3E Links readers are early adopters of sustainable policies, products, and practices, and agents of change who educate friends and colleagues about the triple bottom line. Please share your issue of 3E Links with others and encourage them to subscribe by e-mailing info@sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Events

Sustainable Development Academy presents:
The Cranberry Plan

Thursday, September 24
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
LOCATION UPDATE:
Cranberry Highlands Golf Course, 5601 Freshcorn Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Fee: $20.00; Tour and Lunch included
Visit www.localgovernmentacademy.org for more information. Click on ‘Educational Programs’.

Avoid G-20 traffic problems and receive training relevant to our region and the global economy!

Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work-—today and tomorrow. Both the current and future resident benefit when a local government approaches its service to taxpayers with the point of view that simultaneously cares for the economy, social equity and the environment. Indeed sustainability is a process--a work in progress. Happily a growing number of municipalities in our region are adopting sustainability as a framework for their progress. As the region is host to the G-20 on September 24, local governments in southwestern Pennsylvania have an opportunity to consider how they can best serve their communities in a global economy by advancing the policy and practice of sustainable development.

Join in this in-depth program on “The Cranberry Plan” -- a community planning process guided by principles of sustainability. This day long program is designed to be "nuts and bolts" and features both an overview of the plan's process and goals. In addition to an instructional program by the plan's key developers, this program will feature tours and demonstration of key implementation activities relating to policy, operations, and engineering, including:
Public Works & Physical Plant: Buildings, Vehicle Maintenance, Alternative Fuels
Energy & Climate Action Plan
Transportation Management: signalization project
Golf Course: irrigation, Audubon certification
Sewage Treatment

Graham Park: streambank stabilization Transportation Management: traffic roundabout

Presented by:
Cranberry Township
Local Government Academy
Sustainable Pittsburgh

This program is available to those communities declared fiscally distressed by Act 47 at no charge.  A limited number of scholarships are also available from the Michael P. Lynch Scholarship Fund for other municipalities via the Local Government Academy.

Events Continued

Resources

Support Sustainable Pittsburgh by Supporting Wilkinsburg

Through the generosity of The Pittsburgh Foundation, you have a one-time opportunity to significantly leverage your donations to nonprofits that are featured on a new online giving Web site: www.PittsburghGives.org. Please consider making an online donation to Sustainable Pittsburgh through this web site on Wednesday, October 28 at 10:00 am sharp. Your donation will be matched .50 cents on the dollar by The Pittsburgh Foundation up to a maximum of $2,500! Sustainable Pittsburgh will designate your donation and the match funds you leverage toward conducting a Sustainability Assessment of the Borough of Wilkinsburg.

A Sustainability Assessment is a niche service we offer to municipalities and businesses to assess and recommend practical means to save money, conserve resources, and integrate sustainability into management systems for the long haul.

Please help us help Wilkinsburg -- a community to be applauded for its commitment to accelerating the policy and practice of sustainability. Wilkinsburg is on the cusp of a transformation. Through collaboration with the state, county, local businesses and nonprofits, the community is laying the foundation for future prosperity where sustainability is the framework for maximizing social, economic, and environmental wins. The Sustainability Assessment is well-timed to complement their soon to be completed local comprehensive planning process.

In helping to deploy Wilkinsburg's Sustainability Assessment, you not only benefit this community but the region as a whole as the sum is only as strong as the parts.

Learn more by visiting www.sustainablepittsburgh.org/PittsburghGives_SP.html.

Sustainable Development Academy presents:
The Cranberry Plan

Thursday, September 24
8:30 am - 3:00 pm
LOCATION UPDATE:
Cranberry Highlands Golf Course, 5601 Freshcorn Road, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Fee: $20.00; Tour and Lunch included
Visit www.localgovernmentacademy.org for more information. Click on ‘Educational Programs’.

Avoid G-20 traffic problems and receive training relevant to our region and the global economy!

Sustainable communities are places where people want to live and work-—today and tomorrow. Both the current and future resident benefit when a local government approaches its service to taxpayers with the point of view that simultaneously cares for the economy, social equity and the environment. Indeed sustainability is a process--a work in progress. Happily a growing number of municipalities in our region are adopting sustainability as a framework for their progress. As the region is host to the G-20 on September 24, local governments in southwestern Pennsylvania have an opportunity to consider how they can best serve their communities in a global economy by advancing the policy and practice of sustainable development.

Join in this in-depth program on “The Cranberry Plan” -- a community planning process guided by principles of sustainability. This day long program is designed to be "nuts and bolts" and features both an overview of the plan's process and goals. In addition to an instructional program by the plan's key developers, this program will feature tours and demonstration of key implementation activities relating to policy, operations, and engineering, including:
Public Works & Physical Plant: Buildings, Vehicle Maintenance, Alternative Fuels
Energy & Climate Action Plan
Transportation Management: signalization project
Golf Course: irrigation, Audubon certification
Sewage Treatment

Graham Park: streambank stabilization Transportation Management: traffic roundabout

Presented by:
Cranberry Township
Local Government Academy
Sustainable Pittsburgh

This program is available to those communities declared fiscally distressed by Act 47 at no charge.  A limited number of scholarships are also available from the Michael P. Lynch Scholarship Fund for other municipalities via the Local Government Academy.

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
Registration and more information

“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

Attendees will hear from regional experts in the sustainability movement as well as from a panel made up of corporations who are taking the lead in helping to make their businesses environmentally-friendly. A Resources Room will also be available throughout the day, highlighting vendors displaying green products and services. If you are interested in being a vendor for a cost of $125 per table, contact us soon.

Hosted by:
Community College of Beaver County (CCBC)
Congressman Jason Altmire
L. Robert Kimball & Associates
Sustainable Pittsburgh

Adventures in Regionalism – European style
How Pittsburgh can learn from Turin, Italy and Essen, Germany

Sustainability and Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum
FEATURING: Tracy Certo, Pop City; Pat Getty, Benedum Foundation; Allen Kukovich, Power of 32; and Audrey Russo, Pittsburgh Technology Council

Tuesday, October 20
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Regional Enterprise Tower, 23rd Floor, A.E. Hunt Room
No fee to attend. Bring a bag lunch. Desserts provided. To register, email: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or call 412-258-6642

While the Pittsburgh region is recognized internationally for its comeback story, nevertheless many regions around the globe similarly offer valuable lessons from their own renaissances. The featured guests of this forum are recently back from a Transatlantic Cities Network idea-exchange in Europe hosted by the German Marshall Fund of the US. Come hear about the regionalization reform strategy of two metropolitan areas: Turin, Italy, and Essen, Germany. What lessons apply to Southwestern Pennsylvania and our mega-region as we aspire to prosper and compete in the ever-broadening global contest? With the G-20 behind by the time of this discussion, the question surely will be: How to catalyze the Pittsburgh region's next great story of prosperity through regional collaboration and sustainable development on the global stage? For a discussion preview, see Tracy Certo's article in the Post-Gazette.

Global Sustainability - Trends and Developments in the Built Environment

Sustainability and Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum
FEATURING: Vivien Loftness, University Professor at the School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University and a Senior Researcher for the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics

Friday, November 6
11:30 am - 1:00 pm
Regional Enterprise Tower, 23rd Floor, Fetterolf Room
No fee to attend. Bring a bag lunch. Desserts provided.
To register, email: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or call 412-258-6642

Vivien Loftness is an internationally-renowned researcher, author and educator with expertise in environmental design and sustainability, advanced building systems and systems integration, climate and regionalism in architecture, as well as design for performance in the workplace of the future. An appointee to the Assurance Group to Advance Mandate of the Energy Efficiency in Buildings Project of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), Vivien will discuss global sustainability trends and developments. She will also provide insight to the work of WBCSD, a CEO-led, global association of some 200 companies dealing exclusively with business and sustainable development. The Council provides a platform for companies to explore sustainable development, share best practices, and to advocate business positions. Come learn about the business case for and how businesses in our region can be advocates for sustainability here and globally.

Presented by:
Green Building Alliance
Sustainable Pittsburgh

7th Annual Public Officials Sustainable Community Design Charrette
CALL FOR MUNICIPALITIES

Friday, November 20
8:30 am - 12:30 pm
Greentree Municipal Building
Free; lunch will be provided.
Open to limited number of municipalities.

Municipalities in SWPA, this is for you:
Free expert consultation on pressing sustainable community design challenges and opportunities.

Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network, AIA Pittsburgh, and the Local Government Academy are now welcoming interested municipalities to propose to be "clients" for this free, half-day, hands-on, charrette-style consultation.

How it works: Up to five municipalities will be selected to benefit from the assistance of a team of pro bono experts. The municipality identifies a pressing sustainability challenge or opportunity and we assemble a team of experts to be on hand to work through the issue and generate practical solutions. Issues may relate to: main street revitalization, infill development, transportation access, energy efficiency or resource conservation, community development, a social or human service concern, community or green space, etc. For ideas and insights, refer to the Sustainable Community Rapid Assessment and 14 Sustainable Community Resource Sheets found at: www.sustainablecommunityessentials.org

Are you an interested municipality? Please call 412-258-6643. We'll discuss your needs and determine if there's a good fit. All that is required is attendance from your municipality to include at least one elected official, a municipal staff person, and one community leader.

6th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Regional Equitable Development Summit
"Going Regional on Addressing Blighted and Abandoned Properties"

Tuesday, December 15
8:30 am - 12:30 pm (8:00 am - Registration and Continental Breakfast)
Twentieth Century Club, 4201 Bigelow Blvd., Oakland
Fee: $10 Sustainable Pittsburgh members; $15 non-members
To register and for more information, contact: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6642
Keynote: John Kromer, Sr. Consultant at the Fels Institute, author of Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies

The presence of blighted and abandoned properties are among Southwestern Pennsylvania's most pressing threats undermining sustainable communities and regional equitable development. Blight and abandonment is a tip of the iceberg issue that undermines and potentially exacts a downward spiral sentence on quality of life and prosperity across social, economic and environmental essentials for a sustainable community. Without mitigation, this problem will continue to grow and be a drain on the region’s resources. It undercuts the ability of the region's communities to maintain their footing as places of choice. There are real costs. As the Statewide Blight Task Force noted in 2008, “Blight is an “economic crime” costing taxpayers and municipalities millions of dollars annually in lost property tax revenues, sewer and water fees, and increased municipal expenditures.”

Addressing blight and abandonment offers the chance to build assets in a community. It is a win-win strategy that pays in stabilizing neighborhoods, increased revenue, job creation, increase in property values and lower crime. Given the regional nature of this issue, regional approaches are in order. However, at present, there exists no regional plan, decision-making table, nor coordinated regional effort to tackle the growing crisis of abandonment and blight in our communities.

This year's Summit will present findings are recommendations from recent work, specific to our region, on how regional capacity can be developed to address blight and abandonment. Practical strategies and cooperative efforts will be highlighted as ripe for deployment to the benefit of individual communities and the regional as a whole. The Summit will be a key milestone in developing new structures and well-substantiated plans for raising capacity around the region to attack blight and return properties to community benefit and often local tax rolls.

Keynote, John Kromer is Senior Consultant at the Fels Institute of Government and is the author of Fixing Broken Cities: The Implementation of Urban Development Strategies. He is a serving as strategic consultant to Sustainable Pittsburgh's Regional Blighted and Abandoned Properties Solutions Project.

Presented by:
- Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania
- Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership

Sponsored by:
The Buhl Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Richard King Mellon Foundation

University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work Speaker Series: Dr. David Gil

Wednesday, September 23
Noon to 1:30 pm
2017 Cathedral of Learning, University of Pittsburgh
Lunch will be provided; registration is not required.
For more information visit www.socialwork.pitt.edu or contact 412-624-6300

Featuring:

DR. DAVID G. GIL
Brandeis University, School for Social Policy and Management

“Reintegrating Social Justice Activism into Practice and Education”

Rally for Clean Energy Jobs

Wednesday, September 23
6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Point State Park, City Side Festival Grounds - Pittsburgh, PA
Free and open to the public; wheel chair accessible
Reserved seating tickets are available on a limited basis. For ticket information, email Mikhail at mpappas@pasenate.com, or call 412-621-3006.

As the city hunkers down to prepare for the G-20 Summit this week, State Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Pittsburgh) is revealing long-awaited plans for his intended use of Point State Park on the day before the Summit begins.

The festival-style event will focus on the need to create millions of clean energy "green" jobs in America, as well as show how Pittsburgh is a natural choice for leading such an initiative. Scheduled Speakers: Leo Gerard, International President, United Steel Workers; Carl Pope, Executive Director, Sierra Club; Richard Trumka, President, AFL-CIO; Maggie Fox, CEO and President, Alliance for Climate Protection; and many more. Scheduled Entertainers: Da Flow Band, the Pittsburgh Gospel Choir, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Kathy Mattea, Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers. Event Co-Sponsors: Senator Jim Ferlo (D-Lawrenceville), United Steel Workers, Alliance for Climate Protection, Blue Green Alliance, AFL-CIO.

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, Chief 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

Hard to Recycle Collection

Saturday, September 26
10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Kennywood Shops, Hoffman Boulevard, West Mifflin
For information, visit www.prc.org or call the PA Resources Council at 412-431-4449, ext. 236

Individuals can drop off televisions, e-waste, cell phones, printer/toner cartridges, compact fluorescent bulbs, alkaline batteries and tires without rims for recycling. Fees are charge for electronics and tires; other items collected at no cost. Medical supplies (crutches, canes, and walkers) will be taken by GlobalLinks. No medications please!

LEED The Way to Green Buildings – Part IV: Sustainability and Green Products

Monday, September 28
12:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Regional Enterprise Tower, 23rd Floor, R.A. Hunt Room, Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: $15.00 includes lunch and workshop materials
RSVP By: Friday September 25, 2009 to: 412-392-0610 or information@aaccwp.com

Featuring:
Richard V. Piacentini, Executive Director
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, one of the world’s most sustainable conservatories
and
Janice Donatelli, President
Artemis Environmental Building Products

Join the African American Chamber of Commerce for this workshop that has something for everyone. Come learn about Phipp’s Conservatory’s ‘Green Heart Project’, and how to adopt a more sustainable relationship to the environment. You will also learn about expanding the availability and use of green building products in this region, and about new options for improving your home & business environment. Who should attend? All business owners and professionals: attorneys, architects, business consultants, accountants, and construction & trade professionals.

2009 Guyasuta Fellowship Program - Call for Fellows

FIRST SESSION: A Historic Perspective on Rebuilding the Economy
Wednesday, September 30
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
City County Building, 9th Floor (Allegheny County Bar Association Meeting Room), 414 Grant Street, Downtown Pittsburgh
To become a Fellow, sign up on-line or contact Guyasuta Fellowship and provide name, address, and phone number.
More information

Councilman Bill Peduto’s Guyasuta Fellowship Program, a policy forum for young people and citizens who want a voice in creating public policy, will engage experts and move policy from community needs to informed and actionable recommendations that link the green economy to neighborhood priorities. This year’s Fellowship specifically addresses the green economy for Pittsburgh’s disadvantaged and underserved communities. The Fellowship requests young and committed residents of Western PA who are determined to live in the region for at least the next two years to five years to join in.

The Guyasuta Fellowship is managed by Jackson/Clark Partners and is a project of Pennsylvania VOICE and State Voices, a Michigan based 501c3 nonprofit. 2009 partners include the Regional Equity Monitoring Project (REMP - a project of B-PEP and the Hill House Association), PennFuture, Keystone Progress Education Fund, PennEnvironment, Repower America, the Kingsley Association, GLUE and Sustainable Pittsburgh. Additional partner opportunities are available - e-mail us at Guyasuta Fellowship for more information. The Guyasuta Fellowship Program is made possible through a grant from the Heinz Endowments.

Solar Thermal Installation Workshop

October 5-7, 2009
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
CCI Center, 64 S. 14th Street, South Side
$650 per person
Visit www.ccicenter.org and click Solar Thermal Workshop

Participants in this workshop will learn the theory, design considerations and installation techniques necessary to install and maintain a solar domestic hot water system. Passive solar water heaters, drainback systems, antifreeze systems and photovoltaic powered systems are all discussed in-depth, as well as an introduction to pool heating and space heating systems. Solar collectors, mounting systems, pumps, blowers, controls, storage tanks, heat exchangers, maintenance and more are subjects covered with each type of system as appropriate. Also included are safety considerations, code compliance, system sizing and solar collector per formance in a variety of climates and applications.

Green, Healthy Schools Conference

Wednesday, October 28
8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Phipps Conservatory, Oakland
Cost: Members of GBA, Tri-State Area School Study Council, or Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens: $95
Non-members: $110
More information

Featuring Two Nationally Recognized Keynote Speakers: David Orr and Bob Kobet

Twenty percent of United States residents attend school every day - that's more than 56 million students and more than four million faculty, staff and administrators. Over 25% of these students and teachers attend schools that are considered substandard or dangerous to occupant health.

Green schools are healthier for students, teachers and the environment. When built right, green schools are productive learning environments with ample natural light, high-quality acoustics and air that is safe to breathe.

Public and priviate schools alike are realizing that going green just makes sense. On average, green schools save $100,000 per year--enough to hire two new teachers, buy 250 new computers, or purchase 5,000 new textbooks. If all new school construction and school renovations went green starting today, energy savings alone would total more than $20 billion over the next 10 years.

By promoting the design and construction of green schools, we can make a tremendous impact on student health, test scores, teacher retention, school operation costs and the environment. Presented by Green Building Alliance in collaboration with Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Gardens, the Tri State Area School Study Council, and University of Pittsburgh School of Education.

Rental Housing Finance: Third Course in PCRG’s 4-Part Community Development Finance Training Series

November 2-4, 2009
Doubletree Hotel in Pittsburgh (One Bigelow Square)
The Tuition:
- Regular Tuition: $595/person
- 501(c)3 Staff: $395/person ($200 discount per person)
- PCRG Members: $195/person ($400 discount per person)
Please direct all questions and RSVPs to sstutts@pcrg.org or 412-391-6732 x208.
RSVPs must be received by Monday, October 19th. Participants will receive some pre-program materials to look over in the few weeks leading up to the course.

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! This class examines in detail the financing and developing of rental property. The course emphasizes the criteria used by lenders and investors to decide if they will put money into a project. The course also explores methods to attract private funds and the use of public funds to fill financing gaps. Topics to be covered include financial projections, private financing, tax credits, and deal structuring. 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 us 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.

State Transportation Hearing has been rescheduled

Thursday, November 5
8:00 am
31st Floor Conference Room, Regional Enterprise Tower, 425 Sixth Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Please contact Mr. Nolan Ritchie via email if you have additional questions.

This hearing is rescheduled from the original August 21st date. Please note the date for submitting written testimony has been extended to Friday, November 13, 2009. Click the following links to access the updated guidelines and project abstract form.
Project Abstract Form Electronic Submission
2011 STC Hearing Guidelines

Pennsylvania’s Twelve Year Transportation Program identifies the Commonwealth's improvement efforts in all major transportation modes: highways, bridges, aviation, rail and transit. The transportation program included in the first four years of the Twelve Year Program is referred to as the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program, or STIP. The update of the Twelve Year Transportation Program provides a valuable opportunity for members of the general public to provide input to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the State Transportation Commission. This public input provides direction for maintaining and improving Pennsylvania’s bridges and highways, public transportation system, aviation, and rail freight infrastructure.

2nd State of the Watershed

Saturday, November 7
8:30 am - 4:00 pm
Environmental Charter School at Frick Park
Free to attend
Continental breakfast and lunch will be provided.
To register contact Lisa at 412-371-8779 ext. 15 or email lisa@ninemilerun.org

Want to know more about the health of Nine Mile Run since the completion of the Nine Mile Run Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Project? The transformation of Nine Mile Run is truly remarkable but how exactly has it improved the stream and how are the NMRWA’s programs making a difference?

Come to the Second State of the Watershed Meeting where you will hear about the ongoing monitoring efforts from the dedicated experts on the NMRWA Monitoring Committee. Learn about innovative programs that will improve water quality in Nine Mile Run. Participate in hands-on activities to help you become more involved in a greener and brighter future for the watershed.

Tom Biebighauser, Wildlife Biologist for the US Forest Service Center for Wetlands, will be the keynote speaker. Tom began restoring wetlands in 1982 and since then has established over 950 such sites throughout Minnesota, Kentucky, Ohio, and British Columbia. In 2003, he wrote and published the book, A Guide to Creating Vernal Ponds, in cooperation with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and the Izaak Walton League of America.

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.

Envisioning the possible future of climate change

Maybe the Pittsburgh setting will provide context for taking the bold action that a scientific consensus says is necessary now. Certainly the region's rich environmental history gives leaders of current greening efforts a unique perspective on what can and should be done to make the massive and expensive transitions needed to address climate change. Here are some thoughts about what they envision as the important next steps needed to address climate change locally, nationally or internationally:

More

Sudden death of ecosystem ravages long creek: 'Everything is being killed': 161 aquatic species have died along Dunkard Creek

But state and federal investigators are confounded because chemical analysis shows the creek water at the treatment facility site contains extremely high total dissolved solids, or TDS, and chlorides -- properties found in wastewater from Marcellus Shale gas well drilling operations but not mine water. Total dissolved solids may include metals, salts and other elements. Marcellus Shale well drilling water contains about 100 chemicals added to reduce friction, eliminate algae growth and perform other functions when water is pumped underground under pressure to fracture the shale and release natural gas. Up to 4 million gallons are used for each Marcellus Shale well. Disposal of wastewater from the wells has caused problems throughout Pennsylvania, including TDS readings that exceeded federal safe drinking water standards in the Monongahela River last winter and this year. . .The state agencies now are looking at the possibility that someone has illegally dumped drilling wastewater into the creek to avoid the expense of complying with laws governing its disposal. The water must be treated in Pennsylvania or injected deep underground in West Virginia.

Making Suburbia More Livable

The nation's sprawling suburbs —- home to as much as half of the U.S. population and more than 30 million people age 55-plus -— may have been a good place to grow up. But the suburbs are proving a tough place to grow old. . .Typically, that involves changing street grids to connect neighborhoods and making it easier to walk to services and amenities. Next, the plans add features -— social spaces, housing, shops, transportation options, recreation and entertainment facilities -— that help address the needs of an aging population.

Not a sunny picture: The U.S. is getting creamed when it comes to developing solar energy

So, right now, our federal and state subsidies for installing solar systems are largely paying for the cost of importing solar panels made in China, by Chinese workers, using hi-tech manufacturing equipment invented in America. . ."We are seeing the industrialization of the solar business," he added. "In the last 12 months, it has brought us $1.3 billion in revenues. It is hard to build a billion-dollar business."

Coal cannot be clean - It's a dirty business from start to finish

First, the dirtiest sources of pollution should be cleaned up. According to the House bill, only plants permitted after Jan. 1, 2009 would be subject to performance standards -- giving older, dirtier plants a license for lifetime pollution. Second, energy-efficiency and renewable-energy standards should be improved, eliminating loopholes in the House legislation, to encourage the creation of additional clean energy jobs. Third, more money should be invested in clean-energy opportunities that would help protect us against the impacts of global climate change. These measures would help our nation begin the transition away from coal toward cleaner forms of energy generation and would lessen the burden on citizens in vulnerable Pennsylvania coalfield communities.

Business Calls on Governments to Reach Climate Change Agreement

The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the World Energy Council(WEC) today called on government leaders to reach a climate change agreement in Copenhagen during final negotiations there in December on a post 2012 framework.

Will The Push For Earmarks Undermine Efforts To Reform Surface Transportation Policy?

With so much lobbying already under way, will it be possible to write the kind of transformational bill that transportation policy experts recommend? Can Congress and K Street control their appetite for earmarks, and at what point do earmarks go from simply greasing the political skids to undermining good policy?

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

The nationwide demand for public transportation is at historic levels and growing, but funding for the day-to-day operations of these transit services is built on an unstable foundation. This report shows that without federal support, many will likely be unable to meet the demand now and in the future. 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. . .The upcoming transportation authorization is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the safe, clean and smart transportation system necessary to ensure all Americans have the options they need to succeed in today’s economy and to move our country forward.

Refitted to Bury Emissions, Plant Draws Attention

Poking out of the ground near the smokestacks of the Mountaineer power plant here are two wells that look much like those that draw natural gas to the surface. But these are about to do something new: inject a power plant’s carbon dioxide into the earth. A behemoth built in 1980, long before global warming stirred broad concern, Mountaineer is poised to become the world’s first coal-fired power plant to capture and bury some of the carbon dioxide it churns out. The hope is that the gas will stay deep underground for millenniums rather than entering the atmosphere as a heat-trapping pollutant. . .Yet the economic viability of the Mountaineer plant’s new technology, known as carbon capture and sequestration, remains uncertain. The technology is certain to devour a substantial amount of the plant’s energy output — optimists say 15 percent, and skeptics, 30 percent.

Green Wall Lowers Temperature 25%

North America’s largest green wall is adding to energy efficiency for PNC Financial Services Group Inc., which unveiled the giant soil-based wall at its Pittsburgh, Pa., offices. The 2,380 square foot wall, about the size of a doubles tennis court, has 602 panels with about 24 plants in each two-foot by two-foot space. Each of the panels is estimated to offset the carbon footprint of one person, according to a press release. Ambient temperatures behind the south-facing wall should be about 25 percent cooler, according to preliminary studies. The plants on the wall also help cool adjacent sidewalks and help absorb noise from the street.

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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