Philadelphia Green Pages

[Paul Glover]

Good meeting yesterday evening.

As I mentioned, last year I drafted an outline for an online and
printed Philadelphia Green Pages.

There's an existing local environmental web platform that seeks new
management: http://www.gpen.org

Philadelphia Green Pages:

Our city already has several prominent green networking sources: Grid,
Green Jobs Philly, Sustainable Business Network, Academy of Natural
Sciences, PHENND, PennFuture, GPEN.org, Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society, Farm to City, Volk Libre, the Food Guide, and more.

Of these, only SBN provides a categorized catalog. Green Jobs Philly
has a single page http://www.greenjobsphilly.org/future.html which is
not regularly updated. Grid and Green Jobs Philly provide categorized
sections issue by issue. GPEN has an alphabetical list of
environmental groups.

There is not yet a categorized green catalog which sets specific green
standards, allows green businesses and nonprofit organizations to
enter current information free into a moderated keyword-sortable list,
then welcomes the general public to browse these entries.

The availability of such a service, print and online, would accelerate
participation in existing groups and stimulate new initiatives.

Here’s what I propose:

Print and online (searchable, sortable) directory comprising three
prime divisions:
For-profit, Non-profit, Government.

Subject matter:
Food, Fuel, Housing, Health, Transportation, Education, Clothing,
Recycling & Composting, Finance, Water, Air, Finance. Each of these
would be introduced with a 200-word summary of possibilities. My City
Paper cover story "Prepare for the Best" attempted this:
http://www.onearth.org/blog/prepare-for-the-best-thriving-in-philadelphias-green-future

The list would be moderated to admit local solution-oriented groups
and programs inviting specific local action. It would not include
mere crisis-oriented bad-news groups and media. It would not include
mere general advocacy groups. They must invite participation in
distinct actions.

Specifically preferring solutions which:
• transfer authority to grassroots groups to lower the costs of
living, using environmental technologies.
• decrease dependence on fossil fuels and nuclear power.
• decrease waste of water and contamination of air.
• provide effective alternatives to automobiles.
• provide nonprofit holistic health services.
• expand regional food self-sufficiency.
• expand reliance on regional upcycled materials.
• expand local manufacture of durable essential goods.
• promote mutual aid.
• release local creativity to accomplish the above.
• provide backing for community credits and neighborhood currencies.

Purposes:
• stimulate action
• cross pollinate
• expand regional capability
• serve as resource for jobseekers, entrepreneurs, organizers,
volunteers, interns, funders

INFORMATION FIELDS:

Name of group or initiative
• logo
• website
• email/s
• Facebook, Twitter, YouTube channel and other social media
• phone
• contact person 1, contact person 2
• year started
• purpose (1,000 characters)
• specific actions public can take
• internships
• staff size
• budget
• tax-deductible?
• donate, Paypal
• proposals and new groups forming: (invite people to fill holes where
not already listed)