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Events

Join us in supporting sustainable small businesses:
Steel Valley Avenues Cash Mob - June 19!

On Friday, June 19, celebrate the Sustainable Small Business Designation of 12 businesses along the Steel Valley Avenues, the business district comprising Homestead, West
Homestead, and Munhall. Take advantage of sales, raffle prizes, live music and more, anytime between noon and 5:00 pm!

Pick up your “passport” at the tent near Duke’s Upper Deck Café and get it stamped at each participating business to win prizes. Among the festivities, Baron Batch will conduct a live painting demonstration at Studio AM and Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu will be performing martial arts demonstrations.

This “Cash Mob”, organized by Sustainable Pittsburgh’s Champions for Sustainability (C4S) network, Three Boroughs Group, and the Allegheny Together program, supports small businesses that incorporate sustainable practices and contributes to a thriving community. The SWPA Sustainable Small Business Designation is one of Sustainable Pittsburgh's award winning performance programs.

Following is the list of participating sustainable small businesses and their corresponding level of designation. Check out www.C4SPgh.org/smallbiz to for the latest updates and sale announcements!

Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu - Gold
Duke's Upper Deck Cafe - Gold
Mirror Image Cuts and Styles - Gold
Penn Automotive - Gold
Studio AM - Gold
Tin Front Cafe - Gold
Voodoo Homestead - Gold
Blue Dust - Silver
Nancy B's Bakery - Silver
Retro on 8th - Silver
Screaming Crow Tattoo and Piercing - Silver
Conrad Catering - Bronze

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Resources

Join us in supporting sustainable small businesses:
Steel Valley Avenues Cash Mob - June 19!

Friday, June 19
Anytime between 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Visit Designated Sustainable Small Businesses in Homestead's, West Homestead's, and Munhall's business district
Pick up your “passport” at the tent near Duke’s Upper Deck Café and get it stamped at each business to win prizes.
More information

Celebrate the Sustainable Small Business Designation of a dozen businesses along the Steel Valley Avenues, the business district comprising Homestead, West Homestead, and Munhall. Shop and show your support: “Cash Mob” these businesses!

Sustainable businesses manage and operate in ways that simultaneously are good for their bottom line, the environment, and the social fabric of their communities. The Sustainable Small Business Designation, one of Sustainable Pittsburgh's award winning, formal performance programs, recognizes small businesses that incorporate sustainable practices as their strategy for success.

Following is the list of participating sustainable small businesses and their corresponding level of designation:

Black Mountain Spirit School of Chinese Kung Fu - Gold
Duke's Upper Deck Cafe - Gold
Mirror Image Cuts and Styles - Gold
Penn Automotive - Gold
Studio AM - Gold
Tin Front Cafe - Gold
Voodoo Homestead - Gold
Blue Dust - Silver
Nancy B's Bakery - Silver
Retro on 8th - Silver
Screaming Crow Tattoo and Piercing - Silver
Conrad Catering - Bronze

REGISTER TODAY! Green Workplace Challenge Workshop #7: "Fleets, Transportation, and Mobility"

Friday, June 26
8:30 am - 10:30 am (Registration begins at 8)
IKEA Pittsburgh, Robinson Town Center
Cost: GWC Participants $10; C4S/SP Member GWC Non-participants: $25; Non-Members: $35
More information and registration

The Green Workplace Challenge features a number of measurement tools and actions that reduce costs and improve efficiencies. Come to this workshop to find out ways to make your fleets more efficient, your commuter trips less impactful, and mobility alternatives.

Featured speakers:

- Erin Cooper, Market Manager, Zipcar
- Grant Ervin, Sustainability Manager, City of Pittsburgh
- Lynn Manion, Executive Director, Airport Corridor Transportation Association
- Rick Price, Director, Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities
- Lisa Kay Schweyer, Program Coordinator, CommuteInfo
- Jennifer Stockdale, Marketing Manager, IKEA Pittsburgh
and more to come...

Who should attend?

All Green Workplace Challenge participants. Fleet managers, HR representatives that promote mobility initiatives, corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers, sustainability managers, business leaders and community leaders who are exploring their own sustainability initiatives and trying to find the most efficient and effective ways for their fleets operate, their employees to get to work, and for their goods to travel around the region.

Mapping the Future: The Southwestern PA Plan - public review period now open

Public Review Period:
Concluding on Friday, June 12 at 4:00pm

Upcoming Public Participation Panel meetings:
Thursday, June 4 - Pittsburgh, PA
Tuesday, June 9 - Uniontown, PA
Wednesday, June 10 - Waynesburg, PA
Thursday, June 11 - New Castle, PA
See below for details.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is currently updating its long range plan to meet the needs of the region to the year 2040. The Southwestern PA Plan is the regional long range transportation and development plan for Southwestern Pennsylvania, and is the mechanism for connecting the Regional Vision to the region’s official, coordinated implementation program of projects and actions.

Starting Wednesday, May 13, 2015, and concluding on Friday, June 12th at 4:00pm, the Plan and its Companion Documents will be available for public review on the internet at www.spcregion.org, at offices of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, at the Pittsburgh Department of City Planning, at County Planning offices, and at many public libraries around Southwestern Pennsylvania. Any questions can be directed to Matthew Pavlosky, Public Involvement/Outreach for SPC at (412) 391-5590 (x361) or mpavlosky@spcregion.org

View the SPC Public Notice for the Long Range Plan

PWSA Small Grants for Green Infrastructure

Information Sessions:
Monday, June 8
10:00 am - 11:30 am
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, Boardroom, 1200 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh

OR

Tuesday, June 9
5:30 pm - 7:009 pm
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority, Boardroom, 1200 Penn Avenue, Downtown Pittsburgh

Please RSVP by June 4th.
More information (scroll to bottom of page for application forms)

Application forms for the first round of competitive grants, both matching and mini, are now available at the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority website. Information sessions will be hosted on June 8 and June 9.

Learn about Land Art Generator Initiative and the Art + Energy Camp

Wednesday, June 10
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Ann Jones Gerace Center (formerly known as CCI Center), 64 S. 14th Street, South Side 15203
Free to attend; refreshments will be served.

Join Conservation Consultants, Inc. in learning about the Land Art Generator Initiative (LAGI). Presenters will be sharing information on LAGI's International Renewable Energy Installations and their involvement in Art + Energy Camp, a collaboration with Conservation Consultants, Inc. and the Homewood Renaissance Association.

The main goal of LAGI is to design and construct public art installations that have the added benefit of utility-scale clean energy generation. Each sculpture will continuously distribute clean energy into the electrical grid, with each having the potential to provide power to thousands of homes.

Who should attend?
Individuals interested in renewable energy, integrating art and science, educators, sustainability professionals, etc.

ReuseFest

Saturday, June 13
9:00 am - 1:00 pm
UPMC Passavant, just north of the City of Pittsburgh
Questions? Contact Sarah Alessio Shea or call (412) 488-7490 ext. 236
More information

ReuseFest is a one-day drop off event open to the general public that diverts materials from local landfills to reuse by Pittsburgh non-profits. Materials collected include:
Animal Accessories Including: Dog & Cat Toys, Leashes, Stainless Steel & Ceramic Bowls, Clean Towels & Blankets, Neck or Boppy pillows, and more

Art & Creativity Supplies Including: Art paint, canvas, brushes, pastels, Fabric (1 yard or more), frames of any size, Photographs, Prints, & Small Vintage Items For Repurposing

Biking Supplies & Tools: Bikes, Bike Parts, and Tools in working order-(especially screw drivers, wrenches and allen keys).

General Home Furnishings Including: Kitchen Tables and Chairs, Dressers, End Tables, Bed Frames, Cribs. Any upholstered items or mattresses should be free of stains, rips & pet hair.

Household Items Including: Gently used Clothing, Shoes, Houseware Items, Books, Lawn and hand tools (hammers, rakes, shovels, screw drivers, chisels), and Sporting Goods

Medical Supplies Including: Crutches, canes, walkers, Non-motorized wheelchairs, Nebulizers (no accessories unless new, in package), and Scrubs? (new or gently used up to XL)

School Supplies Including: Backpacks and tote bags, Pens, pencils, notepads, crayons, scissors, glue, and paper

Useable Building Materials Including: Doors, Windows, Light Fixtures, Lumber (4’+) and more.

Danger on the tracks: The risk of crude oil trains in Pittsburgh

Wednesday, June 17
6:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Carnegie Mellon University - Porter Hall, Room 100, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh 15213
More information and registration

Please join PublicSource for a panel discussion about the public concerns and safety plans for crude oil trains going through Pittsburgh. There will be a Q&A session at the end of the discussion, and refreshments will be served.

Panelists:
Ray DeMichiei - Pittsburgh’s Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, deputy director
Evan Endres - PennFuture Energy Center, project manager
Randy Sargent - Carnegie Mellon University’s CREATE Lab, senior systems scientist
Natasha Khan - PublicSource, environmental reporter
Sharon Walsh - PublicSource editor, panel moderator

Porter Hall is accessible from Frew Street. Metered parking is available along Frew Street and Schenley Drive. Here is an interactive map of the Carnegie Mellon University Campus: http://www.cmu.edu/about/visit/campus-map-interactive.

Signs and people in the lobby of Porter Hall will help direct you to Room 100.

Allegheny SolarFest 2015

Saturday June 20
11:00 am - 4:00 pm
Millvale Riverfront Park
Free to attend, but please register.
More information and registration

The Solar Unified Network of Western Pennsylvania (SUNWPA) is hosting the 2nd annual Allegheny SolarFest at the Millvale Riverfront Park on June 20th! Companies and organizations from the solar, energy efficiency, and environmental sectors will be on hand to engage and educate those attending SolarFest. There will be fun activities for the kids, live music, food trucks and craft beer to enjoy the day. You’ll be able to check out the latest in e-bikes and electric cars, including the Tesla. Bring your old batteries, free battery recycling will be available for your convenience.

Resources

Study: Americans' exposure to heat extremes could rise six-fold by mid-century

Scientists have long warned about the growing risk of weather extremes — from superstorms to killer heat waves — as the planet warms. But many previous studies failed to consider how population changes could amplify the effects of climate change. In the new study, the researchers sought to create a more accurate measure of the impact of future heat waves by creating a computer model that shows where Americans will likely be living a half-century from now.

Tallahassee Reports on 85 Sustainability Initiatives

Last year was a banner year for the Tallahassee Department of Environmental Policy and Energy Resources. In the seventh edition of its Green Initiatives Annual Report, released last week, city officials touted their progress on more than 85 sustainability initiatives in 2014. Many have been financed in part by more than $1.29 million acquired in recent years from federal and state grants.

“Sustainability is part of the culture of every department within the city, which can be seen through the breadth and scope of the initiatives in this report,” said EPER Director Cynthia Barber.

More

Companies upstream of Louisville seek exemptions from new Ohio River mercury pollution rules

[ORSANCO] approved the riverwide ban in 2003, giving companies a decade to comply. In 2013, commissioners appointed by the states' governors agreed to a two-year delay.

Now, with the ban just months away, a group of industries upstream of Louisville has asked the commission to excuse them from the tougher rules. The companies argue that meeting the new standards could have grave financial consequences and propose other ways of lowering mercury discharges.

But to make those changes, they say they need more time.

Take the "I Am Sustainable Pittsburgh" Pledge!

Be recognized for your role in making Pittsburgh the greatest place to live, learn, work and play. Over 130 individuals have taken the pledge so far!

Review the 150 sustainability actions featured on the pledge website. Pledge to at least six and be counted as a proud leader in the movement to bring on and sustain the good life in our Pittsburgh region. Your reward is satisfaction, self-development, and Pittsburgh's appreciation for being one mighty force for progress! Learn more at sustainablepittsburgh.org/iam.

More

p4 Pittsburgh conference speaker videos available online!

The City of Pittsburgh and The Heinz Endowments co-hosted an international summit last month to begin forging a new model of urban growth and development that is innovative, inclusive and sustainable, all based around a central, unifying framework — p4: People, Planet, Place and Performance. Speaker videos are now available on the p4 Pittsburgh website. You also can follow post-conference activities and discussions via #p4pgh. And although the summit is over, you can join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram as the work begins.

The Allegheny Front: Are this spring's big temperature swings normal?

On this week's Allegheny Front: We take a look back at some of our favorite stories from 2014, including a visit to a quirky, roadside tourist attraction that's ice cold in the heat of summer.

Listen to the full episode or check out our latest headlines below.
- Are This Spring's Temperature Swings Normal?
- Coudersport Ice Mine Back in Business
- Turning Frack Water into Profit is Tricky Business

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 2015 from:

Alcoa Foundation
Bayer USA Foundation
Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation
BNY Mellon
The Heinz Endowments
Elsie H. Hillman Foundation
Henry L. Hillman Foundation
Levin Furniture
Richard King Mellon Foundation
Pashek Associates, LTD
PITT OHIO
The PNC Financial Services Group
UPMC


Special thanks to the SP Members

Sustainable Pittsburgh
307 Fourth Avenue, Suite 1500
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
(412) 258-6642
fax (412) 258-6645
E-mail SP