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Events

Over 70 World Environment Day events starting now! - Find out more!

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The Green Chemistry Debate is ON!

POLICY ISSUES AND REFORM OF THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA)
Thursday, March 18
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
New Hazlett Theater, Allegheny Square East, North Side
Cost: $30; Light refreshments will be served.

Join Sustainable Pittsburgh's Champions for Sustainability and the Rachel Carson Homestead Association for what promises to be a GREAT debate on Green Chemistry, Policy Issues and the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). As the second event in the Green Chemistry Roundtable Series, this formal debate will feature key representatives from industry, environmental groups and other experts. Green Chemistry is happening now and is already changing the way major corporations and green-tech start-ups are designing the products people use every day. With the upcoming reform of TSCA - originally passed in 1976 - is there a need to put greater emphasis on safety and public health when it comes to a new chemicals policy in the United States? Learn why TSCA is so important to your business, your health and the environment - and the future of green chemistry.

Moderator:
Gordon Mitchell, Director, William Pitt Debating Union, University of Pittsburgh (to be confirmed)

Debaters:
Michael P. Walls, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Chemistry Council
Timothy Jones, Regulatory Affairs - Material Science, Bayer Corporation
Jason Rano, Legislative Analyst, Environmental Working Group
Maryann Donovan, Ph.D., MPH, Director, UPCI Center for Environmental Oncology

Panel of Questioners:
Terry Collins, Ph.D., Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
Student(s),William Pitt Debating Union, University of Pittsburgh
(other names to be published)

Learn more

Resources

The Green Chemistry Debate is ON!

POLICY ISSUES AND REFORM OF THE TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL ACT (TSCA)
Thursday, March 18
5:30 pm - 8:00 pm
New Hazlett Theater, Allegheny Square East, North Side
Cost: $30; Light refreshments will be served.
More information and registration

Join Sustainable Pittsburgh's Champions for Sustainability and the Rachel Carson Homestead Association for what promises to be a GREAT debate on Green Chemistry, Policy Issues and the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This formal debate will feature key representatives from industry, environmental groups and other experts, and includes the American Chemistry Council, Environmental Working Group and Bayer Corporation. Green Chemistry is happening now and is already changing the way major corporations and green-tech start-ups are designing the products people use every day. With the upcoming reform of TSCA - originally passed in 1976 - is there a need to put greater emphasis on safety and public health when it comes to a new chemicals policy in the United States? Learn why TSCA is so important to your business, your health and the environment - and the future of green chemistry.

Moderator:
Gordon Mitchell, Director, William Pitt Debating Union, University of Pittsburgh (to be confirmed)

Debaters:
Michael P. Walls, Vice President of Regulatory and Technical Affairs, American Chemistry Council
Timothy Jones, Regulatory Affairs - Material Science, Bayer Corporation
Jason Rano, Legislative Analyst, Environmental Working Group
Maryann Donovan, Ph.D., MPH, Director, UPCI Center for Environmental Oncology

Panel of Questioners:
Terry Collins, Ph.D., Thomas Lord Professor of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
Student(s),William Pitt Debating Union, University of Pittsburgh
(other names to be published)

Sustainable Development Academy:
Putting Energy Savings to Work in Your Municipality

A partnership between Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh
Friday, March 19
9:00 am - Noon
Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 710 Washington Road, Mt. Lebanon
Fee: $35
Registration

In today’s economy, what sort of investment will pay 15% return on investment within three years? The answer is investments in energy savings! This program for municipal officials is designed to mirror the well-attended program recently organized for businesses. The morning-long event features: examples of how energy and money saving programs have been successfully implemented in municipal operations, experts in the areas of energy auditing and efficiency, and information about funding for initiating energy savings programs in communities.

Agenda:
8:30 Registration and Continental Breakfast
9:00 What is possible: Energy and Municipal Operations - John Trant, Cranberry Township; Greg Wozniak, G. A. Wozniak & Associates
9:45 Energy Audits: What to expect? - Greg Wozniak, G. A. Wozniak & Associates; Chuck Watson, Energy Chaser.com; and Danelle Ardell, Noresco
10:30 Funding Energy Programs - Dave Defide, Duquesne Light; Carolyn Pengidore, Clearchoice Energy
11:15 From Recommendations to Practice: Mt. Lebanon (tour of facilities) - Steve Feller, Mt. Lebanon
12:00 Adjourn

REGISTER NOW!
Water Matters! Global Water Conference

A World Environment Day key event serving to raise awareness of the importance of water and its interconnectedness with biodiversity.

Thursday, June 3
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh
For sponsorship opportunities, email cgould@sustainablepittsburgh.org.
To be an exhibitor, email sue@mcmahon-cardillo.com.
Registration is now open. For more details visit the Conference Web site.

The United Nations Environment Programme appointed Pittsburgh as North America's Host City for World Environment Day 2010. Plan to attend this remarkable, milestone for the region, Water Matters! Global Water conference.

Partial list of presenters:
- David Ainsworth, United Nations Convention on Biodiversity
- Herb Buxton, USGS
- Marla Cone, Environmental Health News
- Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech
- Amy Fraenkel, UNEP Regional Office for North America
- Chip Giller, Grist
- Greg Koch, Global Water Stewardship Program, Coca Cola Company
- Mike Magee, healthy-waters.org
- Rich Meeusen, Badger Meter Co and Milwaukee 7 Water Council
- James Rogers, Duke Energy
- Carl Safina, Blue Ocean Institute

Presented by the Pittsburgh World Environment Day Partnership
In Collaboration with: United Nations Environment Programme
Conference Sponsors:
Bayer Corporation
LANXESS

SAVE THE DATE!
Paddle at the Point: Kayak and Canoe World Record Attempt

A World Environment Day key event serving to raise awareness of the importance of water and its interconnectedness with biodiversity.

Saturday, June 5
Email worldrecord@ventureoutdoors.org or visit www.paddleatthepoint.com for more information and updates.

Bring your boat down to Pittsburgh’s North Shore on Saturday, June 5th and help break the World Record for largest flotilla of kayaks and canoes. Venture Outdoors is organizing this event in celebration of World Environment Day on June 5th. Groups, individuals and clubs welcome! The record is currently held by the Inlet Area Businesses Association in upstate New York and it will take 1,105 kayaks and canoes for Pittsburgh to set the new world record.

Green Tech Day

Saturday, March 13
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Carnegie Science Center
Contact: Geri Baker at (412) 237-1552
More information

‘Tis the day for Pittsburgh’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and the wearin’ of the green. At Carnegie Science Center, visit Green Tech Day to learn about “green” technologies and careers, and why Pittsburgh is a leader in this field.

Each year, SciTech Days attract thousands of high school and middle school students. Green Tech Day extends the fun to the entire family! Now’s your chance to try first-hand the amazing technologies being developed in the region and learn some of the secrets behind the latest scientific breakthroughs.

Green Drinks: A Green + Art + Technology Networking Event!

Friday, March 19
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Shadow Lounge/Club Ava, 5972 Baum Boulevard, East Liberty
$5 Cover charge at the door
More information

A must-do event for anyone in the green, art and technology industries! Mix, mingle and network with peers in your field! Plus a short presentation by Team GAGI (pronounced GAH-gee). Find out how Pittsburgh's premiere green, tech and arts event is all coming together; Hear about the exciting development updates on the Penn Avenue; Plus opt in for a special screening of "Of Engineered and Pioneered in Pittsburgh." ( Also available at the Senator John Heinz History Center.)

TOD Visioning Workshops in Carnegie and Sheraden

Sheraden, City of Pittsburgh
Tuesday, March 23
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Sheraden Senior Center, 720 Sherwood Avenue, Pittsburgh 15204

Carnegie Borough
Wednesday, March 24
5:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Carnegie Borough Building, Council Meeting Room, One Veterans Way, Carnegie 15106

For more information: www.spcregion.org/westbuswaystations.shtml. Or contact Ann Ogoreuc at URS Corporation at (412) 503-4583 or ann_ogoreuc@urscorp.com

Allegheny County Economic Development (ACED) and the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), in cooperation with the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning and Carnegie Borough, are pleased to announce exciting opportunities to provide input in the development of transit-oriented community development plans in two West Busway communities – Carnegie Borough and the Sheraden neighborhood in the City of Pittsburgh.

The purpose of the meetings, open to the public, is to engage residents and transit users in the West Busway corridor in a process to develop a vision for revitalization and economic development in the area around these two West Busway stations (only the station at the meeting location will be addressed during each meeting). After a brief presentation about the project and an overview of transit-oriented community development, participants will break into small groups to discuss the types of amenities, improvements, and development that could enhance quality of life and provide work / live / play options in the station areas. The results of the visioning exercise will be shared at a future workshop.

Sustainability Networking Forum and Reception

Wednesday, March 24
3:00 pm — 5:45 pm
Power Center Ballroom, Duquesne University, Uptown
For more information visit www.duq.edu/careerservices
Contact: safferd@duq.edu
Flyer

Would you like to talk to executives about a career related to sustainability?
Would you like to talk to students & alumni who have “green skills?”
Network with Pittsburgh executives interested in recruiting people with green skills and a sustainability mindset!
The program will kick off with a brief presentation by Lou Astorino, CEO, Astorino, designer of green buildings. Open to all area students and alumni!

Sponsored by: Duquesne University’s Career Services Center and the Palumbo-Donahue School of Business

Parks are Free Film Festival

March 25-27, 2010
Various times
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, Marshall Building, 6300 Fifth Avenue, Shadyside
All screenings are free
Seats can be reserved at pittsburghparks.org or by calling (412) 682-7275 ext. 227.

Hosted by the Parks Conservancy and Pittsburgh Filmmakers, the film festival highlights films with natural and park-related themes including The Garden, The Gates, Pale Male, and A Sense of Wonder.

The series kicks off on Thursday, March 25 at 7:00 pm with a showing of The Garden. The film, by filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy, follows a group of families struggling to protect a 14-acre urban farm in the middle of South Central Los Angeles from developers. On Friday, March 26, The Gates will be shown at 7:30 pm following a tour of the restored Mellon Park Walled Garden that begins at 6:30 pm. The documentary chronicles the decades-long struggle of Christo and Jeanne-Claude to bring their most ambitious work of art to life, and reveals the intricate process of completing the 7,503 saffron-colored gates and fabric panels used in "The Gates, Central Park, New York City, 1979-2005." The film is directed by Antonio Ferrera, Albert Maysles, David Maysles and Matthew Prinzing. Saturday, March 27 will include a double-feature with Pale Male at 3:00 pm and A Sense of Wonder showing at 5:00 pm. There will also be presentations by the National Aviary and Rachel Carson Homestead between the films. Pale Male is a documentary presenting a red-tailed hawk's history-making arrival in Manhattan in 1991. Affectionately dubbed Pale Male, he made an exclusive Fifth Avenue apartment building his home. The film, directed by Frederic Lilien, follows the progress of this powerful bird of prey. A Sense of Wonder, directed by Chris Monger, depicts pioneering environmentalist Rachel Carson in the final year of her life. The film was made at Carson's cottage on the Maine coast. Using many of Miss Carson's own words, Kaiulani Lee embodies this extraordinary woman as she emerges as America's most successful advocate for the natural world.

Blue, Gold and Green Sustainability Festival

Thursday, April 8
10:00 am - 6:00 pm
University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Visit www.bluegoldandgreen.pitt.edu for full details.

Explore "green" career opportunities — see the latest sustainable products — learn about innovative ideas for creating a more sustainable community — all at Pitt's second annual Blue, Gold & Green Sustainability Festival. The free public event is set for Thursday, April 8, and Friday, April 9, at the University's William Pitt Union and Schenley Quadrangle. Sponsored by Pitt's Office of the Provost, the festival will feature: A forum on "green" careers, along with the chance to network with Pitt alumni and students who are working on sustainability projects. A "Sustainability at Pitt" session will highlight initiatives at Pitt and UPMC as well as the University's environmental studies program. There will also be a showcase of "green" and sustainable products by Pitt-contracted suppliers.

The 2010 Heinz Distinguished Lecture by Cornell University's Stuart L. Hart, one of the world's top authorities on the implications of environment and poverty for business strategy, is scheduled in the afternoon as part of the celebration. The festival also will include an exhibition of recyclable art; a Sustain-a-Bowl featuring "green" games and booths constructed from salvaged and/or recyclable materials; and a Sustainable Street Fair, including crafts, food, and music.

2010 Heinz Distinguished Lecture: "Taking the Green Leap"

Thursday, April 8
4:00 pm Lecture, William Pitt Union Ballroom, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
5:00 pm Cocktail Reception, William Pitt Union Lower Lounge
Register online

This lecture features Dr. Stuart L. Hart, Samuel C. Johnson Chair in Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University in discussing "Taking the Green Leap." The 2010 Heinz Distinguished Lecture is sponsored by The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering University of Pittsburgh.

This year’s lecture is taking place as part of the University’s Blue, Gold & Green Celebration. For more information on these events, please visit http://www.bluegoldandgreen.pitt.edu/index.html.

The Business of Brownfields Conference

April 19 - 21, 2010
Sheraton Station Square Hotel, Pittsburgh, PA
Questions: Call 412-261-0710, ext. 11 or e-mail c.mcgarvey@eswp.com
More information
Program

Plans are underway for the 15th Annual Business of Brownfields Conference (BoB)! The 2010 event will highlight the technical, legal and financial aspects of brownfields reclamation and development, and will feature 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.

If you are associated with brownfields development, the "BoB" is the place to be!

The 2010 Technical program of the "BoB" will feature the five main actions of brownfields development:
* Public Health/Institutional Controls
* Marketing & Finance
* Site Characterization
* Site Remediation
* Working within Legal/Regulatory Framework

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.

Straw Bale Construction & Earth Plastering Workshop

May 14-16, 2010
Camp Lutherlyn, Prospect, PA
Fee: $130 (includes workshop, lodging, meals, snacks, and field trip)
For more information and to register please contact the Lutherlyn Environmental Education Program at LEEP@Lutherlyn.com, (724) 865-9079, or Box 355, Propect, PA 16052
Flyer

This three-day workshop is for people who want to learn the basic design and construction skills necessary for Straw Bale construction and Earth Plastering. The workshop will include tours of two straw bale homes, hands-on learning, group instruction, and plenty of time for questions and answers. The workshop is taking place on the grounds of beautiful Camp Lutherlyn in Prospect, PA. The first straw bale residence in PA was built here in 1996. Instructors Todd and Shayne Garcia-Bish have been involved in straw bale construction for 15 years. They have built four straw bale structures, two of which have been residences. They are both educators and love sharing their experiences with straw bale construction and natural building.

Safely dispose of unwanted medications

Pharmaceutical Collection
Saturday, May 15
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Hampton Township Community Center, Allegheny County (3101 McCully Rd., Allison Park)
Cost: $3/person - CASH ONLY
Pre-Registration REQUIRED
Flyer
Event registration

The Household Hazardous Waste Task Force is hosting an opportunity for Pennsylvania residents to safely dispose of unwanted or expired pharmaceutical products including both controlled and non-controlled substances. A professional contractor, law enforcement officials, and licensed pharmacists will be on site to ensure all material collected is handled in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws.

Please note, the Task Force will NOT accept the following: durable medical goods, health and beauty aids, home care supplies, home health equipment, household hazardous waste (paint, aerosol cans, etc.), illegal substances and paraphernalia, infectious waste, institutional waste, medical devices and equipment, medical sharps (needles, lancets), mercury thermometers, personal care items, radioactive materials.

Resources

Pittsburgh World Environment Day Partnership Unveils Regional Theme and Announces Plans For More Than 65 Events And Activities

The Pittsburgh World Environment Day Partnership today announced plans for more than 65 regional events and activities to promote environmental awareness and action during the six weeks that “bridge the gap” between the 40th anniversary of Earth Day on April 22 and World Environment Day on June 5. . .The Partnership, which engages more than 200 organizations in the Pittsburgh region, also unveiled the overall theme of the region’s World Environment Day activities – Water Matters!. This regional theme supports the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) global theme of “Biodiversity.”

More

Organizers of World Environment Day unveil theme of the six-week event

Pittsburgh was selected last fall to serve as North American host city for World Environment Day, an event launched by the United Nations in 1972 and held annually at sites worldwide. . .During a briefing in the lobby of the Regional Enterprise Tower, Downtown, officials said more than 65 events would take place around the region, ranging from outdoor cleanups and hazardous waste collections to a global water conference June 3 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

More

CMU researchers gauge water use in supply chain, push conservation

It takes 200 gallons of water to make $1 worth of dog or cat food, according to a study published this week by a team of Carnegie Mellon University researchers. "We want to get people thinking about how better to manage water resources over the long term," said Chris T. Hendrickson, CMU's Duquesne Light Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the study's lead author. . .They found that "direct" water use constitutes just a fraction of the total water use when delivering a product to market, Hendrickson said. "For example, supermarket workers use some water to clean lettuce, but the main use of water is by farmers irrigating the lettuce in order to grow it," he said. The information benefits consumers, who become more aware of water use; city planners who will have a better idea of how much water might be associated with bringing new industries to an area; and retail chain store officials who can talk to suppliers about applying more sustainable practices, Hendrickson said.

Candidates invited for leadership training program related to sustainability in extraction industry

Duquesne University is offering a leadership training program related to the extraction of oil, gas and coal with an emphasis on balancing environmental, community and economic interests. The program will focus on two key issues in this region: Marcellus Shale extraction and mountain top coal removal. The overarching purpose of the Emerging Leaders’ Extraction and Environment Program (E-LEEP) is to train emerging young leaders from the public, private and nonprofit sectors in strategies for handling the complex challenges which arise from the extraction of natural resources such as oil, gas and coal. The program is being conducted through a joint arrangement between the University of Ghana and Duquesne University, and is funded in part by a grant from the U.S. State Department. See letter here.

Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh seeks internship placements for 12 Irish graduate engineers

The Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh is working to bring 12 recent graduate engineers from Ireland to the U.S. for one year to work as paid interns in Pittsburgh area companies/organizations that are developing or deploying sustainable technologies as they relate to renewable/alternative energy, advanced manufacturing, green buildings, environmental sciences, etc. As part of this Northern Ireland - Pittsburgh Sustainable Leadership program, the twelve participants will be assembled twice monthly for evening presentations on leadership, sustainable technology trends, entrepreneurship, international business and commerce, and related topics.

Study finds median wealth for single black women at $5

In a groundbreaking report released Monday by a leading economic research group, social scientists turned a spotlight on the grave financial challenges facing an often overlooked group of women, many of whom could not take an unpaid sick day or repair a major appliance without going into debt. . .Among the most startling revelations in the wealth data is that while single white women in the prime of their working years (ages 36 to 49) have a median wealth of $42,600 (still only 61 percent of their single white male counterparts), the median wealth for single black women is only $5.

The road to America's economic recovery starts in L.A.

A life spent stranded in Los Angeles traffic can nonetheless yield its epiphanies. One such moment came in November 2008, when L.A. County's beleaguered commuters voted to increase their sales tax by half a cent over the next 30 years to build an electric rail system that could speed their journeys and clean their air. Now, Los Angeles is asking Washington for loans -- not grants, mind you -- to be repaid with that sales tax revenue, to accelerate said construction so that it can be done in one decade rather than three. In other words, to help finance a major environmental and stimulus program that won't add to the federal deficit. It's an idea so novel that Washington's initial reaction was befuddlement.

The Next Page: Midsize cities, big ideas - The Top 10 take-home messages from the Mayors' Institute on City Design

In the thick of Pittsburgh's first massive snowstorm last month, mayors from seven Midwest cities bravely made their way here Feb. 10 for the Mayors' Institute on City Design, hosted by the Remaking Cities Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. The mayors trekked through the Cultural District and then spent the next two days inside the Tour Theater of PNC Park working alongside eight design professionals from around the country.

Slumbering Pittsburgh Neighborhood Reawakens

Ms. Deitrick of the University of Pittsburgh said that over all, East Liberty’s fortunes finally seemed to be on the rise. “Pittsburgh grows so slowly that gentrification means something different here,” she said. “The recent stages of development could be a way to reunite neighborhoods that were separated by urban renewal.”

Home Depot Foundation Sustainable Communities Grants

The Home Depot Foundation invites applications for its Awards of Excellence in Sustainable Community Development Program. These awards recognize public-private partnerships that have successfully developed projects and/or initiatives that promote and exemplify a more sustainable community. Projects that qualify for the Awards of Excellence in Sustainable Community Development program exhibit thoughtful construction of a neighborhood which includes green affordable housing and tree plantings and have gone beyond to address overarching community issues. The Awards of Excellence go to both the cities and their non-profit partners representing the partnership that completed the local initiative. The Foundation will recognize a National Winner, National Runner-up and up to three Honorable Mentions, including providing grants to the City's non-profit partner in each winning project: National Winner - $75,000 grant, National Runner-up - $25,000 grant, and Honorable Mention - $2,500 grant. The grants are to be used at the discretion of the non-profit to further the sustainability goals of the community. Letters of inquiry are due March 31, 2010.

Updated Model Sustainability Ordinances for Minnesota

Following a directive from the Minnesota Legislature, the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board (then part of Minnesota Planning, and now part of the Minnesota Department of Administration) published a 313-page guide From Policy to Reality: Model Ordinances for Sustainable Development in September 2000. This guide offers legal tools to help local government steer changes in their communities that reflect the aspirations of their comprehensive and other plans. Communities can adapt these model ordinances to their own special circumstances. These model sustainability ordinances were recently updated. The following updates can be accessed at the website below, each in PDF format.

Tell Congress: Get America back on its feet with investment in healthy transportation!

In the last 15 years, 76,000 Americans have been killed while walking or crossing a street – too many roads are built for cars only. But Rep. Earl Blumenauer just introduced a piece of legislation that could set aside $2 billion for grants to fund safe networks for biking and walking in communities all across the country. Urge your representative to co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act. Sign the letter below and Smart Growth America will deliver your message to Capitol Hill.

Could Transport Bill Inaction Hurt the White House’s Sustainability Push?

If the White House would tackle the problem of the highway trust fund's insolvency -- which affects bike-ped and road repair projects -- "I would not have a problem with" spending new money on sustainable development, added LaTourette. The Ohioan has vowed to "bring Republicans to the table" if the administration decides to pursue a new federal transport bill this year. . .Roy Kienitz, the U.S. DOT's undersecretary for policy, did not dispute the two Republicans' assessment of a financing vacuum. "It was a great run for 45, 50 years, when you had a system whereby the amount of driving and gas people used grew along with the economy," Kienitz told the lawmakers. Now that relationship has unraveled, he explained, making the gas tax a poor revenue-raiser for transport projects. But Kienitz had no answer for how the White House should solve the problem. "The elephant in the room here is tax increases," he said. "I don't see the politics for that right now." Instead, the former adviser to Gov. Ed Rendell (D-PA) suggested that Congress should see the economic recession as a reason to "innovate" its transportation and housing policies. . ."We've had a whole generation when we've spent to subsidize sprawl into the suburbs," Olver said today. "The time has long since passed for sustainability."

Urban Resilience Planning for Dummies

At no time has effective planning, land use and public transit been so key to ensuring economic vitality, as well as equity (access to jobs and services with transit), environmental sustainability, climate security and health. That doesn't mean that increasing renewable energy and energy efficiency shouldn't be part of every community's planning, projects and budgets. It does mean that cities will need to simultaneously prioritize action plans for carbon reduction, peaking energy and peaking freshwater, which very few are doing, outside of those involved in the Transition Town movement.

How America Could Get Rich by Going Green

China has a dirty reputation as the world's factory, but its emerging green energy sector is threatening to leave the United States in its dust. . . Like it or not, China's the country cashing in on the green revolution. That's a problem for America, according to Kenneth Lieberthal, a China expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. "We're going to have to end up using those technologies on a very large scale," Lieberthal said. "The question is whether we are producing them - or whether we have to end up buying them from the Chinese or others because we didn't get our act together."

Climate Goal Is Supported by China and India

China and India formally agreed Tuesday to join the international climate change agreement reached in December in Copenhagen, the last two major economies to sign up. The two countries, among the largest and fastest-growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, submitted letters to the United Nations agreeing to be included on a list of countries covered by the Copenhagen Accord, a three-page nonbinding statement reached at the end of the contentious and chaotic 10-day conference. China and India join more than 100 countries that have signed up under the accord, which calls for limiting the rise in global temperatures to no more than 2 degrees Celsius, or 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, beyond pre-industrial levels.

Solar Industry Learns Lessons in Spanish Sun

Armed with generous incentives from the Spanish government to jump-start a national solar energy industry, the city set out to replace its failing coal economy by attracting solar companies, with a campaign slogan: “The Sun Moves Us.” Soon, Puertollano, home to the Museum of the Mining Industry, had two enormous solar power plants, factories making solar panels and silicon wafers, and clean energy research institutes. Half the solar power installed globally in 2008 was installed in Spain.

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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
Waste Management


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