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Events

Information Forum: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission – Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Update and CMAQ Program Development and Management

Monday, September 14
10:00 – Noon
Regional Enterprise Tower, 31st floor
No fee to attend
Pre-registration to: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6642. Please provide full contact information.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is now focused on developing the region’s 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP serves to identify needed regional transportation investments over a four-year period that support the region’s Long Range Transportation and Development Plan within fiscal constraint. A visible element of the TIP development process will be the recommended program of projects for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ).

Come learn about these important regional processes for prioritizing needed transportation improvements. Gain insight in what it takes to get a project ready for the TIP and in particular learn about the CMAQ funding process and project eligibility.

This information forum, being presented by SPC in cooperation with Sustainable Pittsburgh, is timely given that both the TIP update process and CMAQ project selection process are just beginning. At the forum staff will highlight TIP update activity, present the process and schedule for developing and managing the CMAQ Program, and engage participants in a lively Q&A session including opportunity for attendees to discuss potential project ideas in an informal, rapid-fire session with SPC staff.

Resources

Information Forum: Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission – Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Update and CMAQ Program Development and Management

Monday, September 14
10:00 – Noon
Regional Enterprise Tower, 31st floor
No fee to attend
Pre-registration to: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6642. Please provide full contact information.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is now focused on developing the region’s 2011-2014 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP serves to identify needed regional transportation investments over a four-year period that support the region’s Long Range Transportation and Development Plan within fiscal constraint. A visible element of the TIP development process will be the recommended program of projects for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ).

Come learn about these important regional processes for prioritizing needed transportation improvements. Gain insight in what it takes to get a project ready for the TIP and in particular learn about the CMAQ funding process and project eligibility.

This information forum, being presented by SPC in cooperation with Sustainable Pittsburgh, is timely given that both the TIP update process and CMAQ project selection process are just beginning. At the forum staff will highlight TIP update activity, present the process and schedule for developing and managing the CMAQ Program, and engage participants in a lively Q&A session including opportunity for attendees to discuss potential project ideas in an informal, rapid-fire session with SPC staff.

Road to Sustainability

Tuesday, October 13
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
Community College of Beaver County Dome
Cost: $35 per person (includes breakfast and lunch)
Contact: CCBC’s Career and Workforce Development Office at 724-480-3600

Hosted by the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC), Congressman Jason Altmire, L. Robert Kimball & Associates, and Sustainable Pittsburgh, “The Road to Sustainability” Conference is aimed at providing information to businesses and organizations about what it really means to “go green” as well as what it will take to get the current workforce trained to do so. Scheduled topics include the following:
• Sustainable Development
• Green Building and LEED
• Energy Auditing
• Mechanical Systems
• Grant Writing
• Act 129 opportunities
• Act 167 and Future Storm Water Management
• Solid Waste Management

A Resources Room will also be available throughout the day, highlighting vendors displaying green products and services.

BikeFest 2009

A celebration of Pittsburgh and all things cycling!
Through Sunday, August 23
Various times and locations
www.bike-pgh.org

BikeFest is Pittsburgh’s biggest cycling event for cyclists by cyclists. It’s BikePGH’s annual celebration of bicycling, showcasing Pittsburgh in all of its uniqueness and beauty. It is not an organized event, but a framework for volunteers and organizations to organize bicycle-themed events. Whether you ride everyday, the weekends, or just always wanted to try, BikeFest has an event for you!

Pittsburgh is filled with interesting things to see and do, and there is no better way to experience the city than on a bicycle. So Bike PGH decided to celebrate the two to both raise awareness of the bike as a fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly way to get around, and to highlight some of the amazing things Pittsburgh has to offer. There are a wide variety of bikers and organizations in this city and if we can all get to know one another, we’ll be able to make Pittsburgh a more bike friendly and livable city.

Pittsburgh Green Drinks

Friday, August 21 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm 2nd Floor Bar, Six Penn Kitchen, 146 6th Street, Downtown Pittsburgh For more information email: pittsburghgreendrinks@gmail.com For Port Authority Bus Routes, go here: www.portauthority.org

This month's Green Drinks is hosted by the PA Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), East End Food Co-op, and Three Rivers Bioneers. PASA is proud to celebrate Buy Fresh Buy Local® Food Month - A Taste of Place - in September 2009, with a preview in August for Green Drinks. Local Food Month is a month-long series of events that celebrate locally grown, seasonal foods and the people who produce them! Come to the August Green Drinks to get a taste of the Co-op's September Local Food Month. The Co-op will host an Eat Local Challenge to inspire consumers to learn more about and experience the health and economic benefits of eating locally grown and produced food. In tandem with the challenge, the Co-op will host a series of local food events including a fermentation class, a Venture Outdoors local food hike, and a free film screening of FRESH. The Three Rivers Bioneers will hold a Conference October 16-18, 2009 at the Pittsburgh Project in the Northside. Come to the August Green Drinks and meet people involved with Bioneers -- a non-profit organization that holds an annual conference to connect social justice, spirituality, ecology, art, and wellness.

There will be complimentary fresh, local appetizers and limited complimentary drinks, in addition to a cash bar.

G-20 Pittsburgh Summit: Behind the Scenes

Tuesday, August 25
5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Pittsburgh Opera Offices, Strip District
Cost: $10; Free for students with College ID (Please email danielle@lpinc.org to register with a college ID)
Includes hors d’oeuvres and cash bar
RSVP by August 14th, 2009, at www.lpinc.org, click on Events.

Join the New Pittsburgh Collaborative, NPC members Leadership Pittsburgh and PUMP, and others for an exciting, informative and “in-the-know” conversation with Bill Flanagan from the Allegheny Conference and Craig Davis of VisitPittsburgh about what Pittsburgh is doing to prepare for the G-20 in September, what to can expect during the conference, and how Pittsburgh can be a great host to the world. This event is open to the whole community, not just NPC members, so bring your friends and find out how you can help Pittsburgh welcome the world.

GET: Larimer

August 27
6:30pm
Ava Lounge, 126 S. Highland (around the corner from Shadow Lounge), East Liberty
Contact: getlarimer@gmail.com or visit www.getlarimer.com.

Help brainstorm and plan the first ever Green Environmental Tourism (GET) event in Larimer. The evening will consist of breakout groups and action committee formation to help determine how the neighborhood of Larimer can be highlighted as Pittsburgh’s Green neighborhood, and a must-see destination for visitors to our great city. The GET concept will be presented to the world during the G-20 conference to show how it can be replicated in different cities around the world, and how ideas from other cities can cross-pollinate to further evolve the concept.

USED (Urban Solutions for Ecological Development) is a project of S & G (Sustainable and Green) Holdings designed to leverage the natural opportunities of blighted areas through sustainable economical development and social entrepreneurship. Their first sites for this development are targeted in the Larimer neighborhoods through the GET:Larimer project and slated to launch in Fall 2009. Come for a conversation and brainstorming session with the USED team and other key community stakeholders and leaders to discuss the g20 GET:Larimer event.

Public meeting to review the Draft Intercity Passenger and Freight Rail plan

Thursday, September 17
Carnegie Borough Building, One Veterans Way, Carnegie
Anytime between 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Persons requiring special accommodations may contact Jennie Granger, AICP at 717-671-6985, ext 20.

Each public meeting will be held in an open house format so community members can stop by between 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm to learn about the plan, ask questions and provide written comments. The plan will enable PennDOT to implement a more efficient and effective approach to intercity rail transportation within the Commonwealth. Specifically, consideration will be given to more frequent and timely passenger rail service and increased use of the freight rail system for goods movement. In addition, this plan will also aid in prioritizing rail projects throughout the state by identifying those that will provide the most benefit for the limited funding available. Prioritization will take into account multiple factors. These factors include, but are not limited to; the availability of funding, the ability of the project/improvement to facilitate economic growth, and the minimization of impacts to the environment.

Third Annual Rachel Carson Legacy Conference
When Chemicals Disrupt: Managing Our Risks

Friday, September 25
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Bidwell Training Center, 1815 Metropolitan Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15233
Tickets: $90
Pre-registration and pre-payment is required.
More information

Featuring leaders of national and state government, academic institutions, environmental and social justice advocacy organizations and medical science, the conference will address the dichotomy between critical protection of the environment (and our bodies and those of the next generations) from endocrine disrupting contaminants and the unbridled economic interest of those who produce substances which directly or indirectly act as endocrine or developmental disruptors.

Bisphenol A (BPA), phthalates and other such synthetic compounds known as endocrine disruptors are chemicals that disrupt the endocrine system. They are used widely in agriculture, industry and consumer products. They fool the body into over-production or under-production of natural hormones. They have been linked to feminization of fish, hermophrodization in frogs, and there is a growing body of scientific evidence that links endocrine disruptors to obesity, insulin resistance and diabetes in humans. Other research has shown that male sperm count is dropping and that genital abnormalities in newborn boys are increasing.

This Rachel Carson Legacy Conference will look at the serious and urgent topic of endocrine disruptors in three parts: Policy, Science and Remedies.

“Examining Five Prominent Explanations for the Black/White School Achievement Gap”

Wednesday, September 30
Noon - 1:30 pm (Lunch is provided)
School of Social Work Conference Center, 2017 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Registration is not required.

The Center on Race and Social Problems in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh is please to present the first lecture of the Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC Fall 2009 Speaker Series on September 30. Featuring Gary L. St. C. Oates, Associate Professor of Sociology, Bowling Green State University, the lecture will address “Examining Five Prominent Explanations for the Black/White School Achievement Gap.”

The mission of the center is to conduct applied social science research on race, color, and ethnicity and their influence on the quality of life for all Americans. The lecture series provides an opportunity for faculty, students, and community members to engage in race-related discussions of mutual interest. The law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has generously sponsored this speaker series.

Creating Sustainable Funding in Challenging Economic Times

Tuesday, October 6
8:30 am – 10:30 am
NeighborWorks® Western Pennsylvania, 710 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh 15219
Free To register, go to http://www.benevon.com/intros/Register-Pittsburgh
For questions please contact Alaina Szlachta at 206-428-2158 or alaina@benevon.com

What would it look like to have an ever-increasing stream of major donors who love your mission?

Join SWPA Housing Alliance & Benevon for this free seminar on how to create sustainable funding for your nonprofit. This seminar is for nonprofit board members, staff, and volunteers to learn more about a system for sustainable funding from lifelong donors. Terry Axelrod, Founder and CEO of Benevon, will talk about a tested system to identify and cultivate donors who love your mission-—donors who will give for operations, capital, and endowment—-even during challenging financial times. Learn how to engage your community in your organization's mission and to inspire giving, even in a lagging economy. This entry-level seminar will give you the fundamentals to embark on the path to sustainability and grow your major gifts programs year after year.

“The Youth Gang Problem: A Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach”

Thursday, October 29
Noon - 1:30 pm (Lunch is provided)
School of Social Work Conference Center, 2017 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Registration is not required.

The Center on Race and Social Problems in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh presents Irving A. Spergel, Professor Emeritus, University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration in a discussion of “The Youth Gang Problem: A Comprehensive Community-Wide Approach.”

The mission of the center is to conduct applied social science research on race, color, and ethnicity and their influence on the quality of life for all Americans. The lecture series provides an opportunity for faculty, students, and community members to engage in race-related discussions of mutual interest. The law firm Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney PC has generously sponsored this speaker series.

Resources

Sustainable Community Essentials Resource Sheets available online

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. 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.

Local Group Helps "Green" G20

The environmental stewardship group Sustainable Pittsburgh has been tapped by the Allegheny Conference to look for ways to make the upcoming G20 summit more environmentally friendly. . .Sustainable Pittsburgh hopes the conference will start off on the right foot by greening the welcoming reception.

More

Zero Waste Pittsburgh Recycling Assistance Program

According to Pennsylvania Act 101, businesses, institutions and large-scale special events in mandated communities are required to recycle: aluminum cans, high-grade office paper, corrugated cardboard, and leaf waste (if generated). Zero Waste Pittsburgh provides one-on-one assistance as well as a hotline and website dedicated to providing helpful, up-to-date resources, information and assistance to business, institutional and special events recycling efforts throughout the region.

Noise Pollution Special

In this special program, The Allegheny Front examines noise pollution, from its health effects in humans to its effect on birds. Listen to the entire program: Protecting yourself from excessive noise; Health effects of noise on humans; Naturalist Journal: Noise Drowns Out Birdsongs; Soundmasking in offices; Noise ordinances; Commentary: Silent Retreat.

The Next Page: A peek at Pittsburgh's post-industrial peers

Perhaps, as these European regions suggest, it's time to change our thinking once again. The idea is to become more collaborative on a widely regional level. The goal is to better compete on the global stage and amass greater economic impact. Hey, it's not like we haven't done this kind of reinventing before.

Beyond the G-20: Making Pittsburgh better- We need to work toward a more inclusive regional economy

We should not miss the opportunity to learn from the meaning of the G-20 and what it can model in terms of how we must address critical obstacles facing sustainable regional growth. . .We need to have a regional dialogue not simply about how to host the G-20, but how to learn from it. We must turn our attention to how we can create our own "regional G-20," one that helps to ensure economic, environmental and social sustainability for all segments of our community.

Consol Energy lands rare coal-shipping deal with China

In addition to selling the coal to China, Consol earlier this month received a permit from the Army Corps of Engineers to conduct mountaintop surface coal mining at Peg Fork in Mingo County, W.Va., which is along the Kentucky border.

Pennsylvania has one of the most effective state-run foreclosure prevention programs in the country

Home ownership remains one of the core pillars of American financial life. The foreclosure crisis is not simply a matter of individual family tragedy, but an issue of economic stability for whole communities. Any effort to revitalize the nation's economy should include meaningful home ownership preservation resources and the federal government should look to successful state initiatives for guidance. We owe it to the American people to provide them with the same kind of support that we've shown to our financial institutions, preserving home ownerships with every reasonable tool at our disposal.

Guiding Companies -- and Consumers -- to Sustainability

But the ranking categories -- charity, equality, and environment -- seem a bit thin. Only one of the first 25 companies even has an environment score. Estee Lauder ranks 21 of 500 in part because it produced 4,683 pounds of toxic waste, but released none in the air -- and it uses 36 million kilowatt-hours of “green energy” per year. The company also got a 100 percent policy score in the “equality” bucket -- but I’m scratching my head on what a “policy score” is, with no link to explain.

Sustainability Task Force Created in Department of Homeland Security

''Expanding our sustainability efforts will allow us to more effectively deploy our resources to fulfill our critical security mission,'' said Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano after the first meeting of the Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) Sustainability and Efficiency Task Force, to which she appointed 14 public and private sector experts in early June, including city planner-architectural designer Jeff Speck, co-author of the acclaimed Suburban Nation: The Rise of Sprawl and the Decline of the American Dream (2000) and the Smart Growth Manual (2005), its second edition soon on the shelves.

Smart Growth Principles at Heart of Proposed Livable Communities Act

Increasingly, ''people are commuting longer distances on more crowded roadways,'' at the twin cost of ''precious hours they could be spending with their families'' and ''precious dollars wasted on gas,'' said Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Chris Dodd of Connecticut, moving to help towns and regions cut congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and fuel consumption while saving open space, expanding affordable housing and revitalize Main Streets and urban centers, through his Livable Communities Act with more than $4.1 billion in grants.

Water, Water Everywhere -- and Everywhere Under Threat

The marketplace, which was launched by BEF in conjunction with the Bullitt Foundation, the Natural Resources Defense Council and WhiteWave Foods Company, goes hand in glove with www.BEFwater.org, an online resource center to help groups better manage and track their water use.

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 in 2009 from:

Bayer Corporation
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Buhl 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
UPMC


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