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Events

Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets

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Toward cultivating greater capacity for sustainable practice around Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Sustainable Community Development Network of Sustainable Pittsburgh partnered with leading organizations to produce a new series of Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets and a Rapid Assessment for communities.

Released at the 9th annual Smart Growth Conference on May 21, 2009, these resource sheets identify 14 essentials of a sustainable community - from Air Quality to Food Security to Governance - and provide an explanation of each topic and case studies – a perfect tool for community leaders to use as they work to improve their neighborhoods.

Learn more at www.sustainablecommunityessentials.org.

Resources

“Green Shoots: Tracking the Progress of the Green Recovery”

Phone call
Friday, June 19
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Please RSVP by Thursday, June 18th. You will receive the call-in information when you RSVP.
RSVP here

Some economists and analysts are seeing early positive signs -- so-called “green shoots” -- in the nation’s economic recovery. But are those shoots really green? As stimulus dollars start to flow and the prospects for green jobs become real, are we doing enough to build the foundation for a truly green and equitable economy?

During this one-hour call-in briefing, some of the nation’s top advocates pushing for a green recovery will talk about how we’re doing so far, what’s next, and where the best opportunities for organizing still await. This is the sixth and final call in the Demand Equity Now recovery briefing series.

Panelists will be:
Radhika Fox, Director of Federal Policy, PolicyLink
Elsa Barboza, Campaign Director, Strategic Concepts in Organizing and Policy Education
Dean Katerndahl, Government Innovations Forum Director, Mid-America Regional Council (the group overseeing Kansas City's Green Impact Zone)
Ian Kim, Green-Collar Jobs Campaign Director, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights, and coordinator for California Green Stimulus Coalition

River Sweep

Saturday, June 20
Morning hours
Click here for more information and a listing of cleanup locations in southwestern PA. Contact: Betsy Mallison at 412-281-5555, PA River Sweep Coordinator
Contact for Duck Hollow/Nine Mile run cleanup site: Lois Liberman, 412-421-5659 or Lois92@verizon.net
Contact for Natrona cleanup site: Myrna Newman, 412-381-1301, tireless@alleghenycleanways.org

River Sweep, a riverbank cleanup of the Ohio River and its tributaries, increases public awareness of water quality and promotes stewardship of the Ohio River watershed. River Sweep encompasses the entire length of the river, from its origin in Pittsburgh, PA to its end in Cairo, IL, including 1,962 miles of shoreline and many tributaries. Each year, more than 21,000 volunteers from public organizations, civic groups, recreational clubs, and the general public in six states bordering the river come together to collect more than 20,000 tons of trash and other debris from the banks of the Ohio River and tributaries.

Youth Futures Commission Community Briefing

Tuesday, June 23
8:30 am - 9:30 am
United Way, 1250 Penn Avenue, Strip District
OR
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
United Way, 1250 Penn Avenue, Strip District
Please RSVP your attendance to Deborah Silva at ebush@ulpgh.org or 412-227-4150.
Formal invitation
Mentor Application

The Youth Futures Commission, an outgrowth of the Youth Crime Prevention Council, with a history of serving youth since 1994, is a group of public and private sector leaders working together to develop and implement a strategic plan to ensure that the Pittsburgh region is a place of opportunity for its young people and grows as a vibrant community. It is a central clearinghouse and think-tank working to implement a strategic plan to reduce youth violence and increase meaningful opportunities for youth. The Commission needs help in achieving its goals to 1) enlist and train hundreds of mentors between now and September 2009 to support young people in their career choices and educational successes; and 2) mobilize the community through a grassroots effort to recognize and reward academic success. Attend one of the two conveniently scheduled one-hour meetings to hear more about the Youth Futures Commission and how you can help support young people.

Breakfast with Earth Force

Thursday, June 25
8:00 am - 9:00 am
CCI Center Conference Room, 64 South 14th St., South Side
Free to attend; space is limited
RSVP or inquiries: bbartlett@lea.earthforce.org, 412-216-9382

Question: How does this one organization impact the region’s “triple bottom line”, reform K-12 education, and develop tomorrow’s leaders?
Question: What difference have kids really made?
Question: Why has Earth Force been chosen to survive in the new economy, when so many have not?
Answer: Come find out over Breakfast with Earth Force

The CCI Center is located on the corner of S. 14th and Sarah Streets. Parking is available along East Carson, 13th, and 14th Streets.

Summer Webinar Series Focuses on Marcellus Shale Natural Gas

June 25 - Planning for Community Impacts
July 23 - Water Resources Policy Issues
August 27 - Marcellus Industry Direct Workforce Needs
September 17 - Community Response Options to Marcellus Shale & Energy Development
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
For information about how to register for the webinars, please click here or contact Joann Kowalski, extension educator in Susquehanna County, at 570-278-7758.

Beginning June 25, Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences and Penn State Cooperative Extension will offer a series of monthly online workshops addressing impacts related to the development of Marcellus shale natural gas reserves in Pennsylvania.

Home Ownership Finance

Register Now for the Second Course in PCRG’s 4-Part Community Development Finance Training Series
July 20-22, 2009
Location TBD
Regular Tuition: $595/person
501(c)3 Staff: $395/person ($200 discount per person)
PCRG Members: $195/person ($400 discount per person)
All RSVP’s must be received by June 30th. You will receive some pre-program materials to look over in the few weeks leading up to the course.
For questions and to RSVP, contact sstutts@pcrg.org or 412-391-6732 x210.

The Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) has partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to bring the three-day course “Home Ownership Finance” to Pittsburgh! A part of the Housing Development Certification, this course closely examines the skills required to successfully develop single-family housing that is affordable for low- and moderate-income families. This course will focus on financing affordable single family homes. Topics to be covered include an overview of home ownership development, a look at the development process, financing and deal structuring, qualifying home buyers, income and credit barriers to qualifying, and permanent mortgage programs. This course is intended to be introductory, with no prior knowledge of home ownership deals required.

This course is made possible by funding and support from Citizen’s Bank, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, and the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Their support has allowed PCRG to assist neighborhood groups and other non-profit organizations by providing scholarships to attend this valuable program. Scholarships are reflected in the discounted registration fees. You may save an additional 10% when registering two or more people for this training program.

Society for the History of Technology: Annual Meeting

October 15-19, 2009
Pittsburgh Hilton, Downtown
Details

Please join SHOT members this fall in getting to know this beautiful city that technology built and re-built. Consistent with the reality of this revitalized city, the meeting’s themes will be “Reform(ed) Technologies” and “Circulation of Technology.” At a moment when decaying infrastructure is a major topic of public discussion and large promised investment, Pittsburgh looks the right place for historians of technology to reconsider linear tales of innovation or destruction. Some sessions focus on the ways in which technologies are reformed and on the historical development of technologies for reform. Environmental technologies are an obvious topic, but the theme also embraces topics such as urban renewal, new uses of old technologies, and issues of maintenance. Other sessions will deal with the geographical circulation of technology, including models that attend to the relevance of local contexts in accounting for the circulation of technologies on a global scale. Also, this year a new format for the Sunday morning program will encourage our Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and associated groups, to organize their own paper sessions, workshops, roundtables, or other events.

Resources

Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets now available

Toward cultivating greater capacity for sustainable practice around Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Sustainable Community Development Network of Sustainable Pittsburgh partnered with leading organizations to produce a new series of Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets and a Rapid Assessment for communities. Released at the 9th annual Smart Growth Conference on May 21, 2009, these resource sheets identify 14 essentials of a sustainable community - from Air Quality to Food Security to Governance - and provide an explanation of each topic and case studies – a perfect tool for community leaders to use as they work to improve their neighborhoods.

Make Pittsburgh Even Cooler in June: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle is this month's action for the Black and Gold City Goes Green initiative. Instead of throwing away your unwanted items, consider different ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle. Doing this can save you money and reduce global warming pollution.

Renewable Sources Could Supply 20% Of US Energy By 2035, Report Finds.

"Renewable-energy sources such as wind and solar could provide 10 percent of electricity in the U.S. by 2020 if funding is expanded to help cut costs of those technologies," according to a report from the National Research Council, which indicated that "renewable energy, excluding hydropower, could account for 20 percent of power by 2035." The NRC report also "found there 'are no current technological constraints' preventing an accelerated expansion of wind, solar, biomass and geothermal in the next 10 years," and that "renewable energy is more expensive than coal and other fossil fuels partly because adverse effects such as pollution aren't fully reflected in the price of those traditional sources."

Innovative Farm Research Saves Energy and Pesticides

How can farmers keep sediment and pollutants from running into waterways, save money so they can stay in business, and sequester the potent greenhouse gas carbon all in one shot? Not tilling -- or plowing -- soil accomplishes all these goals. But it has potential drawbacks, too. This week, The Allegheny Front's Jennifer Szweda Jordan heads out into the field to see what no-till farming looks like when it's married with organic ag. It's part of our Earth's Bounty series on food and the environment.

MPO Peer Workshop On Planning For Climate Change

This report summarizes the results of the workshop held in Seattle, Washington on March 6 and 7, 2008, on planning for climate change. Representatives from 13 MPOs shared their experiences and challenges in this area. The ultimate goal of the workshop was to allow senior staff from a variety of MPOs to come together to share information and learn from each other in a facilitated open discussion setting. FHWA developed this report to summarize the workshop discussions and results for the use and benefit of MPOs and their planning partners across the country...Most of the participating MPOs are taking various types of action related to climate change. Some MPOs are trying to address climate change "quietly" through their existing planning processes, while others have put climate change prominently at the top of their list of priorities.

Visions of Smart Growth and Sustainability

Visions of Smart Growth and Sustainability was conceived to assist the implementation of Central Florida's ''How Should We Grow'' regional planning initiative. This post-charrette publication offers the public, leaders, and planners a vision of Florida's communities and countryside if future growth is approached with sensitivity to supporting core economic and environmental requirements.

T&I Chairman to Release Blueprint for New Transportation Authorization Bill 6/17

House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman James L. Oberstar (Minn.) will release a white paper next week (6/17) to outline plans for the new surface transportation authorization bill.

The Route to Reform: Blueprint for a 21st Century Federal Transportation Program

T4 America’s proposal for the policies and financing structures necessary to achieve real transformational change in America’s transportation system. If our platform lays out the vision and goals for America’s transportation system, then the Transportation for America Route to Reform Blueprint contains the detailed directions for getting there...Transportation for America recommends Congress include four critical reforms in the upcoming transportation authorization bill:

New Rail Lines Spur Urban Revival

The use of public transportation has been rising. In 2007, Americans took 10.3 billion trips on public transit, the highest number in 50 years, according to the American Public Transportation Association. And the Obama administration has pledged $8 billion toward high-speed rail projects as part of its economic stimulus program. But some communities have been taking matters into their own hands. Ms. Poticha’s organization has tallied some $250 billion worth of light-rail, streetcar or high-speed bus projects being planned nationwide...A recent survey of developers and investors by the Urban Land Institute for its annual Emerging Trends in Real Estate report found that urban redevelopment had the best prospects among all types of housing, while urban mixed-use properties and town centers scored high among niche property types. “These are the places that will be creating and holding value,” Ms. Poticha said. She said proximity to public transit could raise property values significantly.

Energy company buys Westmoreland land for possible $1 billion plant

A Nebraska-based energy company has quietly purchased 400 acres in South Huntingdon with an eye toward building a $1 billion natural gas power plant to serve eastern and midwestern portions of the United States.

Environmentally friendly David L. Lawrence Convention Center to host G-20

The convention center uses less than two-thirds as much electricity as ordinary buildings of its size, according to Duquesne Light Co. bills and the Department of Energy. Water conservation measures, such as the treatment plant, allow the building to buy 1 gallon of water for every 5 gallons it uses, according to Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority bills and the convention center's operators.

Master Class in Sustainability Change Agentry

The AtKisson Group’s new ISIS Academy Master Class brings years of sustainability learning into laser-like focus, over a fast-paced six-day period. From indicators to innovation, from systems thinking to facilitating change, the Master Class will help you move quickly from wherever you are, toward wherever you want to be — both professionally and personally.

10 black teens from area to visit China for 2 weeks

When 10 teenagers from Urban Youth Action and the Pittsburgh Project arrive this week for a two-week stay in Beijing, China, they'll fulfill a proposition that some program administrators once believed might be too big to accomplish.

Tell PA Senators Protect Water, Tax Gas Drilling

Call your senator immediately and tell him or her that you want Pennsylvania to tax the extraction of natural gas so taxpayers do not bear the brunt of damage to water and communities caused by drilling. The largest gas deposit in North America, the Marcellus Shale deposit, underlies most of Pennsylvania. Huge multi-national energy companies from around the world are coming to the state to tap this rich resource. Pennsylvania is the only major fossil-fuel producing state that does not have any severance taxes that compensate the public for the depletion of a non-renewable natural resource and for the damage caused by mining or drilling. Governor Rendell proposed a severance tax on natural gas exactly like the one in West Virginia and similar to the one in all 14 states that have more gas extraction than Pennsylvania.

Binghamton: Moving Toward Sustainability: An Opportunity for Growth and Prosperity

To further the City of Binghamton‘s commitment to sustainable development and engage public participation, the Mayor and City Council convened the Commission on Sustainable Development and Smart Growth on April 3, 2008. This report offers the Commission‘s recommendations for actions and initiatives the City should undertake to improve its long-term health and viability and become a more sustainable community.

Why we need to save the T from ruin

Today, the Metropolitan Area Planning Council will unveil a new plan for growth and preservation in Greater Boston. The plan, called "MetroFuture," was constructed with input from more than 5,000 residents and regional leaders. It calls for a new pattern of development based on "smart growth" - concentrating new homes and jobs near existing infrastructure, preserving farms and fields, and protecting air, water, and habitat. However, attaining the lofty goals of MetroFuture depends more on one institution than on any other: a healthy, stable, and growing transit system.

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

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support in 2009 from:

Bayer Corporation
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
Falk Foundation
FedEx Ground
The Giant Eagle Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Dylan Todd Simonds Foundation
University of Pittsburgh


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