to be on top of this:
Now, “Bucks County Community College is our primary source of training,” Peck says. The college performs on-the-job and technical training and is currently putting together a professional development program for the company’s management team.
But is that enough to keep Gamesa here? If President Obama keeps his word on doubling the country's use of renewable energy, then wind power will certainly play a role in that. Here's hoping that Philly will, too.
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