Idea: Philadelphia Green Pages

 Paul Glover suggests this idea:

Philadelphia Green Pages: 

Our city already has several prominent green networking sources: Grid, Green Jobs Philly, Sustainable Business Network, Academy of Natural Sciences, PHENND, 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.  Each of these would be introduced with a 200-word summary of possibilities.

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)

____

Paul Glover
(215) 805-8330
<http://www.paulglover.org>http://www.paulglover.org