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Events

Regional Forum

"In the Public Interest? An Assessment of the Geographical Distribution of Pennsylvania Business Subsidies"

Monday, June 14
10:00 am - Noon, followed by luncheon strategy session 12:00 - 1:00 pm
31st Floor, Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend. Seating is limited.
RSVP to: Lori Butler at (412) 258-6642 or lbutler@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Specify if you will attend (A) Forum or (B) Forum and lunch strategy session
Presented by: Keystone Research Center and Sustainable Pittsburgh

In these difficult economic times each dollar the state spends on economic development needs to be invested wisely. There's not enough to go around. The hard choices necessary call for smart strategies and sharp targeting of state money. The stakes are high considering accountability bills pending in Harrisburg and a change of administration.

Do we have confidence that taxpayer funds for economic development are invested where we will get the most impact?
Or are state investments merely displacing private dollars that would have gone to those projects?
Are we using business subsidies to jump start smart growth and sustainable development?
What are the stakes for emerging regional approaches to boost older communities and target corridors?
What lessons have we learned from our decades of economic development experience that will be a guide for our next Governor?

Learn more

Resources

Regional Forum - "In the Public Interest? An Assessment of the Geographical Distribution of Pennsylvania Business Subsidies"

Monday, June 14
10:00 am - Noon, followed by luncheon strategy session 12:00 - 1:00 pm
31st Floor, Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend. Seating is limited.
RSVP to: Lori Butler at (412) 258-6642 or lbutler@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Specify if you will attend (A) Forum or (B) Forum and lunch strategy session
Presented by: Keystone Research Center and Sustainable Pittsburgh

In these difficult economic times each dollar the state spends on economic development needs to be invested wisely. There's not enough to go around. The hard choices necessary call for smart strategies and sharp targeting of state money. The stakes are high considering accountability bills pending in Harrisburg and a change of administration.

Do we have confidence that taxpayer funds for economic development are invested where we will get the most impact?
Or are state investments merely displacing private dollars that would have gone to those projects?
Are we using business subsidies to jump start smart growth and sustainable development?
What are the stakes for emerging regional approaches to boost older communities and target corridors?
What lessons have we learned from our decades of economic development experience that will be a guide for our next Governor?

Steve Herzenberg, economist and Executive Director of Keystone Research Center (KRC) will share insights about KRC's latest work to demystify patterns in geographical distribution of state spending for economic development - with a focus on the Pittsburgh region. Be part of the dialogue and agenda setting for steering investments in step with our region's emerging planning and programming for sustainable development.

View the report here.

Panel discussion featuring:
Moderator: Jerry Paytas, GSP Consulting
Jerry Andree, Cranberry Township
Fred Browm, The Kingsley Association
Lynn DeLorenzo, NAIOP
Eric Montarti, The Allegheny Institute

This community forum will be climate neutral thru purchase of carbon offsets via www.nativeenergy.com/sp.

greenSCENE
A Celebration of Firsts

Thursday, June 10
5:30 pm
Heinz History Center, 1212 Smallman St., Strip District
Cost: $55
Contact: Mike Embrescia
Flyer

Q: What do the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Senator John Heinz History Center, WYEP radio station and many other local buildings have in common?
A: They are all green building “firsts” in the U.S…and we’re going to throw them a party!

Join the Green Building Alliance for a grand celebration of green “firsts” that recently welcomed the world! Proceeds support Larimer's efforts to become the first green neighborhood in Pittsburgh.

Public Comment Period for 2011-2014 Draft Transportation Improvement Program for SWPA

Public meetings scheduled from June 10 through June 30
6:00 pm
Various locations

The following link is a connection to the Public Participation Program page at the SPC website:http://www.spcregion.org/trans_ppp_sched.shtml

Follow the link to find your county’s project list, maps, and related information. In addition, you will find the schedule for your county’s public meeting for review of the Draft TIP. Please make a note of the date, time, and location in your area. Individuals who wish to provide verbal testimony are asked to arrive promptly for the meetings. You will have 3 minutes to provide your statement. You may also submit any written testimony at that time. Written testimony will be accepted until Tuesday, July 13th, 2010 at 4pm.

You may submit written comments to: comments@spcregion.org

Or mail them to:
Southwestern PA Commission
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2500
Pittsburgh, PA 15220
c/o 2011-2014 Draft TIP

Liquid Knowledge: The NPC Debrief on How Water Matters! and What You Can Do

Tuesday, June 15
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Bricolage, Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost is $5 in advance/$8 at the door
Co-Presented by Global Solutions Pittsburgh, the Green Building Alliance and the WED Partnership
Register at www.newpittsburghcollaborative.org
Flyer

Calling all civic-minded young professionals for an important debrief with a twist.

Mix, mingle and discuss key takeaways from the UN World Environment Day Water Matters! Conference, exploring global water issues re: health, energy and economic development with an emphasis on the opportunities and challenges associated with our region’s ample supply.

Join the New Pittsburgh Collaborative to get the highlights, find out what you can do and connect with a diverse array of interesting people.

Join the Mayor in celebrating City's Bicycle Friendly Status

Wednesday, June 16
Noon
City-County building Portico, 414 Grant Street, Downtown Pittsburgh
Contact: Joanna Doven at 412-255-2694; (cell) 412-475-2387; joanna.doven@city.pittsburgh.pa.us

Years of hard work from City leaders and community partners have paid off and the City of Pittsburgh was awarded 2010 ‘Bicycle Friendly’ status by the League of American Bicyclists. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl and community leaders invite you to save the date and celebrate this monumental designation as PIttsburgh charts the course for further bike-friendly improvements that will make this City even more livable.

Turtle Creek Greenway Plan Public Education Workshop

Thursday, June 17
5:30 pm
B-Y Park, Pavillion #3 (PA 130/7th Street, Trafford, PA)
Please RSVP by June 14 to: Amy Wiles, AICP, Mackin (consultant), 412-788-0472 or Malcolm Sias, Westmoreland County Parks & Recreation, 724-830-3968
Flyer

The public is invited to participate in an educational walk along 2.3 miles of the Turtle Creek Greenway. Beginning in B-Y Park in Trafford, the event will kick-off with a cook-out and an overview of the Turtle Creek Greenway Plan (TCGP) and why people are interested in preserving this hidden jewel. Attendees will then be transported to Saunders Station Road in Monroeville to walk the 2.3 miles along the Turtle Creek Industrial Railroad Corridor back to B-Y Park. Along the way, presenters will provide short educational sessions on topics including Conservation and Water Quality within the Turtle Creek Watershed, Streambank Stabilization, Stormwater Management and Erosion Control, Invasive Plant Species Management, Ecological Opportunities, and Recreation and Trails.

Encompassing floodplains, forested steep slopes, and existing open space, the 6-mile Greenway begins at Duff Park in Murrysville, follows Turtle Creek downstream through Penn Township and Monroeville, and ends in Trafford Borough near the Westinghouse complex. The Regional Trail Corporation, with support from the Turtle Creek Watershed Association, is currently developing the Turtle Creek Greenway Plan. Public support of the project will be vital to ensure that the Greenway is preserved and protected as a regional asset for all residents and visitors to enjoy. The TCGP will include management strategies designed to preserve and enhance the integrity of the natural, recreational, and cultural resources within the Turtle Creek Greenway, while protecting landowners’ interests.

Joint Public Hearings on Transportation Funding

Friday, June 18
11:00 am
Gateway High School, 3000 Gateway Campus Boulevard, Monroeville
Topic: Issues affecting the South West Region (PennDOT Districts 11 and 12).
http://buildingabetterpa.com/

Pennsylvania’s aging infrastructure continues to deteriorate, yet the demands that are placed on it continue to grow. Increasing cars, trucks and buses on PA roads and bridges; old and crumbling water and sewer systems; correctional facilities bulging at the seams and costly, inefficient public transportation systems are all placed on taxpayers’ shoulders. The House Republican infrastructure task force was formed to examine the infrastructure that exists in Pennsylvania today. The infrastructure task force has been examining all aspects of Pennsylvania’s infrastructure to ensure that the taxpayer is getting back what they put in. By exploring more cost effective funding mechanisms the task force is working to develop innovative methods to improve the various facets of the Commonwealth’s infrastructure.

The infrastructure task force is charged with:
Developing innovative methods to fund and improve the various facets of the Commonwealth’s infrastructure.
Areas of focus will include roads and bridges, mass transit, water and sewer, aviation, and maritime transportation.

Participate in this joint public hearing on June 18.

Hard to Recycle Collection Event

Saturday, June 26
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Mall at Robinson Parking Lot (100 Robinson Centre Dr., 15205)
Flyer

The Pennsylvania Resources Council, in cooperation with the Mall at Robsinson, Construction Junction, Global Links, Libery Tire Recycling, and eLoop llc, are hosting a hard to recycle collection Saturday, June 26, 2010. Items ACCEPTABLE for drop off include: tires, e-waste, useable building materials, medical supplies (no medications please), cell phones, alkaline batteries, CFLs, and Printer/Toner Cartridges.

Please note there are some fees associated with dropping off certain items. For more information and additional dates, visit the PA Resources Council's community collections page.

cityLive! Water we see & Water we use

Tuesday, June 29
6:30 pm
New Hazlett Theater, North Side
RSVP

Southwestern Pennsylvania residents live in a region defined by its rivers. This region has plentiful water supplies —- a tremendous economic and quality of life asset -— but significant water quality challenges. Pittsburgh was selected as the North American host city by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for World Environment Day 2010. The region hosted the World Environment Day global water conference, "Water Matters!", on June 3. Participants from across the country spoke to the problems and possibilities of water in southwestern PA -– its impact on health, energy and the economy. The June 29 cityLIVE! event will reflect upon the results of the conference, discuss what was learned and how to protect and embrace the region's most valuable resource – water.

Building One Pennsylvania
A statewide summit on regional opportunity

Friday, July 16
10:00 am - 4:00 pm (doors open at 9:00 am)
Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, 750 East King St., Lancaster 17602
Contact: Grant Ervin, 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, 412-471-3727 x16 or or Mary Jo Needham-Lincoln, Good Schools Pennsylvania, 330-853-6263
More information

Pennsylvania's manufacturing towns and older, suburban communities were once thriving, diverse and attractive places. But for many decades they have been victims of federal and state policies that have favored new suburban development at the expense of established communities. Aging communities are now experiencing crumbling infrastructure, abandoned Main Streets, loss of jobs, struggling schools, and excessive tax burdens...while newer communities are at risk for unbalanced growth. The summit will give visibility during this critical election year to the common challenges faced by PA communities, and to launch an organizing structure for advancing the state and federal policy agenda that will revitalize and strengthen Pennsylvania. The summit will feature keynote speaker Myron Orfield - a national expert on regional equity, land use and municipal governance. Invited guests include Pennsylvania's gubernatorial candidates, U.S. Senate candidates, and members of the federal administration, among others.

Good Schools Pennsylvania is pleased to partner with 10,000 Friends of Pennsylvania, the Southeastern PA First Suburbs Project, Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and a number of other organizations and community leaders to host this Summit.

Save the Date: The Road to Sustainability II Conference

Thursday, September 23
8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Community College of Beaver County, Athletic and Events Center, 1 Campus Drive, Monaca
Cost: $40 per person
CALL FOR VENDORS
Potential Vendors: please contact Melody Kimbrough at 724-480-3443 or via email mailto:melody.kimbrough@ccbc.edu. Space is limited so act now to take part of this extraordinary opportunity.
For details on sponsorship opportunities, please call 724-480-3443 or contact nancy.dickson@ccbc.edu.

The Community College of Beaver County, as well as current sponsors Sustainable Pittsburgh and First National Bank, will host “The Road to Sustainability II Conference: Implementing Sustainable Strategies” on Thursday, September 23. Conference attendees will learn practical ways for moving their business from sustainable concept to sustainable reality. National and regional experts will speak on topics such as: implementation strategies, demystifying the energy audit, converting return on investment into LEED Certification, and creating a sustainable work environment. Products and services dealing with sustainability will be on display and breakout sessions focusing on specific “green” topics will highlight best practices and case studies.

Resources

Cities get more aid than 'burbs

The report recommends agencies continue to use those principles in choosing where to distribute funds, as well as urging a focus on distributing information about the use of the funds, suggesting those involved "strengthen public disclosure regarding where business subsidies go." To that end, the research center is drawing attention to the proposed "Economic Development and Fiscal Accountability Act" winding its way through both houses of the state Legislature. The act would require that more information be made public about which companies receive state economic development funds and what results they produce.

Around Town: Rivers' improvement still far from perfect

But Mr. Brady calls this past Saturday's "Paddle at the Point" -- which almost surely met its goal of setting a world record for boats floating together for 30 seconds -- a two-pronged statement. The first prong was a joyous recognition of "how far we've come." The second is "how much we have to lose."

More

We recycle bottles; why not energy? How? HYBRIDS!

Recycling energy should be as routine as recycling bottles, cans and newspapers, enthuses real estate developer CHRISTOPHER YULE

Consider that we have built a worldwide infrastructure to recycle bottles, cans, newspapers, cars, concrete, computers -- almost anything you can name. But has there ever been a worldwide shortage of newspaper? Or soda bottles? Have we ever gone to war over newsprint? Have we ever invaded another country to protect our access to bottles?

Recycling bottles, newspapers and old Toyotas is important, but energy is central to the very existence of our civilization, yet we make no effort to recycle it.

This must change, and it is what hybrid vehicles are designed to do.

Park it: Our corner of the state offers plenty of green spaces to stay and play

Residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania easily can visit a county park each week this summer and never go to the same park twice. Parks in Allegheny and adjoining counties offer many opportunities for traditional activities, such as picnicking, swimming, hiking and biking. They also offer chances to ride the region's longest slide, learn about Colonial heroes and get up close to a herd of buffalo.

Investors Urge More Tech Firms to Follow Intel's Lead and Embrace Green

As Robert Kropp wrote about Intel's move, "The implications of a legal opinion from corporate counsel agreeing that consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, as well as sustainability reporting, represent a fiduciary duty for corporate Boards of Directors, could extend beyond the activities of Intel alone. As the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ponders mandatory corporate reporting of ESG criteria, the legal opinion helps form a basis for the position that such reporting is a critical factor in corporate financial performance." Harrington said the bylaw amendments were intended to give these companies an opportunity to embrace green leadership and earn the triple bottom line benefits of more efficient, lower impact operations. "Hopefully Microsoft, Cisco and Oracle can look at the steps taken by Intel and use them as a guide in realizing that addressing sustainability and transparency are key to the long-term success and existence of their businesses," Harrington said. "Sustainability should be inserted into the DNA of these companies as a fiduciary duty of the board of directors.

Will Radical Transparency Save the Earth?

Goleman calls for "radical transparency," a term I've been hearing increasingly lately, one of those coinages that sneaks up on you en route to becoming a full-fledged meme. Goleman didn't invent the term -- it's been around for some time -- but it is a central theme of his book: the virtuous circle that develops when companies, voluntarily or not, lift the veil of secrecy to reveal the ingredients and sources of their products, enabling consumers to make smarter choices, thereby moving markets toward less-harmful products. That cycle, argues Goleman, can occur only when we fully exploit the full arsenal of technologies and human networks:

When Investment Is a Bad Thing

The potential for investors to buy up large swaths of housing in poorer neighborhoods and flip them for profit has an ugly precedent: blockbusting. Blockbusting was the practice of scaring urban middle-class white homeowners into selling their homes for significantly less than market value based on the assumption that property values would decline as the neighborhood became ethnically mixed, then turning around and selling the property to minority homebuyers at above-market values for a large profit. It decimated urban neighborhoods, and one could argue—as I have in the past—that it was this private-sector activity, not just poor federal urban policy, that helped destroy inner-city America in the decades following World War II.

Burning questions at gas well

The West Virginia explosion is the second major accident at a Marcellus shale drilling operation in four days. On Friday, natural gas and drilling fluids containing toxic pollutants escaped in a "blowout" from a Marcellus shale well operated by EOG Resources in Clearfield County on private property adjacent to the Moshannon State Forest.

Legislators eye $472 million gap in Pa. highway funding

Philadelphia and Pittsburgh should provide more of their own mass transit funding, rather than relying on the state, he said. "They have made no attempt locally to put local money into their systems," Scavello said.

This Week on The Allegheny Front: Marcellus Gas Well Accidents Raise Worries

This week on The Allegheny Front, two recent accidents at Marcellus gas well sites raise concerns about emergency preparedness and environmental damage. In other news, EPA releases new health standards for sulfur dioxide and reassess the health effects of dioxin. An marine ecologist, speaking at a recent conference, says Americans don't remember what healthy oceans look like. This past weekend, paddlers gathered at the Point to break a world record. The Allegheny Land Trust unveils some public art -- a remediation site for acid mine drainage. Also this week, water lessons from Israel and a guinea hen's heartbreak.

EcoCents: Pittsburgh's Green Guide

Go Green. Save Money. Support Pittsburgh's Local Economy.

EcoCents: Pittsburgh's Green Guide has small suggestions and big ideas to green your everyday life. In the pages of EcoCents, you'll find everything from the bus you'll catch to get to your yoga class to the bike lanes you'll take to pick up some arugula at the farmers market. Your fellow Pittsburghers offer tips on how to throw a green wedding, use local produce to create delicious meals, knit a scarf with eco-friendly fiber - and more! Plus EcoCents features neighborhood maps, business listings and hundreds of dollars in coupons to local, eco-friendly businesses.

Use your EcoCents coupons to save at ESSpa Kozmetika, Giant Eagle, Pittsburgh Center for Complementary Health and Healing, Quiet Storm, Pizza Fusion, Hoi Polloi Café, East End Food Co-op, brillobox, Caliban Books, Natural Stitches, Venture Outdoors, Construction Junction, BYS Yoga, The E House Company, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Mattress Factory and many more!

Purchase your copy of EcoCents: Pittsburgh's Green Guide online at www.ecocentspgh.com or at the following retailers: Borders Eastside, Joseph-Beth Booksellers, East End Food Co-op, The E House Company, Right by Nature, Mattress Factory, Heinz History Center, Fort Pitt Museum and A Spa to Remember.

The Climate Majority

In our survey, which was financed by a grant to Stanford from the National Science Foundation, 1,000 randomly selected American adults were interviewed by phone between June 1 and Monday. When respondents were asked if they thought that the earth’s temperature probably had been heating up over the last 100 years, 74 percent answered affirmatively. And 75 percent of respondents said that human behavior was substantially responsible for any warming that has occurred. For many issues, any such consensus about the existence of a problem quickly falls apart when the conversation turns to carrying out specific solutions that will be costly. But not so here. Fully 86 percent of our respondents said they wanted the federal government to limit the amount of air pollution that businesses emit, and 76 percent favored government limiting business’s emissions of greenhouse gases in particular. Not a majority of 55 or 60 percent — but 76 percent.

We Need A Grandchildren Standard

The difference between CSR and sustainability? Grandchildren. BP and Goldman Sachs illustrate a crucial difference between corporate social responsibility and sustainability. Sustainability must be an impact yardstick, a lagging measure of the cumulative, aggregate and long-term effect of everything we do. CSR is an activity yardstick, a leading indicator of contributions that, though positive, can co-exist with unsustainable behavior that eventually will overwhelm any good that’s done.

New York Enacts E-Waste Recycling Law

New York state has joined 22 others in enacting an electronic waste recycling law. The legislation recently signed by Gov. David Paterson calls for "all manufacturers that sell electronic equipment in the state" to "have a free, convenient electronic waste, or 'e-waste,' recycling program in effect by April 1, 2011.” The law also makes it illegal for individuals to dispose of electronic waste at landfills, effective Jan. 1, 2015.

Kids.gov

Kids.gov is the government's official source for kids to find all the government information they need to complete their school assignments. It's also a safe place for teachers to send their students to play educational games, find the answers to questions and learn interactively. Help us build a better Kids.gov by forwarding this message to any kids, tweens, parents, librarians, or teachers.

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

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

Sustainable Pittsburgh affects decision-making in the Pittsburgh Region to integrate economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support ($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