THE GREEN HOUR RADIO SHOW!

Gery Juleff is the host of the new weekly Green Hour Radio show on PANJ, covering

environmental and sustainability issues in the Delaware River region.

 Each week Gery, his team and guests will have an intelligent, insightful discussion about important issues that affect our community. As an ex-British diplomat and Brazilian farmer now living in the region, Gery will bring a global and balanced perspective to the issues with the aim of educating, informing and inspiring individuals to be active citizens.

More information is available at www.greenhourradio.com and listen to the show on www.panjradio.com live at 6pm on Mondays and 3 and 6pm Tuesdays through Sundays.

2015 MAPLE SUGAR DAY

Even though there's snow on the ground, it's still harvest time in Philadelphia. Join your neighbors at the Wissahickon Environmental Center for their annual Maple Sugar Day.   Starting at 11 am to 3 pm, visit  the Center for mini pancakes served with real maple syrup and freshly made maple candy tastings. They'll have ongoing maple sugaring demonstrations with a taste test of different pancake toppings. And if that wasn't enough, Pennsylvania Maple Syrup products will also be available for purchase. No registration is necessary, all ages are welcome, and the event is free to all! 

DATE: Wednesday February 26th, 2015
LOCATION: Wissahickon Environmental Center, 300 W. Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118
MORE INFO:  http://www.fow.org/about-us/partners/wissahickon-environmental-center

An Anti-Fracking Artist and Activist Dance Party? It’s Even More Fun Than It Sounds

If you wanted to raise awareness against fracking in Pennsylvania, how would you do it? How about an anti-fracking fundraiser and activist dance party at Underground Arts! 

Hosted by the artist/activist collective, Get Lucid!, and EDGE (Encouraging Development of a Green Economy), the party featured ice sculptors, poetry readings, live paintings, speakers, art installations, and musical performances by DJ Kurtlife, Galvanize, Visitor 10 and more. 

Peter McCarthy, the lead singer of Galvanize and co-founder of Get Lucid! said his artist collective loves to collaborate with grassroots groups such as EDGE because they get the most out of these small-scale events and fundraisers.

According to one of its founders, Maria Kretschmann, EDGE is a group of activists and artists that works with communities to engage in artful activism and push the boundaries of political engagement through direct action. EDGE also believes in shedding light on the correlation between fracking in rural areas and the environmental devastation it causes in urban regions like Philadelphia. 

“They say natural gas is the bridge fuel but no one says where that bridge leads to or what on the other side of it,” she said. “What we need is more incentive for green and renewable energy in Pennsylvania and to promote jobs that sustain our economy over the long term in order to really foster new things other than the conventional route, which is clearly narrow.”

Earlier this year, Maria and those at EDGE even dressed as Marie Antoinette and directly confronted Governor Wolf at his inauguration after he said he wanted to ‘have his cake and eat it too’ in regards to Fracking. As for raising funds and awareness at the dance party, it was a huge success with close to 300 people in attendance. 

“The dance party was out of control. It was so unbelievably entertaining and I would describe it as 100% successful.” McCarthy said. “To be playing in front of people that share your ideals, it really resonates between the performers and the artists. It’s a beautiful fulfilling experience.”

To find out more information about EDGE and how you can help stop fracking in Pennsylvania, visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/edgephilly/. 

Guest post by Brianna Dinan. Contact her at brianna@itarsenal.com

INNOVATION: GENDER AND WASH GWA STUDENT COMPETITION

Global Water Alliance (GWA) and the  University of Pennsylvania Earth and Environmental Department  is announcing their Innovation: Gender and WASH GWA Student Competition.  Students and recent graduates can  enter to showcase, and propose innovative solutions to issues involving gender and water/sanitation/hygiene [WASH].  

• Participants: Students, recent graduates (within two years) of an academic institute
• Provide innovative solutions for gender-related WASH issues in local communities
• Entries: can be research paper, video, online journal, blog, etc.
• Winners judged by a panel  of international experts  from UNICEF, GWA, Women for Water Partnership 

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: February 21, 2015
PRIZE: Winning entry will receive $1,000.00 USD and be invited to present at the 7th World Water Forum in South Korea on April 12-27, 2015
RULES: http://pgwi.org/competition/
QUESTIONS: email GWAcompetition@gmail.com

FEBRUARY VEGAN DRINKS PHILLY!

Get off your couch, brave the cold and head out to Tattooed Mom for the February

Vegan Drinks! Enjoy a drink (alcoholic or not - they don’t care!) and take advantage of the delicious $3.00 vegan burgers (and several other veg options) from Tattooed Mom’s menu.   Sponsored by The Humane League of Philadelphia, it's a great chance to relax and meet with vegans, veg friendlies, animal activists and the people who love them.

DATE: Wednesday, February 18 at 7:00pm

LOCATION: Tattooed Mom, 530 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147

COST: FREE!

MORE DETAILS: www.meetup.com/thehumaneleague/

GET LUCID DANCE PARTY

Concerned about fracking, want to make a difference AND need to show off your smooth

dance moves? GetLucid is your event! Hosted by Underground Arts, this event is the season's best fundraiser against fracking. With a stellar First Friday line up including:

• Ice sculpting by Roger Wing
• Philly's Poet Laureate Frank Sherlock reading
• Live painting
• Art installations
• Music by El Malito & the 33rd Centry | Kurtlife | Galvanize | Visitor 10

you get to raise money for the cause while dancing the bleak winter away!
DATE: Friday Feb. 8, 2015 at 8pm
LOCATION: Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street, Philadelphia, PA 19108
COST: $5 presale | $8 at the door
TICKETS AND MORE INFO: http://undergroundarts.org/?event_id=5578135

GREEN ALLIES CONFERENCE 2015 at TEMPLE U

If you're  a college student passionate about the environment and ready to join the next generation of eco-warriors, they you need to attend the Green Allies Conference in February! Sponsored by Sustainable Philadelphia Alliance of Regional Campuses (SPARC)and The SAVE Foundation, The Green Allies Conference is an environmental conference designed specifically by students, for students. Scheduled events include guest speakers from New Community Project, Teens Turning Green, SPARC, Oxfam and Clean Water Action with student-led workshop panels focusing on  campus initiatives on food,  waste minimization and energy reduction. 

DATE: Saturday, February 7th, 2015, 9:00Am to 4:00PM
LOCATION: Temple University, Howard Gittis Student Center, 1755 North 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
COST: FREE
REGISTER: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1BwfbOhg6s1TXw7lFJcqg46oyV31fPrizF4QCaWOlBEY/viewform?c=0&w=1

WHARTON SOCIAL INNOVATORS CONFERENCE

The Wharton Social Innovators Conference brings together  thought leaders, professionals and students  and reaches across  private, non-profit and academic sectors to explore models for driving large scale social change. 

2015’s conference theme, “From Entrepreneurship to Intrapreneurship: Evolving models of Social Impact”, focuses on directing business forces across different sectors towards innovative solutions for good. Through interactive panel sessions, keynote speeches and exclusive networking opportunities, participants have the opportunity to engage in the most critical conversations, share best practices and learn to become change leaders in any role they take on.

With panels on Impact Investing, Driving Change in Business and Society, Education Technology, Energy & Water, Intrapreneurship and Real Estate, and keynote speakers including Amy Chen, GM and Founder of Food for Good at PepsiCo and Jimmy Sarakatsannis, EM at McKinsey & Company in Education, the evening promises to be a great one.

DATE: Saturday, February 21, 2015 from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM (EST)
LOCATION: The Wharton Social Impact Conference, 3730 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA
TICKETS: Early bird ticket sales begin at noon on Thursday, January 29th
COST: General Public $65.00 + $4.57 service charge, UPenn Grad Students & Affiliates $45.00 + $3.47  service charge, Wharton Social Impact Club Members $39.00 + $3.14 service charge
MORE INFO: Please contact wsiconference@gmail.com

ECO + FASHION EXHIBIT AT CITY HALL

Bringing the innovative work of 18+ artists in sustainable fashion to the public, the latest exhibition by the city’s Art in City Hall Program does just that by showcasing thought-provoking and challenging works that incorporate  non traditional materials while looking great. 

Featuring  dresses made from bicycle parts, wires and window screen to  earrings made from bullet shells and cut-up credit cards, this exhibition promotes the fashionable end of eco-consciousness  while raising awareness to sustainability issues via wearable art.

United By Blue, a local, sustainable apparel and accessories company that removes one pound of trash from oceans and waterways for every product sold, is also on hand with a special installation designed for the exhibition.

DATES:  Exhibition  now through February 28, 2015
LOCATION: The Art Gallery at City Hall, Broad and Market Streets, Philadelphia, PA
COST: FREE!
MORE INFO:  www.creativephl.org