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
Free summer meal sites for Philly kids and teens open next week
Hundreds of child and youth meal sites will open across the city this summer, most on June 21.
3 years ago
South Philly refinery re-do features trucking, despite calls for carbon-free development
Community groups representing areas that endured refinery pollution for 150 years say they have not gotten a say in the redevelopment plans.
3 years ago
As climate change makes Philly temps rise, so does urgency to make schools cooler
The start and end of Philly’s school years have gotten hotter. But as another school year ends, more than half of district schools still lack air conditioning.
3 years ago
At least three people were killed Saturday night and 12 others injured when multiple shooters fired at one another amid a crowd on busy South Street.
3 years ago
Philly’s LGBTQ flag raising brings focus on ‘most marginalized’ community members
Speakers at the flag raising hosted by the city’s Office of LGBT Affairs called on the community to center the experiences of Black and brown trans people.
3 years ago
Air quality concerns linger after Port Richmond junkyard fire
Residents of Philly’s Port Richmond section experienced what city officials called an “air quality emergency” Thursday due to smoke from a junkyard fire.
3 years ago
Philly bike advocates press mayor to move ahead with narrowing Washington Ave.
Bike and pedestrian safety advocates and a state senator urge the city to move ahead with or without buy-in from Councilmember Johnson.
3 years ago
This immersive sound installation brings you inside the Schuylkill River
A rushing river is a familiar sound. But underwater, there’s a whole other sonic world — where insects drum, fish click, and bubbles burst.
3 years ago
Listen 1:47Latest wrench in the plan to narrow Washington Ave. has some cheering, others fuming
In a bitter fight over the width of a road in South Philly, a City Council member deals a blow to the plan favored by bicycle and pedestrian safety advocates.
3 years ago
Advocates suggest recycling overhaul to address ‘growing waste crisis’ in Pa.
Proposals include a landfill ban on aluminum cans and more food waste composting programs.
3 years ago
Philly, get ready for another above-average hurricane season
Government forecasters are predicting up to six major hurricanes this year. Here’s how city officials suggest you prepare.
3 years ago
Black Doctors Consortium walk-a-thon draws people from region who are fighting for health equity
“Health is wealth,” one walker said. “We have to save our own communities.”
3 years ago