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

Pittsburgh Gives

Day of Giving 2010

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 13!

The Pittsburgh Foundation's Day of Giving is just around the corner. New and improved, this one-day event takes lessons learned from last year's Matching Day to minimize--if not eliminate--glitches in the system. $500,000 in matching dollars is available; every qualified organization that receives funds during the match period will receive a portion of the match. The matching dollars will be pro-rated.

Be sure to bookmark www.pittsburghgives.org to ensure quick access on October 13. The matching period is October 13, 2010 at 12:00 a.m. to October 13, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. (24 Hours to give!) We certainly hope you will choose to support Sustainable Pittsburgh, in addition to the many other worthwhile organizations listed on the site.

Other points to note:

- Credit card gifts only.
- No gifts from checks, cash, gift card redemptions, or donor-advised fund grants will be eligible for matching funds.
- The minimum contribution is $25

Giving is easy!

1. Log on to www.pittsburghgives.org
2. Click on Day of Giving
3. Click on Donate Now
4. Fill in your personal information and select Sustainable Pittsburgh from a dropdown menu of eligible non-profits
5. Enter your credit card information and click Submit

Resources

SAVE THE DATE: October 13 is Pittsburgh's Day of Giving!

Wednesday, October 13
12:00:00 am Midnight until 11:59:59 pm

Mark your calendars for Wednesday, October 13! The Pittsburgh Foundation's Day of Giving is just around the corner. This is a true Day of Giving, a 24-hour period during which any gift contributed in that time will receive a prorated share of the available matching monies. This means that every donor will be matched.

New and improved, this one-day event takes lesson's learned from last year's Matching Day to minimize--if not eliminate--glitches in the system.

Be sure to bookmark www.pittsburghgives.org to ensure quick access on October 13. We certainly hope you will choose to support Sustainable Pittsburgh, in addition to the many other worthwhile organizations listed on the site.

10th Annual Southwestern PA Smart Growth Conference:
Regional Collaboration: Investing in Sustainable Communities

Friday, October 15
8:30 am - 4:30 pm
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, downtown Pittsburgh
Lunch provided.
Early registration: $25; After 9/23: $45. Free for elected officials.
For exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities contact: cgould@sustainablepittsburgh.org
Click here to REGISTER.
Enter the TIPPING POINTS FOR SUSTAINABILITY Competition! More information here . Deadline to enter September 24.

For this 10th anniversary, the conference will be a milestone for the high stakes surrounding the region's capacity building for smart growth. Focus will be on alignment with the Obama Administration's Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities (comprising federal DOT, EPA, and HUD) in supporting integration of housing, transportation, water infrastructure, energy conservation, and land use planning and investment. As such, this one-day, conference will identify barriers and solutions to cross-jurisdictional coordination for regional smart growth and sustainable community development policy and implementation. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan hit home the need and opportunity of our times in recently stating, "Our challenge now is to bring that holistic view of community development into the mainstream -- to help build sustainable neighborhoods, communities and regions that are as interconnected as the challenges they face."

The conference will again serve as a public input session to the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's process of updating the region's Long Range Transportation and Development Plan. This update will be distinguished by addition of enhancements appropriate to a regional sustainable development plan per the six "Livability Principles" prioritized by the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities.

The conference will feature:
- John Frece, Director, Office of Sustainable Communities, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- Beth Osborne, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Mariia Zimmerman, Deputy Director, HUD Office of Sustainable Housing and Communities
- Representatives of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Transportation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will discuss the U.S. government's interagency partnership to support and promote sustainable communities.
- Keynote address by Peter Calthorpe, Principal, Calthorpe Associates - Urban Designers, Planners, Architects
- Allen Biehler, Secretary of PA Department of Transportation
- John Hanger, Secretary of PA Department of Environmental Protection
- SPC public process per the region's sustainable development plan
- Four pressing issues interwoven in deliberations: Transportation Funding Crisis, Water & Sewer Infrastructure, Marcellus Impacts, Affordable Housing
- Panel strategy session with: Steve Bland, Port Authority of Allegheny County; Caren Glotfelty, The Heinz Endowments; Elizabeth Hersh, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania; Doug Hill, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania; John Schombert, 3 Rivers Wet Weather
- Formal presentation of competition results – “14 Essential Tipping Points for SWPA Sustainable Community Development" (Learn how to enter the competition) - Launch of the online Sustainable Community Essentials Rapid Assessment
- Learn what federal and state agencies are looking for in capacity and qualification for sustainable community investment
- Identification of actionable steps whose implementation will position our region to accelerate sustainable development and be a priority place for investment
- Crafting of a summary of participants' input and resulting action plan for presentation to the candidates for Governor, other candidates and incumbents, and community leaders

Southwestern PA is a contemporary proving ground for hastening the new American dream found in revitalizing livable, sustainable communities through smart growth policies that discourage sprawl, congestion and pollution. Come be part of continuing the region's sustainability renaissance for economically competitive, environmentally sustainable, opportunity rich communities. More than a one-time event, the conference will be a point of acceleration and innovation for the region's positive path.

Peter Calthorpe has been named one of twenty-five "innovators on the cutting edge" by Newsweek Magazine for his work redefining the models of urban and suburban growth in America. Starting practice in 1976, he has a long and honored career in urban design, planning and architecture, combining his experience in each discipline to develop new approaches to urban revitalization, suburban growth, and regional planning. His early published work included technical papers, articles for popular magazines, and a number of seminal books, including Sustainable Communities with Sim Van der Ryn, and the Pedestrian Pocket Book with Doug Kelbaugh. The Next American Metropolis: Ecology, Community, and the American Dream, published in 1993, introduced the concept of Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and provided extensive guidelines and illustrations of their board application. His latest book with William Fulton, The Regional City: Planning for the End of Sprawl, explains how regional-scale planning and design can integrate urban revitalization and suburban renewal into a coherent vision of metropolitan growth.

Presented by Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network in collaboration with: 3 Rivers Wet Weather, 10,000 Friends of PA, Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Community Design Center of Pittsburgh, CONNECT, Green Building Alliance, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania, Local Government Academy, Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District 10, District 11, and District 12, Pennsylvania Resources Council, Remaking Cities Institute, Smart Growth Partnership of Westmoreland County, Southwest Chapter of the Pennsylvania Planners Association, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Three Rivers Workforce Investment Board, University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development - Pittsburgh, Young Preservationists Association

Sponsored by:
The PNC Financial Services Group
Michael Baker Corporation
Hill House Economic Development Corporation

Additional support provided by:
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments

Media Sponsor:
90.5 DUQ FM

Post Smart Growth Conference - Power of 32 Community Conversation
Continuing the regional dialogue, immediately following conclusion of the October 15 Smart Growth Conference, a Power of 32 Community Conversation will be held from 4:30 - 6:00 pm in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center Ballroom. This regional visioning session is open and free to residents of the 32 county region. Pre-register by calling 866-431-3622 and refer to the post Oct. 15 Smart Growth Conference Community Conversation. Attendees of the Smart Growth Conference are encouraged to stay and apply insights from the day. The public at large is welcomed too. Power of 32 is a regional visioning initiative engaging residents across 32 counties in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in creating a shared vision for the region's future. Through the Power of 32, we can think differently about our region's challenges—our role in the global world, our quality of life, and our opportunities—and act in ways that set a new direction for the future. Please join with other champions of smart growth and sustainability in this important opportunity to share your ideas about the future of the Power of 32 region. Input gained in the community conversations held around the region will by synthesized and vetted toward creation of a shared regional action agenda.

Go CAR FREE at the 10th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference

Friday, October 15
7:30 am - 10:00 am
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, next to the Convention Center Parking Garage on 10th Street –1 block off of Penn
Full details at the Car Free Fridays Web site

If you are a commuter using "Active Transportation" on October 15 (i.e. you biked, walked, carpooled, rode public transportation, etc.), stop by the Car Free Friday table outside of the David L. Lawrence Convention Center between 7:30am and 10:00am. Please also consider registering for the 10th annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference at the same location.

During Car Free Friday, be rewarded with discount vouchers from local businesses and be entered in a raffle. Bicyclists receive the added bonus of breakfast and coffee, courtesy of Levy Restaurants. Special thanks to the David L. Lawrence Convention Center for its support as well.

A program of Bike Pittsburgh, Car Free Fridays highlights a different neighborhood or municipality each month in the region to promote ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION – bicycling, walking, ride share, and transit. It’s a great chance to learn about the neighborhood, check out the business district, and figure out how to come and go car free. This month's focus is on Lawrenceville, but there's always a Car Free Friday satellite stop in downtown Pittsburgh! Hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Sustainable Community Development Network and the 24 additional 10th annual SWPA Smart Growth Conference Partners.

Post Smart Growth Conference - Power of 32 Community Conversation

Friday, October 15
4:30 pm - 6:00 pm (immediately following the conclusion of the 10th annual Smart Growth Conference)
David L. Lawrence Convention Center Ballroom
Free and open to the public
Pre-register by calling (866) 431-3622 and refer to the post Oct. 15 Smart Growth Conference Community Conversation.

This regional visioning session is open and free to residents of the 32 county region. Attendees of the Smart Growth Conference are encouraged to stay and apply insights from the day--continuing the regional dialogue. The public at large is welcomed too. Power of 32 is a regional visioning initiative engaging residents across 32 counties in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia in creating a shared vision for the region's future. Through the Power of 32, we can think differently about our region's challenges—our role in the global world, our quality of life, and our opportunities—and act in ways that set a new direction for the future. Please join with other champions of smart growth and sustainability in this important opportunity to share your ideas about the future of the Power of 32 region. Input gained in the community conversations held around the region will by synthesized and vetted toward creation of a shared regional action agenda.

Green Chemistry Roundtable #4: Reuse, Re-Purpose, and Reclaim: A Second Life for Trashed Goods and Processes

Wednesday, October 27
8:00 am - 10:30 am
Regional Enterprise Tower, 31st Floor, 425 Sixth Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh 15219
Registration Fee: $30.00; Students: Special Rate
More information and registration

This is the final roundtable in the four-part 2010 series developed through a collaboration between the Rachel Carson Homestead Association and Champions for Sustainability (a program of Sustainable Pittsburgh).

Workshop #4 participants will participate in a discussion about how companies tap into opportunities for reducing costs and finding new sources of revenue by capturing materials and designing processes for the end of a product's life.

For this discussion, Green Chemistry meets process strategies in highlighting the value of materials that most people throw "away" when they are done with them. From a sustainability perspective, there really is no "away." Savvy businesses are finding ways to reuse, re-purpose, and reclaim the overlooked value discarded by most people in their trashed goods.

The first roundtable in January highlighted the inspiration for products and processes that are compatible with natural systems. The second roundtable in March focused on a debate over policies pertaining to the impacts of what is made for the world's markets and consumers. The third roundtable in July featured innovative companies who are creating and selling products from a vision of credible green market opportunities.

Transition Sewickley: "In Transition 1.0" film screening and discussion

Thursday, October 7
6:30 pm - 8:30 p.m.
Sewickley Public Library - Community Room, 500 Thorn Street (at Broad Street), Sewickley
Admission: Free

What is the Transition movement all about? It's about unleashing and empowering the collective genius in the community to address this momentous question: “For all those aspects of life that our community needs in order to sustain itself and thrive, how do we significantly increase resilience (in response to Peak Oil), drastically reduce carbon emissions (in response to Climate Change) and greatly strengthen our local economy (in response to economic instability)?”

Join in the conversation on Food, Waste, Energy, Education, Youth, Economics, Transport, Water.

Learn more at:
www.transitionpgh.org
www.transitionnetwork.org
www.transitionus.org
Watch the TED talk by Rob Hopkins, Rob Hopkins' TED Talk

Climate Action Fest

Sunday, October 10 (10/10/10)
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm
Wilkins School Community Center (7604 Charleston Ave), Regent Square
To register, go to www.citizensclimatecorps.org
Questions? Call (412) 215 - 5995

Be a catalyst for change. Join a climate action team on 10/10/10 along with thousands of people around the globe as part of 350.org's international climate work party. Action teams work together for a few months to reduce greenhouse gases through one specific action. Join established teams OR participate in the brainstorming session to create ideas for new team actions. Part of a faith group, institution, or school? Bring your own group of 4 or more to form your own team. You will receive assistance in selecting an action and forming a plan. By the end of the Fest, you will: - Learn why grassroots action is crucial to solving the climate crisis; - Belong to an organized climate action team with a clear strategy to reduce greenhouse gases; - Be part of the climate solution!

When Innovation Meets Sustainability: Building Better Cities

Tuesday, October 12
9:00 am - 10:30 am (Continental Breakfast 8:30 am)
University Club, Ballroom A, University of Pittsburgh
Please RSVP by September 30, 2010 to: GSPIAIC@pitt.edu or (412) 648-2282

The Innovation Clinic at GSPIA presents the Fall 2010 Wherrett Lecture on innovative local & regional governing. This lecture features Dr. George Frederickson, Director of Metropolitan Studies Center and Professor, Public Administration, University of Kansas. Dr. Frederickson, the Edwin O. Stene Distinguished Professor of Public Administration at the University of Kansas, describes himself as a generalist in the field of public administration with particular interests in public administration ethics, theories of public administration, systems of multi-level governance, and American local government.

12th Annual 3 Rivers Wet Weather Sewer Conference

October 13-14, 2010
Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville
Registration Fee: $70 on or before October 6 / $75 after October 6 (includes registration, handouts and meals for both days)
Register online via credit card or make checks payable to LGA
For general questions about the conference, contact 3 Rivers Wet Weather at (412) 578-8375.
For registration questions, call the Local Government Academy (LGA) at (412) 237-3171.
Conference Brochure

In preparation for a 2012 compliance deadline, communities now are completing feasibility studies analyzing alternatives for managing sewage and stormwater, from both a technical and an economic perspective. Efforts must intensify to consolidate the operation and maintenance of the sewage collection system for the long-range cost benefits, as well as the sustainability of the system.

3 Rivers Wet Weather has planned this year’s conference agenda with these activities and goals in mind. Experienced industry professionals will be covering topics ranging from wet weather and its impact on affordability to green infrastructure alternatives and case studies from cities across the country. Conference organizers are also pleased to welcome Keynote Speaker Nancy Stoner, Assistant Deputy Administrator in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water, to share wet weather developments at the EPA. In addition, more than 60 organizations will set up displays on sewer assessment and rehabilitation, new technologies and software, green alternatives, sewer system maintenance products and services, and sewer system planning.

ALCOSAN Public Meetings: Is untreated wastewater entering your source of drinking water?

Monday, October 18
Heidelberg Volunteer Fire Department, 456 1st Street, Carnegie, 15106

Tuesday, October 19
East Liberty Presbyterian Church, 116 S. Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15206 (East Liberty)

Wednesday, October 20
Bellevue Christian Church, 680 Lincoln Avenue, Bellevue, 15202

Thursday, October 21
Carnegie Library, 510 E. 10th Avenue, Munhall, 15120

Sewer overflows impact everyone, and everyone can contribute to the resolution of this critical problem. By participating in an upcoming meeting, you can learn what is being considered in your community to address the public health, environmental and economic impacts of untreated wastewater discharges into this region's rivers and streams. Meetings will be held from 5:30 pm to 8:00 pm with a presentation given at 6:30 pm. These meetings will focus on the community-based potential solutions for each area as well as provide ALCOSAN's Annual Customer Information update.

Additional meetings are scheduled through November. For more information visit www.alcosan.org.

PIIN 2010 Public Action

Thursday, October 21
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Rodef Shalom, 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, 15213 (Oakland)
Contact: PIIN at (412) 621-9230

This event brings together some 1000 Pittsburgh Interfaith Impact Network (PIIN) members and supporters committed to working together for greater justice and equity in this region, state, and nation. Local, state, and national public officials as well as candidates for public office partnering with PIIN will be in attendance also.

The annual Public Actions are opportunities to connect with and hear from constituents about the issues that matter to them the most. The following issues will be addressed at this meeting: transit funding and the proposed transit cuts; education - with a focus on Pittsburgh and Woodland Hills Public Schools, both of which are ranked in the bottom 10 percent in the Commonwealth; and racial profiling and racial diversity within the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

PIIN is an alliance of more than 40 congregations of other faith-based organizations working to realize shared values through civic engagement on issues identified by members.

Leadership Pittsburgh Public Agenda Forum Breakfast--"Pensions and My Children-What and Why I need to know"

Friday, October 22
7:30 am - 9:30 am
The Rivers Club, 301 Grant Street, #411, downtown Pittsburgh 15219
Cost: $20; LPI Connective Member Registration: $17
More information

Jon Delano, LP V, Money & Politics Editor, KDKA-TV, asks State Senator Jay Costa, 43rd District; John Tarka, President, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers; and State Representative Jim Christiana, 15th District – What can be done?

3RiversBioneers Conference

October 22-23, 2010
Pittsburgh Project, 2801 N Charles St, Pittsburgh, 15214 (North Side)
Prices: Both days - $40; One day only - $30; Scholarships are available (choose scholarship option on registration page)
Limited space is available, so be sure to register as soon as possible.
More information

Join the 3Rivers Bioneers for this visionary event on October 22-23, where the group strives to cultivate sustainable communities in the Three Rivers Bioregion through actions revolving around social justice, ecological health, and innovative solutions.

At this year's 3RiversBioneers Conference, you can...
- Participate in a wide range of local workshops relevant to local communities; from models for supplying food and food education in food deserts to local stormwater legislation improvements to hands-on renewable energy workshops for kids and adults alike.
- Watch and listen to the inspirational stories and solutions from the National Bioneers Plenaries broadcast from San Rafael, CA including revered primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, urban forestry and stormwater guru Andy Lipkis, and many others on topics of civil rights, equitable economics, water stewardship, and indigenous knowledge.
- Converse and collaborate with a diverse Bioneers community during the conference and after.
- Engage w/ local food vendors, businesses, organizations, and artists and get their insight on solutions for the Pittsburgh region.
- Witness Pittsburgh's Youth meeting at the cross-roads of ecological restoration and social justice and learn how they seek to improve our world as they grow together.

Marcellus Rally

Wednesday, November 3
For more information visit www.MarcellusProtest.org or call (724) 485-9835.

Marcellus Protest is an alliance of Southwestern PA groups and individuals that is mobilizing to protect SWPA communities and its environment from the devastating effects of hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”) of the Marcellus Shale. On Wednesday, November 3-4, the gas industry will host a national conference on shale gas drilling in the “heart of the Marcellus Shale Play” at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.

As the facts about fracking bubble to the surface, more and more people are becoming alarmed about Marcellus Shale gas drilling. Several gas well explosions, dozens of compelling personal stories, numerous allegations of public health problems resulting from contaminated air and/or water, and hundreds of reported violations have inspired small townships, metropolitan cities, and even the entire state of New York to say, “now wait a minute.”

Marcellus Protest wants to keep up the momentum and build a grassroots movement to stop the destruction of the environment and communities by Marcellus Shale drilling before it’s too late. On November 3rd, the group will march from the North Shore, cross the Rachel Carson bridge into downtown Pittsburgh, and hold a rally in front of the Convention Center.

Myron Orfield: "Metro Patterns and Regional Engagement"

Thursday, November 4
9:00 am - 10:30 am (continental breakfast at 8:30 am)
University Club, Ballroom A, Oakland
Please RSVP by October 25 to GSPIAIC@pitt.edu or (412) 648-2282

The first in the Innovation Clinic at GSPIA's new series of lectures on the Changing Nature of Civic Engagement in America. Professor Orfield is an authority on civil rights, state and local
government, state and local finance, land use, questions of regional governance, and the legislative process. He is a nonresident senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, and serves
on the board of the Institution’s Metropolitan Policy Program.

10th Annual New Partners for Smart Growth: Building Safe, Healthy and Livable Communities

February 3-5, 2011
Charlotte, North Carolina
Conference Brochure
Register online at www.NewPartners.org

Join leaders from across the U.S. in tackling environmental, social and economic challenges head-on. Help demonstrate smart growth solutions that will reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, create a green economy, assure a healthy population, foster more equitable development, and expand transportation and housing options for all Americans.

In these tough economic times when communities everywhere are struggling for fiscal survival, this timely conference will identify innovative ways to finance smart growth, explore creative techniques for reducing infrastructure and service costs, and provide concrete ideas for employing smart growth as a tool for economic vitality.

Resources

Allegheny Forum: Why It’s Hard to Keep Good Paramedics…

According to a 2009 Survey of Pittsburgh area salaries, the mean annual salary of a paramedic is less than $30,000/year and the mean annual salary of a registered nurse (which requires relatively little more in education) is more than $60,000/year. No one doubts the value and necessary compensation of our area’s nurses, so why are paramedics (who are more likely to handle life-threatening emergencies and not stable patients) compensated at less than half of what nurses make? It goes back to the history of our region where ambulance services were primarily volunteer-operated. Today, unlike back then, citizens expect full professional paramedic services to provide top-notch care. But, local EMS providers have a hard time finding and keeping quality paramedics when a nursing career that is less risky and offers twice the salary is so accessible. How do we meet the training and staffing needs of our community’s paramedic providers when the money just isn’t there? Are you satisfied with cutting corners on quality emergency medical services? Tell us what you think by posting your comment. . .

Driven Apart: How Sprawl Is Lengthening Our Commutes and Why Misleading Mobility Measures Are Making Things Worse

While peak hour travel times average 200 hours a year in large metropolitan areas, Driven Apart proves that some cities have managed to achieve shorter travel times and actually reduce the peak hour travel times. The key is that some metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Portland and Sacramento have land use patterns and transportation systems that enable their residents to take shorter trips and minimize the burden of peak hour travel. If every one of the top 50 metros followed suit with Chicago and other higher performing cities, their residents would drive about 40 billion fewer miles per year and use two billion fewer gallons of fuel, for a cost savings of $31 billion annually.

More

Transport systems in U.S. lagging - Prosperity could decline, panel says

The United States is saddled with a rapidly decaying and woefully underfunded transportation system that will undermine its status in the global economy unless Congress and the public embrace innovative reforms, a bipartisan panel of experts concludes in a report released Monday.

Sustainability Helps Save Businesses Money

"Grand Rapids-based Cascade Engineering Inc. might have closed up shop about two years ago had it not implemented its 'triple bottom line' strategy years earlier. This strategy adds environmental and social concerns to the immediate profit motive," said Kelley Losey, Cascade's senior manager for environment and sustainability. Losey also "spoke at a workshop on sustainability at Automation Alley's Troy headquarters Thursday. Losey is also the director of Quest Sustainable Solutions, a consulting business Cascade set up to train other companies using its experiences. She presented ideas on sustainability and discussed the hurdles the company has faced in implementing initiatives." She explained that "One tangible benefit was a reduction in waste disposal costs from $250,000 a year in 2002 to $5,000 a year in 2009. A building that Cascade purchased and renovated to become LEED-certified (a "green" designation) yielded returns that paid for the LEED efforts within a year, she said."

Sust Enable: The Metamentary

What does sustainability mean? There seems to be no simple answers. The answer(s) would probably be complex, reflexive, paradoxical... perhaps even paradigm-shifting.

Cities go for the green

In cities such as St. Louis, Houston and Detroit - all victims of disinvestment in the 1960s and '70s - new parks are charged with spurring development and creating downtowns that are places to live, not just work. It's a role previously assigned to the '80s-era performing arts center and the '90s-era downtown sports venue. Thanks to parks' across-the-board appeal, wide diversity of uses and heavy programming, though, they may be the piece that ultimately completes the puzzle.

2010 County Sustainability Strategies

Last month, NACo released their latest publication highlighting county sustainability efforts in 2010. The publication, which analyses the results of a recent survey, is proving to be a valuable asset to America's counties--helping them better define, prioritize, and more fully assess their sustainability efforts.

New Compendium Describes State and Local Best Practices in Energy Efficiency and Renewables

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership, the Alliance to Save Energy, and the American Council on Renewable Energy have released a collaborative report on state and local best practices in energy efficiency and renewable energy. The report, entitled Compendium of Best Practices: Sharing Local and State Successes in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from the United States, describes state and local policies, financing mechanisms, and other initiatives that have succeeded in creating favorable market conditions for energy efficiency and renewable energy. These practices were chosen based on their ease of implementation, ability to be replicated, achievable energy savings, cost effectiveness, mitigation potential, and job creation.

HUD Choice Neighborhoods - $65 million
Application Due: October 26, 2010

Application Due: October 26, 2010

HUD requests proposals for the Choice Neighborhoods Initiative – Round 1. Choice Neighborhoods seeks to employ a comprehensive approach to neighborhood transformation. Core goals include but are not limited to:
1) Transforming distressed public and assisted housing into energy-efficient, mixed-income housing that is physically and financially viable over the long term (HUD’s expectation for Choice Neighborhoods are properties with low per-unit energy consumption and healthy indoor air quality); 2) Transforming neighborhoods of poverty into viable, mixed-income neighborhoods with access to well-functioning services, high-quality public schools, public transportation, and improved access to jobs. Planning and Implementation grants will be awarded. $65 million is expected to be available, up to 19 awards are anticipated.

This Week on the Allegheny Front: Biomass Criticism, Marcellus Tax Debate and Muskrat Love in Trouble

This week on The Allegheny Front, a power plant along the Ohio border is switching from coal to biomass in hopes of improving air quality. Critics say this biofuel may not be worth it. In a different take on renewable energy, some farmers are growing their own fuel to fill their tractors. In the news, we discuss the latest on the Marcellus Shale severance tax debate going on in Harrisburg. Researchers are trying to find out why muskrats, important wetland animals, are declining throughout Pennsylvania. The Organic Gardeners say a beneficial fungus can help saplings take hold.

Austin, Pittsburgh, Seattle Receive Honors for GHG Reductions

Twenty U.S. cities and counties have achieved significant milestones in reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, according to ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability USA. Austin, TX; Pittsburgh, PA; and Seattle, WA were honored for moving through all five steps of the carbon reduction process outlined by ICLEI.

GE Evaporator Could Cut Down On Water Used In Fracturing

General Electric Co. is launching a mobile device aimed at helping natural gas drillers recycle water used in a controversial gas drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing. The truck-sized, transportable device would cut down on both the amount of fresh water used and wastewater currently trucked long distances for disposal." The device is a "mobile evaporator" that "boils the used water, turning it into steam which then condenses into distilled water. That water can be reused for fracking and results in a much smaller volume of contaminated water for disposal.

Pittsburgh sees 206 percent rise in bicycle commuting since 2000 – Fourth largest increase in the country

One interesting trend that emerged from the survey was that Pittsburgh saw a whopping 206 percent growth in bike commuting since 2000 – the fourth largest growth in the nation. This is impressive considering how little on-street bike facilities have changed since then. There is clearly a change in mind-set among commuters, and any veteran Pittsburgh cyclist will tell you that, in general, drivers’ attitudes have changed since then as well. What the overall data also shows is that cities that had moderate numbers to begin with, saw large gains this past decade.

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 ($1,000 and up) in 2010 from:

Allegheny County - Dan Onorato, County Executive
Atkins Family Foundation
BNY Mellon
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
Dollar Bank
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
FedEx Ground
Pashek Associates
Port Authority of Allegheny County
Richard King Mellon Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
UPMC
Waste Management


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