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Events

Renewable & Alternative Energy: Learn about possibilities and options on July 30

Thursday, July 30
8:30 am - 11:00 am (Registration begins at 8:00 am)
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, 799 Pinkerton Run Rd., Oakdale 15071
Registration

In addition to emphasizing energy and resource conservation and efficiency, the Green Workplace Challenge (GWC) rewards the adoption and installation of renewable energy. The competition includes actions to encourage organizations to install renewable power sources on-site as well as to purchase renewable power through green utility programs. Come to this workshop to find out what exciting renewable power related activities leading organizations are doing and to learn about the expansion and affordability of regional renewable sources of power.

Renewable power has gained in significance and urgency this year with pending final rules related to the federal Clean Power Plan, updates at the state level to ACT 129, and Pittsburgh's work in resiliency and climate action planning.

Featured speakers:
- Lonnie Mattison, Sustainability Engineer, FedEx Ground
- Sharon Pillar, Project Director, Solarize Allegheny and Vice President, SmartPower
- Marc Portnoff, Manager, New Technology, Thar Energy
- Laura Quinn, Sustainability Manager, Scalo Solar Solutions

Who should attend?
All Green Workplace Challenge (GWC) participants.
Also invited to attend are those not engaged in GWC including Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers, sustainability managers, business leaders and community leaders who are exploring their own sustainability initiatives and trying to integrate renewable power into their operations.

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Resources

Register today! Green Workplace Challenge Workshop #8
"Renewable and Alternative Energy"

Thursday, July 30
8:30 am - 11:00 am (Registration begins at 8:00 am)
Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, 799 Pinkerton Run Rd., Oakdale 15071
Registration
More information about the Green Workplace Challenge

Join Sustainable Pittsburgh for the 8th workshop of the 2014-2015 Green Workplace Challenge (GWC). The GWC is a yearlong competition for employers in southwestern Pennsylvania to track and measure performance in energy, water, waste, and transportation. The July workshop focuses on renewable and alternative energies. Attendees need not be participants in the challenge.

Featured speakers:
- Lonnie Mattison, Sustainability Engineer, FedEx Ground
- Sharon Pillar, Project Director, Solarize Allegheny and Vice President, SmartPower
- Marc Portnoff, Manager, New Technology, Thar Energy
- Laura Quinn, Sustainability Manager, Scalo Solar Solutions

Open Streets PGH

Sunday, July 26
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
From Market Square to Penn Avenue downtown, through the Strip, all the way to Lawrenceville's business district
More information

What if you could close down a city street, and use it for a few hours of good, healthy, family fun?

You’d have OpenStreetsPGH. Come down to walk, run, bike and skate through the streets of Pittsburgh. It’s a whole new way to look at and experience your city. And a whole new way to have fun with your friends and family.

Take a look at the route map to see just how much fun you can pack into three-and-a-half miles from Downtown to the Strip District to Lawrenceville! Want to play a larger role in OpenStreetsPGH? Be a sponsor or an event day volunteer. Learn how you can get involved in making sure each Sunday this summer is as fun as it can be!

Restaurant Recipes for Success seminar

Monday, July 27
1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Duquesne University, Rockwell Hall Room 101. 600 Forbes Ave. Pittsburgh PA, 15282
Cost: $30
For questions about the seminar, please contact Shea Matthews at (412) 396-5725 or at duqgreen@duq.edu
For more information and registration visit www.duq.edu/greenbiz

The Duquesne University Center for Green Industries wants you to make YOUR "reservation" for its Restaurant Recipes for Success seminar on July 27th. Attendees will learn how to adapt to new consumer trends and implement value generating methods in your restaurant or food business.

Topics covered:
Consumer Trends
Green Operations
Marketing & Technology
Waste Reduction
Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant performance program

At a Moment’s Notice: Rail Transportation Emergencies, Community Response and Health

Thursday, July 30
9:00 am - 12:30 pm (Registration is at 8:30 am. Please arrive early to allow time for security sign-in to the building.)
Allegheny County Emergency Operations Center, 400 N. Lexington St., Office 200, Pittsburgh 15208
Cost: $25 (Michael P. Lynch Scholarship Fund (MPLSF) communities are eligible for a 50-percent discount for this event.)
A Sustainable Development Academy program of Local Government Academy and Sustainable Pittsburgh
More Details and Registration via the Local Government Academy

Increases in rail traffic have resulted in increased concerns about the risk of and response to tanker-car derailments and spills. Several high profile accidents have residents and local officials alike giving new scrutiny to the cargo on the trains that have run through their communities for generations. What commodities are moving through our region on the extensive network of rail lines located here? What should communities do before finding themselves in an urgent situation? What is the range of situations for which they should be preparing? What are the protocols when emergencies occur?

This program will discuss how local, state and national agencies are preparing and responding to rail accidents. Additionally presenters will review the potential long-term health and environmental consequences of rail accidents, and the responsibilities for avoiding, addressing and mitigating environmental damage.

Speakers include:
Alvin Henderson Jr., Chief Allegheny County Department of Emergency Services
Robert Full, Chief Deputy Director, Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency
Timothy Solobay, Pennsylvania State Fire Commissioner
Joseph Taylor, Hazardous Materials Compliance Officer, Norfolk Southern

This is the second of two sessions addressing common concerns in local government of protecting local residents from pollution and environmental health risks and identifying opportunities for public safety and reduction of environmental impacts. The sessions are titled collectively as Local Communities/Healthy Communities.

Solarize North Hills - Launch Workshop

Thursday, July 30
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Ross Township Municipal Center, 1000 Ross Municipal Drive, Ross Township
Free registration: www.solarizeallegheny.org/RossTownship (scroll to Events)
Pizza and refreshments will be served.
Anyone is invited to attend (you don’t have to live in Ross Township)
For more information, contact Sharon Pillar of Solarize Allegheny at spillar@smartpower.org or Natalie Thiess, Sustainability Coordinator for Ross Township at NThiess@ross.pa.us.

A brief presentation about the benefits of investing in solar and instructions about how you can go solar through the Solarize Allegheny campaign will be offered, along with pizza and refreshments. The pre-qualified solar installers will be on hand to tell you if your home is a good candidate for solar. In addition, Dollar Bank representatives will be available to explain financing options. If you bring a copy of your electric bill, you can sign up for a solar quote at the event.

Solarize Ross Township is a local campaign under the Solarize Allegheny umbrella - a project funded by the Heinz Endowments and managed by non-profit organization SmartPower - to double the amount of solar energy throughout Allegheny County over the next two years. Solarize Ross Township is one of three communities that applied for and was selected to host the campaign over the next 16 weeks. Through Solarize Ross Township residents and businesses will have the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of solar energy through a robust on-the-ground outreach campaign that connects people directly to local, pre-screened, qualified solar installers who will offer competitive bids, guidance and assistance to go solar – making the process simple and affordable. The price of solar has dropped dramatically over the past several years so that solar is now about affordable as your monthly electric bill.

Dinner and a Documentary: The Power of One Voice

Thursday, July 30
5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
11 Stanwix, 11 Stanwix Street, Pittsburgh 15222
Cost: $15 GBA Member; $20 Non-Member
More information

Local filmmaker Mark Dixon and Rachel Carson expert Patricia DeMarco joined forces to create a stunning look at Carson’s work and legacy. The Power of One Voice has gained national acclaim and is an official selection in the Woods Hole Film Festival, American Conservation Film Festival, and the AASHE Conference. Robert Musil, president and CEO of The Rachel Carson Council says: “The Power of One Voice sensitively lifts Rachel Carson from “the pesticide lady” to a profound and prophetic voice for our time.” The film, which offers a variety of insights into Carson’s work – including a rare interview with her son – was produced to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Silent Spring.

Event participants will gather in the sun-soaked lobby and beautiful new patio of 11 Stanwix for food, drinks, and networking. Upon moving into the building’s theater-style conference room, guests will enjoy comments from the film’s executive producer, Patricia DeMarco, and will then enjoy a screening of the film. We’ll end the evening with a Q&A session with Dr. DeMarco.

SPC Information Forum for CMAQ Candidate Sponsors: Applications due September 1

Tuesday, August 11
9:30 am – Noon
Two Chatham Center, 4th Floor, Downtown Pittsburgh
No fee to attend
Presented by Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission and Sustainable Pittsburgh
Pre-registration: mbrangan@spcregion.org or (412) 391-5590 x315. Please provide full contact information.
Webcast Available: This forum will also be available as a live webcast. Space is limited. Please contact Tom Straw (tstraw@spcregion.org) at SPC by noon Tuesday, August 4 if you are interested in logging on to the forum.

The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC) is developing the region’s 2017-2020 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP serves to identify needed regional transportation investments over a four-year period that support Mapping the Future: The Southwestern PA Plan, the region’s long range transportation and development plan within fiscal constraint. A visible element of the TIP development process will be the recommended program of projects for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ). The CMAQ Program will be the focus of this information forum for potential CMAQ candidate project applicants.

Come learn about the regional process for prioritizing CMAQ eligible transportation improvements. Gain insight into what it takes to get a CMAQ candidate project ready for the TIP competition for limited funds. In particular learn about the CMAQ funding process, project eligibility, and how to set realistic and attainable milestones for project deliverability.

This information forum, presented by SPC in cooperation with Sustainable Pittsburgh, is timely given that the CMAQ project selection process for the TIP update is just beginning. At the forum staff will highlight CMAQ TIP update activity, present the process and schedule for developing and managing the CMAQ Program, and engage participants in a lively Q&A session including an opportunity for attendees to discuss potential candidate project ideas in an informal session with SPC staff.

CMAQ Application Period: The CMAQ application period will open on Friday July 31, 2015. The deadline for submitting completed applications is Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 4:00pm. Additional information about the CMAQ application process and a copy of the application package will be available on the SPC website (www.spcregion.org) on July 31.

Register Today! Living Product Expo and Conference

September 16-18, 2015
David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Pittsburgh PA 15222
Cost:Living Future Members $620, Non-Members $820 (Full Three Day Pass)
www.livingproductexpo.org/

The Living Product Challenge re-imagines the design and manufacture of products to function as elegantly and efficiently as anything found in the natural world. Living Products are informed by biomimicry and biophilia; manufactured by processes powered only by renewable energy and within the water balance of the places they are made.

Join the Living Futures Institute for the inaugural Living Product Expo in Pittsburgh, PA. The Expo is a groundbreaking new event that will bring together leading minds in the product industry and ignite a revolution in the way materials are designed, manufactured and delivered.

Featured speakers:
Arlene Blum, Executive Director of the Green Science Policy Institute
Jeffrey Hollender, Co-Founder & CEO, Hollender Sustainable Brands LLC
Bill Strickland, President and CEO of the Manchester Bidwell Corporation
John Warner, President The Warner Babcock Institute For Green Chemistry

Who should attend?
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) managers, sustainability directors, business leaders, product designers, industrial engineers, professors, and students.

Note special event session: Friday, September 18, 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm:

Convening Summit: Pittsburgh Region Brainstorm - Accelerating Living Product Capacities in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Hosted by Sustainable Pittsburgh Champions for Sustainability (C4S) business network and Green Building Alliance
The next chapter for the Pittsburgh region goes deeper: Much of the Expo has been about an evolving ecosystem where entrepreneurship, advanced design, and sustainability converge. This convergence positions manufacturing to build sustainability-oriented, high-value-added market opportunities. Come to this “Convening Summit” to contribute to planning for what comes next from Pittsburgh's hosting the Expo.

Resources

Funding opportunity for municipalities - applications due Aug. 3 at 9am

Does your community have greenspace that needs an upgrade or some TLC? Interested in engaging youth to become more involved?

The Heinz Endowments Summer Youth Philanthropy interns based at Sustainable Pittsburgh, in collaboration with SP and Local Government Academy, are please to present “Bring Youth Outdoors”, a funding opportunity that aims to help municipalities while creating positive experiences for youth outdoors through educational workshops, recreation, and volunteering.

By getting outdoors, youth are exposed to health benefits of outdoor time as well as greater awareness and appreciation of their community. A total of $25,000 in grant funding is available for awards to municipalities that aim to meet the interns’ project goals. The deadline to apply is August Monday, August 3 at 9:00 am.

View the "Bring Youth Outdoors" RFP*
The application process consists of two parts:
1) First the municipality must complete and submit an application via The Heinz Endowments online form.
2) Next, the applicant must review and answer the questions listed in the Request for Proposals. These answers should then be included with the online form as an attachment.

For questions, please contact the lead Heinz Intern at Sustainable Pittsburgh, Liz Vargo, at evargo@heinzinterns.org.
*Eligible are municipalities that have earned or pledged to earn the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification.

Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant program open for business

Stephen Musciano, general manager of sports and entertainment for Aramark at PNC Park, was an early proponent of the program. “Going green and being more sustainable is a moral obligation that we have to our guests, our children and our environment,” he says in a statement. “Our guests are becoming much more aware of the need to go green. This is not a fad, but becoming a way of life — a better way to live.”

The few programs that exist nationally are primarily environmental and do not have a large social component, says Bykoski. “Ours distinguishes itself as much for its social focus as environmentally, looking at ways for people to gain access to food, helping the farming economy, improving working conditions and education and awareness for consumers. A lot of community impact can be had,” she says.

How sustainable is your favorite Pittsburgh restaurant?

According to EcoAmerica, 80% of Americans are concerned about the environment. Couple that with the fact that we spend half our food dollars eating out and there is great potential to affect change in the places we frequent at least five times a week: restaurants.

This week, Sustainable Pittsburgh just made it easier for us to support restaurants that align with our values. The nonprofit has launched the Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant Program, a program that recognizes restaurants that aim for a “triple bottom line” in Southwestern PA. A triple bottom line demands focus not only on profits but also on people and the planet.

Pittsburgh inks deal with Department of Energy to develop localized energy plan

Under the agreement, the department’s National Energy Technology Laboratory, which has facilities in South Park, will share resources and guide university researchers in crafting a long-term plan for “district energy” — a term that refers to the process of producing power, heating and cooling in the areas where it’s being consumed.

The wide-ranging agreement, while short on details, aims to position Pittsburgh as a leader in proving that district energy is a viable way to modernize the nation’s power grid.

Map: Counties Designated "Nonattainment" for Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)*

This map from the US Environmental Protection Agency displays counties having "nonattainment" designation for the Clean Air Act's National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS).

Vatican Hosts World Mayors on Climate Change

One by one, the mayors lined up to sign a final declaration stating that "human-induced climate change is a scientific reality and its effective control is a moral imperative for humanity."

Annual fundraiser helps Ohio River Trail Council raise more than just money

Ohio River Trail Council demonstrates sustainability through its mission to establish, promote, protect, and preserve a multi-use trail, the Ohio River Trail. Mario Leone, Manager of Gold Certified Sustainable Community Monaca Borough, shared insight to Monaca's role in sustainable development.

Study finds those living near shale wells more likely to be hospitalized

Bernard Goldstein, an environmental toxicologist and a former dean of the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, said the new paper is a solid example of an indirect study using existing data that helps highlight the need for more direct investigations into drilling-related health issues.

“They are careful in how they present this,” said Dr. Goldstein, who was not involved in the research. “They don’t present this as definitive evidence. It isn’t. But it is certainly something to make one even more upset about the fact that until now it has not been possible in Pennsylvania to do the kind of studies that would give a definitive answer.”

Put kids first, not gas companies

Cuts in state funding for education have already resulted in job losses — in our schools. The hearing reached a moral low point when Mr. Spigelmyer accused severance-tax advocates of “exploiting children.” National media coverage of the disgraceful collapse of public education in Philadelphia — a collapse triggered by draconian state budget cuts — bears witness to the losses we can never undo. Thousands of children across the commonwealth have had their education shortchanged by the previous administration’s choice to prioritize driller profits over our children’s future.

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
FedEx Ground
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