Sophia Schmidt covers the environment for WHYY’s PlanPhilly. Before coming to Philadelphia in 2021, Sophia reported on her home state of Delaware for Delaware Public Media and produced interviews for NPR’s “Weekend Edition.” Sophia was a 2021 Metcalf Fellow.
More from the Contributor
No ‘seat at the table’: Why Philly-area environmental justice activists fear a Trump win
“With a Harris-Walz administration, we will at least have a seat at the table,” one activist said. “With a Trump administration, there won't be a table.”
3 days ago
Listen 1:04‘We need our library’: Nicetown-Tioga branch reopens after 6-month closure due to earthquake damage
After a magnitude 4.8 earthquake in April, inspectors declared the building unsafe. The branch reopened just in time to serve as a polling place for the election.
4 days ago
Billy Penn celebrates 10th anniversary with its fans, its heroes, and a look back and forward
The event reinstituted its awards, The Billies, and celebrated some of its most engaging stories.
1 week ago
Over 60? Climate change could be coming for your nest egg
Miriam and Benny Saladin were set to retire in Manville, N.J. But their home was located between two rivers, and in more than two decades, their house flooded three times.
2 weeks ago
PGW gets federal money to replace aging gas mains in Philly
The money will help the utility improve the safety of its distribution lines and reduce climate-warming emissions.
2 weeks ago
Listen 1:11The company has agreed to create a nonprofit to distribute at least $100,000 a year for community initiatives.
2 weeks ago
Listen 1:20Philly property owners could soon face fines if their EV chargers don’t work
Electric vehicle owners say the city does not have enough public chargers, and the ones that do exist need to be maintained.
2 weeks ago
Listen 1:05Philadelphia City Council approves extension of tax breaks for former PES refinery site
The Keystone Opportunity Zone extension, which still needs to be approved by the Board of Education, would stretch through 2043.
2 weeks ago
Schools in Pa. and N.J. are getting money for electric school buses
Electric buses don’t release tailpipe pollution, so they’re better for the climate and healthier for kids.
3 weeks ago
Listen 1:14EPA reaches historic $4.2 million settlement over 2019 South Philly refinery explosion and fire
The federal agency claims Philadelphia Energy Solutions failed to properly monitor a burst pipe that started the fire. The bankrupt former operator hasn’t admitted fault.
4 weeks ago
Listen 1:11Volunteers knock on doors to create climate ‘super-voters’ in Philadelphia
The Environmental Voter Project targets people who are passionate about climate and the environment, but rarely or never vote.
4 weeks ago
Listen 4:56Philly will now pick up your old fridge at the curb. But you may have to wait
City sanitation crews have already collected tons worth of household items too big to put in the regular trash.
4 weeks ago
Listen 1:17