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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.

A Complimentary Networking Breakfast with Earth Force

Thursday, September 10
8:00 am - 9:00 am
CCI Center Conference Room, 64 South 14th St. (corner of S. 14h and Sarah Streets)
Free to attend, but 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
2008-9 SWPA Statistics: 1,200 Students 30 Educators 2 Staff

Transit Development Plan (TDP): Public Hearing

Tuesday, September 15
8:00 am - 8:00 pm
Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, Downtown
Details below.

Individuals wishing to testify are encouraged to pre-register by calling (412) 566-5437 (TTY 412-231-7007) from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on weekdays. Oral testimony will be limited to three minutes per speaker. Persons who have not pre-registered can register to speak at the hearing and will be called on as time slots become available. Port Authority will provide a sign language interpreter for the public hearing and make Braille copies of all information available to those who request it. Individuals wishing to comment in writing about the proposals should mail their comments to Port Authority Fare and Service Proposals, Heinz 57 Center, 345 Sixth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2527. Public comments on the proposals also will be accepted on Port Authority’s Web site at http://tdp.portauthority.org.

The official public comment period starts Aug. 28 and the deadline is Sept. 30. at 4 p.m.

List of locations where detailed information about the plan may be reviewed:

Port Authority's Web site
Port Authority offices, 345 Sixth Avenue, Third Floor, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Port Authority’s Downtown Service Center, 534 Smithfield Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Visually impaired individuals may request information by calling the Authority at 1-866-583-0837.
Several Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh locations:
- Woods Run: 1201 Woods Run Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
- Homewood: 7101 Hamilton Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15208
- Carrick: 1811 Brownsville Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15210
- West End: 47 Wabash Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15220
- Hill District: 2177 Centre Ave. at Kirkpatrick Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219
- Main (Oakland): 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213
- Shaler North Hills Library: 1822 Mt. Royal Blvd., Glenshaw, PA 15116
- Bethel Park Public Library: 5100 West Library Ave., Bethel Park, PA 15102
- Monroeville Public Library: 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd., Monroeville, PA 15146
- Robinson Township Library: 1000 Church Hill Rd., Pittsburgh, PA 15205
- Braddock Carnegie Library: 419 Library St., Braddock, PA 15104

A Port Authority bus shuttle serving the hearing will run throughout the day and stop at several Downtown locations, including Fifth at Grant, Smithfield & Fourth Ave., Blvd. of the Allies at Wood, Blvd. of the Allies at Stanwix, Liberty at Gateway #4, Wood Street Station opposite Ninth Street, and Seventh Ave. at William Penn Place. The shuttle will run at least once every half hour.

Health and the Environment Workshop

Tuesday, September 15
6:30 pm to 8:00 pm
CCI Center (64 South 14tth Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203)
Fee: $20 per person (all participants receive a comprehensive green cleaning kit for attending)
To register, contact Sarah Alessio, Pennsylvania Resources Council at 412-488-7490 ext 236 or saraha@ccicenter.org.

In 1962 Rachel Carson stated that for the first time in the history of the world, every human being is now subjected to contact with dangerous chemicals, from the moment of conception until death. This statement was true then and continues to be true today. We all are exposed to a number of different chemicals, carcinogens, and toxins in our environment on a daily basis, but while we may have no control over some exposures, there are many that we do.

This Health and the Environment Workshop is designed to heighten awareness and encourage action around the issue of carcinogens and toxins that we come into contact with daily through the products we use and the food we eat. Participants will learn how and what to cook with to stay healthy, how to make your own cleaning and personal care products, and what toxins to avoid in personal care products. Class space is limited, so register early!

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.

National and regional speakers include:
Dr. Linda Birnbaum, Director, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
Ken Cook, President of Environmental Working Group
Jerome Ringo, President, Apollo Alliance
Dr. Terry Collins, Thomas Lord Chair of Chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University
Dr. Conrad Dan Volz, Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh
Dr. Michael Wilson, Research Scientist, School of Public Health, Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, University of California, Berkeley
Tim Hall, Cheif Executive Officer, Green OX Catalysts, Inc.
Paul Renner, Associate Director, The Labor Institute
Dr. Talal El-Hefnawy, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh U.S. Representative Michael Doyle

“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.

Good Design Makes Dollars and Sense

Thursday, October 15
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
Mellon School Auditorium and Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building, 700 Block of Washington Road in Uptown Mt. Lebanon
Fee: $50 (includes buffet lunch at Molly Brannigans)
Enrollment is limited--Reservation deadline is Monday, October 5
Parking is available in the South Garage next to the Municipal Building
For information call 412-343-3407.
* CM approval pending

Register at Mellon School, 700 Block of Washington Road, at 8:30 a.m. for a welcome and introduction by Anne-Marie Lubenau, AIA, President and CEO of the Community Design Center of Pittsburgh and keynote address by Thomas Hylton, author of Save Our Cities, Save our Towns. Speakers at the day-long workshop at the Mt. Lebanon Municipal Building that follows include:
Andrea McDonald, Pennsylvania and Museum Commission (PHMC)
Keith McGill, Mt.Lebanon planner
Bill Callahan, PHMC
Eric Milliron, Mt. Lebanon Commercial Districts Manager
Ellis Schmidlapp, Landmarks Design Associates
Tom Bartnik, CDCP
Tracy Myers, curator of architecture, Carnegie Museum of Art

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.

Pitt Researchers Undertake $1.06 Million Federal Project to Curtail, Reuse Harmful Wastewater From Marcellus Shale Drilling

The U.S. Department of Energy recently selected the University of Pittsburgh as one of nine national partners that will develop techniques for curtailing the possible environmental and health hazards associated with tapping the massive natural gas reserves lying beneath Pennsylvania and surrounding states. Roughly 70 percent of Pennsylvania sits atop the Marcellus Shale formation, which experts estimate contains up to 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas with about $500 billion worth of recoverable gas.

More

Teacher researches coffee farming in Costa Rica

Before participating in the trip, Mr. Modar did not have a particular interest in sustainable farming, but that lack of interest, he said, was mostly related to a lack of knowledge about the topic. . .This trip helped me to understand this process and the potential economic and environmental impacts of modern intensive farming practices. "When you combine knowledge of our modern system of agriculture with our exponential population growth, this idea of sustainability becomes more than just something for research scientists to be interested in."

Venture Outdoors attracts active, growing membership

"People have caught on. A shift is taking place. We're actually getting calls from other cities across the United States for us to go and do this in their cities," he said. "We tell them we haven't finished our work here yet." . . ."Of course, our underlying goal is to be more comfortable outdoors and to develop an appreciation for the natural world."

Green lighting at PIT gets green light

Parking lots and garages at Pittsburgh International Airport will be refitted with 1,500 energy-saving LED fixtures from Appalachian Lighting Systems in Ellwood City, Allegheny County executive Dan Onorato announced Monday.

2010 Undergraduate Design Challenge

Sponsored by the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation at Pitt, this year’s challenge asks undergraduate students in our region for innovations that reduce waste, embedded energy, and water by creating multi-use products, processes or services to replace single-use analogs, where performance is improved while waste, embedded energy and water consumption are reduced. Design strategies could include design for longer lifetime, design for re-use, replacement of products with services, design of ultra-low embedded energy or embedded water products.

Local Food Month: September 2009

This 4th annual celebration of local foods in Western Pennsylvania boasts over 75 unique events! Farms and markets are bountiful this time of year, fueling this revelry of locally-grown, seasonal foods and the people who produce them; Local Food Month is a perfect opportunity to highlight the bounty of good food found right here in our own neighborhoods. During this month, the Allegheny Front (WYEP 91.3) will air its new program, Earth’s Bounty 2.0 on September 2, 26, and 30 featuring tips, tricks and how to’s as a cook’s approach to local foods. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will present their Sustainable September film series at CLP - Main. Films include, YERT Film (9/3), Ladies of the Land (9/12), Slow Food Revolution (9/18), and Gimmee Green (9/26). Outdoor activities include a Be Local Hike sponsored by Venture Outdoors (9/16) and an Urban Farm Bike Tour (9/18) from 12pm – 7pm.

United States becomes world leader in wind power

Aggressive investments in 2008 helped the United States surpass Germany to become the world's leader in wind power, according to a report recently released by the U.S. Department of Energy. And for the fourth consecutive year, the United States is home to the fastest-growing wind power market in the world.

Scientists identify key natural boundaries

Tällberg Forum: leading scientists and experts identify planetary boundaries and how to avoid devastating climate change. . .We rush towards boundaries that, if we cross them, will lead to irreversible disasters. We´re talking about sea level increases of several meters, a collapse of agricultural systems in dry regions, a total loss of coral reefs and fishing resources, and the dehydration of the Amazonas. Global leaders have to realize that we cannot negotiate with nature. . .In the first meeting of the group of world-leading scientists, a list of about ten possible Planetary Boundaries was produced. These address the issues: - Climate change - Stratospheric ozone depletion - Ocean acidification - Nutrient input to oceans (phosphorous) - Aerosols in the atmosphere (influencing climate change) - Interfering with the global nitrogen cycle - Terrestrial land use - Freshwater consumption

Smart Transportation Economic Stimulation
Infrastructure Investments That Support Economic Development

This report discusses factors to consider when evaluating transportation economic stimulation strategies. Transportation investments can have large long-term economic, social and environmental impacts.

Stranded at the Station: New report documents the devastation of transit cuts and fare increases on America’s communities

Americans across the country, in towns large and small, are being hurt by fare increases and draconian cuts in public transportation service, an epidemic that did not have to happen, according to a new report from Transportation for America and the Transportation Equity Network. Many transit agencies across the country have cut service, raised fares or laid off workers to deal with shrinking budgets, severely affecting the people who depend on regular, reliable service in order to access jobs, social services and education everyday. Nearly 90 percent of transit systems have had to raise fares or cut service in the past year and among the 25 largest transit operators, 10 agencies are raising fares more than 13 percent.

Green at City Scale

As part of an evolving “eco-district” policy, city leaders aim to move beyond the design of individual structures to focus on greening entire neighborhoods. The idea is to pool resources among buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy- and water-use efficiency.

High demand, dim future for transit

Mr. Bland said the agency has not been hit as hard with revenue declines as many other big transit providers, but it faces the challenge of flat state and county funding in coming years. That accounts for 60 percent of the authority's revenue. Budget projections, which Mr. Bland cautioned are subject to fluctuation, show a $29 million deficit in 2010-11 and $45 million the following year.

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