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

Awareness Campaign Targets Pennsylvania's Transportation Crisis

Individuals provided with easy way to get involved

On Wednesday, November 10, 2010, the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) launched a campaign to raise awareness of Pennsylvania's transportation funding crisis, with the ultimate result being to stimulate legislative action in Harrisburg and resolve the Pennsylvania transportation crisis.

The campaign website, keepPGHmoving.com, enables visitors to create tailored messages, or choose from prepared messages, and send them to their legislators, as well as share them via Facebook and Twitter.

The gallery of messages that can be sent to state legislators reflects the broad repercussions of the transportation crisis. Among the messages are, “Let’s Not Become One Big Traffic Jam,” “The City Will Lose Downtown Jobs,” and “Let's Not Add More Commute Time.”

Help make a difference by sending a message to your newly elected state legislator! They must act immediately to fix the transportation budget deficit. It's important for members of the legislature to work together on a bipartisan basis to identify new revenue sources.

According to the PDP, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has a $47M shortfall, which if left unresolved, will force a 35 percent service cut to take effect this March, resulting in fewer transit routes available to serve downtown Pittsburgh. As part of these reductions, 44 routes to more than 50 communities will be eliminated, while service on the remaining bus routes also will be reduced. The remaining communities in Allegheny County with service will experience scheduling reductions.

More than 12,500 people will lose access to public transit, and it is estimated that more than 5,250 people will begin driving their car to a downtown work location. In a short period of time, Pittsburgh will experience traffic congestion at levels never seen before. Increased commuter trips and the demand for more parking will force higher rates for both on- and off-street parking.

During yesterday's press event, the PDP emphasized that employers relying on workers who use public transit may lose a significant number of employees. These same employers may then look outside the downtown area for a more affordable environment in which to operate, causing a decrease in rents, property values, and taxes paid to the City of Pittsburgh.

Get involved. Visit keepPGHmoving.com.

Resources

Save the Date: Business Leadership in Managing Energy Usage

Presented by: Champions for Sustainability (C4S), a program of Sustainable Pittsburgh, the Business Climate Coalition, and the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative
Tuesday, December 7
8:30 am – 11:30 am
Location TBA
Contact: Jake Baechle, BCC Coordinator at (412) 258-6652 or jbaechle@sustainablepittsburgh.org

This event, designed to inspire businesses in Southwestern Pennsylvania, features leading firms that are being proactive in managing how they use energy. Participants will have a chance to interact with a range of internationally-recognized businesses that have demonstrated cost savings and innovative practices in energy measurement and savings. After the interactive panel discussion, participants will gain resources and make connections to enable them to track their energy profiles and cost savings.

Panelists include representatives from:
· Alcoa
· Bayer Corporation
· Del Monte Foods
· Coca-Cola Corporation (pending)
· Wal-Mart (pending)

Businesses that track and report their energy usage:
· Demonstrate their commitment to sustainability
· Save money by saving energy
· Improve transparency
· Qualify for incentive programs
· Are enabled to set well defined goals
· Reduce legal risk due to a changing regulatory environment
· Build market share
· Take action that illustrate their commitment to best management practice

Attend this event and learn how to gain a competitive edge through energy efficiency. Everyone is invited to intend. Those who stand to particularly benefit include sustainability professionals; facilities and operations managers/directors; corporate management; partners of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative, and members of the region’s business and nonprofit leadership.

Screening of "The Electricity Fairy" - a film about coal and energy policy

Saturday, November 13
7:00 pm
Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave., Pittsburgh 15213
Tickets: $9
3rff.com/movies.html#electricfairy
electricityfairy.org/

This film is being screened as part of Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Film Festival. Country: USA; Director: Tom Hansell.

Coal produces half of America’s electricity, according to the Federal Department of Energy. The energy policy currently before Congress identifies coal as a key to America’s “energy independence.” The Electricity Fairy examines America’s national addiction to fossil fuels. Filmmaker Tom Hansell of Appalshop – the legendary arts, media, and education center located in Kentucky – follows the story of a proposed coal-fired power plant in the mountains of southwest Virginia, connecting the local controversy to the national debate over energy policy. Present day documentary footage is remixed with old educational films, connecting past policy to our current energy crisis. (2010; program 80 min) Hansell is scheduled to attend, with additional short films, and to lead a discussion.

The Connection Between Smart Growth and Bicycle/Pedestrian Plans
APBP Professional Development Webinar Series

Webinar
Wednesday, November 17
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Eastern Time
Cost: $50 per site for APBP members; $75 per site for non-APBP members. Each site license includes one phone connection (toll charges apply, or use VoIP), one Internet connection, one set of handouts for unlimited attendees in the same location, and access to the recording. (You may be required to download free software from Citrix GoToMeeting in order to participate in the webinar.) APBP accepts Visa, MasterCard or AMEX; payment should be made by noon on November 16.
For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or info@apbp.org).
Register here

Will walkable, bicycle-friendly communities become the new gold standard for planners as they and policymakers consider the energy, environmental, social and economic implications of urban form decisions? Join presenters Dan Dawson (Marin County Dept. of Public Works) and Billy Fields (University of New Orleans) as they discuss how planners can develop bicycle and pedestrian plans that mesh with the movement toward creating more livable communities.

Find out how communities are incorporating new planning principles such as livable streets, aging in place, safe routes to school and active transportation into local Smart Growth/comprehensive plans. Learn how ideas like walkable urbanism and Trail Oriented Development (TrOD) underscore the economic value of proximity between home, services, and work. TrOD is an innovative land use tool that links density and active transportation (bicycling and walking). Several examples (Monon Trail, Indianapolis and Midtown Greenway, Minneapolis) illustrate how TrOD creates opportunities for development and redevelopment. Citations to exemplary bicycle and pedestrian plans are included in the webinar materials.

Webinar presenters:
Dan Dawson, AICP, is Principal Transportation Planner with Marin County Department of Public Works where he oversees transportation planning functions for the county. He is the program manager for WalkBikeMarin, Marin County's implementation of the federal Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program. He has 15 years of experience in both long-range and current land use planning with Marin County and the City of Vacaville, California. He is a graduate of California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, in City and Regional Planning.

Dr. Billy Fields is the Director of the Center for Urban and Public Affairs and Associate Director of the Gulf Coast Research Center for Evacuation and Transportation Resiliency at the University of New Orleans. His research background includes extensive work on the intersection of land use and transportation, including work on the quantification of the health and transportation benefits of walking and biking. Before joining the University of New Orleans, Dr. Fields was the Director of Research at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy in Washington, D.C.

APBP has applied to the AICP for one Certification Maintenance credit for this webinar. A certificate of attendance for those wanting to claim Professional Development Hours will be available.

Health effects of shale gas extraction: what is known and what can we predict?

Friday, November 19
8:00 am – 6:00 pm
University Club, Pittsburgh
Free to the public
This conference is limited to 150 participants.
More information and registration

This free conference, coordinated by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, will explore the science and methodological approaches behind understanding environmental health impacts associated with increasing development of natural gas extraction from shale deposits found under wide geographical areas of the United States.

When Innovation Meets Sustainability: Building Better Cities

Featuring Dr. George Frederickson
Tuesday, November 30
9:00 am - 10:30 am (continental breakfast begins at 8:30 am)
University Club, Ballroom A, University of Pittsburgh, Oakland
Please RSVP by November 19 to GSPIAIC@pitt.edu or (412) 648-2282

The Innovation Clinic at GSPIA presents the Fall 2010 Wherrett Lecture on innovative local and regional governing. This lecture features Dr. George Frederickson, Director of the Metropolitan Studies Center and Professor, Public Administration, at the 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.

Do More Than Give: The Six Practices of Donors Who Change the World

Wednesday, December 1
3:30 pm — 5:30 pm
University Club, Ballroom B, University of Pittsburgh
RSVP to: gspiapf@pitt.edu

GSPIA’s Philanthropy Forum, a project of the Johnson Institute for Responsible Leadership, presents Leslie Crutchfield, Philanthropic Leader & Co-author of "Do More Than Give: The Six Practices of Donors Who Change the World".

Leslie Crutchfield, leading authority on scaling social innovation and high-impact philanthropy, will preview her upcoming book "Do More Than Give." She will discuss six high impact strategies that move philanthropy away from simple grant making to focused social change. She recently co-authored "Forces for Good: The Six Practices of High-Impact Nonprofits" recognized by the The Economist on its Best Books of the Year List.

Issues in Local Government: Community and Legislative Perspectives

Thursday, December 2
7:30 am - Noon (continental breakfast included)
August Wilson Center for African American Culture, 980 Liberty Avenue, downtown Pittsburgh
Free and open to the public; advance registration required
Register here
Invitation letter, signed by Dan Frankel, Grant Oliphant, and Fred Thieman
Draft Agenda
Questions? Contact the Institute of Politics at (412) 624-1837.

Federal, state and local governments are in the midst of an extraordinary financial crisis. Local governments in the Commonwealth will undoubtedly be forced to make difficult decisions on topics such as government reform, consolidated services, expenditure cuts, unfunded mandates, and the constant struggle to maintain revenues. This second forum in a series is designed to facilitate thoughtful and comprehensive discussion of local government challenges and possible methods of confronting them. The program will begin with an overview of findings produced by the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics' Fiscal Policy and Governance Committee's report, "Key Challenges for Local Government," as well as a presentation of the civic engagement work being done through The Pittsburgh Foundation's Allegheny Forum website. State and local elected officials will have the opportunity to comment on the observations and suggestions of both reports.

The following State officials have confirmed that they will be participating: State Senator Dominic Pileggi, State Senator Jay Costa, State Representative Frank Dermody, and State Representative Mike Turzai. Local officials who have confirmed are Beaver County Commissioner Charlie Camp, Perry Township Supervisor A.J. Boni, and Mr. Lebanon Commissioner D. Raja.

Meeting to discuss Lewis and Clark National Heritage Trail Extension East of the Mississippi

Meeting with the National Park Service Special Resources Study Team
Monday, December 6
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Elizabeth Senior Citizen’s Center, 206 3rd St. (Corner of 3rd and Plum St.), Elizabeth 15037

Preliminary Meeting
LCNHT Monongahela River Chapter
Saturday, November 13
9:30 am Rockwell's Red Lion Restaurant, 201 South 2nd Avenue, Elizabeth 15037

More information on National Park Service Project
Please visit http://tiny.cc/cto2q to answer the public survey questions online. (Answers may be submitted online or at the meeting.)
Flyer

The National Park Service has been directed by Congress to conduct a special resource study to assess the suitability and feasibility of adding the Eastern Legacy sites associated with the preparation and return phases of the Lewis and Clark expedition to the existing Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail. The existing Trail extends west from Wood River, Illinois for approximately 3,700 miles to the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington. The study area for the Eastern Legacy extends from Wood River, Illinois along the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and will include additional sites and overland routes followed by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark, whether independently or together, prior to and following the 1804-1806 expedition.

The Study Team has selected the LCHNT Monongahela River Chapter over larger demographics to hold an investigational meeting, on December 6, 2010, to gather public opinion. This is a tremendous opportunity for the region; it is very important that each member of the Lewis & Clark Trail Heritage Foundation and their friends provide comments concerning this great opportunity to have the trail extend to Pittsburgh. The Extension East will be beneficial to the entire Nation as well as a particular boon to southwestern Pennsylvania.

GBA's 2010: State of the Union
“A year-in-review of GBA, USGBC, and the green building market”

Wednesday, December 8
8:00 am – 10:00 am
Duquesne Power Center Ballroom, 600 Forbes Avenue, 15282
Cost: $45 GBA Member | $75 Non-member
Register: www.go-gba.org/events or contact Karenp@gbapgh.org

Join the Green Building Alliance as the group conducts a year-in-review, including updates regarding its organization, the US Green Building Council, LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and the GBCI Credential Maintenance Program (CMP), and the 2011 green building forecast in Western PA. The featured guest is Gregg Perelman, CEO of Walnut Capital and developer of the new LEED Platinum Bakery Square!

Walnut Capital is one of Pittsburgh's largest and fastest growing real estate management, development and brokerage companies. Mr. Perelman will discuss his forays into green and sustainable development, sharing great insight into the regionally acclaimed Bakery Square development.

Who should attend:
Professionals in building design, construction, & operations. Owners/developers, government officials & staff, professionals working in products, consultants, & interested citizens.

Distinguished Guests:
Gregg Perelman – Walnut Capital, Principal & CEO
Catherine Sheane – Astorino, Sustainable Design Manager

Resources

State facing transportation crisis

"Pennsylvania is staring point blank at one of the most daunting funding crises in its history," said Mike Edwards, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, which is leading the campaign. "The general public has limited knowledge about the severity of this transportation funding crisis and the effect it will have on transportation as we know it in Pittsburgh and across our state," he said. . . ."Everyone who uses roads, bridges, highways and public transit will be affected by this budget deficit," he said. "The goal [of the campaign] is to encourage people to become part of the transit funding solution by getting involved."

Participate in VO!CE of the Region - Have your voice heard

VO!CE of the Region is an online opinion panel of several thousand Southwestern Pennsylvania residents who participate in polls, surveys, forums and other activities to share their opinions, insights and feedback on local, regional and national topics of interest. The results can help influence planning and decision-making in the Pittsburgh area, as we publish them and share them with the media and various community organizations.

Some recently-spotlighted issues include the Allegheny Riverfront development; pros and cons of a City/County merger; Marcellus Shale: drilling, regulating, and educating the public on the facts and their rights; alternative forms of transportation in Pittsburgh; supporting local farms and finishing the GAP Trail.

Participation is a sure way to be heard and a great way to make a difference in southwestern Pennsylvania. Sign up now by clicking the link below.

Let's be smart about shale gas

Unfortunately, the industry is in a hurry to extract this precious resource from the Marcellus Shale, prompting deep public concerns about the effects of its production on fresh water sources and human health. The debate has turned loud, extreme and unproductive. Facts and fiction have blurred. . .Unchecked, this gold-rush approach risks quickly exhausting and wasting a valuable, irreplaceable resource. . . A more integrative perspective on the place of Marcellus gas in a sustainable energy sector is essential. . .By the time the regional economy generates a skilled workforce and specialized services and suppliers, production will be near, at or beyond its peak. And soon the gas will be gone, sold for low prices to fuel inefficient cars and heat badly insulated buildings. A more gradual and better-guided development of Marcellus Shale gas would allow a local energy sector and workforce to arise with better chances of long-term employment and economic benefits.

More

This Week on the Allegheny Front: PNC and Mountaintop Mining; Air Testing at Marcellus Sites

This week on the Allegheny Front, PNC will no longer fund mountaintop mining projects, following the trend of other big banks. A better way reclaim sites after surface mining is underway in Appalachia. We'll talk with the forester in charge of this federal program. The DEP released a report of its air monitoring around Marcellus Shale sites, we'll discuss what it does and doesn't indicate. In other news, a drilling ban vote in Pittsburgh, new cooperation in battling White Nose Syndrome in bats and a new climate change website for students and teachers. Finally, a colonial beverage is making a comeback, helping farmers in the northeast.

Now Viewable Online - The Marcellus Shale Debate: A Town Hall Meeting

Western Pennsylvania is sitting on what seems like an endless source of natural gas. The drilling promises jobs to a struggling economy, but at what cost? Environmental groups fear the drilling is a disaster waiting to happen and some homeowners say the process has already contaminated their drinking water.

On Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 8:00pm viewers heard from all sides in the Marcellus Shale debate. Chris Moore hosted the live town hall meeting, with Tonia Caruso welcoming an invited audience to pose questions and provide answers on the Marcellus Shale issue.

PGH cycling community celebrates the installation of 5 new miles of bikes lanes and sharrows

According to Scott Bricker, executive director of Bike PGH, every addition to the bike route system creates synergy for Pittsburgh's cycling community. "Once we get the roots of our bike route system in place, we're hoping that more and more people will ask for bike routes in their neighborhoods and it will help people advocate for further implementation," says Bricker. "The things you see going in New York City and San Francisco, where they're physically separating the street from bike lanes takes lots of studies and engineering know-how, and we're just not there quite yet, but we want to get there."

Los Angeles Unveils Plan To End Homelessness By 2016

In the Los Angeles area, 50,000 homeless people line the streets at night. Now, the city's business leaders are turning their attention to addressing the problem by unveiling a comprehensive plan to drastically reduce homelessness by 2016. According to KPCC, "A new report by a task force commissioned by the United Way and the L.A. Chamber of Commerce says we can cut the number of homeless by 70 percent or more in only five years." The plan targets the city's "chronically homeless," which they estimate makes up 25 percent of the homeless population. By providing targeted comprehensive services to this population, including housing, mental health care and more, the plan estimates the city can get this entire population off the streets. The remaining 75 percent, the task force argues, are victims of the recession or similarly unfortunate circumstances and just need a helping hand to get back on their feet.

EPA: Halliburton Issued Subpoena For Refusing To Disclose Hydraulic Fracturing, 'Fracking,' Chemical Ingredients

The Environmental Protection Agency subpoenaed energy giant Halliburton Tuesday, seeking a description of the chemical components used in a drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing. The EPA said it issued the subpoena after Texas-based Halliburton refused to voluntarily disclose the chemicals used in the controversial drilling practice, also known as "fracking." Halliburton was the only one of nine major energy companies that refused the EPA's request. The agency said the information is important to its study of fracking, in which crews inject millions of gallons of water, mixed with sand and chemicals underground to force open channels in sand and rock formations so oil and natural gas will flow. The EPA is studying whether the practice affects drinking water and the public health.

Troubles on Russia's Lake Baikal

VIDEO: Workers at an ailing paper mill in Siberia are clinging to their jobs in the face of financial pressure and criticism from environmentalists.

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.

Click here to access the 3E Links Archive. Use "Search" on SP's homepage for a great resource.

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