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Events

World Environment Day Updates

This weekend: environmental justice, sustainability, restorative forestry and women's rights!

This weekend, numerous World Environment Day events are planned. The Pittsburgh Theological Seminary’s Metro-Urban Institute is hosting its annual Urban Intensive Conference April 8-10, 2010. The conference is based on Martin Luther King Jr.’s theology of the Beloved Community as a resource for strengthening churches through community outreach for social and ecological justice. On April 10, the Freeport Leechburg Apollo Group (FLAG) is hosting a day-long Sustainability Conference featuring leaders in the fields of historic preservation, outdoor recreational tourism, sustainable building products and practices, urban forestry, local food, and much more. Also on April 10, the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture is having a field day in the woods of Crawford County. Participants will be looking at strategies for common sense sustainable forestry, including identifying and controlling interfering vegetation in a woodlot that was harvested last summer and then checking out an active sugar bush. Lastly, the Amizade Water Walk for Women's Rights is set for this weekend in Morgantown, WV and Pittsburgh, PA. Carry a water bucket over a 1.1 mile route in solidarity with the 1.1 billion people around the world, mostly women and children, who do the bulk of water carrying.

For details on these World Environment Day events and others, visit the World Environment Day-Pittsburgh Web site.

Sustainable Development Academy: Putting Energy Savings to Work in Your Municipal and Community Buildings

Event Wrap-up

On March 19, 2010, fifty-five representatives from Southwestern Pennsylvania’s municipal elected officials and professional staff as well as businesses and community groups participated in the first of three Sustainable Development Academy events for 2010. The event, “Putting Energy Savings to Work in Your Municipal and Community Buildings,” featured examples of municipalities that have pursued energy saving strategies that have saved significant amounts of money for the municipalities by their becoming more energy efficient. Held at Mt. Lebanon’s Municipal Building, the event also provided informative presentations on funding opportunities that were available for municipalities to initiate energy audits and for installing more energy efficient equipment.

Read more

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.

3rd Annual Student Sustainability Symposium

Friday, April 9
9:00 am - Noon
William Pitt Union, Ballroom, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Free; Lunch provided.
RSVP to pittgreenteam@bc.pitt.eduand include “Student Symposium” in the subject line.
The Complete Blue, Green and Gold Schedule of Events is available at www.bluegoldandgreen.pitt.edu

The Student Sustainability Symposium gives students an opportunity to share innovative ideas about creating sustainability on campus and in the Pittsburgh region with other students and with many of the people who have the power to implement these changes. The Symposium also provides a networking opportunity for students and professionals in the local environmental community. This year, three groups of student presenters will be at the Symposium:
* Environmental Studies Student Initiatives
* Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovations
* Sierra Club
* Student Environmental Organizations

The symposium will also feature posters of student-led initiatives and representatives from nonprofit environmental organizations from the Pittsburgh community and Pitt student environmental organizations. The Symposium will be immediately followed by a Green Employers Panel Presentation From Noon until 2:00 pm.

Get Your Tickets for 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.

PreservePGH Public Meetings

Monday, April 12
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Estelle S. Campbell Boys and Girls Club, 4600 Butler St., Pittsburgh 15201

Thursday, April 15
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
James Center, 327 South Main Street Pittsburgh 15220

Monday, April 19
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
New Hazlett Theatre, 6 Allegheny Square E, Pittsburgh 15212

The City of Pittsburgh, through its Department of City Planning, is in the process of preparing a Cultural Heritage Plan. By sharing your opinions about the City’s historic and cultural resources, and the ways they are cared for and protected, you will help the City make decisions about how to best preserve its character. PreservePHG is part of PlanPGH, the City’s Comprehensive Planning process. A public opinion survey will be available online from April 10 to May 23, 2010 at www.planpgh.com.

Rethinking Development: Institutional Collaboration for Sustainable Societies

Wednesday, April 14
2:30 pm - 3:00 pm: Video Presentation & Refreshments
3:00 pm - 5:30 pm: Lecture, Moderated Discussion, Q&A
Power Center Ballroom, Duquesne University
Free and is open to the public.
Please register at www.duq.edu/cst

This conference, hosted by The Center for the Study of Catholic Social Thought and The Palumbo-Donahue School of Business at Duquesne University, is about poverty, environment, development, and sustainability at the intersection of economic policy, business practice, and social justice.

Agenda:

2:30 Video: - Interviews of well known scholars/economists like Joseph Stiglitz, John Perkins, and Amartya Sen on their perspectives on poverty, development, and sustainability, etc.
- Fundacion Maquipucuna: “A model of sustainable development based on sound ecological and business principles” (Ecuador)

3:00 Keynote Speaker: Daniel K. Finn, Ph.D.
Past President, Catholic Theological Society of America
Past President, Society of Christian Ethics
Past President, Association for Social Economics
economist, social ethicist, theologian.

3:50 Moderated Discussion: A substantive discussion participated in by keynote speaker, one economist, one business strategist, one sociologist, and one theologian.

4:30 Break

4:45 Q/A

5:15 Summation Daniel K.Finn, Ph.D.

Green Drinks: What about Marcellus Shale?

Friday, April 16
5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mitchell's Restaurant, 304 Ross St at (Third Avenue), Downtown Pittsburgh
Free

Participate in a Green Drinks discussion about the opportunities and environmental challenges presented by the Marcellus shale play, with comments by host George Jugovic, Jr., Regional Director of the Southwest Region of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. DEP's Bureau of Oil and Gas Management regulates the safe exploration, development and recovery of Marcellus Shale Natural gas reservoirs in a manner protective of the commonwealth's natural resources and the environment.

Mr. Jugovic was appointed to Regional Director of the Department of Environmental Protection Southwest Regional Office in November 2009. He began his legal career in 1984 with DEP’s Office of Chief Counsel and focused his practice in water and waste litigation. Additionally, he prosecuted environmental crimes cases as a Special Deputy Attorney General with the Office of Attorney General's Environmental Crimes Section For seven years. He left state employment to run the Law Department for the non-profit Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future where he initiated citizen suits under Federal environmental laws, and represented the organization before the Public Utility Commission.

Mr. Jugovic received his B.S. degree in Environmental Resource Management from the Pennsylvania State University, and J.D. and Certificate in Environment and Natural Resources Law (honors) from Lewis and Clark Law School. He interned with the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has taught advanced courses in Wildlife and Environmental Crimes Law at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law. He has written on the constitutionality of Pennsylvania's imposition of strict liability for environmental crimes, and was primarily responsible for drafting the Commonwealth's sentencing guidelines for environmental crimes for the Pennsylvania Crimes Commission.

Design Excellence Lecture Series: Robert Freedman

Monday, April 19
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm (doors open at 5:30)
George Rowland White Theatre, University Center, Point Park University, Downtown Pittsburgh
Single tickets: $20.
More information

Join the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh for the third lecture in its 2009/2010 Design Excellence Lecture Series, The Intentional City. Robert Freedman, director of urban design for the City of Toronto Planning Division will present his experiences practicing and advocating for architecture, planning, and design in an urban setting.

Following the lecture, Alan will join in a panel discussion, moderated by Grant Oliphant, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Foundation, with Anne-Marie Lubenau, AIA, president and CEO of the CDCP; Maelene Myers, executive director of East Liberty Development, Inc. and Lisa Schroeder, executive director of Riverlife. The evening concludes with a reception.

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

LEED Green Associate and LEED AP BD&C Test Prep

Wednesdays, April 21 & 28, May 12 & 19
6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Green Building Alliance Office, 333 E. Carson Street, Suite 331, South Side
Cost: $200
Open to GBA Members only
More information and registration
Contact Mike Embrescia for details.

Designed to help prepare you for the LEED Green Associate and LEED AP Building Design + Construction (BD + C) accreditation exam. This four-week, instructor led study group will focus on the basic requirements of each LEED credit, regulations and intents, reference standards, and an overview of the LEED certification process. Seats will go quickly. Registration is limited to GBA MEMBERS ONLY! s.

Regional Water Symposium: Meeting the Wet Weather and Stormwater Challenges for Municipalities

Thursday, April 29
8:00 am – Noon
Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman Street, Strip District
No fee, but registration is required.
RSVP to AlleghenyGreen@AlleghenyCounty.us and include your full name, affiliation, and contact information.
Registration desk opens at 7:30 am.

Municipal elected officials, planners, engineers, water and wastewater professionals – and others interested in water issues – don’t miss this half-day symposium focused on the role that municipalities play in solving regional water issues.

The featured presenter is nationally known water engineer and author of the best-selling text book, Municipal Stormwater Management, Andrew Reese. Additional speakers represent ALCOSAN, 3 Rivers Wet Weather, regional municipal water leaders, and an engineering firm panel showcasing green infrastructure solutions around the country. This event is part of the World Environment Day celebration.

This event is hosted by County Executive Dan Onorato, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, and 3 Rivers Wet Weather.

Northeast Forum on Climate and Waste: Pay As You Throw/Save Money Reduce Trash (SMART): What's It Worth to Your Community?

WEBINAR:
Thursday, April 29
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
To register, contact: Jeri Weiss, US EPA New England at (617) 918-1568; weiss.jeri@epa.gov OR Neil Seldman, Institute for Local Self-Reliance at (202) 898 1610 ext. 210; nseldman@ilsr.org

Are you are considering Pay as You Throw for your municipal waste collection program?
Would you like to be able to predict the outcome and the savings, or look at different options before choosing one?
Do you want to know more about the benefits, costs and savings about these programs?
Do you have questions for experts in this field?

This webinar will focus on the economics for communities considering Pay as You Throw/Save Money and Reduce Trash programs. It will answer the questions about what happens when you switch to this type of system. You will hear real case studies for both drop off and curbside collection and get to see tools that estimate what may happen to your bottom line and the environment when these changes are put into place.

What's Next? for Water Quality in Pennsylvania

Saturday, May 1
7:30 am - 4:30 pm
State College, PA
Cost to Attend: $25 if registered by April 15 or $35 after April 15
To Register: Call the Bayer Center for Nonprofit Management at (412) 397-6000 or online at www.rmu.edu/bcnmregistration.
RSVP no later than April 23.
More information

Citizens from all walks of Pennsylvania’s watershed community will have the opportunity to share their expertise and wisdom, as well as learn from peers. Participants will include community watershed organizations, Trout Unlimited chapters, and sportsmen’s groups, along with environmental professionals from conservation districts, government agencies, academia, and consulting firms.

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.

Race in America: Restructuring Inequality

June 3–6, 2010
University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Fees vary. The early bird discount has been extended until April 23!
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

Sustainable Development Academy Event Wrap-up

The program began with a welcome from Jeaneen Zappa, Sustainability Manager for Allegheny County and an introduction to the recent grant the County received to fund energy audits for municipal buildings in Allegheny County municipalities.

John Trant, Chief Strategy Officer for Cranberry Township, provided an extensive presentation of several of the energy-related initiatives that Cranberry has been pursuing to achieve energy cost savings. Some featured items included metering, utility bill analysis, energy purchasing strategies, lighting and other technology retrofits, an inventory of energy usage throughout the entire municipality, and community programs to raise energy efficiency awareness. The presentation was inspiring for the degree and extent of realizable opportunities for local governments to save taxpayer money through getting a better handle on energy usage and for becoming more efficient.

A panel of professional energy auditors and engineers provided insight into several dimensions of energy audits in order to help municipal personnel understand what to expect before, during, and following an energy audit. Greg Wozniak of G. A. Wozniak & Associates provided an overview of comprehensive solutions that begin with an assessment of buildings through a detailed utility analysis and installation of more energy efficient equipment. Danelle Ardell of Noresco showed how an auditor can provide scenarios and options for municipalities once the audit has taken place. Chuck Watson, CEO of Energy Chaser.com, discussed the importance of metering and measurement as a foundation for better energy performance.

The second panel featured opportunities for local governments to find funding for energy programs through utility and power grid operator programs. Dave Defide, Duquesne Light’s Act 129 Coordinator, provided an overview of how Duquesne Light looks to partner with local governments in order to satisfy their ACT 129 energy savings goals and to obtain funding through the Act 129 program. Carolyn Pengidore, CEO of Clearchoice Energy, talked about demand response and energy reduction programs offered by the local grid carrier, PJM. One take-away from this panel is that there is a significant amount of funding available for municipalities to initiate energy savings programs.

The program concluded with a fascinating demonstration by Tom Kelly of Mt. Lebanon’s software system that monitors and controls how energy is used in its municipal facilities. The investments that Mt. Lebanon made continue to pay off in terms of significant energy savings because of how efficient those municipal buildings have become.

The Sustainable Development Academy is a joint effort by the Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh to provide cutting edge training for local government officials and personnel in the growing field of sustainability. Communities across the U.S. and Pennsylvania increasingly are adopting sustainability practices to help them become more livable, efficient, and adaptive to challenging dynamics. For 2010 the SDA is also cooperating with the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Public Works Administration to offer credits for WP APWA registrants for three programs. The second program in the series, entitled “On the Road: Sustainable Roads Maintenance, Operations & Technologies,” will take place on June 10. Save the date. Details will be forthcoming.

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!

Help Wanted: Mount Washington Community Development Corporation

The Mount Washington Community Development Corporation (MWCDC) is seeking a full-time Community Sustainability Coordinator to be housed at the MWCDC office on Shiloh Street. The primary objective of the position is to manage green spaces in areas we serve aiming to engage a wide array of local residents and regional partners in the hands-on management of the green spaces and through a variety of educational events and recreational events. The MWCDC is also looking to hire a part-time Business Development Coordinator.

Mayor Announces two new tools to help City residents "Go Green"

Mayor Luke Ravenstahl today announced two new tools designed to help City residents "go green." The first is a "Hard-to-Recycle" drop-off collection site on the first floor of the City-County Building; the second is a Green Guide.

Building a Green Economy

If you listen to climate scientists — and despite the relentless campaign to discredit their work, you should — it is long past time to do something about emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. If we continue with business as usual, they say, we are facing a rise in global temperatures that will be little short of apocalyptic. And to avoid that apocalypse, we have to wean our economy from the use of fossil fuels, coal above all. But is it possible to make drastic cuts in greenhouse-gas emissions without destroying our economy?

Like the debate over climate change itself, the debate over climate economics looks very different from the inside than it often does in popular media. The casual reader might have the impression that there are real doubts about whether emissions can be reduced without inflicting severe damage on the economy. In fact, once you filter out the noise generated by special-interest groups, you discover that there is widespread agreement among environmental economists that a market-based program to deal with the threat of climate change — one that limits carbon emissions by putting a price on them — can achieve large results at modest, though not trivial, cost. There is, however, much less agreement on how fast we should move, whether major conservation efforts should start almost immediately or be gradually increased over the course of many decades.

In what follows [is] a brief survey of the economics of climate change or, more precisely, the economics of lessening climate change [in an attempt] to lay out the areas of broad agreement as well as those that remain in major dispute.

The City We All Want to Live In

The first American metropolises emerged after World War II, the result of a publicly subsidized mass exodus of white populations that coincided with the migration of blacks from the cotton and sugar fields of the American South to the cities of the North and West. Over the years, segregation in housing and in education increased, and today the nation’s public schools are more segregated than they were decades ago.

State wants to tighten controls on waste water from gas wells

"The treating and disposing of gas drilling brine and fracturing wastewater is a significant challenge for the natural gas industry because of its exceptionally high TDS concentrations," said Mr. Hanger, who addressed the state House Republican Policy Committee on the subject in Indiana yesterday.

The natural gas drilling industry has been critical of the regulatory proposal in the past, saying it would harm development of the Marcellus shale and require expensive treatment of waste water.

High TDS levels in the Monongahela River in 2008 and 2009, caused concerns from U.S. Steel Corp. and other industries that cannot use the contaminated water, which also affected the taste of drinking water provided by public suppliers. Seventeen suppliers draw water from the Monongahela for more than 350,000 people.

Renewable energy options in developing countries

In 2009 the world energy consumption was 11.3 billion tonnes of oil equivalent (toe). Energy consumption in industrialized countries has basically been stable in the last 10 years, but in the rest of the world it has been growing at approximately 5% per year. At this rate and based on present technologies, the world's annual energy consumption could reach 20 billion toe by the year 2020. The consequences of such growth – approximately 80% of it originating from fossil fuels – could be disastrous for three reasons:

* the depletion of fossil fuel resources;
* geopolitical problems caused by access to such fuels; and,
* environmental problems, notably global warming

A Southern Success Story for Public Transportation Offers Lessons in Livability

When Charlotte's new light rail line opened, it vastly exceeded anticipated ridership figures. As the city plans an extension of the system, the federal government is revising how it distributes funding to avoid making the same mistake again.

"Now, as the city plans the second phase of its light-rail project, a three-car, 11-mile extension of the existing line from Uptown into northeast Charlotte, it also must retrofit the existing track to carry the longer trains. That means not only buying more rail cars, but also lengthening platforms and boosting power distribution. Estimated price tag of the retrofits: an additional $67 million.

The Obama administration has taken notice, vowing to prevent what happened here from happening again. DOT is in the early stages of what it has dubbed its "livability" initiative, a comprehensive rewrite of the nation's transportation strategy that includes an overhaul of how road and transit projects are picked to receive federal funding."

By including economic development opportunities and environmental considerations in the selection process for federal funding, the DOT is hoping to get the right amount of funding to projects in order to ensure their success.

China Is Eager to Bring High-Speed Rail Expertise to the U.S.

Nearly 150 years after American railroads brought in thousands of Chinese laborers to build rail lines across the West, China is poised once again to play a role in American rail construction. But this time, it would be an entirely different role: supplying the technology, equipment and engineers to build high-speed rail lines. The Chinese government has signed cooperation agreements with the State of California and General Electric to help build such lines. The agreements, both of which are preliminary, show China’s desire to become a big exporter and licensor of bullet trains traveling 215 miles an hour, an environmentally friendly technology in which China has raced past the United States in the last few years. “We are the most advanced in many fields, and we are willing to share with the United States,” Zheng Jian, the chief planner and director of high-speed rail at China’s railway ministry, said.

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