November 30, 2025

Welcome to OneBeautifulPlanet.org newsletter #58 ! Launched in June 2023, this publication now reaches 298 subscribers. Thank you for being part of our readership and enjoy the current edition!

Mindset

“Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.”

― Robert Louis Stevenson

Schuylkill River

Earlier this month, we spent a Sunday morning cleaning up the south bank of the Schuylkill River in the West Conshohocken, PA area. The river stretches 135 miles from Pottsville all the way to Philadelphia, where it meets the Delaware, winding through a 2,000-square-mile watershed that’s entirely within Pennsylvania. It’s a beautiful, key waterway with a landscape that shifts from the Appalachian Mountains to the Atlantic Plain.

There’s something special about cleaning along a river. The sound of the water, the wildlife (we saw plenty of birds!), the feeling that every piece of trash removed immediately protects Mother Nature—it’s one of the most rewarding forms of restorative environmental action. And this cleanup was no exception. We pulled out toys, the habitual food and beverage packaging, and plenty of plastic and metal items that definitely don’t belong anywhere near the water.

Morris Park, Philadelphia

On a cold, breezy, but joyful Thanksgiving Day we filled almost four large trash bags with mostly food packaging, and random litter at Morris Park, in West Philadelphia. Morris Park itself carries a bit of Philadelphia history: the land was originally part of the Morris family’s holdings, a prominent Quaker family whose roots in the city go back to the late 1600s. Their 1910 land donation is what created the park people enjoy today.

It was very fulfilling to involve some of our kids and their friends in the process and to teach them first hand the power of volunteering. It was fun to use some of the holiday time not just for cooking, relaxing, enjoying a meal with family and friends, but for spending a little time outside and making the world just a little better in the process!

Wharton Energy Conference

Having attended the Wharton Energy and Climate Conference in 2023 and 2024, I was eager to return this year for its 17th annual edition. Held at Convene in Philadelphia on November 7th, 2025, the event was one-day event brought together executives, startup founders, investors and leaders in the energy sector.

“Through keynotes, panels, and both formal and informal conversations throughout the day”, attendees share industry practices and success stories. The event aims to “foster collaboration between the leaders at the forefront of the industry today and those who will shape the industry in the future.” Here are my take-aways from this year’s edition:

Please share this newsletter if you found it helpful or interesting. And if you would like to collaborate in some way, whether in writing articles for OneBeautifulPlanet.org, or volunteering together at a cleanup, get in touch!

Razvan