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Events

World Environment Day 2010 - Pittsburgh

Yours for the making

Individuals, groups, corporations, churches, small businesses—-everyone—-is encouraged to participate in this year’s World Environment Day (WED) celebration, taking place between Earth Day (40th), April 22, and WED, June 5, 2010. Whether you have an annual event scheduled during this six-week period, plan to announce an accomplishment, or are initiating something new, WED is a platform for you to share the news!

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), has bestowed the prestigious honor of selecting Pittsburgh to serve as North America's Host City for WED 2010. Each year WED is a key global effort to promote environmental awareness and stimulate political action and attention. Pittsburgh’s selection is undoubtedly attributable in part to the region’s recognized story of environmental transformation and commitment to sustainable development.

The six week period extends a rare opportunity to showcase the region’s environmental achievements and to launch new ventures and projects. The WED theme for the Pittsburgh region is Water Matters!, in support of the global WED theme of Biodiversity.

Visit www.pittsburghwed.com to get involved. Already a remarkable range of initiatives are highlighted via the online list of events. Have a look. Be inspired. Sign up for email updates, follow WED tweets, and register your activity with the growing host of regional happenings. Be creative and don't miss this world-class chance to capitalize on the moment and publicity.

Feel free to download the WED logo (found under "Resources" at the WED website) and use it to promote your activities. Be empowered to contribute to and benefit from the momentum generated by WED. It is yours for the making.

Resources

“What is the city's vision for transportation in the next 20 years? How Pittsburgh can be a hub for the region's economic expansion.”

Transportation Panel
Friday, January 22
3:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Hamburg Hall 1000, H. John Heinz III College, School of Public Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Oakland

The purpose of this panel is to engage a combination of local politicians, advocacy organizations and community stakeholders in a discussion on how transportation can be an integral part of the region’s future growth, how transportation can positively benefit the many stakeholders involved and how we can work together to achieve our goals. The moderator of the panel will be Allen Kukovich, Director of the Power of 32 Regional Visioning Project and former PA State Senator. Panelists will include:
Rep. Chelsa Wagner – PA State House, 22nd District
Patrick Roberts – Principal Transportation Planner for the Pittsburgh Dept. of City Planning
Stephen Bland – CEO, Port Authority of Allegheny County
Councilman Bill Peduto – Pittsburgh City Council, District 8
Breen Masciotra – Director, Uptown Partners
Court Gould – Director, Sustainable Pittsburgh

Refreshments will be served following the panel. Funding for this event will come from a grant received by the Smart Growth Club from Union Pacific.

Trade Union Equity Mini-Summit

Friday, January 22
8:30 am - 1:00 pm
Ebenezer Baptist Church, 2001 Wylie Ave., Hill District
If interested in attending, RSVP to 412-350-6509 or mark.jones@alleghenycounty.us.

The Black Political Empowerment Project and the Regional Equity Monitoring Project will be hosting this summit, the goal of which includes developing innovative approaches to address disparities in employment and contracting and identifying ways to monitor progress. Afternoon workshops will provide hands-on experience based on real-life programs, challenges, and examples.

12th Annual Summit Against Racism

Saturday, January 23
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Ave., East Liberty
For more information, email blackandwhite_reunion@yahoo.com

The Black and White Reunion is hosting their 12th Annual Summit Against Racism on January 23rd. Speakers and skill-building workshops will be included, and from 1pm-2pm, participants are encouraged to join the weekly anti-war protest outside the church.

ALCOSAN Public Meetings

West
Monday, January 25
10:00 am
Ramada Hotel & Conference Center, 401 Holiday Drive, Green Tree, 15220

South
Tuesday, January 26
10:00 am
Crowne Plaza - Pittsburgh South, 164 Fort Couch Road, Pittsburgh, 15241

Pittsburgh
February 3, 2010
7:00 pm
IBEW Hall, 5 Hot Metal Street, South Side, 15203

ALCOSAN is hosting meetings to inform the public of its progress on meeting the federal requirements to address sewer overflows in this region. The event is free and open to the public. No RSVP is necessary. For more information contact ALCOSAN's Public Relations department at 412-734-8353 or visit www.alcosan.org.

Injustice & Indifference: 2010 Human Rights Film Series

Six award-winning films about today’s critical human rights issues with introductory presentations by experts and opinion leaders

Monday, January 25
7:00 pm
105 College Hall, Duquesne University, 600 Forbes Avenue, Uptown
Free and open to the public
Featured film: Sand and Sorrow
Ethnic genocide in the Sudan
Speaker: David Rosenberg, Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition
More information

This series was organized to increase awareness of human rights violations and make us sensitive to the harm they cause. Second, the series aims to encourage us, as students, teachers, professionals and citizens, to do what we can to make a difference, one cause and one person at a time. A different film is scheduled for each of the following dates: February 2, 10, 16 and 24.

Pre-event Special Program: Energy, The Future of Oil and Natural Gas

Tuesday, January 26
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
Euro Cafe (downtown in the U.S. Steel Tower), 600 Grant Street, Pittsburgh
Cost: This special event is FREE for World Affairs Council Members and their guests.
Members can bring 1 guest for FREE. $15 for non-Council members. Space is limited.
Lite fare will be provided by the Council and beverages will be available for purchase at the bar.
Please RSVP by registering online
or calling 412-281-7970.

From the economy to global environmental challenges, energy issues are complex, ever-changing, and influence almost every aspect of our lives. What roles will renewable fuel sources as well as oil and natural gas play as our nation -- along with the international community -- looks to meet energy demands?

Join fellow Members of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh for an informal evening of information and fun! This special event is free for World Affairs Council Members and their guests. Sara Banaszak, Senior Economist, American Petroleum Institute will provide a brief overview of her Luncheon presentation, scheduled for January 27th.

Luncheon Discussion Group: Energy, The Future of Oil and Natural Gas

Wednesday, January 27
Noon - 1:45 pm
Duquesne Club, 325 Sixth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Costs:
$45 World Affairs Council Members*
$60 Non-Council Members
$360 Table of eight
Register Now

Featuring:
Sara Banaszak, Senior Economist, American Petroleum Institute
Sara Banaszak is a senior economist at the American Petroleum Institute (API) where she draws on her oil and natural gas policy expertise in both domestic and international arenas. Prior to joining API in 2005, Sara directed PFC Energy’s North American Gas Policy Service (GPS) and worked at the U.S. Department of Energy as a manager responsible for international and domestic oil and gas programs, including policy-making activities. In the Office of Fossil Energy, she acted as a government representative on the National Petroleum Council’s 2003 natural gas study. In 2001, she received Department recognition for her accomplishments with the U.S.-China Oil and Gas Industry Forum, a high-level public-private partnership. She is a member of the International Association for Energy Economics (IAEE), an executive board member of its Washington, D.C. chapter, and a referee for The Energy Journal. Sara holds a master’s degree in applied economics from the University of Hawaii and a bachelor’s degree cum laude in international relations from the University of Pennsylvania.

*There is no additional charge for those members with full or flex LDG Subscriptions.
No refunds for cancellations made after Monday, January 25th. Please advise in advance of any dietary restrictions.

Know Your Codes
Roundtable Discussions

PA School Code
Tuesday, February 2
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
LGA Offices, CCAC Administration Building, 800 Allegheny Avenue, Pittsburgh 15233
Fee: $10 per session
Free convenient parking
More information and registration

Throughout February, the Local Government Academy will host several different programs regarding Pennsylvania's municipal and school district codes. The programs are organized by code and will give new and experienced elected officials, managers and staff the opportunity to learn and share knowledge.

There is no set agenda for this program. An experienced municipal solicitor will field questions and participants will engage in discussion towards the goal of better understanding the local government environment and improving governing board performance. Additional dates and topics are as follows:

Wednesday, February 3
Home Rule
5 - 7 p.m.

Monday, February 8
Authorities Code
4 - 6 p.m.

Tuesday, February 9
3rd Class Cities
5 - 7 p.m.

Wednesday, February 10
Boroughs
5 - 7 p.m.

Monday, February 15
2nd Class Townships
5 - 7 p.m.

Tuesday, February 16
1st Class Townships
4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

Vegetables, Cornography and Agricraft

Friday, February 5
5:30 pm
Society for Contemporary Craft, 2100 Smallman Street, Strip District
$5 suggested donation.
For more information, visit www.contemporarycraft.org or call Kati Fishbein at 412-261-7003 ext. 26.

Exhibiting artist Craig Nutt will present a gallery talk, Flying Vegetables, Cornography and Agricraft, in conjunction with Cornography, an installation of his work currently on view in the Society for Contemporary Craft’s alternative space, EAT: An Art Space About Food. An organic gardener, Nutt has coined the term agricraft to refer both to his work and to the application of a craft-related viewpoint to agriculture.

Once a venerable foodstuff of the Americas, corn has become a symbol of the transformation of farm into factory - and of a system that uses subsidies, promises of higher yields and the threat of bankruptcy to seduce farmers into a life of chemical dependency in order to supply the vast quantity of raw materials to satisfy our lust for cheap, sweet, highly-manufactured foods. For his lecture Nutt will talk about his work, which celebrates the heritage of hyperbole and idealism of farming and gardening while questioning whether the prevailing methods of food production are moral, healthful, or sustainable. Event also features: Jamie Moore, director of sourcing for Eat’n Park Restaurant Group and Mindy Joy Schwartz, owner of Garden Dreams Urban Farm.

Human Health and the Environment

Wednesday, February 10
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
CCI Center, 64 S. 14th Street South Side, 15203
Cost: $20 per person; PRC Members: $15
Contact: Sarah Alessio at 412-488-7490 ext. 236 or visit www.prc.org

This Workshop is designed to heighten awareness and encourage action around the issue of carcinogens and toxins that we come into contact with daily in our environment through the products we use and the food we eat. The workshop also focuses on the consequences of these toxins on our health and how we can avoid exposure. The program provides the public with practical solutions such as safe alternatives and healthy lifestyle choices. All workshop participants will receive a non-toxic green cleaning kit.

Proscribed Floods, Prescribed Fires

The Roles of The Corps of Engineers and The Nature Conservancy
It All Happens Right Here in Pennsylvania!

Wednesday, February 10
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Phipps Civic Garden Center, Fifth and Shady Avenues, Squirrel Hill
Free and Open to the Public
Contact: Donald L. Gibbon at 412-362-8451 or dongibbon@earthlink.net

Join the Allegheny Group, Sierra Club at its monthly meeting to hear Colonel Michael P. Crall, Pittsburgh District Engineer, and Pat McElhenny and Jenny Case, Nature Conservancy. The Corps is involved in vital aspects of conservation and regulation of the area's waterways, from flood prevention to control of disposal of wastes from Mountain-Top Removal Mining. Col. Crall is an articulate spokesman for the Corps’ activities and can answer any questions, including those about new regulations about to be promulgated which may break the back of MTR mining. On the other hand, the Nature Conservancy is doing exciting work at trying to lower the risk of out-of-control forest fires here in the East and to raise the germination rate for oaks, near zero without fire. This is controversial stuff in the forestry profession. Come hear what it’s all about. Refreshments and conversation after the program.

Green Cleanup Symposium: Integrating Green Approaches for Site Cleanup and Sustainable Reuse

February 10-11, 2010
Drexel University, Philadelphia
More information.

Join federal decision makers and the nation’s leading thinkers on green cleanup and revitalization of waste sites to discuss:
•The ABC’s of Sustainable Reuse
•Cleaning up Properties While Using Green Practices
•Cutting-edge Analysis and Tools for Long-term Cleanups
•Initiatives Promoting Renewable Energy on Cleanup Sites
•Ecological Revitalization at Contaminated Properties

Revolutionizing Construction

Thursday, February 18
Noon – 2:00 pm
Westin Convention Center Hotel, 1000 Penn Ave, Downtown, 15222
Cost: $55 Members of GBA, AIA , ASID | $85 Non-Member
Register online or by contacting Karen Puff.

This luncheon event, sponsored by Haworth, features a panel discussion addressing the current state of the construction industry and how it needs to improve and adapt to global, environmental, and economic challenges. Our diverse and prominent panel will discuss several topics, including BIM (Building Information Modeling), Lean Construction, Integrated Platform Delivery (IPD), and the many laws related to construction and contracts. Furthermore, they will discuss the award-winning corporate real estate consortium, Mindshift. Featured panelists are:
Bill Black (moderator) – Haworth, National Director of Strategic Business Solutions
Greg Smith – Turner Construction, Lean Construction Expert
Michael Paul Warren – WARREN Architectural, Owner (specializes in Building Information Modeling, BIM)
Robert Ray - Burt Hill, General Counsel (specializes in construction and contract law)
Peter Levasseur – KDA Architects, Director of Sustainable Design (Integrated Platform Delivery (IPD) expert)

Who should attend: C-level executives, owner/developers, and any professional working in building design, operations, products, and consulting.

CityLive! Beyond LEED: The Future of Green Buildings

Tuesday, February 23
6:30 pm
New Hazlett Theater, North Side
RSVP
Cocktails and conversation to follow

The Pittsburgh region has been a leader in the green building wave. With innovative thinkers in its ranks and technological advances happening in its midst, Pittsburgh is poised to remain in the lead. Will progress come solely from within the region, or are there advances happening elsewhere that Pittsburghers can learn from? Will there be economic benefits? Is the biggest green bang for our buck only for new buildings, or can larger efficiencies be made in older buildings?

CityLive speakers will discuss the latest advances in the green building movement, what to expect in the future and what can be learned from innovation elsewhere. Anne Swager, Executive Director of AIA Pittsburgh will moderate. Speakers include former Ambassador Charles Ries, who is a Senior Fellow in the Rand, Washington, DC office and Maureen Guttman, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Governor's Green Government Council. Ambassador Ries has written about energy performance of buildings and what can be learned from the UK and Australia. Ms. Guttman, who sits on the International Construction Code panel, will discuss the national movement to implement green construction codes and what that means for Pennsylvania and area businesses.

Resources

“Business of Brownfields” Conference Call for Papers

The Executive Committee of the Business of Brownfields Conference (BoB) is proud to announce the 15th Annual Brownfields Conference will take place on April 19-21, 2010 at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh, PA. The 2010 event will again highlight the technical, legal and financial aspects of brownfields reclamation and development. The Executive Committee is seeking experience and research-based presentations from stakeholders who are involved with the assessment, cleanup and reuse of abandoned, idled or under-used commercial and industrial sites. Presentations with an emphasis on sustainable technical and engineering solutions are especially requested. If you have information to help others overcome the challenges associated with brownfields development, the “BoB” is the place for you to present and share your experience. Abstracts due JANUARY 24.

Pittsburgh's Got Sole

Soles4Souls is accepting donated shoes to give to the earthquake survivors of Haiti. The group is especially looking for: athletic; running; sandals; work boots and flip flops, just as long as they are "gently worn". Gently worn means shoes that you would still wear. They should have solid soles with no holes, laces if applicable, clean (no mud).

More

Voices of Youth Competition

In 2009, The Pittsburgh Foundation and The Grable Foundation committed to enhancing the quality of life for children and youth in the community. Three competitions have been conceived, designed to generate citizen engagement around the issues of mobilizing community will and energy to address issues that impact the lives of children and youth. The goal of the first competition, themed "Voices of Youth," is to share the ideas of youth with the community. No idea is too small or too big. The top three ideas will receive up to $15,000 each to help make change possible in Pittsburgh.

Local Haitian Advocate Speaks of Earthquake's Environmental Fallout

A number of organizations in western Pennsylvania have worked with Haitians for years. They've funded sustainable agriculture projects and worked with a microlending program with an emphasis on environmental education. In recent days, they've lost friends, and started to plan how they will help with the years and decades of rebuilding that will follow. The Allegheny Front's Jennifer Szweda Jordan spoke with the Haiti Solidarity Committee's Michael Drohan about the environmental problems that preceded the disaster, and his concerns for the future.

Urge President Obama to make sure transit jobs and America's bus and rail systems are a priority in the upcoming jobs bill

America’s transit agencies are falling on difficult times. Massive layoffs, service cuts, fare hikes. And the problem is only going to grow as budget shortfalls deepen. Upcoming legislation focused on job-creation could help, but only if we act fast. With your help, Transportation for America will urge the President to make sure Congress makes the smart, strategic investments that can save transit jobs, keep our buses and trains running, and bring lasting improvements to our country’s transportation system.

The Suburbanization of Poverty: Trends in Metropolitan America, 2000 to 2008

By 2008, suburbs were home to the largest and fastest-growing poor population in the country.

Salty Cities: Why Communities Are Trying New Ways to Clear Snowy Roads

All that salt doesn’t stay on wet winter roads but seeps into nearby soil--causing soil erosion and killing vegetation—-and into rivers and streams where it harms freshwater organisms.

Burbs from Above

Christoph Gielen has a unique perspective-—literally-—on the sprawl that has taken over so much of the American built landscape since the 1960s. As someone who has spent a lot of time in helicopters, looking down on the eerily perfect geometries of the nation’s suburbs, the German artist knows just how artificial, and unsustainable, these communities really are. With his Arcadia series, a portion of which we’re featuring here, Gielen hopes to spur viewers to think about the consequences of what they’re seeing (and, perhaps, where they live). “With these pictures, I am interested in exploring the intersection of art and environmental politics,” Gielen says. “I hope to trigger a reevaluation of our built environment and the methods of its development, to ask: What can be considered a viable, ecologically sound growth process?”

World warming to greener train travel

Faced with global climate change, many around the globe--from governments to companies to individuals--have also warmed to train travel. Traveling by rail is on average three to 10 times less CO2-intensive compared to road or air transport, according to the UIC, a Paris-based international organization of the railway sector.

Price fixing - Why it is important to put a price on nature

Partha Dasgupta, an economist at Cambridge University who gave the Royal Society meeting's opening address, stressed that the ecosystem approach has still more to offer: it can go beyond being a decision tool to becoming a key part of macroeconomic thinking. Dr. Dasgupta wants a new measure of national wealth that captures the state of a country's environment in ways that GDP cannot, a measure he calls "Inclusive Wealth." Pavan Sukhdev, an economist at the United Nations Environment Programme, agreed. By way of example, he offered the observation that although GDP incorporates increases in medical spending on respiratory diseases, it does not incorporate the value of reducing air pollution. GDP, he concludes, is an imperfect measure of progress.

UN Introduces Website for Partnerships with Business

Companies seeking assistance in meeting their mission of corporate social responsibility (CSR) should find support at www.Business.un.org, a website designed to facilitate collaboration between the United Nations and the private sector.

Dow Styrofoam Insulation Products Earn Cradle to Cradle Certification

The C2C certification program, administered by McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC), assesses products and companies based on their material use, material reutilization (recycling, composting, etc.), use of renewable energy or energy efficiency, water use and quality, and social responsibility. Products are certified at one of four levels: basic, silver, gold or platinum.

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Sustainable Pittsburgh affects decision-making in the Pittsburgh Region to integrate economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support ($1,000 and up) in 2010 from:

Allegheny County - Dan Onorato, County Executive
Atkins Family Foundation
BNY Mellon
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments


Special thanks to the SP Members

Sustainable Pittsburgh
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1335
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 258-6642
fax (412) 258-6645
E-mail SP