Nineteen finalists for the first ever Philadelphia Sustainability Awards were announced this week to honor progress towards becoming a sustainable region.

The winners will be announced April 26 at the Academy of Natural Sciences.

“The Philadelphia region is already a leader in sustainability nationwide,” said Spencer Finch, Director of Sustainable Communities for the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, the lead organization coordinating the program. “We just don’t do enough talking about it. That’s why the Core Partners behind the Awards came together – to bring these amazing stories out to the public and hopefully fuel new ideas on how we can do even better in the future.”

The awards program is being coordinated by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, City of Philadelphia, Delaware Valley Green Building Council, PennFuture, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, The Reinvestment Fund, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, American Institute of Architects, and the Academy of Natural Sciences. The William Penn Foundation and The Reinvestment Fund have generously funded this project. The HUB Cira Centre sponsored the Juror session.

The 19 Finalists include:

· Blooming Glen Farm – Provides communities with organic produce through a community-supported-agriculture farm in Perkasie;

· Delaware Valley Earth Force: Community Action and Problem Solving Program – Challenges youth to solve environmental challenges through investigations, interviews with experts and cost benefit balancing;

· The Engineering and Design Institute at the Philadelphia University – Provides support and education for the green building movement in the region;

· Greensgrow Philadelphia – Urban farm on a formerly abandoned site that provides fresh produce to Philadelphia restaurants;

· Jackie O’Neil’s Zero Energy Home – Prototype home designed and built to produce as much energy as it consumes;

· Judy Wicks, founder of the White Dog Café and Foundation – Purchases local food and renewable energy, and promotes sustainable business practices;

· Liberty Property Trust – Leading the way to sustainable development through involvement in several of the region’s noted green buildings;

· Philadelphia Eagles’ Go Green Program – The first NFL team to implement an environmental program, largely through recycling and purchasing renewable energy

· Philadelphia Fry-O-Diesel – Working to create biodiesel using waste greases from restaurant traps;

· PhillyCarShare – Provides low-emission vehicles to drivers, reducing fuel consumption and carbon emissions;

· Police Forensic Science Center – Installed efficient systems such as heating, cooling and electricity, and manages stormwater on site;

· Re:Vision Architecture – Provides guidance and professional services for the region’s green building projects;

· RecycleBank – Motivates recycling in participating neighborhoods by crediting household recyclables with “RecycleBank dollars,” redeemable at local retailers;

· SCA America – Paper products company that relocated to a LEED-certified, transit accessible headquarters at the Cira Centre;

· The Food Trust – Connects regional farmers to farm markets in Philadelphia neighborhoods;

· Upper Dublin Township – Implements sustainable practices such as renewable energy purchases, open space preservation and recycling;

· Wissahickon Charter School – Teaches about sustainable environmental practices and encourages student participation in projects like solar power harnessing and alternative fuel manufacturing;

· Whole Foods Markets – Incorporates sustainable practices such as purchasing renewable energy credits, recycling and composting; and

· Women’s Environmental and Health Network – Works with healthcare facilities in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh to reduce mercury use, prevent pollution and educate healthcare workers.

A panel of five jurors convened to deliberate and decide on the finalists. Meeting at Philadelphia’s only “green” event space, the Hub Cira Centre, jurors combed through 53 nominations before electing the 19 finalists.

Jurors included: Sam Assefa, Director of Policy for Chicago’s Department of Planning and Development; Carlton Brown, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer, Full Spectrum LLC in New York, NY; Jack Cherry, Director of Corporate Global Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) & Sustainable Development Process Systems for the Rohm and Haas Company; Rebecca Flora, Executive Director of the Green Building Alliance (GBA) in Pittsburgh, PA; and Sandy Wiggins, Founder and Principal, Consilience LLC and Chair of the US Green Building Council.

More information on the finalists and all nominees can be found online at the Philadelphia Sustainability Awards website . The site also features information about the concept of sustainability, the jurors and the awards event.

For contact information on any of the finalists, please contact Jessica Anderson at 215-592-7020 x 101.

4/20/2007