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

Last Days to Register!

Actions for Businesses: Resources to Reduce Energy Use, Costs, and Climate Impacts

Presented by: The Business Climate Coalition (BCC) and Champions for Sustainability (C4S)

Thursday, October 29
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue, Strip District
Cost: $25 per person; Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages provided
Space is limited.
For more information and to register, click here or contact: Jillian Ryan, 412-258-6652 or Matthew Mehalik, 412-258-6644

Discover practical, “what to do” resources and perspectives for businesses to save money through smarter ways of using energy and reducing climate impacts.

Energy conservation provides an ideal way to reduce costs and climate impacting emissions. Businesses of all sizes are looking to seize opportunities to advance both of these objectives. This event is intended to help businesses by highlighting energy reduction programs in utility operators and distributors under PA ACT 129 and other programs. Other tools to be covered, such as Energy Star-affiliated Portfolio Manager and energy audits, provide useful guidance and ways of measuring progress, both keys to successful business management. Learn about other businesses who are leading in their achievements that have positively impacted their bottom lines.

This event builds off of the summer’s insightful energy and climate debates by providing practical, tangible steps for businesses that pay off. The presented solutions remain robust despite pending legislative uncertainty regarding energy and climate policies.

Panel of Featured Business Case Studies:
Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters and Evolve EA
-Shawn Fertitta, Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program Administrator/Facility Manager, Pittsburgh Opera
-Dave Deal, LEED AP, evolve environment ::architecture

Regional Enterprise Tower and Constellation Energy
-Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation
-Greg Lok, Director of Program Development, Constellation Energy

Panel of Resources:
- Business opportunities through PA ACT 129: Dave Defide, Program Manager, Duquesne Light
- Energy Procurement and Demand Response Programs: Carolyn Pengidore, CEO, Clearchoice Energy
- Portfolio Manager: The Key to Measuring Progress: Eric Carlson, WV EPA Congressional/State Liaison, U.S. EPA Region III
- Energy Efficiency and Auditing: Chuck Watson, Director, EnergyChaser and Greg Wozniak, President, G. A. Wozniak & Associates
- Regional Energy Strategy: Tim Carryer, Director, Diagnostic Energy Auditor’s Association of Western Pennsylvania
- State energy grants for businesses: Maureen Guttman, Executive Director of the Governor's Green Government Council, PA Department of Energy

Moderated by Nagaraj Sivasubramaniam, Associate Professor, Palumbo*Donahue Schools of Business, Duquesne University

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.

Actions for Businesses: Resources to Reduce Energy Use, Costs, and Climate Impacts

Presented by: The Business Climate Coalition (BCC) and Champions for Sustainability (C4S)

Thursday, October 29
4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters, 2425 Liberty Avenue, Strip District
Cost: $25 per person; Light hors d'oeuvres and beverages provided
Space is limited.
For more information and to register, click here or contact: Jillian Ryan, 412-258-6652 or Matthew Mehalik, 412-258-6644

Discover practical, “what to do” resources and perspectives for businesses to save money through smarter ways of using energy and reducing climate impacts.

Energy conservation provides an ideal way to reduce costs and climate impacting emissions. Businesses of all sizes are looking to seize opportunities to advance both of these objectives. This event is intended to help businesses by highlighting energy reduction programs in utility operators and distributors under PA ACT 129 and other programs. Other tools to be covered, such as Energy Star-affiliated Portfolio Manager and energy audits, provide useful guidance and ways of measuring progress, both keys to successful business management. Learn about other businesses who are leading in their achievements that have positively impacted their bottom lines.

This event builds off of the summer’s insightful energy and climate debates by providing practical, tangible steps for businesses that pay off. The presented solutions remain robust despite pending legislative uncertainty regarding energy and climate policies.

Panel of Featured Business Case Studies:
Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters and Evolve EA
-Shawn Fertitta, Pittsburgh Opera Resident Artist Program Administrator/Facility Manager, Pittsburgh Opera
-Dave Deal, LEED AP, evolve environment ::architecture

Regional Enterprise Tower and Constellation Energy
-Southwestern Pennsylvania Corporation
-Greg Lok, Director of Program Development, Constellation Energy

Panel of Resources:
- Business opportunities through PA ACT 129: Dave Defide, Program Manager, Duquesne Light
- Energy Procurement and Demand Response Programs: Carolyn Pengidore, CEO, Clearchoice Energy
- Portfolio Manager: The Key to Measuring Progress: Eric Carlson, WV EPA Congressional/State Liaison, U.S. EPA Region III
- Energy Efficiency and Auditing: Chuck Watson, Director, EnergyChaser and Greg Wozniak, President, G. A. Wozniak & Associates
- Regional Energy Strategy: Tim Carryer, Director, Diagnostic Energy Auditor’s Association of Western Pennsylvania
- State energy grants for businesses: Maureen Guttman, Executive Director of the Governor's Green Government Council, PA Department of Energy

Moderated by Nagaraj Sivasubramaniam, Associate Professor, Palumbo*Donahue Schools of Business, Duquesne University

Global Sustainability - Trends and Developments in the Built Environment

Sustainability and Smart Growth Brown Bag Forum
FEATURING: Vivian 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
Registration and details
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 is 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:
- Sustainable Pittsburgh's Sustainable Community Development Network
- University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership
- Housing Alliance of PA

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

PUMP Healthcare Forum

Friday, October 23
6:00 pm - 7:30 pm (Doors open at 5:30)
University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health Auditorium, Parran Hall (5th Avenue & DeSoto Streets, Oakland)
Free
More information

PUMP & The University of Pittsburgh Graduate Student Assembly invite the public to learn about the status of the Healthcare Reform in America. Come to the town hall meeting to better understand this complex and controversial issue.

Featured Panelists:
Paul H. O'Neill, 72nd Secretary of the US Treasury, Co founder of the Pittsburgh Regional Healthcare Initiative & Founder of Value Capture, LLC
Congressman Jason Altmire, D- Pennsylvania's 4th Congressional District, Co-chair of the New Democratic Coalition’s task force on health care reform and subcommittee chairman on the Small Business Committee
Congressman Tim Murphy, R- Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, Co-chair of the 21st Century Healthcare Caucus, Mental Health Caucus and Men’s Health Caucus, and currently serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee, where he sits on two subcommittees: Health and Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Moderated by Dr. Beaufort B. Longest, M. Allen Pond Professor and Director, Health Policy Institute at the University of Pittsburgh.

Wind 101 Workshop

Saturday, October 24
Session 2: 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm -- A few slots are still available for this session.
Slippery Rock University's Macoskey Center, Slippery Rock
Cost: $30, $15 for SRU students.
Call 724-738-4050 to register. Final slots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

The Macoskey Center at SRU invites homeowners, small business owners, contractors and students to the Wind Power 101 Workshop Saturday, October 24th. Tax credits, energy de-regulation, reducing costs, decreasing your environmental impact - these are all reasons why your home or business improvement plans should include renewable energy. Wind power is a plentiful, renewable energy source that could reduce your energy bills and your carbon footprint.

Joe and Lisa DiFrancisco of North Coast Energy Systems will teach the Wind Power 101 Workshop and give you the knowledge you need to see if your site is suitable for your own wind turbine. They will explain the basics of wind power, how wind turbine equipment works and give tours of the 2.5 kilowatt-hour wind turbine installation in use at the Macoskey Center. In addition each participant will receive a wind design workbook. **Dress appropriately for the weather -- some outdoor activity**

"Treatment/Disposal Options for Wastewaters from Shale Gas Drilling"

WEBINAR
Wednesday, October 28
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Instructions for pre-registration are available at http://naturalgas.extension.psu.edu/Events.htm.
For more information on the webinar, contact Joann Kowalski at 570-278-1158 or by email at jmk20@psu.edu.

One million gallons is a lot of water. When Marcellus shale gas drillers probe for natural gas using the hydrofracture technique, they inject about 3 million gallons of water underground. Typically, about 30 to 40 percent of the injected water -- or about 1 million gallons -- returns quickly to the surface at the wellhead. This wastewater, known as "flowback," carries large amounts of dissolved solids and high concentrations of salt and must be treated before it is returned to surface-water sources. What to do with this wastewater is the subject of this online seminar from Penn State Cooperative Extension. Guest speaker is Bryan Swistock, Water Resources Specialist, School of Forest Resources, Penn State University.

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 private 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.

David Lewis Lecture on Urban Design: Featuring Peter Bosselmann

Thursday, October 29
6:00 pm
Carnegie Museum of Art Theater, Oakland
Free
Contact: Lori Sipes at Urban Design Associates, 412-263-5200

A world-renowned practitioner and urban theorist, German-born Bosselmann lectures internationally on urban design and planning. He established urban simulation laboratories in Milan, New York City, and Tokyo, modeled after the Berkeley laboratory that has been under his direction since 1983. His most recent book, and the subject of his lecture, is Urban Transformation: Understanding City Design and Form. He has produced documentary films about urban design issues in San Francisco and New York City, narrated by Jason Robards and Paul Newman.

Bosselmann has won numerous design awards for his projects and research from the American Institute of Architects, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and the American Planning Association and has held teaching residencies at the Politecnico di Milano, the Royal Danish Academy of Art, and the University of Tokyo. An invited exhibition of his work was shown at the Triennale in Milan. Bosselmann is a graduate of the Karlsruhe University in Germany and earned dual master degrees in Architecture and Urban Design at the University of California, Los Angeles.

This will be the eighth annual David Lewis Lecture on Urban Design. It is co-sponsored by the Remaking Cities Institute of the School of Architecture of Carnegie Mellon University and the Heinz Architectural Center of the Carnegie Museum of Art. The lecture series is underwritten by Urban Design Associates in honor of Mr. Lewis, founder of the firm and Emeritus Distinguished University Professor at Carnegie Mellon. Previous speakers in the David Lewis lecture series have been Donlyn Lyndon, Fred Koetter, John Norquist, Leon Krier, Andres Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, Hank Dittmar, and Joan Busquets.

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

Registration Deadline Extended to Monday, October 26th!

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 programs@pcrg.org or 412-391-6732 x210.
Flyer
Tentative Course Agenda

The Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group (PCRG) has partnered with the National Development Council (NDC) to bring the three-day course “Rental Housing Finance” to Pittsburgh! As the second course in the Housing Development certification program, 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. Scholarships are reflected in the discounted registration fees. You may save an additional 10% when registering two or more people for this training program.

Stormwater Management in Sustainable Urban Design

Tuesday, November 3
5:30 pm
Engineer’s Society of Western Pittsburgh, 337 Fourth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Registration:
SCE member - $35
Non-member - $50
Students - $10
More information

American Society of Civil Engineers' (ASCE) Environmental Water Resource Institute (EWRI) presents: Stormwater Management in Sustainable Urban Design with Janet L. Attarin, AIA, Project Director of the City of Chicago DOT Streetscape and Sustainable Design Program; and Nancy Shultz, P.E., D.WRE of CH2MHill.

Come and learn about the development of the award winning City of Chicago's Sustainable Streets and Green Alley program led by Ms. Attarian. Ms. Shultz will discuss the evolution of sustainable water management in urban environment and present performance based expectations and design criteria contained in several guidance manuals, and describe how those criteria were adopted for different applications. This will be illustrated with lessons and anecdotes of gaining acceptance of these sustainable approaches.

CityLive: "Streamlining Government Services: Who Benefits?"

Wednesday, November 4
6:30 pm
New Hazlett Theater, North Side
RSVP

City County consolidation is a big, top down idea. People have worked on it locally for years now and are told there are many valuable efficiencies to gain from such a consolidation. In the meantime, while everyone is waiting, are there ways to streamline government services from the bottom up? Should this area wait for the big prize, or should folks be chipping away at consolidating smaller chunks that may eventually add up to the big prize?

The panel of experts will present and discuss their ideas for effectively streamlining government services today. They include Kathleen McKenzie, deputy county manager for Allegheny County; and Sala Udin, president and CEO of Coro Center for Civic Leadership; all moderated by Laura Ellsworth, partner at Jones Day. Cocktails and conversation to follow.

2009 Beard Symposium - Sustainability: The Bridge to the Future

Tuesday, November 10
8:00 am - 3:30 pm
Westin Hotel and Convention Center, 1000 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh
Cost: $250.00 per person. (The cost is discounted to $200.00 per person if registered by October 10, 2009.)
For more information and to register, visit www.duq.edu/beardsymposium

This one-day symposium, hosted by Duquesne University’s Palumbo - Donahue School of Business, will examine why environmental, financial and social responsibility – the triple bottom line – are essential for economic recovery, innovation and growth. Our panel of regional and international thought leaders will ensure lively, provocative dialogue:

Keynote Speakers
· Andrew Winston, co-author of Green to Gold and author of Green Recovery
· Andrew Savitz, author of The Triple Bottom Line and formerly a lead partner running PricewaterhouseCoopers’ sustainability consulting practice

CEO Forum
· Alcoa, Klaus Kleinfeld, President and CEO
· Duquesne Light Holdings, Inc., Morgan O’Brien, President and CEO
· Lennox International Inc., John W. Norris III, Chairman of the Environmental Funders Network
· Tri-State Coalition for Responsible Investment, Sr. Patricia A. Daly, Executive Director

20/20 Panel
· Citigroup, Bruce Schlein, Vice President of Corporate Sustainability
· Dow Jones & Company, Inc., John A. Prestbo, Editor and Executive Director
· Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America Inc., Kevin M. Butt, General Manager and Chief Environmental Safety Officer
· Direct Energy, Chris Perrault, Senior Director, Climate Change Strategy

Warren Millers' Dynasty

Friday, November 27
Matinee: 6:00 pm; Evening: 8:00 pm
Andrew Carnegie Library and Music Hall, Carnegie
Tickets: (before October 27) $6 for matinee; $8 for evening
Details, including additional ticket information

From October through December 2009, Warren Miller’s Dynasty will crisscross the country on a nationwide film tour. Narrated by Jonny Moseley and presented in striking high-definition, Dynasty highlights winter’s most gripping explorations and ultimate challenges . . . the new, the old, and the unknown . . . the steep, the deep, and the unthinkable. Warren Miller’s Dynasty takes a breathtaking global tour of China, Alaska, Norway, Colorado, British Columbia, and more. Join legendary WME athlete Chris Anthony as he treks into China’s interior on a search for the birthplace of skiing; follow mountaineering marvel Chris Davenport to Norway’s highest peaks; reunite with the pride of the Midwestern ski community, Luke and Adam Schrab; and catch a rare glimpse at historic clips from Warren Miller Entertainment’s vault of vintage footage.

Resources

Sustainable Pittsburgh urges work force inclusion

The Pittsburgh region's ongoing challenges with diversity and inclusion received fresh attention last month with the publication of a report by Sustainable Pittsburgh, a nonprofit agency advocating for sustainable development...But it goes beyond describing problems to offering suggestions to both government and corporate leaders for reducing such disparities. Here are 10 of them:...Sustainable Pittsburgh Executive Director Court Gould said that so far responses to the report from local leaders have been overwhelmingly positive. "They have indicated strong support and expressions that, indeed, this is the agenda that our region needs to address."

Take the Pledge for Dignity and Respect

Dignity and respect are crucial to building and sustaining an environment in which everyone feels included, valued, and appreciated. Sometimes it's the smallest things that have the biggest impact . . . Here's how the Dignity and Respect Campaign works: Every day we have the opportunity to test our commitment to dignity and respect through our behavior. The tips below encourage us all to be mindful of our interactions with others and to commit to treating others the way they want to be treated. By following the daily recommendations, we can all work to achieve a more inclusive community. Be sure to check out the pledge drive too!

More

Action Alert: Contact Your Councilperson and tell them to vote for more bike parking!

Take 30 seconds to email City Council using Bike Pittsburgh's secure form - It's easy! Pittsburgh cyclists are one step closer to more and better bike parking throughout the City. The Planning Commission unanimously passed a Proposed Bicycle Parking Ordinance on September 1st of this year. This ordinance is integral to continue on the road toward a green, sustainable, and active city. In short, it requires that new buildings install bicycle parking, just like they need to for cars. Next stop: City Council Bike Pittsburgh needs you, the grassroots, to let City Council know the importance of this ordinance

City to cut diesel from garbage trucks

Department of Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger announced today that the commonwealth is investing more than $1.2 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to upgrade diesel vehicles with emission reduction technology that will improve air quality in the region . . . The Allegheny County Health Department received $443,100 of the ARRA funding to upgrade 33 of the City of Pittsburgh’s waste hauling vehicles with particulate filters verified by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency or California Air Resource Board. Once upgraded, the trucks will emit fewer pollutants when traveling through the city’s neighborhoods.

Heating Up the Solar Market in Western Pennsylvania

It turns out that you don’t have to live in sunny California to go solar. Some people think that the planets are aligning for the growth of a solar energy market in western Pennsylvania. As The Allegheny Front’s Ann Murray has discovered, among other things, it will take a trained workforce to really heat up this emerging market.

Recycling of waste water to be norm for Marcellus Shale gas wells

"We are recycling 100 percent of the flowback water, which is between 15 percent and 30 percent of the water used during Marcellus Shale well drilling," said Ventura. A typical well drilled in the Marcellus Shale formation uses new horizontal drilling technology that uses millions of gallons of water to fracture gas-containing shale thousands of feet underground and may return 600,000 gallons of water to be recycled . . . Recycling efforts are expected by proponents to play a huge role in achieving the state Department of Environmental Protection's proposed 2011 water quality discharge standards.

The time for “business as usual” is over

Speech given by Jorma Ollila, Chairman Royal Dutch Shell plc and Nokia, at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., USA

In his speech given at the National Press Club in Washington D.C., WBCSD's incoming chairman, Jorma Ollila, said that continuing business as usual in the face of global climate change and population growth is not an option. By 2050 -- just 40 years -- the world will have 50 percent more people and 85 percent of them will live in developing countries. Business must have a constructive partnership with government and civil society because investment in the technology changes often is beyond the capacity of a single company or even a single country.

Business Travelers Take to Their Bikes

That was the case for Alison Chaiken, a software engineer in the San Francisco Bay area. “I usually bicycle commute and thought it’d be fun to do it on a business trip,” said Ms. Chaiken, who traveled to England last fall for Hewlett-Packard, then her employer. And, she said, it made sense. With no good public transportation from her hotel in downtown Bristol to the company site in the countryside, and her concerns about driving on the “wrong” side of the road, she biked the scenic Bristol & Bath Railway Path for the week. She estimates that she saved the company hundreds of dollars by not renting a car and avoiding the high price of gas overseas. And she skirted rush-hour traffic.

Q&A: Jamie Moore, Eat n' Park

We provide close to 85 locations for distributors, and we work with them to understand the philosophy of buying local. A lot of them may have relationships with growers in North Carolina, but what we want to change is when a green pepper is available locally, we're looking for them to switch over their supply to that farm because it's the right thing to do. Distributors can make or break us. When I see one lagging behind in their local purchases, I'll go out and find growers, tell them what they need to do, and connect them with that distributor. I want the distributor to understand the farmer is going to be a partner.

For information on becoming a Member of Sustainable Pittsburgh, please visit our website.

3E Links is sent as a service to Sustainable Pittsburgh Members and interested parties and is being distributed for informational purposes. The information above was provided by or obtained from the organizing institution or one of its representatives. Our distribution does not imply endorsement. To unsubscribe, reply to this e-mail and type UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line.

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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