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Events

Resources

Make an Impact: Join Sustainable Pittsburgh

Dear 3E Links Readers,

Sustainable Pittsburgh is grateful for the positive feedback routinely received from among the thousands of 3E Links recipients. We are delighted this has become your resource for staying current on local happenings and insights on domestic and international trends related to the imperative and escalating embrace of the policy and practice of sustainability.

In the coming days, you will receive my letter requesting that you become a member (or continue your generous member support) of Sustainable Pittsburgh. Thanks in advance for your consideration.

Sustainable Pittsburgh relies on the support of leaders like you who are invested in the sustainability of Southwestern Pennsylvania -- our region, our resources, our future.

In addition to the membership materials you will receive in the mail, feel free to access the 2008 member brochure, invitation letter, and list of our 2007 Accomplishments by visiting: www.sustainablepittsburgh.org.

Sincerely,

Court Gould

Resources Continued

Local Foods Happy Hour

Friday, December 14
5:30 pm - 7:30 pm
WYEP Community Broadcast Center
67 Bedford Square, Pittsburgh 15203 (South Side)
Space is limited. Email RSVPs to info@alleghenyfront.org or go to www.alleghenyfront.org

The Allegheny Front, environmental radio for Western Pennsylvania, celebrates the holiday season with its 2nd Annual Local Foods Happy Hour. Enjoy live music while sampling local produce, cheeses and meats, vegetarian soups, locally brewed beers, regional wines and non-alcoholic drinks. During the event, the Allegheny Front will be taping elements to air in a special broadcast. Be a part of radio in the making at WYEP's Community Broadcast Center, on Pittsburgh's Southside. A $5 donation will be requested at the door.

The Allegheny Front features environmental news, interviews and stories about Western Pennsylvania. It airs on WYEP 91.3-FM in Pittsburgh on Wednesday at 7:00 pm and Saturday at 6:30 am. To listen online and for a station listing, go to www.alleghenyfront.org

"Creating Community in the 21st Century - Intro to Cohousing"

Sunday, December 16
2 - 4 pm
Squirrel Hill Library, corner of Forbes and Murray Ave. Free parking under the library
Register: TPCHG@aol.com or 412-963-1971
Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Cohousing Group

A free introduction to Cohousing in Pittsburgh. Learn about creating, building and living in Pittsburgh's first Cohousing Community.

Needed: female representatives in Harrisburg

The Winnning Edge
January 25-27, 2008
Chatham University, Pittsburgh
Tuition fee: $200 (Covers registration, all instructional materials, and meals) Scholarships may be available to assist in the cost of registration, travel or childcare.
Registration and Scholarship Deadline: January 9, 2008
Registration materials can be downloaded at www.chatham.edu/pcwppp and www.pawcf.com.

As you may or may not know, PA is one of the lowest ranked states in the country for female representation in its State House.

Run Baby Run is a bipartisan initiative Chaired by Elsie Hillman and Jeannie Caliguiri to encourage women to run for State Legislature. Thanks in part to Run Baby Run's efforts in 2006, Western PA has three new female representatives in Harrisburg.

If you have considered running for office yourself (and you're a woman), consider attending the Center for Women, Politics, and Public Policy's bipartisan women's campaign school. Enrollment is limited in order to allow maximum personal attention and instruction. Applicants are accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis, so register early.

GHG Inventory Software Workshop

Save the Date!
February 7, 2008
More details about the February 7 workshop will be available in the weeks ahead. Immediate questions can be answered by Dr. Stan Kabala at 412-396-4233, kabala@duq.edu or Lindsay Baxter at 412-396-4749, lindsay_baxter@hotmail.com.

The Center for Environmental Research and Education (CERE) of Duquesne University and Clean Air-Cool Planet (CA-CP) will offer a free, half-day workshop to demonstrate how individuals can use software tools to conduct inventories of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from campus activities and operations. This workshop is designed for faculty, students, and staff who are interested in completing an inventory of the carbon footprint of their campuses.

A CERE team of faculty and graduate students completed an inventory of Duquesne’s GHG emissions in 2007. The team, headed by Dr. Stan Kabala, will share practical insights about the inventory process that they learned along the way. Jennifer Andrews of CA-CP will discuss campus carbon footprints and carbon calculators and describe the support that is available from CA-CP.

Resources

Corporate Responsibility Magazine Ranks Eaton First In Industry Sector For Best Corporate Citizens

Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation (NYSE:ETN) announced today that it is ranked first in its industry sector on Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO) Magazine's 10 Best Corporate Citizens List for 2007. Eaton received top honors among 54 companies in the Auto and Vehicles sector, which included aerospace, industrial and other transportation-related companies. . ."We saw this exercise as a valuable way to decipher companies' Performance on things like governance and sustainability issues, especially when looking at how they did when measured against other companies in the marketplace," said CRO Editor-In-Chief Dennis Schaal.

Australian drought – The real price of pouring a cold one

Australia's water shortages are forcing iconic brewer Foster's to rethink its supply chains. Brewing beer is thirsty work. It can take up to five litres of water to produce just one litre of the "amber nectar". But in drought-stricken Australia, Foster's has had to make do with a lot less than that.

More

Allegheny County manufacturer uses state loan program for equipment to reduce hazardous waste; save money

The Small Business Pollution Prevention Assistance Account (PPAA) loan program will help an Allegheny County radiation detection and medical equipment manufacturer save money and improve the environment. Capintec Inc. of Pittsburgh received $75,000 from the loan program to install new high-volume low pressure (HVLP) spray guns and a spray booth.

Reinventing Older Communities: how does place matter?

Save the Date - March 26 - 28, 2008
Third biennial Reinventing Older Communities conference, to be hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia in Center City Philadelphia.

The Allegheny Front 91.3 Radio

-Steep Fish Declines Predicted Due to Global Warming
-Food Shortages in a Warmer World?
-Coal Country Ponders a Landfill
-Interview with Elizabeth Royte, Author of Garbageland
-News Analysis: New Hearings on National Power Corridors?

PA CleanWays of Allegheny County, Inc. changes name, changes face, continues mission

The Allegheny County affiliate of PA CleanWays has changed its name to Allegheny CleanWays to help eliminate confusion with the state PA CleanWays organization. “While our mission and services continue to be directly in line with the state organization, it is critical that our constituents understand exactly who we are and that we work only within this county," Executive Director Mary W. Wilson said. "The new name and logo reflect that focus more clearly. The cleaner distinction between the county affiliate and statewide umbrella organization helps to delineate each organization’s scope of work and function.”

2007 continues the trend of transportation investment at the ballot box

Once again in 2007 voters in states and communities across the nation approved new investments in vital transportation projects. Overall this year approximately 67 percent of transportation measures were approved. The track record for transportation measures suggests that people are, contrary to conventional wisdom, very willing to increase local taxes to improve transportation when the benefits are clear. People want change and choices in transportation and the ballot box results prove it.

2008 expected to be a big year for transportation ballot measures

2008 looks like its going to be another big year for transportation ballot measures. The Center for Transportation Excellence is currently monitoring twenty-nine regions across the country that are considering putting transportation related measures on the ballot next year. For a complete list of potential 2008 transportation measures, click on the link below.

Scientists: 'Arctic Is Screaming,' Global Warming May Have Passed Tipping Point

"I don't pay much attention to one year. . .but this year the change is so big, particularly in the Arctic sea ice, that you've got to stop and say, 'What is going on here?' You can't look away from what's happening here," said Waleed Abdalati, NASA's chief of cyrospheric sciences. "This is going to be a watershed year." Click below to see how 2007 shattered records for Arctic melt.

U.S. balks at mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions

The European Union, on the other hand, has committed to binding emissions reductions of 20 percent by 2020. Midway through the two-week Bali conference, many of the more than 180 assembled nations were demanding such firm commitments from Washington as well, as the world talks about a framework to follow Kyoto when it expires in 2012.

Trout Unlimited looks at impact of climate change on trout and salmon

“We are pleased to see that a number of members of Congress have recognized the need to fund and implement strategies such as these to combat climate change impacts on fish and wildlife resources and have introduced bills that would provide such funding,” said Steve Moyer, TU’s Vice President of Government Affairs.

Imprisoning of blacks for drugs out of proportion

"Stiffening of drug laws have focused a lot of attention on poor black neighborhoods in American cities. There's terrible consequence to this disparity. Disproportionately, young black men are spending time in prison and not in college. We're locking them up at that crucial time and the consequences are enormous." Dr. Stephen Thomas, director of the Center for Minority Health at University of Pittsburgh's School of Public Health, said disparate imprisonment rates represent "the tip of a very, very dangerous iceberg that's destroying the black community and the community in general". . ."Enlightened communities recognize that the problem of addiction is a public health issue. It should be treated as other diseases are treated, with appropriate therapy and intervention, not with a prison sentence," he said.

A new push for affordability

The law, if enacted, would give cash to local governments based on the number of affordable homes or units built over the next five years. It would also reimburse local schools for taking on any extra students introduced by new affordable development, and provide zero-interest infrastructure loans for improvements like road paving or sewer expansion. . .“Housing choices dictate more than just where you live,” said Sarah Lansdale, executive director of Sustainable Long Island, a nonprofit planning and housing advocacy organization. “They dictate the quality of education and your life opportunities.”

Business lobby demands clear emissions goals

Businesses yesterday told negotiators at international talks on climate change that they needed firm targets to encourage investment in reducing greenhouse gas emissions...Mr Lennon added that companies could benefit if the talks set the framework for a future global market in carbon emissions: “It's very useful to have carbon markets that set a price on carbon dioxide.”

Forests Could Cool or Cook the Planet

A two-degree Celsius rise in global temperatures could flip the Amazon forest from being the Earth's vital air conditioner to a flamethrower that cooks the planet, warns a new report released at the climate talks in Bali, Indonesia Friday. . .Whatever mechanism is created will have to be implemented correctly, take the needs of indigenous and local people into account, and preserve and enhance biodiversity.

Land conversion rates slow 70 percent across Atlanta region

The reduction in land converted for some other purpose is primarily attributable to the slowdown in new home construction across the region, ARC data shows. Other factors that may have contributed to the land conversion slowdown include the growing popularity of mixed-use developments across the region and the marked population increase in dense areas such as the City of Atlanta.

Indiana: Streamlining Local Government: We've got to stop governing like this

If enacted, the recommendations would reduce the number of local government units from 3,086 to 1,931—a 37 percent cut, and the number of elected officials from 11,012 to as few as 5,171—a reduction of more than half. County governments should be led by a single, elected county executive and a stronger county council, to which professionally qualified administrators should report and be accountable. The services performed by township personnel should be transferred to the county governments.

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

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Sustainable Pittsburgh affects decision-making in the Pittsburgh Region to integrate economic prosperity, social equity and environmental quality bringing sustainable solutions to communities and businesses.

Sustainable Pittsburgh benefits from support in 2007 from:

Dollar Bank
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
The Giant Eagle Foundation
The Heinz Endowments
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Roy A. Hunt Foundation
University of Pittsburgh


Special thanks to the SP Members

Sustainable Pittsburgh
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 1335
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
(412) 258-6642
fax (412) 258-6645
E-mail SP