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.
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Philly 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 months ago
Listen 1:17More than one in seven outdoor workers faced heat-related symptoms on the job last year, according to a survey by a research nonprofit.
4 months ago
Listen 1:07Philly restarts curbside trash pickup of bulky items, by appointment
Items eligible for pickup include refrigerators, large furniture, hot water heaters and even tires.
4 months ago
Listen 1:10SEPTA to try out hydrogen fuel cell buses as early as this fall
The 10-bus pilot is part of the agency's efforts to transition to a climate-friendly fleet. But it has attracted criticism from some environmentalists.
4 months ago
Listen 1:04Philly Tree Plan implementation gets underway with USDA grant
The city, school district and a group of nonprofits are officially joining forces to plant and protect more trees.
4 months ago
Listen 1:10Low-income Philadelphians continue to face high energy costs, analysis finds
A national nonprofit found Black and Hispanic households spend more of their income on energy than households overall.
5 months ago
Here’s what Harris and Trump said about climate change in the Philly debate
Trump said little about his plans, while Harris bragged about both clean energy investments and gas production.
5 months ago
Of the districts receiving money, the School District of Philadelphia, where damaged asbestos has repeatedly shuttered schools, received the maximum grant amount.
5 months ago
North Philly charter school powers up its culinary program with solar
The new off-grid solar array runs an aquaponics system in a greenhouse where students will learn to raise fish and grow vegetables.
5 months ago
Philly Gas Commission passes rules that limit public participation in PGW budget process
The city argues the new rules make proceedings more efficient, but climate activists say they’re being shut out.
5 months ago
‘Completely unacceptable’: Nearly two dozen Philly libraries closed this summer due to A/C issues
Philly libraries are used as cooling centers during extreme heat. But many have unreliable A/C.
5 months ago
‘We can learn from them’: Transit professionals to gather in Philly for green bus conference
It will be the first time the Zero Emissions Bus Conference has come to the East Coast. Organizers say there’s growing interest across the country.
5 months ago