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Events

Climate Change Uncertainties: Opportunities for Business Innovation?

Thursday, March 27
7:45 am - 5:00 pm
Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, Mars, PA
Registration: $100/person; Special Student Rate: $35 Registration fee includes continental breakfast and lunch.
Contact:
Jerry Swart at 412-262-6291 - jerry.swart@fedex.com
John Quinlisk at 412-503-4537 - John_Quinlisk@URSCorp.com

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.

See below for a listing of speakers and topics covered.

Events Continued

Resources

Pittsburgh Green Drinks

Friday, February 15
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Bossa Nova (in the couch area), 123 Seventh Avenue, Downtown
www.greendrinks.org

Dr. Joseph Curley of transcenDENTAL centre is pleased to sponsor Green Drinks on February 15. After 10 years of private practice in Monroeville, Dr. Curley opened a new practice in Shadyside almost a year ago. Determined to combine unparralled service with state-of-the-art technology, he created transcenDENTAL centre, the progressive new face of dentistry.

He accomplished this with community conscience. Dr Curley was recently awarded a Pollution Prevention Assistace Loan from the Dept of Environmental Resources and Dept of Community and Economic Development. Using digital xray technology, Dr Curley effectively eliminated the multitude of toxic film processing chemicals. This combined with a "dry" suction system, saving hundreds of gallons of water every business day, made him eligible for the assistance program.

Featuring GREEN spirits such as Rain Vodka, Bluecoat Gin, Bonterra Chardonnay Bonterra Cabernet, Peaks Organic Pale Ale Beer and/or Peaks Organic Nut Brown Beer AND the Treehugger-tini made with Rain Vodka. Free tapas sampling from 5pm-8pm.

"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.

Transportation 101

February 26 in Beaver County
9:00 am – 1:00 pm OR Noon – 4:00 pm; bus ride between noon and 1
Location: Beaver County Transit Authority
Free to the first 20 attendees – Registration deadline Feb. 15

March 31 in Westmoreland County
9:00 am – 11:45 am and 1:00 pm – 3:45 pm; bus ride for both sessions between noon and 1
Location: PA CareerLink Westmoreland County
Free to the first 25 attendees – Registration deadline March 14

For more information and to register, contact Lisa Kay Schweyer at 412-391-5590 ext. 375 or lkschweyer@spcregion.org

Transportation 101 is a 3 – 4 hour session designed for human services professionals and employers who are interested in learning more about the transportation options available in their area. The approach is to train the participants so they can take the information back to their workplace and share it with co-workers, clients, employees, etc. The sessions are facilitated by the local transit operator, the local transportation management association (if there is one in the area) and CommuteInfo. There is no fee to attend.

• Find out more about the various transportation options available
• Discover valuable resources
• Learn how to read a transit schedule
• Learn which transit routes to take
• Learn how to “transfer” from bus to bus
• Take a ride on one of the transit vehicles

cityLIVE! 5: “managing the inevitable!”

Wednesday, February 27
6:30 pm
New Hazlett Theater (North Side)
Free!
Read more at http://www.popcitymedia.com/citylive/default.aspx
Respond to: rsvp@nowall.com

We need to find ways to contain our hunger for energy and other resources that are, inevitably, dwindling. Are there solutions? How realistic are they? And how can they be implemented?

Come listen to our experts’ well-formulated ideas. Green chemistry, adapting our manufacturing processes, energy options, infrastructure and more will be discussed and debated. Our experts include Dr. Paul Anastas, Professor at Yale University and a Heinz Award recipient in the environmental category; Audrey Russo, CEO and President of the Pittsburgh Technology Council, and Steve Winberg, Vice President of Consol Energy R&D, led in a lively discussion by Moira Gunn, of TechNation Media.

Bring your questions, ideas and bring your energy! Cocktails and conversation to follow.

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.

Sponsored by:

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
7:45 am - 5:00 pm
Four Points by Sheraton Pittsburgh North, Mars, PA
Registration: $100/person; Special Student Rate: $35 Registration fee includes continental breakfast and lunch.
Contact:
Jerry Swart at 412-262-6291 - jerry.swart@fedex.com
John Quinlisk at 412-503-4537 - John_Quinlisk@URSCorp.com

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.

Following is a listing of topics covered and corresponding speakers:
Human impact on climate change – William Easterling (Dean, PSU, College of Earth and Mineral Science)
Natural cycles on climate change - Dr. S. Fred Singer (Science & Environmental Policy Project)- invited
Impact on business - Kathryn Klaber, Vice President (Allegheny Conference on Community Development)- invited
Regulatory issues – Krish Ramamurthy (Chief, Division of Permits, Bureau of Air Quality, PA DEP)
Legal framework and carbon emissions trading – Harry Klodowski, Esq. (Betts, Hull, & Klodowski LLC)
Measuring our impact – carbon footprint – H. Scott Matthews (Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering and Publbic Policy at Carnegie Mellon University)
Possibilities of offsetting carbon – George Hoguet
Climate action and leadership – Chris Steffy P.E. (Industrial Energy Engineering)

Trees & Shrubs on Sale for Community/Backyard Projects

Order Deadline: Thursday, March 27
Seedling Pickup time: Saturday April 19, 9:00 am to noon
Location: Latodami Nature Center in North Park, 575 Brown Road, on North Park's north border
Costs vary by plant type and size. Order form and descriptive list available.
Contact: Marian Crossman via email, dmc@pitt.edu, Subject: SEEDLINGS.
Note, if you have msn or comcast email service, please phone Mrs. Crossman at 412-366-3339 to confirm that your information request arrives via email, or to arrange an alternative pick-up time.

Each year NATIVE species of EVERGREENS and Fruiting SHRUBS, are ordered in bulk by the North Area Environmental Council, a citizens non-profit conservation group in northern Allegheny County. The bulk order means savings for area planters. Plants are nursery grown in Western Pennsylvania. Types are selected to create improved wildlife habitat as well as for their beauty. The 2-4 year woody seedlings are hardy and an easy size to plant. Good for home or community projects, they can suit a variety of sites and conditions.

Farm to Table: A RECIPE FOR A HEALTHY PITTSBURGH

Friday, March 28, Noon – 6:00 pm
Saturday, March 29, 2008, 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
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.

Great Outdoors Week 2008

May 16-25, 2008

Come one, come all! 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, including five signature events:
5/16 – National Bike to Work Day
5/17 – Venture Outdoors Festival
5/18 – Pedal Pittsburgh
5/20 – “Learn to Row” Indoor Session
5/25 – Rachel’s Sustainable Feast

Individuals from all skill levels and backgrounds are invited to participate. Stay tuned for more details!

Resources

Nine Cities, Nine Ideas

Ann Arbor, Mich., and Beijing, China, have precious little in common. But the modest college town and sprawling national capital do share one trait: They're part of a world-wide movement by cities to rein in their runaway energy use. . ."We have the beginnings of a mass movement among municipal leaders," says Ralph Cavanagh, energy-program co-director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group based in New York.

Hill group goes to court against arena

Given that the neighborhood will host the new arena, Hill leaders are pushing for a community benefits agreement that will give residents a first crack at jobs, a long-sought grocery store and community center, more park space and input into a redevelopment plan. . .Joining One Hill in the appeal were the Hill District Consensus Group, Preservation Pittsburgh, the Black Political Empowerment Project and Pittsburgh United.

More

Program to push affordable city living

After more than five years of planning, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership is launching a $3.5 million loan program that it hopes will spur the creation of new, affordable apartments on the vacant upper floors of Downtown midrises. The partnership formally announced its "Vacant Upper Floors" project at its annual meeting yesterday at the Doubletree Hotel & Suites, Uptown.

Borough commits $1.5 million to revitalization

Lauber said more community support will now be solicited through a capital campaign called Renaissance Indiana. It was given that title, she said, because the community is going through a period of rebirth and sweeping changes: the Philadelphia Street revitalization project, the Elm Street Program residential enhancements in the Second Ward, new pedestrian/vehicular thoroughfare concepts, construction of new residence halls on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania campus and the planned construction of the Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex.

Pittsburgh city government changes proposed

The plan unveiled Thursday includes a "shared set of legislative pledges and priorities" which includes five areas of reform and several specific action items.

Three Major Banks Sign The Carbon Principles

If banks are serious about managing their carbon footprints, they must go beyond simply greening up their own companies' use of electricity to examining the projects they help finance. Three of the largest US banks have created a carbon risk management protocol for their investment portfolios with the drafting of The Carbon Principles.

Reimagining Cities

Cities are now home to half of the world's 6.6 billion humans. By 2030, nearly 5 billion people will live in cities. This special issue explores the enormous implications of the mass embrace of city life. News articles offer a look at how cities are tackling specific problems, a set of Reviews and Perspectives examines trends and demographics arising from the urban transformation.

Seattle is on the global path

Economists and researchers at Denver consulting firm Progressive Urban Management Associates have identified 10 global trends that affect downtown cores.

Don’t Let the Green Grass Fool You

If the United States is ever to reduce its carbon emissions, suburbanites — that is, roughly half of all Americans, said William H. Frey, a demographer at the Brookings Institution — are going to have to play a big role. And lately, they are trying. Since 2005, the mayors of hundreds of suburban communities across America have pledged to meet or even beat the emissions goals set by the Kyoto Protocol, a treaty to reduce greenhouse emissions.

Federal court vindicates Pennsylvania for insistence on tougher air pollution rules

Pennsylvania joined 16 other states and environmental groups in challenging the less-stringent Bush administration standards. Their concern was that the Bush administration policy would foster the creation of ''hot spots'' around power plants, poisoning water supplies and fish and work its way into the food chain.

Studies Say Clearing Land for Biofuels Will Aid Warming

Clearing land to produce biofuels such as ethanol will do more to exacerbate global warming than using gasoline or other fossil fuels, two scientific studies show.

Continued from above: Climate Change Uncertainties: Opportunities for Business Innovation?

Event date: March 27, 2008

Following is a listing of topics covered and corresponding speakers:
Human Impact on Climate Change – William Easterling (Dean, PSU, College of Earth and Mineral Science and member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
Natural Cycles of Climate Change - Dr. S. Fred Singer (Science & Environmental Policy Project)- invited
Impact on Business - Kathryn Zuberbuhler Klaber, Executive Vice President, Competitiveness (Allegheny Conference on Community Development) and Executive Director (Pennsylvania Economy League of Southwestern Pennsylvania, LLC) - invited
Regulatory Issues – Krish Ramamurthy (Chief, Division of Permits, Bureau of Air Quality, PA DEP)
Legal Framework and Carbon Emission Trading – Harry Klodowski, Esquire (Betts, Hull, & Klodowski LLC)
Measuring Our Impact – Carbon Footprint – H. Scott Matthews (Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University)
Possibilities of Offsetting Carbon – George Hoguet
Climate Action and Leadership – Chris Steffy P.E. (Industrial Energy Engineering)

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 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