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Events

Sustainable Pittsburgh “In the Spotlight”

For this week and next week only, get an insider’s look at Sustainable Pittsburgh through The Heinz Endowments' Spotlight. The Spotlight is a regular feature found on the Foundation’s website. The focus is on current grantees and their stories through interviews, blogs, photos, and video. Featured this week is a Q&A with SP Executive Director, Court Gould. Learn about SP’s future goals, the biggest misconceptions about SP, and what a “let’s get it done” attitude means for the organization.

Over the next week, be sure to periodically check out the “In the Spotlight” page to get the latest on Sustainable Pittsburgh’s efforts to accelerate the policy and practice of sustainability in southwestern PA. Also consider following the progress of “In the Spotlight,” and gain greater appreciation for the many ways nonprofit organizations are critical to our region's prosperity.

Resources

Know Your Codes Roundtable Discussions
Coming up - Authorities Code

Monday, February 8
Authorities Code
4:00 pm - 6:00 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:

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.

Register TODAY for the 2010 Census Lunch & Learn!

Wednesday, February 10
12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG), 1901 Centre Avenue, Suite 200, 15219. Lunch will be provided.
Cost: FREE for all PCRG Members; $12 for all PCRG government and bank partners; $15 for non-member organizations
RSVP: Jared at programs@pcrg.org or 412-391-6732 ext. 210
All RSVPs must be received by noon on Monday, February 8th. Space is limited.

Benita Johnson, Partnership Specialist with the US Census Bureau, will be discuss the 2010 Census. The Census is more than just a simple counting of every person within the United States of America. It plays an important role in the amount of federal funds that get distributed for hospitals, schools, job training centers, and many more social services for our communities. The discussion will center on how imperative it is for neighborhoods to complete the census and its effects on businesses, non-profit organizations, and our communities.

Screening of "Flow"

Wednesday, February 10
7:00 pm
Room 105, College Hall, Duquesne University, Uptown
More information

"Flow", a film focusing on the global water crisis, will be shown at the Duquesne University Human Rights Film Festival. It will be introduced by Karen Piper, a Fellow at the Humanities Center at CMU and associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

"Flow" investigates what experts label the most important political and environmental issue of the 21st Century—the world water crisis. Irena Salina's award-winning documentary builds a case against the growing privatization of the world's dwindling fresh water supply with an unflinching focus on politics, pollution, human rights and the emergence of a domineering world water cartel. Interviews with scientists and activists intelligently reveal the rapidly building crisis, at both the global and human scale, and the film introduces many of the governmental and corporate culprits behind the water grab while asking a fundamental question—-Can anyone really own water?”

Beyond merely identifying and dramatizing the problem, Flow gives viewers a look at the people and institutions providing practical solutions to the water crisis and those developing new technologies, which are rapidly becoming blueprints for a successful global and economic turnaround.

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.

Marcellus Shale Coalition presentation

Thursday, February 11
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery, 171 East Bridge St., Homestead, 15120
Fees: Members: $45; Non-Members: $55
Please Register by February 4, 2010
Registration questions? Contact: Natalie Durica at (412) 963-2433 or natalie.durica@testamericainc.com
More information including registration details

Please join the Air and Waste Management Association (A&WMA), Allegheny Mountain Section and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Pittsburgh Section for an annual dinner meeting and social featuring speaker Kathryn Klaber, President and Executive Director, Marcellus Shale Coalition.

Marcellus Shale development will pump $14.17 billion into the state’s economy in 2010 and create more than 98,000 jobs, while generating $800 million in state and local tax revenues, according to an economic study completed by the Pennsylvania State University for the Marcellus Shale Committee and the Pennsylvania House Natural Gas Caucus. The newly named Marcellus Shale Coalition (MSC) (formerly the Marcellus Shale Committee) is establishing itself as an independent non-profit organization to represent the Marcellus natural gas industry in Pennsylvania. The Marcellus Shale Coalition is committed to the responsible development of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale geological formation in Pennsylvania and the enhancement of the Commonwealth's economy that can be realized by this clean-burning energy source. Attend this annual dinner event the issues, concerns, and forecasts for this emerging giant.

“Wedge Politics: The Structure and Function of Racial Group Cues in American Politics”

Monday, February 15
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
School of Social Work Conference Center, 2017 Cathedral of Learning, 20th Floor, University of Pittsburgh
Lunch will be provided; registration is not required.
Contact: 412-624-7382 / www.crsp.pitt.edu

Vincent Hutchings, Professor of Political Science, University of Michigan is the guest speaker for the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Center on Race and Social Problems Reed Smith Spring 2010 Speaker Series.

Professor Hutchings' general interests include public opinion, elections, voting behavior, and African American politics. He recently published a book at Princeton University Press entitled "Public Opinion and Democratic Accountability: How Citizens Learn About Politics," that focuses on how, and under what circumstances, citizens monitor (and consequently influence) their elected representative's voting behavior. In addition to this project, Professor Hutchings also studies how the size of the African American constituency in congressional districts can influence legislative responsiveness to Black interests. The most recent product of this research has been published in the Journal of Politics. Finally, he is also interested in the ways that campaign communications can "prime" various group identities and subsequently affect candidate evaluations. This study examines how campaign communications can subtly--and not so subtly--prime voter's racial (and other group-based) attitudes and subsequently affect their political decisions. Research from this project has been published in the American Political Science Review.

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.

Green Drinks: Turning waste plastic into an alternative clean energy source

Friday, February 19
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mitchell's Restaurant, Bar & Banquet Center , 304 Ross St at Third Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free and open to the public
For Port Authority Bus Routes, go here: http://www.portauthority.org

For this month's Green Drinks, come meet an exciting entrepreneur with a wide-range of experiences launching an innovative gasification technology. Gerald Driggs has more than 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, manager and strategic business planner. Mr. Driggs is the CEO of a newly formed company called EcoClean Burners Incorporated. EcoClean Burners, is commercializing a pioneering combustion and burner technology that uses non-recyclable plastic as its fuel source. This alternative clean energy source creates heat that is used in traditional commercial (non residential) boiler systems to produce hot water heat at a fraction of the costs now associated with traditional fuels such as heating oil and natural gas. The combustion technology is the first commercially viable application that uses waste plastic as a clean and efficient fuel source.

The EcoClean business entails using unwanted and non-recyclable post-consumer plastic wastes from agricultural operations, recycling centers (curb-side pick-up), and certain commercial manufacturing establishments. These plastics will be processed by EcoClean and used as a clean burning fuel for heating buildings such as agricultural greenhouses, office buildings, commercial warehouses and any other building equipped with hot water boiler systems. We estimate that EcoClean burners will burn more than 150,000,000 pounds of waste plastic over the next 60 months.

This plastic-derived fuel technology creates new standards for other traditional fuel sources as well as other alternative energy sources to meet. Plastic waste is a by-product of either petroleum or natural gas. By using waste plastic as the basis of our certified fuel products, we are gasifying plastic back to its original molecular form and creating a new and clean energy source.

Design Excellence Lecture Series featuring Alan Greenberger, Executive Director, Philadelphia City Planning Commission

Monday, February 22
6pm
George Rowland White Theatre, Point Park University, 414 Wood St., Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: $20 (Includes lecture, panel discussion and reception)
For more information, call (412) 391-4144 or click here.

The Design Excellence Lecture Series, produced by the Community Design Center Of Pittsburgh (CDCP), provides a forum for planners and civic officials, architects, landscape architects, community and civic organizations, design enthusiasts and students to hear from nationally-acclaimed professionals in the field of civic planning and design. This season's theme is "The Intentional City." The Community Design Center of Pittsburgh is a non-profit organization that improves quality of life through good design of the built environment.

Living Legends: An Afternoon with John Marshall (son of Thurgood Marshall) and Charles Hamilton Houston, Jr. (son of Charles Hamilton Houston)

Tuesday, February, 23
3:00 pm
Power Center Ballroom, Duquesne University
The event is free and open to the public.
More information

This historic event, bringing together the sons of two of the most significant civil rights figures in American history, is the first time these men have come together to talk about the remarkable contributions of their fathers --- and their roles in achieving a civil rights revolution that transformed the United States and guaranteed equal justice for all. The event will also feature the national premiere of a 15-minute film, regarding the singular achievements of Thurgood Marshall and Charles Houston, introduced and narrated by their sons. Moderated by Interim Dean Ken Gormley.

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.

Save the Date: Marcellus Shale Policy Conference

May 3-4, 2010
More details to come.
For information, call: Pennsylvania Environmental Council at 412-481-9400 or marcelluspolicyconference@pecpa.org

How should Pennsylvania construct an effective regulatory framework that allows the natural gas industry to prosper. . .while protecting environmental and conservation values? If you have a stake in the development of regulatory policy and decision-making pertaining to Marcellus shale gas production in Pennsylvania, then you should attend this important conference!

The Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Duquesne University invite you to the Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Policy Conference, which will work to identify strategies and practices for the effective and sustainable development of this extraordinary resource. Among the topics we'll discuss include:
- The economics of Marcellus shale development in America's energy mix
- Regulatory obstacles and opportunities in Pennsylvania
- Opportunities and benefits of a successful Marcellus gas development industry in Pennsylvania
- Finding the balance between conservation and gas resource development
- Local community considerations
- Environmental issues
- Best management practices and long-term conservation methods
- Policy recommendations
...and much, much more.

Resources

Free Posters!

Expecting future generations? Accept only sustainable development.

Get a visual representation of these profound words by calling Sustainable Pittsburgh at (412) 258-6642. SP has a numerous supply of these sustainability-related posters. They're great for decorating walls, encouraging deep thinking, and inspiring action.

Help Fuel Community Renewal

CMU Alumni and social entrepreneurs - GTECH have a chance to win $50,000 for their work to reclaim vacant lands and empower communities in the Pepsi Refresh Project. Please visit www.refresheverything.com/gtech to cast your vote in support of gtech and their inspiring work.

Voting lasts through February and each individual can vote once/day every day, so please share this link and/or visit www.gtechstrategies.org or become a fan of GTECH on Facebook.

Chile: Water a Matter of National Security

The legal text recognises that freshwater, which is lacking in the Chilean north and abundant in the south, has become a "scarce good" and that its availability is "a matter of national security," much more than fossil fuels, which can be imported from other countries. Around the globe, this vital resource is threatened by the effects of climate change, which is causing glaciers to melt as well as more intense droughts.

More

Sewage-Related Technology To Make Impact On American Infrastructure Renovation

In the fifth entry in its "Renovating American Infrastructure" series, Popular Science (2/3, Bright) reports on developments related to sewage, noting that "thanks to clever new technology, sewage will be reclaimed to provide power, produce fertilizer and, eventually, yield clean water." The article profiles several technologies, such as "a microbial fuel cell to turn the chemical energy in sewage directly into electricity" and "sewer robots [that] use image-interpreting software" to find problems in pipes, describing how they could benefit American infrastructure and when they could become available.

This is bigger than climate change. It is a battle to redefine humanity

It's hard for a species used to ever-expanding frontiers, but survival depends on accepting we live within limits Humanity is no longer split between conservatives and liberals, reactionaries and progressives, though both sides are informed by the older politics. Today the battle lines are drawn between expanders and restrainers; those who believe that there should be no impediments and those who believe that we must live within limits. The vicious battles we have seen so far between greens and climate change deniers, road safety campaigners and speed freaks, real grassroots groups and corporate-sponsored astroturfers are just the beginning. This war will become much uglier as people kick against the limits that decency demands.

Massachusetts Sets Ambitious Energy Standards

Massachusetts state officials announced on Friday new energy efficiency standards for utilities that aim to be the most ambitious in the nation. The plan calls for a statewide reduction of 2.4 percent in electricity use and 1.15 percent in natural gas use annually for three years. The savings are to be achieved largely through $1.6 billion in incentives for utility customers who take certain actions to conserve energy, like insulating their houses or replacing conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.

In Portland, Going Green and Growing Vertical in a Bid for Energy Savings

Urban gardening used to seem subversive. People planted tomatoes in public parks, strung their hops to rooftops to make homebrew and reclaimed empty lots as community farms, never mind the property owner. Yet here in one of the more thoroughly tilled cities in America, subversive has come full circle: the federal government plans to plant its own bold garden directly above a downtown plaza. As part of a $133 million renovation, the General Services Administration is planning to cultivate “vegetated fins” that will grow more than 200 feet high on the western facade of the main federal building here, a vertical garden that changes with the seasons and nurtures plants that yield energy savings.

Does S. Beltway still make sense?

Here's the problem: Will a concept that made perfect sense in the 1970s, and still made sense in the 1990s, still be a good idea in the 2010s or 2020s? Is it possible that our transportation needs could have changed over a span of half a century?

Lawmakers see savings in consolidation of local governments

Kansans like government. There are nearly 4,000 government units strewn across the state, directing everything from counties, cities, schools, townships, cemeteries and drainage systems. But amid the current budget crisis, legislators are warming to the idea of consolidation as a way to save some money.

The Push to Consolidate From GOVERNING's Outlook in the States and Localities 2010

The economy as a whole may have flattened out and may even be starting to recover, but for cities and counties, the worst is still to come. "It's fairly bleak," said Chris Hoene, research director for the National League of Cities. "We're really right now just heading into the eye of the storm." Because city and county revenues lag the general economy by 18 months to two years, the revenue stream for governments is only going to get worse.

Help Wanted: Project Coordinator for CONNECT - Congress of Neighboring Communities

Incumbent will assist the Associate Director with administrative and project coordination aspects of CONNECT, the Congress of Neighboring Communities, a multi-year, grant-funded project that seeks to coordinate the collective activities of the City of Pittsburgh and the municipalities that share its border to advocate for the collective interests of its 680,000 residents; develop efficient, collaborative ways that municipalities can deliver important public services; and maintain a forum for collective efforts to maximize economic development activities in Western Pennsylvania.

PittsburghTODAY: The Impact of the Recession

The impact of the recession on the Pittsburgh region in 2009 was significant, a reality that is better appreciated after a visit to three newly updated indicators on PittsburghTODAY.org. The first is Job Growth numbers for December. The 23,000 loss in jobs compared to December 2008 (a preliminary figure) was driven by decreases across the board in Professional and Business Services, Government and Leisure - with Leisure and Tourism job losses being particularly high. A second measure of impact comes from the final numbers for Barge Traffic for 2009. Total activity was down 26.5 percent over 2008, with the most significant freight category, coal, down 27.3 percent. Coal shipments are a good barometer of industrial activity. A third measure is the number of Building Permits. Issuance of new Building Permits was down 19.3 percent in 2008 compared to 2007 with only Detroit, Cleveland and Milwaukee reporting lower total permits than Pittsburgh. Final figures for 2009 from the Census Bureau will be available in April.

Corporate Sustainability Ranking Gets a Face Lift at Davos

Last week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, saw a major upgrade in the quantification of corporate sustainability with the unveiling of what I'll call the "second generation" of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World. When the Canadian corporate social responsibility magazine Corporate Knights teamed with the sustainable investing research firm Innovest to launch the list five years ago in Davos, the Global 100 turned heads by asserting the business relevance of sustainability while simultaneously meeting harsh criticism from the likes of sustainability guru Paul Hawken.

Now, the Global 100 methodology has finally gotten a major face-lift that addresses these critiques. Perhaps most importantly, the list included what the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) calls "sustainability context," which frames corporate progress in relation to a defined sustainability goal that needs to be met if our culture is to survive and thrive. The Global 100 chose resource efficiency improvements as its sustainability goal, using a "factor four" yardstick. Using 2006 as a starting point, the Global 100 assesses whether companies are upping resource efficiency by six percent per year, the rate needed to reach factor four by 2026.

Testing The Waters and Chemical Amounts in the Ohio

Testing of the water in and around the Ohio River has turned up traces of pharmaceuticals and other potentially harmful contaminants. Ann Thompson reports for the Ohio River Radio Consortium.

UC Davis To Build Waste-To-Energy Plant

A new $2.5 million federal stimulus grant will help the University of California, Davis, build one of the nation's first waste-to-energy plants to power a large housing, office and retail project." The project "is expected to demonstrate how energy-efficient development can generate all the power it consumes," which "is a goal for all of California's new homes by 2020." Officials "said university teams will tap the new federal funding to design and build a so-called 'biodigester' to convert food scraps from campus cafeterias, animal waste and tree trimmings into methane," which "will then provide energy for a fuel cell."

For information on becoming a Member of Sustainable Pittsburgh, please visit our website.

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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
FedEx Ground
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
UPMC


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