November 16, 2009
This Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For: Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Philadelphia

(Clockwise from bottom left) The Phillies go green at Citizens Bank Park; fresh tomatoes at Headhouse Square's farmers' market; and a guestroom at the eco-friendly Four Seasons. (Photos by G. Widman and M. McClellan and courtesy of the Four Seasons Philadelphia)
Sustainable food, green buildings and energy-efficient stadiums: Such are the results of Philadelphia’s eco-friendly efforts. How do we measure our thankfulness — in LEED certifications? Locally sourced menus? How about recycling bins? We’ll just give Philadelphia two (green) thumbs up.
Dear Tree Huggers,
Squeeze away. From locals who buy farm-fresh grub to jocks who plant trees, Philadelphians are crazy green.
1. Throughout the city, locals can pick up fresh-from-the-farm fruits and veggies at more than three dozen farmers markets.
2. Philadelphia is home to the state’s largest building with green roof technology added to an existing structure in an urban area — PECO’s headquarters at 23rd and Market Streets.
3. In addition to the small preserved wetland that lives outside Horticultural Hall in Fairmount Park, inside the center preserves more than 20 acres of majestic trees, some of which date back to the Centennial celebration of 1876.
4. The Comcast Center is the biggest example of environmentalism in Philadelphia — literally. The tallest building between New York and Chicago, the 57-story Comcast Center also boasts the designation of the tallest “green†building in the country.
5. Greensgrow Farmstead runs an urban farm and garden center on a former abandoned lot in the Kensington section of Philadelphia.
6. Located in Fishtown, the 100K House proves it’s possible to build an affordable home that satisfies the designer and the environmentalist in everyone.

(From left) The Comcast Center, the country's tallest "green" building; and Greensgrow Farmstead in Kensington. (Photos by J. Holder and M. van Ogtrop)
7. Managers at White Dog Cafe support local organic family farms and purchase supplies from them in season. Wind power supplies the restaurant’s electricity, and White Dog commits a portion of its profits to the region’s environment.
8. To offset the carbon footprint of the team’s utility power usage at Citizens Bank Park, the 2008 World Champion Philadelphia Phillies purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours of Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
9. Once an overgrown, abandoned lot, The Village of Arts and Humanities has been transformed into a thriving center that combines the outdoors, the arts and education.
10. In the 2009 Nalgene Least Wasteful City Study, Philadelphia came in third for recycling, third for avoiding using the car for trips and sixth for participating in sustainability/environmental programs.
11. For the Philadelphia Eagles, green is more than a team color. In 2008, the team planted more than 1,500 trees and shrubs in the Eagles Forest at Neshaminy State Park to offset the team’s carbon emissions from away-game travel.
12. Through a series of efficiency and lighting upgrades, the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia significantly reduced its overall energy consumption, while leftover food from its award-winning restaurants (including the Five-Star Fountain Restaurant) is recycled at a local composting farm.
This Thanksgiving, We’re Thankful For… [uwishunu]
The Official Philly Brag Book [gophila.com]




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