Pennsylvania Legacies

In these digital times, the paper industry isn't what it used to be. But one paper manufacturer in central PA is thriving under a business model that's all about reducing environmental impacts and finding innovative ways to stay viable. On this episode, the story of a mill town on the cutting edge of sustainability.

Technology is a powerful tool, but it's not enough to confront the most complex environmental challenges -- you also need foresight, strategy, cooperation, patience, and above all, leadership. Jared Cohon has exemplified all of these qualities and more during his years as an engineer, educator, researcher, and university president. As we prepare to recognize Dr. Cohon for Lifetime Achievement at t...

An update on recent environmental legislation and other state government activity with PEC’s policy team, and a postcard from our recent Earth Day tree-planting event at Pinchot State Forest.

Pennsylvania looks for an on-ramp to the EV revolution, and Environmental Defense Fund launches a first-of-its kind initiative to track methane emissions from space.

This week marks a major milestone in one of PEC’s most important projects, as the William Penn Foundation (WPF) announces more than 40-million dollars in new funding for the Delaware River Watershed Initiative (DRWI). Launched in 2014, the DRWI is a wide-ranging conservation effort being undertaken by dozens of groups in four states to protect and restore clean water resources throughout the Delaw...

The site of an archaeological dig in Lycoming County becomes a vibrant community park with help from the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. Another success story to mark the Keystone Fund's 25th anniversary, and a chat with PEC's new Senior Policy Adviser for Energy & Climate, on this episode.

Nobody knows exactly how much methane is released each year by Pennsylvania's oil and gas industry. But a new Environmental Defense Fund analysis suggests actual emissions could be as high as five times the state's official estimate.

Author and advocate Richard Louv has been writing for years about the connection between human health and our relationship to the outdoors. He joins us with a preview of his upcoming Philadelphia appearance as part of Tookany-Tacony-Frankford Watershed Partnership’s “Nature Talks” lecture series.

A new art exhibition at the Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education invites visitors to consider how much of our awareness -- or lack of awareness -- about the landscapes we inhabit is shaped by names. The pieces in "Learn a River's Name" set out to formulate new terms and vocabularies for understanding watersheds, and for creating new bonds of stewardship between people and the land.

Since its inception in 1993, the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund has made possible the creation or improvement of thousands of community assets – everything from trails and green space to libraries and historic sites. In honor of the Keystone Fund's 25th anniversary, we're featuring testimonials from Pennsylvanians whose lives have been enriched through those investments.

Though they may look similar superficially, each of the suburban communities that make up Montgomery County has its own unique qualities… and its own challenges. But one thing they all have in common is a shared stake in the health of Wissahickon Creek. In part 3 of our series on the Wissahickon Clean Water Partnership, we focus on the stakeholders, and what's at stake for them individually, in co...

In our final episode of 2017: why Pennsylvania veterans are joining the call for responsible controls on methane emissions in the natural gas industry, and an update on voting for 2018 Pennsylvania River of the Year.

Pittsburgh’s Climate Action Plan is taking shape. But how will the city achieve its vision of an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by mid-century? PEC’s Lindsay Baxter, who authored the original version of the plan in 2008, joins us. Also: can learning to use a bow and arrow improve kids’ focus and concentration? Conversation with Christine Ticehurst of DCNR on the Bureau of State Parks’ youth arc...

After months of training in state and county parks around central Pennsylvania, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale is ready for the grueling Spartan World Championship obstacle race next month in Reykjavik, Iceland. We talk with Pennsylvania’s fiscal watchdog about the value of parks and trails, and how he uses the tools of oversight to fight for the environment.

A coalition of municipalities, local and state agencies, NGOs, and citizens is working on a plan to clean up Montgomery County's impaired Wissahickon Creek. But before seeking out answers for a problem as complex as this one, you need to be sure you're asking the right questions. In part 2 of our series on the Wissahickon Clean Water Partnership, Pennsylvania Legacies visits the Temple University...

Pennsylvania is riddled with abandoned oil wells, and the state doesn’t have the resources to locate and plug even a fraction of them. That’s why DEP wants to make it easier -- and less risky -- for private actors to help out. Could overhauling the state's Good Samaritan law encourage voluntary remediation efforts?

With more than a million visitors a year, the Great Allegheny Passage is one of Pennsylvania's biggest trail development success stories. A group of state and local government officials rode the GAP this fall, along with community and business leaders from the area, to get a closer look at some of the economic benefits it's brought to communities along the route. We drop in on the tour on this wee...

Three months into the fiscal year, Pennsylvania's state government has a "budget by default" after legislative talks broke down and the governor announced plans to securitize liquor revenues. How does the seemingly permanent stalemate impact environmental, conservation, energy, and recreation programs? Then, a visit to the 2017 conference of the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC), h...

The Pennsylvania Outdoor Corps is providing muscle for scores of recreation and conservation projects statewide. But the program is also doing something else that's arguably even more important: cultivating a diverse new generation of citizen-stewards and future conservation professionals. DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn stops by to talk about the program.

The latest on Pennsylvania's ongoing state budget battle, and a roundtable discussion with members of DEP's Solar Future Stakeholders Group.

Lawmakers took another step this week toward what would be the biggest reduction in state funding for local environment and energy projects in Pennsylvania history. We’ll get an update from the state capitol. Then, fall foliage season is getting off to an early start in Pennsylvania’s northern tier, and forecasters expect this year’s colors to be some of the most spectacular in recent memory. DCNR...

A postcard from this summer's Bowie-themed "Rebel Rebel" river sojourn, and a conversation with Nick Kline of the Coalition for Green Capital on unlocking the economic potential of renewables and energy efficiency investments in Pennsylvania.

A legislative raid on special environment & conservation funds may leave communities on the hook for money already spent on local grant-funded projects; Shell agrees to fenceline monitoring at its new ethane cracker; and Hurricane Harvey delivers a stark warning to flood-prone Pennsylvania. Also: what will it take to bring Pennsylvania's electric vehicle charging infrastructure up to speed with th...

Mounting opposition to budget riders, DEP's modest progress toward better clean drinking water enforcement, and good news from the Chesapeake Bay. Also: why do birds suddenly appear every time you reclaim and reforest abandoned mine lands?

At least one major federal government entity is still paying attention to the threat of climate change: the military. A retired naval officer explains why, in a talk given at PEC's 2017 deep decarbonization conference. (Learn more at pec-climate.org) In the news: another court decision portends big changes in how Pennsylvania's environmental laws are interpreted and enforced; the state scrambles t...