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Events

Movie and Discussion Night!

Perspectives on a Sustainability-Driven Industrial Revolution

Thursday, October 9
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm*
*In recognition of Yom Kippur, the film will begin at 7:15-—after sunset.
Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland
(Entrance off of Schenley Drive near Schenley Bridge)
Registration Information:
• $5 for C4S/Sustainable Pittsburgh Members
• $7 for non-members
• Deadline: October 8, 2008
• Register online at www.C4SPgh.org/know.html

For more information, contact:
Matthew Mehalik, Program Manager, Sustainable Pittsburgh mmehalik@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6644

What might a vision for a sustainable economy look like? What are some proven, practical outcomes from such a broad vision? To explore these questions, come watch the award winning movie, The Next Industrial Revolution, featuring Architect William McDonough and Chemist Michael Braungart. The film highlights some of their sustainability projects in companies such as Ford, Nike, DesignTex, and Herman Miller.

After the movie, several of the Pittsburgh region’s designers and business leaders will share their thoughts, reactions, and attempts to integrate a sustainable vision into their products and practices.

Stay and participate in a discussion for how it is possible for our region’s businesses to continue transforming Southwestern Pennsylvania into a hotbed for sustainable innovation.

Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability and Steel City Biofuels have partnered to make this first of a potential series of sustainability-oriented movie nights possible.

Resources

Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes

Friday, October 3
6:00 pm
Carnegie Museum of Art Theater, Oakland
Reception follows, exhibition galleries remain open until 8:30 pm
Free
More information

The Heinz Architectural Center at Carnegie Museum of Art presents Worlds Away: New Suburban Landscapes, an exhibition exploring the ways in which more than thirty architects and visual artists respond to and reflect on the myths and realities of suburbs, provocatively exposing the fascinating layers of these deceptively familiar places. Co-curators Tracy Myers (Heinz Architectural Center) and Andrew Blauvelt (Director of Design and Curator, Walker Art Center) discuss the inspiration for the show, the surprising discoveries their research yielded, and the varied works in the exhibition.

Alternative Transportation Festival

Friday, October 3
11:30 am - 6:00 pm
Schenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland
Contact: khalling@pgh-cleancities.org

The Alternative Transportation Festival is an event designed to raise public awareness of alternative means of transportation and advocate for the use of public transportation, car-sharing, alternative fuels, and human-powered vehicles. This event will combine internationally observed events with Pittsburgh’s own innovations and activities. Join organizers for panel discussions, demonstrations, and activities focused on alternative methods of transportation in Pittsburgh!

cityLive! 10 people. 3 minutes

Tuesday, October 7
6:30 pm
New Hazlett Theater, North Side
RSVP: rsvp@citylivepgh.org
More information

10 opinionated souls give us their most brilliant ideas for change. From the reasonable to the audacious. Give us 30 minutes and we'll change the way you see the city.

In Celebration of Wild Places: Connecting People to Nature

Wednesday, October 8
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, Oakland
Tickets: $15 for adults; $5 for those under 18
More information

The Sierra Club, Allegheny Group and six other groups are sponsoring a slide lecture by African-American nature photographer Dudley Edmondson, who has spoken on this theme across the country at the invitation of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The slide program will be followed by a panel discussion of the challenges and benefits to the minority community of expanding participation in outdoor activities. Panelists include:
•Bill Strickland, president and founder of the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild
•Mamie Parker, former asst. secretary, US Fish and Wildlife Service
•Mario Browne, Center for Minority Health, University of Pittsburgh
•Sarah Jamella Martin, Wilderness Educator, Pittsburgh Public Schools
•and Dudley Edmondson.

Film Screening: Perspectives on a Sustainability-Driven Industrial Revolution

Thursday, October 9
6:30 pm – 9:00 pm*
*In recognition of Yom Kippur, the film will begin at 7:15-—after sunset.
Carnegie Library Lecture Hall, 4400 Forbes Ave., Oakland
(Entrance off of Schenley Drive near Schenley Bridge)
Registration Information:
• $5 for C4S/Sustainable Pittsburgh Members
• $7 for non-members
• Deadline: October 8, 2008
• Register online at www.C4SPgh.org/know.html

For more information, contact:
Matthew Mehalik, Program Manager, Sustainable Pittsburgh mmehalik@sustainablepittsburgh.org or 412-258-6644

What might a vision for a sustainable economy look like? What are some proven, practical outcomes from such a broad vision? To explore these questions, come watch the award winning movie, The Next Industrial Revolution, featuring Architect William McDonough and Chemist Michael Braungart. The film highlights some of their sustainability projects in companies such as Ford, Nike, DesignTex, and Herman Miller.

After the movie, several of the Pittsburgh region’s designers and business leaders will share their thoughts, reactions, and attempts to integrate a sustainable vision into their products and practices.

Stay and participate in a discussion for how it is possible for our region’s businesses to continue transforming Southwestern Pennsylvania into a hotbed for sustainable innovation.

Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability and Steel City Biofuels have partnered to make this first of a potential series of sustainability-oriented movie nights possible.

Film Screening of Burning the Future: Coal in America

Saturday, October 11
6:30 pm- 9:30 pm
Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave., Oakland
Tickets: $15 Adults, $10 Students
Visit www.mtwatershed.com for tickets or call 724-229-3550 for more information.

The Center for Coalfield Justice and the Mountain Watershed Association present a film screening and talk with writer/director David Novack, to discuss coal mining impacts in southwestern PA and beyond. This film tackles the “clean coal” message being so aggressively promoted by industry front groups, and shows the real faces behind coal mining in our area. Join us for an eye-opening evening discussion, reception and film showing to discover how coal-fired electricity and coal mining are tearing apart the fabric of our communities and our environment on a daily basis.

Get Energy Smarter Community Expo

Sunday, October 12
1:00 pm – 5:00 pm
64 South 14th Street (at East Carson), South Side
Free
Contact: 412-431-4449

Hosted by Conservation Consultants, this family friendly expo will feature numerous exhibitors, giveaways, and contests! Get energy saving tips for the home, register to win a free home insulation package and trade in 3 of your old bulbs for 3 new energy saving bulbs. For more information visit www.getenergysmarter.com. And don't worry - Sunday the 12th is a Steelers bye-week!

From Client to Citizen: Building Civic Capacity with the People We Serve

Wednesday, October 15
10:00 am – 4:00 pm
William Pitt Union, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Fee: First session free (10-noon); Second session (1-4) is $25
Registration form

Human service agencies have a distinctive role to play in partnering with clients and community members to address community conditions and public policy issues by fostering and supporting civic engagement. The first session, “Strengthening Authentic Voices: Human Services and Civic Engagement” features a keynote lecture by Peter Goldberg, CEO of the Alliance for Children and Families, a national nonprofit association representing more than 370 nonprofit child- and family-serving organizations. A panel of respondents and a general discussion will follow Mr. Goldberg’s remarks.

The second session workshop participants will learn about:
Civic engagement as a vehicle for accomplishing agency mission
How to plan and implement civic engagement projects
Examples of successful civic engagement activities
Integrating civic engagement into agency culture and services
Evaluating the impact of civic engagement

Sustainable Energy Field Day

Homeowners’ How-To
Thursday, October 16
9:00 am – 2:00 pm (Workshops), followed by an Open House until 6:00 pm
Westmoreland Conservation District, GreenForge and 214 Donohoe Road buildings – all located adjacent to each other, Donohoe Road, Greensburg (1 mile from Westmoreland Mall/ U.S. Route 30)
Fee: $20 includes all workshop sessions (four of your choice) and lunch
Register by October 3. Space is limited.
More information: www.wcdpa.com or Mimi at 724-837-5271, mimi@wcdpa.com.

Get the latest on materials, technologies, and techniques to make your home, yard, and life more energy efficient. Plus, join in the special discussion: "H+T Affordability Index" – the true affordability of a house that factors in travel costs to work, school, shopping, and social events.

The open house period is does not require registration and is free.

Brownfields Policy and Program Questions and Considerations for the Next Administration

Thursday, October 16
8:00 am – Registration and Breakfast
8:30 am – 10:00 am – Panel Discussion
Engineers’ Society of Western Pennsylvania Building, 337 Fourth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15222
RSVP: Sharon Grant, Executive Director of External Relations, at sharongr@andrew.cmu.edu or 202-478-7842

While the Environmental Protection Agency and state level brownfields programs have been widely viewed as being a success, advocates see opportunities to build on current accomplishments through policy changes.

Invited members of the panel include: Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), Pennsylvania Senator Jim Ferlo, Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato, Richard Frandsen (US House Energy and Commerce Committee), Jill Gaito Pennsylvania DEP, Don Welsh (US EPA Region 3) and David Lloyd (Director of the Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization US EPA - HQ).

The audience will include brownfields stakeholders from across the region who represent the full spectrum of interests. The outputs from the discussion will be used as the starting point for the preparation of a document to be shared with members of the new Federal administration in which we will suggest technical and practical objectives to secure and enhance the existing program.

Heinz Talks: Climate Change and Energy Policy - Advice to our Next President

Monday, October 20
5:00 pm
Mellon Institute Auditorium, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
(please use the S. Bellefield Avenue entrance)
RSVP: Kristin Niceswanger at (412) 268-6066 or kristinn@andrew.cmu.edu no later than Tuesday, October 14.
More information at http://heinztalks.blogspot.com

What direction will the US energy policy take in the next four years?

Four leaders will give their perspectives on climate change and energy policy and the resulting impact on economic growth and technological innovation. The discussion will focus on bold and critical recommendations for our next president. Welcome and introduction by Teresa Heinz; moderated by Moira Gunn, host, NPR’s Tech Nation.
Speakers:
John Holdren, Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy and Director of the Program on Science, Technology, and Public Policy at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, as well as President and Director of the independent, non-profit Woods Hole Research Center. He is also the recipient of the 7th annual Heinz Award for Public Policy.
Lee Branstetter, Associate Professor of Economics and Public Policy, Heinz School and Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University.
Granger Morgan, Lord Chair Professor in Engineering; Professor and Department Head, Engineering and Public Policy; Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Heinz School, Carnegie Mellon University.
Melissa Young, second year student in the Heinz School’s Master of Science in Public Policy and Management program and recipient of the Otto Davis Scholarship.

2008 Greening Existing Buildings Exhibit

Tuesday, October 21
Duquesne University Power Center, 1015 Forbes Ave., Uptown
9:30 am
Fee: $20 Member* / $50 Non-Member / Space is limited!!
*Member price is available to members of BOMA, GBA, IFMA, IREM, NAIOP, Sustainable Pittsburgh and WPAA.
Registration form

Join BOMA and the Green Building Alliance for two seminars ("Generations at Work" and "LEED EB Overview") along with lunch and a Trade Show dedicated to 'green' products.

Cleveland+Pittsburgh+Youngstown: Save the Date!

Friday, November 7
9:00 am - 4:30 pm
At the Youngstown Club, Youngstown, Ohio
Free to Youngstown, courtesy of the Surdna Foundation
Advance registration required
Registration begins Monday, October 6
More details to follow

On the Agenda:
The Tech Belt Initiative – Cleveland, Youngstown and Pittsburgh
Keynote Address by:
Congressman Tim Ryan (confirmed), Youngstown, Ohio
Congressman Jason Altmire (invited)
Panel Discussion with:
Baiju R. Shah, President & CEO, BioEnterprise Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio
John W. Manzetti, President and CEO, Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Rich Lunak, President and CEO, Innovation Works, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Other topics include: How Vital Neighborhoods and Downtowns are Key to Economic Revitalization and Business Attraction; Telling Our Stories Effectively; Multi-neighborhood Community Development: a new model for delivery of services; Community Organizing/Inspiring People to Act; and Reports from Learning Exchange participants.

Creating a Sustainable Organization

Thursday, November 13
9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Regional Learning Alliance, 850 Cranberry Woods Drive, Cranberry Township, PA 16066
Registration information

An Interactive Forum for the HR Professional, CEO, CFO, Sustainability Director and...
Companies all over the world are embracing sustainability as one of the most important factors for staying competitive. With world-class experts both speaking and facilitating interactive sessions, this is an opportunity for participants to:
• Better define what sustainability means for your organization
• Improve your sustainability strategies - to increase profits and satisfy all stakeholders: employees, customers, vendors and shareholders
• Learn how local and national organizations have profitably implemented sustainable practices
• Understand how to build and maintain an adaptable sustainability culture
• Learn how to modify HR processes and functions to support sustainability

6th Annual Public Officials Design Charrette (PODC)

CALL FOR MUNICIPALITIES
Friday, November 21
12:00 pm - 4:00 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.

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.

Resources

Allegheny County Now Accepting Comments on Draft Comprehensive Land Use and Development Plan

Adoption of Allegheny Places will be considered at a public hearing on October 23, 2008 at 5:00 pm in the Gold Room, 4th Floor of the Allegheny County Court House, 436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15219. . .The draft Plan may be viewed and downloaded in full and in summary form at this website. Copies are available on CD from Allegheny County Economic Development, 425 Sixth Ave., Suite 800, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219. Hard copies of the Plan may be viewed at the following locations. . .Comments on the Plan are welcome and may be submitted on-line, or in writing c/o Kay Pierce, Manager, Planning Division, Allegheny County Economic Development. All comments must be received no later than 4:00 pm, October 23, 2008. . .Allegheny Places is Allegheny County’s first county-wide comprehensive plan. It is a general guide for land use and growth management in the County. Through Allegheny Places, we can better coordinate public and private efforts to enhance and rebuild communities, ensure the soundness of critical infrastructure, protect unique natural resources and historic assets, nurture vital cultural facilities, and encourage economic growth and stability for the benefit all citizens of our County.

What's My Connection to Mountaintop Removal?

Mountaintop removal is a radical form of coal mining where entire mountains are literally blown up -- devastating communities throughout Appalachia, polluting drinking water and destroying rivers. And the worst part is, you're paying for it. If your home or business is on the electric grid, chances are you are connected to mountaintop removal in the Appalachian Mountains. Find out how -- and then find out what you can do about it. Local, state, and regional organizations across Appalachia are working together to end mountaintop removal and create a prosperous future for the region. Through iLoveMountains.org, 7 grassroots organizations from 5 Appalachian states have come together to use cutting edge technology to inform and involve Americans in their efforts to save the mountains.

More

Ohio's rules hinder progress, business leaders say

More than 1,000 influential leaders gathered Wednesday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center to hear a hard-hitting critique of Ohio's struggling urban centers and how they can be restored. . .Reformers advocate consolidation of government services and a sharing of income taxes when a business moves across city borders. A Northeast Ohio mayors group is considering such reforms. Tax incentives. A number of speakers Wednesday called for an end to Ohio's "peanut butter" approach for business tax breaks -- spreading them thin across the state rather than focusing on distressed communities. . .Transportation. Ohio's "addiction" to building new roads, rather than developing public transit or other alternatives, has led to the sprawl that is sapping core cities, Katz noted. Strickland has directed the state's transportation department to consider development of core cities as it reviews road projects.

Green the Bailout

In a green economy, we would rely less on credit from foreigners “and more on creativity from Americans,” argued Van Jones, president of Green for All, and author of the forthcoming “The Green Collar Economy.” “It’s time to stop borrowing and start building. America’s No. 1 resource is not oil or mortgages. Our No. 1 resource is our people. Let’s put people back to work — retrofitting and repowering America. . . You can’t base a national economy on credit cards. But you can base it on solar panels, wind turbines, smart biofuels and a massive program to weatherize every building and home in America.”

Fay-Penn official backs 'buy local' plan

Junk, hired by Fay-Penn as the local economy manager to spearhead the push, will focus on five areas in the campaign: increasing local sustainable agriculture, creating local independent business networks, environmental sustainability, alternative energies and energy independence and public policy issues. "We want to become more self-sustainable through this," Junk said. He explained that studies show 80 percent of a dollar spent on local goods stays in the community, while only 30 percent of that same dollar spent at a "big-box store," remains. "The average piece of food today travels about 2,000 miles and the average age of the farmer in Fayette County (according to 2002 statistics) is 55 years.

McKibben: To Spread the Word, Push a Number

Bill McKibben, who calls the new movement 350.org, told the crowd at Lars Hockstad Auditorium that reducing CO2 and other carbon-bearing greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere from their current, too-high levels is now mankind’s most critical challenge. Mr. McKibben said that if, at the next global summit on climate change, in December 2009, world leaders don’t commit to the huge reductions in carbon emissions, the future for human civilization as we know it will be dim. "It is the biggest thing that human beings have ever done," Mr. McKibben said of how carbon emissions are now changing Earth’s climate. He added that scientists have "moved from consensus to panic" on how deeply and quickly elevated greenhouse gas levels are now changing the climate.

Fixing our schools - We should focus on effectiveness, not one-size-fits-all testing

As we elect new leadership for the nation, let's insist that equity of educational opportunity becomes more than a slogan. It is no accident that the best public schools tend to be in higher socio-economic locations. Well-compensated, educated parents provide their children with advantages not available to many children. Equity for our most needy schools and children requires not the same allocation of resources, but a "surge" of resources. Equity demands that a non-negotiable change in NCLB be that our most needy children and schools are served by the best teachers and learning technologies. Only when we've committed to sufficient resources and effective teachers for our children will the watchword of accountability have integrity and will No Child Left Behind be more than a catchy slogan.

Climate Change Could Raise Pennsylvania's Average Annual Temperature 12 Degrees, Threatening Environment and Economy, New Report Finds

If global warming emissions are not significantly curtailed, by late this century summer temperatures could exceed 90 degrees daily in southern parts of the state, some tree species could decline sharply, and farmers could suffer major losses, the report concluded. Conversely, if global warming emissions are reduced significantly, state residents would experience only about half as many "extreme heat" days every summer, the tree species that produce colorful fall foliage would not disappear from the state, and Pennsylvania farmers would be better able to adapt.

Climate Change in Pennsylvania-Executive Summary - May take a few extra seconds to load
Full report - May take a few extra seconds to load
Additional Information

Mon boat landing another link in water trail

Thomas Baxter IV, executive director of Friends of the Riverfront, a local river recreation and advocacy group, said the landing dedication coincides with the release of a new Three Rivers Water Trail map. The map shows the locations of eight landings on the Allegheny River, three on the Ohio, one on the Youghiogheny and six on the Monongahela.

The changing face of community investment: Measuring community investment – So you think you’ve made a difference?

As community investment becomes more strategic, companies want to know what impact their activities are having on society. . .Companies are able to measure the scale of their activity relatively easily. For example, P&G measures the number of children who benefit from its Live, Learn and Thrive children's programmes each year. . .It is more difficult to define and measure the social impact of this activity – how have the people who have been helped actually benefited, and to what extent?

Bell Rings for Nation's First Carbon Market

"It is time really to turn the tide on global warming," said New York Democratic Governor David Paterson as he rang the bell at the New York Mercantile Exchange on September 25, opening the nation's first carbon dioxide (CO2) auction, held by 10 Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic states under their 2003-rooted Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), which makes it mandatory for more than 200 fossil-fuel power plants to keep their emissions at the current annual level of 188 million tons through 2014 and to cut them by 10 percent in the next four years.

How Counties are Going Green

This PowerPoint presentation from the National Association of Counties (NACo) provides an overview of NACo's Green Government Initiative, outling the economic, environmental, and social benefits of building with green principles. Using a NACo Green Government survey from June 2008, the presentation includes county snapshots of green building, energy efficiency, and related efforts -- quick views of work being done throughout the nation on this front. A listing of NACo resources supporting the Green Government initiative, including the Green Government Searchable Database, are also described.

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 2008 from:

Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
The Giant Eagle Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
Richard King Mellon 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