Babette Josephs on Environmental Issues...

Parks & Urban Greening

Helped secure a federal TIGER grant for the expansion/completion of the Schuylkill River Trail and the East Coast Greenway.
Secured $300K for Hawthorne Park at 12th and Catharine.
Secured $50K for Grays Ferry Memorial Park (Lanier Playground) at 29th & Tasker.
Provided grant funding to Franklin's Paine Skatepark Fund.
Provided grant funding to Friends of Seger Park Playground.
Provided tree planting and the installation of biodegradable dog waste bags in Schuylkill River Park.
Provided grant funding for Cianfrani Park at 8th and Fitzwater.
Provided grant funding for Center City Residents' Association Tree Planting Program.
Provided a grant to Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) to fund two electric vehicles for trail maintenance.
Provided a grant to the Girls' Leadership Camp so 8-14 year-old urban girls can experience the outdoors.

Member of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (2003–Present).
I eat low on the food chain by keeping a vegan diet.
Provided a grant to The Food Trust to bring a farmers' market in Grays Ferry.
Provided a grant to the Garden of the Arts Community Garden at Broad and South Streets.
Provided a grant to the Schuylkill Park Community Garden at 25th & Spruce Streets.
Provided a grant to the Logan Square Neighborhood Association to build a community garden.
I am a leader in making fresh food available to city residents through family farmers' markets that residents can patronize during the Spring, Summer and Fall. Some of Philadelphia's farmers' markets continue throughout the year.

Urged our federal lawmakers to support federal clean energy/climate legislation (2010).
Voted for HB2405 strengthening state commitments to renewable energy & enabling consumers to generate their own electricity (2010).
Urged Governor Rendell to support the Energy Coordinating Agency's Green Collar Jobs Training Center at 106 West Clearfield Street, West Kensington (2009).
Urged federal lawmakers to support a strong energy and climate bill in the U.S. Senate (2009).
Voted for HB1200 allowing PA to develop alternative energy incentives, the sale of alternative energy credits, & rebate programs to lower the cost of alternative energy products and technology (2007).
Held Energy Conservation workshops in the district offering free weatherization supplies to constituents.
Supports Urban Green Partnership initiatives and participates in UGP's GreenFest Philly every year.
Helped secure a $504,550 grant from the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority grant to the Friends Center to develop a demonstration green building at their building in downtown Philadelphia.
Founder and first Executive Director of Citizens Coalition for Energy Efficiency (C2E2) 1980-1981

I am an avid recycler in both my professional and personal life. I urge all of my office staff to reuse everything possible in the office, including paper, envelopes, containers, plastic bags, and more.
Voted for HB708 expanding the recycling of electronic materials by requiring companies to recycle a share of their own electronic waste as well as that of their consumers (2010).
Provided a grant to support the Recycling Alliance's campaign to ensure that commercial buildings in Philadelphia are recycling and have taken a leadership role in my building to make sure we have a strong recycling program.
Provided a grant to support the Recycling Alliance's campaign to bring single steam recycling to Philadelphia.
Started the pilot program for backyard composting in Philadelphia. Then Mayor Rendell and his administration took it over and made it a citywide program. I have been using my own food and yard wastes composted in my container garden for years and my plants grow like mad.

Urged the U.S. DOT to allow PA to toll I-80 so we could properly fund PA's public transportation system. (2010)
Urged the U.S. DOT to support the Crescent Corridor Intermodal Freight Program—the best program to divert long-haul commercial truck traffic from the state and nation's highways (2009).
Voted for HB1590 so revenue generated from I-80 tolls could be used for public transportation (2007).
Voted for HB1202 requiring the use of biodiesel and ethanol in transportation fuels (2007).
First legislator to both support and implement office use of PhillyCarShare.
I am the only member of the General Assembly who does not drive, own, or lease an automobile. I commute to Harrisburg by Amtrak and get around the city by foot, SEPTA, and the occasional taxi. I look forward to the day when our public transit systems are so affordable, reliable, comfortable, safe, comprehensive, and frequent that the use of the private passenger vehicle is dramatically reduced.
Regular user of SEPTA and proud card-holder of the senior citizen's pass allowing free use of SEPTA.

Urged the EPA to finalize an ozone standard in line with the suggestions of their science advisors and increase maintenance of old coal-fired power plants & other large sources of ozone pollution (2007)

As a member of the Coastal State Caucus, Babette supported its letter to President Obama urging him to hold BP fully accountable for the oil spill; insisting BP create a Gulf Coast and Estuaries Restoration Fund, and direct government policy and security to the maintenance and safety of marine and coastal life.
Supporter of Greenfield Elementary's efforts to "green" the school and develop a stormwater management demonstration, a weather station and other tools for environmental learning.
Voted for & wrote a letter of support for the recently passed wastewater & stormwater rules requiring forested buffers of specified sizes for stream protection (2010).
Urged legislators to support President Obama's proposed National Oceans policy, which includes the Great Lakes (2009).
Urged federal lawmakers to regulate the use of the toxic chemical, bisphenol-A
Work to raise awareness about the detriment of the bottled water industry and the importance of protecting public water systems (2007).

Urban Sustainability Caucus
Sustainable Business Network of Philadelphia
PennEnvironment
PennFuture
Sierra Club
Clean Air Council
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Pennsylvania League of Conservation Voters
Advisory board member of Paine's Park Project
Friends of Seger Park Playground Task Force
Advisory Board of Greening Greenfield Elementary
Ambassador to the Sisters on the Planet project run by the League of Women Voters & Oxfam America

Greenfield Home School Association, Honorable Contribution for Phase 1 Greening Greenfield, 2009
PennEnvironment, Environmental Champ Award, 2008
Clean Air Council, Environmental Leadership Award, 2007
Smokefree Pennsylvania, Distinguished Achievement Award, 2003