Ben Seal

1 week ago | phillymag.com | Ben Seal

Longform Climate Change Is Here. Philadelphia Isn’t Ready Heavier rainfalls that lead to deadly flash floods. Droughts that spark wildfires. Soaring summertime temperatures. And a federal government content with doing nothing. Think Philadelphia is safe from the worst the planet has to offer? Think again.

1 week ago | civileats.com | Ben Seal

Near the banks of the Delaware River in northeast Pennsylvania, Steven Schwartz, his silver hair tied back beneath his hat, is searching for a seed. It’s ramp season, and finding one of the tiny black pellets is like searching for a needle in an endless green haystack. For a ramp farmer like Schwartz, the seeds are a critical indicator that the population is healthy and multiplying. At 71, Schwartz has learned plenty about these wild alliums since he moved here in 2006—and he’s eager to share.

1 month ago | gridphilly.com | Ben Seal

It has been five years since the pandemic disrupted Philadelphia’s recycling program, leading to service delays that stretched on for weeks and consigning the contents of so many blue bins into trash trucks headed for the landfill. “That was the first huge blow for an already beleaguered system,” says Nic Esposito, former director of the City’s Zero Waste and Litter Cabinet.

2 months ago | civileats.com | Ben Seal

The Double Trellis Food Initiative fights hunger in America’s poorest large city—and gives young people a path to employment.

Mar 2, 2025 | phillymag.com | Ben Seal

Longform Philly Housing Prices Are Through the Roof. But There Are Ways to Fix It For decades, housing in Philadelphia has been relatively inexpensive. Now? Not so much. Here's how the region can buck skyrocketing costs and return to affordability. Sign up for our weekly home and property newsletter, featuring homes for sale, neighborhood happenings, and more.