3E Links readers are early adopters of sustainable policies, products, and practices, and the people who educate their friends and family about the benefits of sustainable development. Be sure to pass your issue of 3E Links along to friends and colleagues. Subscribe by e-mailing info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Events

Sustainability and Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum

Wednesday, March 12
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Fetterolf Room, 23rd Floor, Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend.
Bring a bag lunch; refreshments and dessert provided.
RSVP 412-258-6642 or info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Featuring:
Ty Gourley, Institute of Politics
Regional Water Management Task Force

The Regional Water Management Task Force, created in mid-2006, is designed to build on previous studies of southwestern Pennsylvania’s water and sewage-related problems—which are widely considered to be among the most challenging in the nation—and to achieve consensus on policy solutions.

The Task Force is currently drafting its initial recommendations and will soon be seeking input from the region in order to improve them. This brownbag lunch will be one opportunity to be involved in providing feedback to the Task Force on its activities and eventual recommendations.

Endorsed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the Task Force includes representatives of 11 southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Carnegie Mellon University president Jared Cohon serves as chair.

Resources

Exclusion and Exploitation

Films that capture today’s struggle for human rights.
February 6 – March 12, 2008
Duquesne University, Maurice Falk Hall in Mellon Hall, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free admission Screenings at 7 p.m.
http://www.duq.edu/exfilms/index.html

Expert speakers introduce the topics and issues highlighted in the films. Presented by Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
February 13 Maquilapolis
February 20 10
February 27 Faces of Change

A&WMA AMS Luncheon: Practical Innovation from Sustainable Practices

Presented by Matt Mehalik, Sustainable Pittsburgh
Thursday, February 14
11:30 am
Piccolo Mondo in Greentree, PA
Register by contacting Natalie Durica at 412-963-2433 or Natalie.Durica@testamericainc.com.
Fee: $15 for members, $20 for non-members and $5 for students.
RSVP by February 13th; earlier registration preferred.

How can the environmental aspects of business drive innovation? This talk will address three dimensions that illustrate the coupling of innovation, the environment and sustainability. One dimension is a case presentation from pioneering efforts to build a new market for manufacturing based on environmental product and system design in order to save local industry amidst global market challenges. Second, this talk will present some of the methodological, process, technical and managerial tools the network invented in meeting this challenge. Finally, the discussion will take a Western Pennsylvania/regional perspective by highlighting some of the parallel achievements of entrepreneurial firms from our region, their strategies, and some untapped opportunities for how environmental design and sustainability can serve as a regional driver of innovation. Matthew Mehalik is Program Manager at Sustainable Pittsburgh where he leads initiatives that promote sustainability practice in Western Pennsylvania, including Champions for Sustainability, the region’s sustainable business network.

"Creating Happy, Green Communities in the 21st Century - Intro to Cohousing"

Sunday, February 17
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Squirrel Hill Library, corner of Forbes and Murray Ave. Free parking under the library
Register: TPCHG@aol.com or 412-963-1971
Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cohousing Group

A FREE introduction to Cohousing in Pittsburgh and its history. Learn about creating, building and living in Pittsburgh's first Cohousing Community with sustainable features including: green building materials, energy efficient homes, shared resources, ecologically responsible community design, and residents committed to cooperative neighborhood living. Learn more about this community of diverse backgrounds, ages and families.

Architect’s Lecture: Martin Haas, Partner, Behnisch Architekten

Friday, February 22
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
CMA Theater, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland
Free admission
Reception follows
Heinz Architectural Center Galleries open until 8:30 p.m.

Martin Haas presents recent work by Behnisch Architekten. The lecture marks the opening of Ecology.Design.Synergy, a collaborative exhibition between Behnisch Architekten and Transsolar ClimateEngineering that includes the competition-winning RiverParc proposal for downtown Pittsburgh. The RiverParc project locates public spaces and recreational areas on the southern, sunny sides of residential streets and provides a wide range of opportunities for people to linger, meet, and interact. In accordance with Behnisch and Transsolar’s collaborative ethic, the plans are not only environmentally responsible but aim to produce a new architectural aesthetic and aid in Pittsburgh’s desire to be a leader in the development of “green architecture.” Ecology.Design.Synergy will be on view at Carnegie Museum of Art’s Heinz Architectural Center February 23–May 25, 2008. For more information about Carnegie Museum of Art, call 412-622-3131 or visit the web site at www.cmoa.org.

Green$ense Conference

Wednesday, March 5
7:30 am - 3:45 pm; Green building tour at 4pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown Pittsburgh
Registration fees vary
Visit the conference website for more details.

Green$ense, hosted by the Green Building Alliance, is a one-day conference highlighting strategies in green building featuring breakout sessions and case studies with nationally recognized experts. Exhibit booths displaying green building products and an afternoon tour of Bakery Square is also available. The event features the Shades of Green Leadership awards recognizing Western Pennsylvanians who have contributed to the environmental transformation of the region.

Sustainability and Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum

Wednesday, March 12
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
Fetterolf Room, 23rd Floor, Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend. Bring a bag lunch; refreshments and dessert provided.
RSVP info@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Featuring:
Ty Gorney, Institute of Politics
Regional Water Management Task Force

The Regional Water Management Task Force, created in mid-2006, is designed to build on previous studies of southwestern Pennsylvania’s water and sewage-related problems—which are widely considered to be among the most challenging in the nation—and to achieve consensus on policy solutions.

The Task Force is currently drafting its initial recommendations and will soon be seeking input from the region in order to improve them. This brownbag lunch will be one opportunity to be involved in providing feedback to the Task Force on its activities and eventual recommendations.

Endorsed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, the Task Force includes representatives of 11 southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Carnegie Mellon University president Jared Cohon serves as chair.

National Green Jobs Conference Set for Pittsburgh

March 13-14, 2008
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown Pittsburgh
For more information and to register, visit www.greenjobsconference.org.

Good Jobs, Green Jobs: A National Green Jobs Conference will launch a nationwide dialogue about moving our country rapidly toward leadership in promoting the benefits of a new green economy.

The conference is been designed for advocates representing local, state and federal policy makers; labor; business; the environment and public health; economic and workforce development specialists; investors; and scientists and technology experts. It will accomplish three objectives:
• Provide a forum for strategic interaction between the different constituents comprising the developing new green economy;
• Showcase key policy initiatives for the rapid expansion of green job growth and economic development; and
• Demonstrate to the importance of public and private investments in the emerging green economy and launch the public discussion on these ideas.

Lunch and Learn: Ecology.Design.Synergy and Pittsburgh’s RiverParc project

Thursday, March 20
10:30 am - 2:00 pm Lunch included in the Carnegie Cafe
CMA Theater, $36 members/$45 non-members, including lunch
Call 412-622-3288 to register.

Heinz Architectural Center curator Raymund Ryan puts Pittsburgh’s RiverParc project in the context of green design by these two internationally renowned firms. Following lunch, Ryan gives a tour of the exhibition. For more information about Carnegie Museum of Art, call 412-622-3131 or visit our web site at www.cmoa.org.

Climate Change Uncertainties: Opportunities for Business Innovation?

Thursday, March 27
Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, 910 Sheraton Drive, Mars, Pennsylvania 16046
Contact Jerry Swart at 412-262-6291 - jerry.swart@fedex.com or John Quinlisk at 412-503-4537 - John_Quinlisk@URSCorp.com with any questions.

Three of Pittsburgh’s business, engineering and environmental professional organizations are coming together to convene a regional conversation about climate change, its impacts and responses. Climate change, global warming, greenhouse gases, carbon footprint--all of these terms and issues continue to appear in conversations in the media. Many of these conversations are heated and controversial. One thing is clear about this situation: these issues will present challenges to businesses and individuals, simply because of the degree of interest people have in the topics and resulting worldwide concern and debate. Interest in climate change topics has already prompted foreign, federal, and state governmental considerations and actions.

To meet these challenges, the Pittsburgh section of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ (ASCE), and the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI), in association with the Allegheny Mountain section of the Air & Waste Management Association (AWMA), and Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability (C4S) network invite the region’s business, engineering, and environmental professionals to a one-day seminar focusing on climate change.

Farm to Table: A RECIPE FOR A HEALTHY PITTSBURGH

Friday, March 28 12 noon – 6 pm
Saturday, March 29, 2008, 9am – 5pm
David Lawrence Convention Center in Downtown Pittsburgh
Regular admission fee: $15; Kids under 12: free; Students (ages 14-18): $10
More information: Visit https://www.pathwayswellnessprogram.com/farm_to_table_conference.html or call 412-563-8800.

The speakers and exhibitors will assist Western Pennsylvania consumers in understanding the benefits of eating locally grown food. Businesses that grow, sell or prepare farm raised produce, livestock, and value added products will be featured. Organizations providing health and wellness opportunities will also be an integral part of this conference. Giant Eagle and American HealthCare Group are sponsors of the event.

SAVE THE DATE - 8th Annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference

Revitalize the Region: Seize Market Interest to Redevelop Core Communities
Friday, May 16
Omni William Penn Hotel, Pittsburgh
8:30 am - 3:30 pm (continental breakfast and lunch included)
Keynote speaker: Christopher Leinberger, Metropolitan Land Strategist & Developer
Cost: Early Registration: $30. After May 1: $40 (free to elected officials)
To register call (412) 258-6642 or info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Presented by:
Local Government Academy
Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County
Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
Sustainable Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics

For sponsorship and tabling opportunities call 412-258-6643.

This conference, designed for communities in the region that desire to accelerate their redevelopment, will be rich in content, featuring tools, case studies, and technical assistance opportunities. A window of opportunity is growing for communities that are prepared to foster smart growth in step with the shift in the development market that is now occurring. Renewed interest in urban and core communities by developers and investors spells opportunity for restoring prosperity. This shift is fueled by demographic, economic, and cultural trends that are serving to revalue our core communities. Want to be better prepared to seize this market interest? This Smart Growth conference will help communities better understand the changing market, appreciate how to capitalize on their assets, comprehend what needs to done to participate in the market-based renaissance, and engage in a network to pursue mutual interests. Our region's sustainable growth depends on it. Stay tuned for the full conference agenda.
Keynote Speaker:
Christopher B. Leinberger is a metropolitan land use strategist, developer, teacher, consultant and author helping to make progressive development profitable. He is a founding partner of Arcadia Land Company, a real estate development firm serving to create walkable communities in harmony with nature.

Leinberger is a Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution focusing on research and practices to help transform traditional and suburban downtowns to places that provide “walkable urbanism." He is also a professor and director of the Graduate Real Estate Program at the University of Michigan which focuses on downtown and suburban town center revitalization, transit-oriented development, new urbanism, and conservation development.

In his recently released book, The Option of Urbanism, Leinberger reviews how Americans are voting with their feet to abandon strip malls and suburban sprawl, embracing instead a new type of community where they can live, work, shop, and play within easy walking distance. He explains why government policies have tilted the playing field toward one form of development over the last sixty years: the drivable suburb. Conversely, Leinberger shows how the American Dream is now shifting to include cities as well as suburbs and how the financial and real estate communities need to respond by building communities that are more environmentally, socially, and financially sustainable.

Leinberger has written award-winning articles for publications such as The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal and Urban Land magazine. He has been profiled by CNN, the Today Show, and National Public Radio.

SAVE THE DATES - Great Outdoors Week 2008

May 16-25, 2008

The seventh annual Great Outdoors Week runs from Friday, May 16 through Sunday, May 25, 2008! Great Outdoors Week highlights the amazing outdoor recreation opportunities Southwestern Pennsylvania provides. Various events are scheduled around the region during this week. Stay tuned for more details.

Resources

Most livable for whom?

Jobs, education, housing, discrimination, violence--they become a ball of yarn where it's difficult to find the loose thread to unravel the tangle. The temptation is to say, "All of the above." But is that a non-starter? It's not just the Institute of Politics that needs to find openers if Pittsburgh is to be the most livable city for everyone--and not just those who are presently advantaged.

Van Jones: Environmental Justice Advocates Symposium Keynote Speaker

Van Jones is working to combine solutions to America’s two biggest problems: social inequality and environmental destruction. In 1996, Van founded the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights. Named for an unsung civil rights heroine, the Center promotes alternatives to violence and incarceration. As an advocate for the toughest urban constituencies and causes, Van has won many honors. Van is also a national environmental leader, having served on the boards the National Apollo Alliance, Social Ventures Network, Rainforest Action Network, Bioneers and Julia Butterfly Hill’s “Circle of Life” organization.

More

Welcome to the LGA Intergovernmental Cooperation Success Stories

Initial success stories case studies developed by Sustainable Pittsburgh, as facilitator for the Promoting Regionalism committee of the Annual Smart Growth conference.

Address climate change through land use

City and county governments have the ability and opportunity to help California achieve these goals because they are the agencies responsible for creating local community land planning policy. Many cities and counties in Northern California have already done so with impressive results, and even more are following their lead. . .As a professional planner who follows these issues, I can safely say that Northern California just may be the epicenter for innovative land planning policies that can help achieve reduced greenhouse-gas emissions. The challenge of climate change is global, but it will require local solutions. Land-use planning efforts can be one more opportunity for Californians to lead the way.

Planning Policy Principles for Climate Change Response

A paper released by the California Chapter of the American Planning Association that recommends basic and important policy principles to guide planning-related actions needed to effectively respond to greenhouse gas emission and climate change challenges. The principles are organized by level of government: State, regional, and local.

Chicago: The World's Kind of Town?

"The global cities are all trying to keep their global-city status and enhance it at the same time," said Paral, a research fellow at the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. "Globalization is a race to stay in the top tier--it's very different than it used to be. Chicago in the 19th century was just exploding all by itself, almost like magic. Now, if you want to continue on that path, it takes cooperation and planning."

New Resource Guide Lists Funding Opportunities

A new resource guide for municipalities that lists all of the funding opportunities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania is now available. It is intended to assist local and county governments, community groups and nonprofit organizations in the Delaware Valley region to identify federal, state, county, and private sources of funding for locally initiated planning and development projects. The programs cover topic areas of housing, water and sewer facilities, transportation, economic development, environment, recreation, open space, and multimunicipal planning, to name a few. Within the guide are a wide variety of sources that include grants, loans, tax credits, loan guarantees, municipal assistance and reimbursement programs. A total of 193 distinct funding programs are included, from 67 different sources.

In Many Communities, It’s Not Easy Going Green

But even in Arlington, county officials are reckoning with the fact that though green is the dream, the shade of civic achievement is closer to olive drab. Constraints on budgets, legal restrictions by states, and people’s unwillingness to change sometimes put brakes on ambitious plans to cut carbon dioxide emissions.

Proposed European ban to affect crops worldwide

Proponents of biofuels say they are carbon-neutral, because plants absorb CO2 as they grow, canceling out the emissions released by the consumption of the resulting fuel. But this doesn't account for emissions produced when processing the crops into fuels or the emissions produced by fertilizers used in agriculture--factors that can vary greatly from one biofuel to another. "Biofuels appear to be carbon-neutral, renewable and capable of being cultivated in many different environments. The full picture, however, is much more complex as different biofuels have widely differing environmental, social and economic impacts," the Royal Society said, warning that widespread deployment of biofuels will have major implications for land use and unintended consequences that may override expected benefits.

Yearbook Presents Sustainability Trends and Leaders

Schefer told Socialfunds.com, "The Swiss companies are the international leaders considering the three corporate sustainability criteria" economic, environmental and social. In Asia, the companies improved quite well, especially in China in the field of renewable energy. US companies have improvement potential in comparison with European companies." Companies that "think outside the box" and not only reduce waste and consumption are the real leaders, the Yearbook states: "Eco-efficiency is not limited to making incremental efficiency improvements in existing company practices. It should stimulate creativity and innovation in the search for new ways of doing things."

Locavore Nation taps sustainability challenge

Mrs. Mather is one of 15 people from across the country who were selected to participate in Locavore Nation, a one-year sustainable living challenge. . .The Locavore Nation group will actively chronicle the experiences and challenges of living a regionally sustainable, organic and seasonal diet via an online blog. The overarching goal is to purchase 80 percent of food items from within their region. For some, that means 50 miles, and for others it may mean 500, and they will justify their choices.

Beyond short term on Super Tuesday

What could we accomplish as a nation if Washington got smart? The road to American prosperity goes through metropolitan America.

High Times in LoDo: Denver has become a "Great City" with new housing downtown

Clearly, Peña’s approach worked. Since 1990 the population of Downtown Denver has grown by 45%, compared to 18% city-wide–-an example of how preservation equates to progress and profits in real estate.

A Green Energy Industry Takes Root in California

The sun is starting to grow jobs. While interest in alternative energy is climbing across the United States, solar power especially is rising in California, the product of billions of dollars in investment and mountains of enthusiasm. In recent months, the industry has added several thousand jobs in the production of solar energy cells and installation of solar panels on roofs. A spate of investment has also aimed at making solar power more efficient and less costly than natural gas and coal.

Decline in Snowpack Is Blamed On Warming: Water Supplies In West Affected

The persistent and dramatic decline in the snowpack of many mountains in the West is caused primarily by human-induced global warming and is not the result of natural variability in weather patterns, researchers reported yesterday.

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

3E Links is sent as a service to Sustainable Pittsburgh Members and interested parties and is being distributed for informational purposes. The information above was provided by or obtained from the organizing institution or one of its representatives. Our distribution does not imply endorsement. To unsubscribe, reply to this e-mail and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

Click here to access the 3E Links Archive. Use "Search" on SP's homepage for a great resource.

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 in 2008 from:

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
The Heinz Endowments
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation



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