Rob Marco recently decided to leave his job as a social worker to focus on writing and building a one-room portable home out of primarily recycled materials. It was a consequential choice, and one he does not take lightly -- Rob's Christian beliefs are intimately tied to his decision to live a more simple, sustainable life and eliminate many of the possessions and amenities most Americans covet. But regardless or religious affiliation or level of environmental commitment, he believes anyone can learn and benefit from his Urban Hermitage Project, which is why he plans to chronicle the experience on a blog.

Rob has purchased a small school bus, which he will also convert into a sustainable living space and reside in while he builds the hermitage on a trailer attached to the back. He hopes to have the entire project finished by the fall.

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When it comes to recycling, Philadelphia has always been at the bottom of the bin. Only 5.5 percent of Philadelphians recycle compared to the national average of 18 percent. Which is why Philly mayor Michael Nutter's announcement last week that all residents would now have the benefit of "single-stream" recycling—ie: not having to sort materials into separate bins—was welcome news. Eighty thousand new homes will now be able to put their recyclables in a single marked container— a change that increased recycling rates three percent in Northeast Philadelphia, where the program was implemented two years ago.

One of the primary reasons people don't recycle is inconvenience, and single-stream recycling undoubtedly makes it easier for the average citizen do his or her part for the environment. But an anticipated rate increase of just three percent when we're already 13 percent below average? Can't we do better?

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I recently attended a rally outside the national headquarters of Cigna, the country's sixth largest health insurance company, in support of single-payer health care. A term often used synonymously with universal health care, a single-payer system would mean all Americans would be insured by the government (a single source), bypassing the middle-man insurance companies and significantly reducing insurance costs for the vast majority of Americans. Written by Reps. John Conyers (D, Mi.) and Dennis Kucinich (D, Oh.), a bill currently exists in Congress - HR 676 - that would expand and improve our existing Medicare system to cover everyone, regardless of income or pre-existing conditions. The bill would also allow Americans to choose their own doctors.

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WATCH THE VIDEO ABOUT SHOLOM KELLER AND THE POSSIBILITY OF A NEW GENERATION OF HOMELESS VETS.

Other Vet-Related Pieces:

BLOG: All Quiet on the (Anti-)War Front

VIDEO:  "I Choose to Speak": The mother of a soldier killed in Iraq explains why she couldn't remain silent

VIDEO: Meet the Only Iraq War Vet in Congress

A NEW GENERATION OF HOMELESS VETS?

Halfway through my interview with Sholom Keller at a local bar I find myself in the middle of a battle. A sloppy-drunk oversized frat-boy type has taken an interest in what I’m writing in my notepad, and Keller doesn’t like it. He puts his hand over my notebook and stares the guy down.

“Why don’t you mind your own business?” Keller asks. “You don’t know me.”

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Is a piece of art powerful enough to stop a bullet?

I think we can all agree it’s not—at least in the physical sense. But art has the power to influence our emotions—to evoke tears, laughter or even fear—so couldn’t it possibly influence our behavior as well?

Jane Golden believes it can. Which is why when she was offered the job of heading up a fledgling mural program housed within the city’sAnti-Graffiti Networkinitiative in 1984, she snapped it up. By 1996, she’d built Mural A...