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Events

World Environment Day Critical Mass! Over 100 events now scheduled!

This weekend is GA/GI

This weekend, check out the Geek Art and Green Innovator's Festival, part of the World Environment Day celebration. Art exhibitions, robotics demos, conservation information and displays, eco-transportation solutions, dance, performance, film, mind-bending challenges, organic food options, zen music, and an eco-tech fashion show: Pedal to the Metal! Visit www.gagifestival.blogspot.com for details.

Certified, Credible Sustainable Products: Innovation in Manufacturing

Event Wrap-up

On March 12, 2010, fifty three of Western Pennsylvania’s leaders in manufacturing participated in the Champions for Sustainability Workshop, Certified, Credible Sustainable Products: Innovation in Manufacturing at Eaton Corporation’s meeting center in Moon Township, PA. The event, co-organized with the Washington, DC-based Market Transformation for Sustainability, featured industry panels of manufacturers and purchasers who successfully achieved sustainable product certification under the Sustainable Materials Rating Technology (SMaRT) standards. The manufacturing panel provided guidance on the certification process itself. The purchasers panel provided insight into increasing market demands and trends for credible, certified-sustainable products.

The overall theme of the session addressed how certified and credible/verifiable standards provide trustworthy sustainable products in a marketplace where greenwashing has become commonplace. As more companies provide products to tap into the growing green product market, many companies are making green claims only in terms of marketing, not in terms of verified reductions in energy, resources, and social impacts. Consumer skepticism has also reached high levels, potentially undermining the work of product manufacturers who have shown proper diligence in sustainable performance. What has emerged is a need for consensus-based product standards and performance evaluations so that the companies who have done their homework can gain the trust in the marketplace that they deserve, and that purchasers seeking such products can gain trust in the real, sustainable value of such products. Southwestern Pennsylvania has the opportunity to seize upon these trends because of its sizable and increasing number of manufacturers who are creating sustainable products.

Read more about the March 12 event.

Resources

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, US Geological Survey
- Marla Cone, Environmental Health News
- Don Correll, American Water
- Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech
- Amy Fraenkel, UNEP Regional Office for North America
- Greg Koch, Global Water Stewardship Program, The 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
UPMC

SIGN UP NOW! 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.

Simple Upgrades for a GREENER, Leaner Government!

Thursday, April 8
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Engineers’ Society of Western PA, 337 Fourth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: $35 GBA Member | $65 Non-member
Register: Online or contact Karen Puff for details
Continuing Education Credits; GBCI CE Hours: tbd

What’s the difference between an ESCO and an energy diagnostics firm?

These and many other questions will be answered at this informative breakfast briefing, which features a panel discussion about incorporating sustainable upgrades at the municipal level. A diverse group of experts will cover several topics, including the financial impact of energy efficiency upgrades, the benefits of energy auditing and the obstacles of integrating these types of initiatives on a large scale. Additionally, they will discuss Allegheny County’s aggressive sustainability initiatives.

Panel:
Jeaneen Zappa (moderator) – Allegheny County, Sustainability Manager
Ed Rafalski – DMI Companies, Director of Sales and Marketing
Larry Godleski – Constellation Energy, Director of Regional Markets
Jamie Colecchi – Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Community Assistance Manager

Who should attend: Local government officials and staff; property owners/developers; professionals working in building design, operations, products and consulting; and interested citizens. Event sponsored by RCx & Green Building Alliance

2nd Annual Inclusive Voices

Friday, April 9
Noon - 1:30 pm (11:30 am - reception)
Omni William Penn Hotel, Grand Ballroom, downtown Pittsburgh
Fee: $50
For registration and questions, please contact Tina Crisp at (412) 562-0290 Ext. 215 or tcrisp@pacepgh.org

Program to Aid Citizen Enterprise (PACE) celebrates the second annual Inclusive Voices to bring people together across difference to talk about important issues relevant to the life, culture, and community of Pittsburgh. Inclusive Voices is a fascinating combination of informal conversations over lunch. Dynamic Pittsburgh leaders of various cultures, gender, professions, and experiences will host the discussions at each pre-assigned table. At the reception, attendees will have an opportunity to socialize with all of the conversationalists prior to the lunch. 2nd Annual Inclusive Voices Event Conversationalists include (but is not limited to): Robert O. Agbede, President and CEO, Chester Engineers, Inc.; Reverend Dr. Randall K. Bush, Pastor, East Liberty Presbyterian Church, The Cathedral of Hope; Chief Nathan Harper, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Scott Izzo, Director, Richard King Mellon Foundation; Magdeline E. Jenson, CEO, YWCA Greater Pittsburgh; Melissa A. Pearlman, Principal, The Pittsburgh High School for the Creative and Performing Arts; Thomas Sokolowski, Director, Andy Warhol Museum; Doris Carson Williams, President, African American Chamber of Commerce of Western Pennsylvania.

Banff Mountain Film Festival

April 9-10, 2010
7:00 pm
Soldiers and Sailors, Oakland
Tickets are on sale now through Pro Arts Ticketing
Find details about the films, raffle, or other initiatives at www.ventureoutdoors.org/banff.aspx
Proceeds from the raffle will benefit Venture Outdoors Family and Community Programs.

Banff Mountain Film Festival gathers the most inspiring and thought-provoking action and environmental films of the year and takes them on tour. Venture Outdoors has screened the films in Pittsburgh since 2007, and claims that especially this year, even the intermission is especially exciting!

The Banff Centre, located at the heart of Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, is dedicated to inspiring creativity. By inspiring exceptional artists and leaders from around the world to come together, they foster new ideas, new collaborations, and new solutions in the arts and in leadership. Banff Mountain Film Festival is just one example of their fine work.

Each year, roughly 300 pro and amateur filmmakers enter the festival, and the top-tier few are screened worldwide during the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. This year, see 14 of the upper tier picks at Banff in Pittsburgh.

Both nights at Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall will boast an extravagant spread of prizes to be raffled off at intermission’s end. Brand new bikes, kayaks, Kayak Pittsburgh Season Passes and private guided fly fishing trips remain among the top prizes, and this year timeshares have been added to the pot. Friday night, take advantage of the opportunity to win a week in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The winner will spend seven days at the Hyatt Mountain Lodge, a value of $2,100. The 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom suite sleeps 4-6 people and is located close to Vail Mountain. On Saturday night, join the pool for a week in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia at the Massanutten Resort. The resort is located 10 miles east of Harrisonburg, VA and features challenging golf courses, an indoor and outdoor water park, and luxurious spa.

Sustainability conference

Saturday, April 10
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Lenape Tech, 2215 Chaplin Ave., Manor Township
Cost: $30, $15 for students, by Thursday; $40 at door; includes lunch.
For more information/tickets, contact (724) 719-9700

The Freeport Leechburg Apollo Group (FLAG) is hosting its first sustainability conference on April 10. The conference will feature speakers covering topics on historic preservation, outdoor recreational tourism, stormwater management, urban forestry, green building practices, and locally grown food and agriculture.

Fifth Annual Environmental Film Festival

Wednesday, April 14
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Saturday, April 24
Children’s films: 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm; regular films: 6:15 pm - 10:00 pm
Imagine Environmental Charter School, Henrietta Street just off Braddock Avenue, Regent Square Cost: $4 adults/$2 kids – except kids are free from 5-6PM on 24 April
For a full listing of names, times of showing and short synopses of the films, visit www.alleghenysc.org and click on Monthly Meetings.
Posters are also available online.
Full schedule

The Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club announces the showing of “films that matter,” films that help you interpret the changes in the world around you and enjoy the things that are reliably here. This year’s crop of films include climate change, seeds, song bird migration and some very clever British animation. There’s an hour of free films especially for kids. The main feature is the lovely and fascinating film by Michael Pollan, “The Botany of Desire.” The Festival spans two nights (April 14th and 24th) and half of the “Botany of Desire” will be shown on each night. There will be refreshments and a sale of seedlings for your gardens.

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

Airing of "Dirt" the movie

Tuesday, April 20
10:00 pm
WQED-TV
Details

WQED is airing Independent Lens: Dirt! The Movie. The fascinating history of this lowly substance, explaining how four billion years of evolution have created the dirt that recycles water, gives food, provides shelter and can be used as a source of medicine, beauty and culture. But people have become greedy and careless, endangering this vital living resource with destructive methods of agriculture, mining practices and urban development. Learn more about the movie at www.dirtthemovie.org/.

Women's Health & the Environment Conference

Wednesday, April 21
8:00 am - 3:45 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center
Registration is free; Space is limited.
Visit www.womenshealthpittsburgh.org for more information.

The conference will feature nationally renowned environmental scientists, writers and activists who will share the newest science examining the possible link between the environment and health. The morning speakers will share scientific data to support the way in which toxins affect people. Afternoon speakers will share solutions that will enlighten attendees about lifestyle choices they can make to create a healthier environment for themselves and their families.

Global Warming 2010: Experts and Heroes Creating a Climate for Justice

Sunday, May 2
1:30 pm - 6:00 pm (Refreshments and check-in from 1:30 pm - 2:00 pm)
August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 980 Liberty Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Admission: $10; Free for PennFuture members and students with a valid ID. Refreshments included.
Pre-registration is required by Thursday, April 29.
To sign up for a table for your organization, or to volunteer at the event, contact Sharon Pillar
More information and registration

Experts on global warming are under attack as never before, but they are standing firm and speaking out, showing heroic leadership for the planet. This conference allows you to meet great experts and heroes, and learn how a climate for justice is created here in western Pennsylvania.

Heroes and experts and their topics include:
Dr. Robert Bullard, Ware Distinguished Professor of Sociology, Director of the Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University to discuss racial and social implications of climate justice;
Dr. Michael Mann, renowned climatologist and director of Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, to describe the facts behind global warming science;
Peter Altman, Climate Campaign Director, National Resources Defense Council, who will explore the origins of the recent attacks on climate science;

Local Green Opportunities Panel will include:
- Lee Ann Briggs of Duquesne University’s Small Business Development Center (moderator);
- Carla Castagnero of AgRecycle, our region’s only commercial composter;
- Richard Taylor of ImbuTech, a company that sells LED lighting;
- Joe Simko of Hodge & Elyria Foundry, manufacturer of wind turbine components;
- Tonya Johnson of Green Empowerment Training Alliance, an organization preparing minority and low-income people for the green economy.
Other speakers will cover state and federal energy and climate policy and the low carbon fuel standard;

Visit tabling organizations to find information on sustainable foods, solar, wind, geothermal, energy efficiency, biodiesel, green building materials, and more!

Please note: The Pittsburgh Marathon will be held earlier on May 2. Most of the marathon activities will be finished by the start of the conference, but please allow extra travel time.

9th annual Great Outdoors Week

May 14 - 23, 2010
Various times and locations throughout southwestern PA
Visit www.wallsarebad.com for more information.

A celebration of the outdoors, the 9th annual Great Outdoors Week serves to highlight the many outdoor amenities available in Southwestern Pennsylvania — rivers, greenways, parks, trails, and much more. During this special week, numerous activities are available for the sampling, including cycling, hiking, paddling, and bird watching-—all hosted by local outdoor groups in the region. Four signature events are included as well: Learn to Row and Paddle (5/14), Pedal Pittsburgh (5/16), National Bike to Work Day (5/21) and the Venture Outdoors Festival (5/22).

New this year is the recognition of Great Outdoors Week as part of the official World Environment Day (WED) - Pittsburgh celebration. Individuals and groups are encouraged to take an active part in Great Outdoors Week this year by hosting or participating in an event, and helping to promote this ten-day celebration. Flyers are available for distribution.

Chill the Drills: Oil Development and Climate Change in America's Arctic

Thursday, May 20
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, First Floor Gallery, 420 Blvd. of the Allies, Downtown Pittsburgh
Free to attend; RSVP requested.
To RSVP or with questions, contact alleghenyesa@gmail.com
Website: www.alleghenysc.org
Flyer

“The Arctic region is the single most endangered ecosystem on the planet.” So says, Kit McGurn, the Sierra Club’s national expert on the Alaskan Wilderness. No one knows more about the impact of unrestricted development on this environment. Come be a part of a multi-media presentation as Kit describes the growing threat of climate change and oil development to Alaska’s most pristine habitats. Join other environmentally conscious citizens and find out what you can do to help.

Rachel Carson Celebration of Biodiversity with E.O. Wilson

Thursday, May 27
1:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Oakland
Contact: Fiona Fisher at (724) 274- 5459 or fiona@rachelcarsonhomestead.org
Register

As part of the United Nations World Environment Day celebration in North America, the Rachel Carson Celebration of Biodiversity Symposium will focus on the human impact on biodiversity. Featuring E.O. Wilson as keynote speaker and including a panel of experts, people can begin with an initial visioning for a New American Dream that is environmentally sustainable, developed by participants in this event--a roadmap that will address the effect people have on the environment, and the critical inter-relationships between human habitat and the quality of life for generations to come.

There will be a special reception after the symposium at which E.O. Wilson will be presented with the Rachel Carson Legacy Award, which recognizes and honors people who have made significant impact on the application of Rachel Carson's principles to modern public policy issues that interface the environment. Wilson is a two-time Pulitzer prize winner, world-renowned entomologist and one of the scientists who provided research data to Rachel Carson while she was writing Silent Spring.

Race in America: Restructuring Inequality

June 3–6, 2010
University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Fees vary. Register before March 31st for the early bird discount.
Conference brochure
More information

The University of Pittsburgh has set the stage for a solution-focused dialogue on race, one that will bring together some of the best minds on this important subject. Pitt’s School of Social Work and the school's Center on Race and Social Problems will host Race in America: Restructuring Inequality, a national conference in Pittsburgh, Pa.

"Times of challenge provide the opportunity to create change. As the nation continues its efforts to recover from an economic downturn, there has never been a better time to re-examine and correct racial inequalities in American society. It is our intent to make this the best conference ever on race in America. More importantly, it is our goal to make it the most useful one."

—Larry E. Davis, dean of the School of Social Work and Donald M. Henderson Professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

Who should attend?
* Academic researchers
* Community leaders and organizers
* Community members
* Economists
* Educators
* Health care professionals
* Law professionals
* Policy makers
* Psychologists
* Social workers
* Sociologists

Be a part of this dialogue on race and how it relates to every facet of society – from the economy, to families, to the criminal justice system.

Resources

Join Team Sustainable Pittsburgh in the Escape to the Lake MS 150 Ride

Sponsors and riders needed!

On June 12-13th, Team Sustainable Pittsburgh will be cycling 150 miles to raise money for multiple sclerosis. Hosted by the National MS Society’s Western PA Chapter, the ride starts at Coopers Lake, Butler County, and ends at the shores of Lake Erie, with an overnight stopping point at/near Edinboro University. The goal is set to raise $10,000 net of costs!

Novice and experienced riders are invited to join the team and help raise money for a worthy cause while helping to promote sustainable development in southwestern Pennsylvania.

Interested? Please contact the team captain and Sustainable Pittsburgh member, Simon Davidoff, at (609) 937-2495 or simondavidoff1@gmail.com and/ or go directly to the MS150 web site and sign up online. (Note: Be sure to locate Team Sustainable Pittsburgh online to join the team). Training rides are a possibility and riders have the option of riding just one or both days.

Riders who do join will be expected to pay the MS Society event registration fee of around $50 (fee varies depending on when you sign up and what options you choose) and raise at least $250 in pledges for MS.

Call for Sponsors!
Team Sustainable Pittsburgh welcomes sponsors to help fund the team to achieve its goal for the MS ride. Items such as team clothing, the overnight stay (e.g. a team tent), massage, catering etc., are needed. Depending on the level of sponsorship, business logos could be incorporated into the team communications before and during the event. For more information, please contact Simon Davidoff at (609) 937-2495, simondavidoff1@gmail.com or Ginette Walker Vinski of Sustainable Pittsburgh at (412) 258-6646, gvinski@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Thanks in advance for your support of Team Sustainable Pittsburgh!

Call for Facilitators

The Power of 32 is excited to announce another unique opportunity to help shape a significant regional visioning effort that will bring 32 counties in 4 states together. More than 100 volunteer Facilitators will be needed to lead community conversations – forums that will bring together residents of the 32 counties to deliberate about the assets and challenges to this region and develop ideas about opportunities for the future.

As strong community leaders, the Power of 32 needs your help to recruit qualified individuals who can successfully facilitate discussions about this region’s future. Facilitators are a fundamental element to the outreach strategy that engages residents who represent the demographic make-up of the region. Your ability to connect with the community, its leaders, and your friends on Linked-In and Facebook will ensure that the highest quality individuals are selected.

Facilitators will be trained by AmericaSpeaks during the month of May. They will lead at least three Community Conversations within the regions, most likely in their county or a neighboring county, with a co-facilitator. These sessions will average 30 people and last approximately 2.5 hours. The agenda, discussion questions and materials for the conversations are developed in advance. The facilitator will also work with an Outreach Coordinator, who will be responsible for logistics - finding locations, developing Community Conversation schedules, recruiting participants and ensuring there are two facilitators and volunteers for each Conversation.

All interested candidates must complete the Facilitator application by April 24th. For more information, please contact Bill Schlachter at bills@powerof32.org or (412) 648-9301.

Poll shows support for public transit

The poll of 800 registered voters found that 82 percent believed that the nation would benefit from expanded public transit; 59 percent think transit can do more to reduce congestion than new or expanded roads; and 51 percent would support a small tax increase to pay for more transit.

More

Water issues: Out of sight shouldn't be out of mind

What does this mean for the future? With an aging infrastructure needing considerably more attention than it’s getting today as well as consumers and industry demanding more water because of growth — or, out of habit since it’s “always been cheap” — we may be headed for a perfect storm of diminished service, more shortages and calls to pay more for water’s true cost.

The news need not be all bad, though. Investment in the country’s water infrastructure today can create much needed jobs during the economic downturn. Once done, pipes need not be replaced for decades. The demand side may require more of a shift in thinking, since habits don’t always change so easily.

More

News cyclists can use: City passes bike parking ordinance, new bike map out soon

"It makes sure that bikes are considered during the planning process, instead of trying to retrofit for them afterward," says Bike Pittsburgh's Scott Bricker. "Before this, there was no requirement whatsoever for bike parking for any development in the city. This is a great first step."

'Sustainability conference' a first for FLAG

The conference will explore how the region can prosper if emphasis is placed on things such as conserving rain water for watering lawns and gardens; restoring a commercial storefront to preserve the building and draw more customers; and planting street trees to benefit the local economy and the environment.

Speakers include Scott Sjolander, an urban forester; Lisa A. Kunst Vavro, a registered landscape architect; Coreen Casadei, a founder of Collective Efforts, a civil and environmental engineering consulting firm; Bruce J. Corna Jr., a founder and principle at Bruce Construction; Patricia DeMarco, director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association; Cathy McCollom, director of the Trail Town Program; Jesse Jon Salensky, director of business development and sustainable projects at Bruce Construction; and Ellis Schmidlapp, a registered architect and principal of Landmarks Design Associates.

Environmental Protection Agency will list Bisphenol 'chemical of concern'

The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it is formally listing Bisphenol A -- a chemical found widely in consumer goods -- as a "chemical of concern." The chemical is added to plastics to harden them, and has been used in soda cans, baby bottles and food containers. It is so widespread that 90 percent of Americans show traces of it in their urine. But, in recent years, studies have linked BPA to heart disease and cancer in humans, and to abnormal development in animals.

Help Wanted: Project Coordinator at Pittsburgh Green Innovators, Inc.

The objective of this position is to ensure a visible and effective leadership presence for Green Innovators in Pittsburgh/Southwest PA area by building connections with regional government, business, education, professional, and social service communities. The incumbent will help grow a vibrant green economy and community by collaboratively leveraging regional strengths through innovation, education, workforce development, and cultivation of sustainable business opportunities. The position can ultimately grow into that of an Executive Director.

Development in Cities Outpaces 'Burbs

Development is occurring more rapidly in urban centers than in the suburbs, according to a new study from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The redevelopment of urban centers has continued to outpace new residential development in suburban and exurban areas, according to the study. "Though the nation's urban centers emptied for decades as suburbs sprawled outward, developers in many large cities are increasingly looking inward for building opportunities, according to the study (pdf), titled "Residential Construction Trends in America's Metropolitan Regions." In 26 of the nation's 50 largest metropolitan areas, the share of residential construction taking place in central cities more than doubled since 2000. As expected, the effect was strongest in the metropolitan areas with the strictest regional land-use policies, such as Portland, Ore. But many metropolitan areas known for sprawl, including Chicago and Los Angeles, saw similar increases in redevelopment at the urban core."

The De-Evolution of a Suburban Gated Community

Inside this gated community in the L.A. suburb of Hemet, the recession is taking a tough toll and making life difficult for the families that had moved there for quiet calm. "Home foreclosures have devastated neighborhoods throughout the country, but the transformation from suburban paradise to blighted community has been especially stark in places like Willowalk -- isolated developments on the far fringes of metropolitan areas that found ready buyers when home prices were soaring but then saw an exodus as values crashed. Vacant homes are sprinkled throughout Willowalk, betrayed by foot-high grass. Others are rented, including some to families that use government Section 8 vouchers to live in homes with granite countertops and vaulted ceilings." Now, vandals roam the streets and scavenge materials from empty homes. Many houses are boarded up, and the families who remain are prisoners of their mortgages.

Renewables: Strong international competition in race for green jobs

Meeting targets on greenhouse gas emissions and improving energy security will require hundreds of billions of dollars of investment in renewable technologies, and this opens up the attractive prospect of an explosive growth in jobs in these new industries at a time when more traditional jobs are disappearing. But the big question for the developed world is where those jobs will be. While countries such as the US, the UK, Germany and Japan have all bid to be centres of green technological development, parts of the rapidly industrialising world have also seen the opportunity. Last year, for the first time, China surpassed the US and all other G20 countries in investing in clean energy, according to a new study. China invested $34.6bn in clean energy in 2009, dwarfing the $18.6bn spent by the US.

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
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