Category: Environment and Green

bookmark_borderLongwood Gardens Light Show

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CHESTER COUNTY, PA —

Coming July 1.

Light. Sound. Spectacle.

This summer explore the Gardens by day—and by night. Get ready for an immersive evening journey around our Gardens. You’ll encounter moving imagery and light set to music, brought to life by the natural canvas of our plants, leaves, trees, and lakes. Created by Klip Collective of Philadelphia, this innovative display will showcase never-before-seen views of Longwood at night.

Complete the experience with a visit to our Beer Garden, offered only during Nightscape. You can enjoy delicious food, try our signature Longwood brew, and sit with friends and family under the stars. The Beer Garden is open from 6-11 pm (serving until 10:30 pm) on evenings Nightscape is on view.

On select evenings, guests can enjoy these special Nightscape programs:
Nightscape Opening Week, July 1–4

The wait is over, celebrate the opening of Nightscape
July 1 & 2—Open exclusively for Members.
July 3 & 4—Open for General Admission and Members.
Family Nights, July 15 & August 19

Children can enjoy a nature-inspired seek-and-find activity, and guests can engage with staff in must-visit locations throughout the Gardens, including our Meadow Garden, Waterlily Display, and Children’s Garden.
Gardens On Tap, September 16 & October 21

Explore the art, chemistry, and horticultural techniques behind botanically inspired cocktails, spirits, and brews. Longwood experts will be on hand to answer your questions.
Live Music in the Beer Garden, Every Thursday

Join us on Thursday evenings for live music in the Beer Garden.
Artist & Friends, July 10, August 14, September 11 & October 9

Join the creator of Nightscape, Ricardo Rivera, and an engaging panel of urban technologists and artists as they discuss themes in art, music, technology, and design.

bookmark_borderPhiladelphia Climate Change Preparedness

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Mayor Michael A. Nutter, who serves on the President’s State, Local and Tribal Leaders Task Force, released the following statement in response to the Task Force report released by the White House today. The report includes recommendations for how the Federal government can support communities in preparing for and responding to the impacts of climate change:

“It has been an honor to serve on President Obama’s climate Task Force alongside fellow mayors, governors and tribal leaders. I was able to share the City of Philadelphia’s experiences, concerns and ideas, while learning from others who are working to take responsible steps to curb emissions and plan for the changing climate. This Task Force is a clear example of local, state and federal government coming together to work collaboratively on an issue of grave concern and the utmost importance. We know we are stronger working together than alone, so we have pledged to continue our partnership. The extreme weather events we have all experienced and the future projections we face make it clear that we all share a common risk and commitment to safeguarding our communities. Here in Philadelphia, we will soon release a climate science report for the city and region, and, in 2015, we will publish a climate planning roadmap.

I applaud President Obama and his leadership team for recognizing that, despite the politics in Washington D.C., this is an issue of critical national concern that must be addressed. I want to thank the White House Council on Environmental Quality for its coordination support, the city staff who participated, and our contributing partners.”

bookmark_borderGreen Philadelphia

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Philadelphia, June 20, 2014 – Mayor Michael A. Nutter and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability released theGreenworks Philadelphia 2014 Progress Report, which highlights a range of successes, including tripling the number of greened acres that capture the first inch of rainwater before it enters the City’s sewer network in the last year, from 102 in 2012 to 323 in 2013.

“With the leadership and collaborative work of City staff, community partners and elected officials, Philadelphia has seen gains in all five of the Greenworks target areas,” said Mayor Nutter. “The pace and scale of implementation continues to grow, demonstrating that support for sustainability efforts is only getting stronger. Our Administration will continue to work to reach our goal of becoming the greenest city in America.”

The report outlines the status of work on 15 measureable targets in five topic areas: energy, environment, equity, economy, and engagement. Five years into the six-year implementation timeline, work on 160 of the 164 initiatives is either complete or underway. In 2013, Philadelphia surpassed its goal for improved air quality for the first time since Greenworks was released and showed an 8% decrease in citywide greenhouse gas emissions since 2006.

Other results include:

* More than 100 new food access sites, including farmers markets and businesses participating in the Healthy Corner Stores Network, have been established across the city. This exceeds the originalGreenworks goal of 86 new sites.
* For the second consecutive year, Philadelphia exceeded the Greenworks 70% waste diversion goal. Nearly all municipal solid waste is diverted from landfills through waste-to-energy and recycling programs.
* Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s TreePhilly program has planted 100,000 trees since 2009.

“Annual reporting is a core function of our office and allows us to regularly share sustainability-related information with the public,” said Katherine Gajewski, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability. “One great benefit of tracking data on a yearly basis is that we are able to identify interesting and informative trends. We know and can document, for example, that weather patterns are a very influential driver of energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and air quality. Having information like this helps us to target our work and make better decisions.”

Major initiatives planned for 2014-2015 include the launch of Philadelphia Bike Share program and the development of the City’s climate adaptation plan.