Sustainability News
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Highland Park’s first ‘green’ stormwater system completed
“The first, and so far only, green infrastructure solution to flooding in Highland Park’s valleys is completed along Negley Run Boulevard — a 1,100-foot bioswale that will intercept an estimated…
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Western Pa. CEOs want to improve environment, quality of life
“The body’s 17 founding members span a wide range of company types and sizes — from data security startup eLoop LLC to commercial real estate firm Oxford Development Company to…
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Business leaders want Pittsburgh to become leader in sustainability
“The concept of achieving sustainability has become so critical to doing business effectively, said Mr. MacCleary, that investors seek out company goals in annual sustainability reports or on corporate websites…
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America Is Now a ‘Second Tier’ Country
SPI produces the report in part to help city, state, and national policymakers diagnose and (ideally) address their most pressing challenges. The group’s chief executive, Michael Green, said America ‘is failing…
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Share input on the region’s Transportation Improvement Program and Active Transportation Plan
The Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC), the region’s official transportation planning organization for Southwestern Pennsylvania, is actively seeking public input on the region’s Transportation Improvement Program and Active Transportation Plan! SPC…
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CMU Kicks Off New Quarterly Report To Track Carbon Emissions From Power Plants
“Along with reporting the total amount of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by all electricity plants, the quarterly Power Sector Carbon Index will break down the data by…
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National public-transit conference Rail-Volution coming to Pittsburgh in 2018
“‘We have chosen Pittsburgh for its significant investment in public transportation,’ said Bartholomay. ‘But also because it has opportunity. We can learn what is possible in an area experiencing a…
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Pa. Supreme Court upholds broad interpretation of Environmental Rights Amendment
“In a landmark environmental decision, a majority of Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court justices established a broad interpretation of the Environmental Rights Amendment to the state constitution Tuesday, cementing in place the…
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How midsize cloud player Akamai buys clean power
“Renewable energy demand among large U.S. companies is significant and growing quickly, according to a December analysis by the Advanced Energy Economy (AEE), a clean energy trade group. The report…
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Wind and solar in March accounted for 10% of U.S. electricity generation for first time
“For the first time, monthly electricity generation from wind and solar (including utility-scale plants and small-scale systems) exceeded 10% of total electricity generation in the United States, based on March…
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What can Pittsburgh, by itself, do on climate?
But just as Paris was only a down payment on the fossil-free-fuel world we need, Pittsburgh must do more. “We can’t wait for the feds,” says Court Gould, executive director…
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New research may resolve a climate ‘conundrum’ across the history of human civilization
There are several important points we can take from the Baker study. First, climate models are able to simulate climate changes over the history of human civilization fairly accurately. Second,…
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Scientists just documented a massive recent melt event on the surface of Antarctica
In the Antarctic summer of 2016, the surface of the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest floating ice platform on Earth, developed a sheet of meltwater that lasted for as long…
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Robust Stormwater Management in the Pittsburgh Region
This report provides an independent study of how the stormwater management and sewer overflow problem in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania metropolitan region could grow with future climate, land use, or population…
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The New Plastics Economy – Rethinking the future of plastics
After a short first-use cycle, 95% of plastic packaging material value, or $80–120 billion annually, is lost to the economy. A staggering 32% of plastic packaging escapes collection systems, generating…
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Larimar Community Among Two New Partners Selected for National Equity-Focused Resilience Program
“The Institute for Sustainable Communities (ISC) today announced two community-based organizations joining its Partnership for Resilient Communities (PRC). The organizations will implement projects to make underserved neighborhoods more resilient to…
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Fundraising for Renewable Resources Exceeds Conventional Energy
“Renewables-focused funds have raised $5 billion this year, outstripping fundraising targeting conventional energy for the first time, according to a Preqin report WEdnesday. Fundraising for conventional energy has fallen signifcantly…
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SEPTA approves big solar project
“This solar project, along with other exciting new initiatives such as a new fleet of battery-electric buses to arrive this fall, demonstrates SEPTA’s enduring commitment to environmental improvement,” said Jeffrey…
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VIDEO: Does History Repeat Itself?
“The present moment parallels some of the 20th century’s most trying times. What lessons will we take from history as we try to solve today’s challenges?” Read more
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Does Air Quality Matter to Young Workers?
“Like Dixon and Poling, it took Boone a while to realize there was an air quality problem. Boone, who moved to the city in February 2016, first noticed a smell…
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After the Paris exit, a call for citizen investors
Given the combination of this immense challenge and an equally immense opportunity, it’s time to answer our nation’s call. Just as “citizen soldiers” traditionally answered the nation’s call during wartime,…
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The (Secret) Copenhagen Model for Regenerating Cities
“Thirty years ago, the city of Copenhagen was experiencing 17.5 percent unemployment, an outmigration of population, the loss of manufacturing, the decline of taxing capacity, and an annual budget deficit…
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Exxon Shareholders Approve Climate Resolution: 62% Vote for Disclosure
“Sixty-two percent of shareholders voted for Exxon to begin producing an annual report that explains how the company will be affected by global efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under…
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Reminder: June 15 deadline for solar discounts with Solarize Allegheny
“Solarize Allegheny began in February 2015 and since that time, nearly 1,000 people have signed up for solar quote through its program. Fifty (50) people have gone solar so far…
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The 9 (or 10) keys to successful sustainability leadership
As the first chief sustainability officer of Owens Corning, and one of the first in the world, I’ve seen many things work really well — and many things not so…
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Trump to pull U.S. from historic Paris climate agreement
“In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord but begin negotiations to reenter either the…
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Please take the Survey: Pittsburgh Food + Dining
Your input is needed for a short survey about how people in Pittsburgh make dining choices. You can contribute your insights by filling out the survey here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/1705gen23 All input…
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Values, Innovation and Transparency Key to Future Corporate Sustainability Leadership: New Survey of Experts
Unilever continues to be seen as the global leader on sustainability, receiving nearly half of total mentions cited (45%, up two points from 2016). Unilever holds this dominant position for the seventh…
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The Region’s Top 10 Air Polluters
“The following is a list of the 10 facilities within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area that released the greatest volume of toxic chemicals into the air in 2014 and 2015…
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Urban Planning Can’t Happen Without Black People in the Room—Yet It Does
The places we live even affect our bodies at the molecular level. Children from crime-ridden neighborhoods have higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, which is linked to learning problems,…
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Meet four Allegheny County women breaking glass ceilings as they run for mayor
“They clinched the Democratic primary nods in Bellevue, Carnegie, Duquesne and Wilkinsburg — and could become first-term mayors. . . . “They won by defeating one (or more) challengers in…
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Energy Companies Urge Trump To Remain In Paris Climate Agreement
“Ben van Beurden is the CEO of Shell, the giant energy company. Even though he’s in the business of selling fossil fuels, van Beurden tells NPR’s Ari Shapiro the U.S….
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Many Allegheny County cities, municipalities unprepared for shale gas drilling rebound
“Mr. Shields said his review of zoning ordinances in 130 Allegheny County municipalities found 56 with no zoning ordinance specific to oil and gas drilling and development, while another 30…
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Statement on 2018 budget proposal: “Communities need a partner, not austerity measures”
“There’s a lot of puzzling logic in this budget, but one point stood out to me above the others. It was the budget’s justification for cuts to transportation. Despite a…
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ATI-Allegheny Ludum Harrison plant to get more lenient air pollution permits
Allegheny Technologies Inc. could get more lenient air pollution permits for its steel mill in Harrison but still has to pay $50,000 in fines for violating its existing permits, according…
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Making America inefficient: the budget’s gory details
The deeply-divided Congress was already going to have trouble passing the 2018 appropriations bills. This extreme budget proposal certainly won’t help. Yet energy efficiency programs have always been about common…
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Gas numbers in opposite directions
Natural gas production in Pennsylvania amounted to a record 5.1 trillion cubic feet in 2016, keeping the commonwealth second only to Texas as a gas producer. The industry achieved the…
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EPA remains top target with Trump administration proposing 31 percent budget cut
S. William Becker, executive director of the National Association of Clean Air Agencies, said in an interview that he was amazed the administration had not shifted course from its first proposal…
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Bill defining coal mining pollution advances in Pa. Senate
A bill that will make it harder to challenge underground coal mining permits because of their potential to damage streams advanced out of a Senate committee on Monday. The bill…
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Virginia Moves to Regulate Power Plants’ Carbon Pollution, Defying Trump
McAuliffe issued an executive order directing state environmental regulators to begin creating a market-based carbon-trading program. The mandatory cap-and-trade program would become the third in the country, after California’s statewide…
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Philadelphia aims to cash in on solar job boom
On a rooftop in Bryn Mawr, Delaware County, four men are working to install 18 solar panels on top of a four-bedroom house. They wear safety harnesses and helmets, lowering…
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“Walk Proud” on Crosswalks that Celebrate Pedestrians
Pedestrian crosswalks are taking on a life of their own! Creative designs are specifically tailored to celebrate pedestrians and walkability, while protecting them from inattentive motorists. Beyond that, the new…
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Clues Emerge in the Search for Affordable Housing
The search for affordable housing continues, as prices continue to rise nationwide. A key challenge to the quest for affordable housing is that existing homeowners want the price of their…
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Building Towns and Cities for Healthy Lifestyles
Getting enough exercise considerably reduces health risks and improves mood, strength, and quality of life. An increased overall quality of life sounds appealing, so why are a large number of…
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Self-Driving Technology and the Driverless City
At the center of self-driving technology, Pittsburgh is perched in the midst of what could be the future for cities across the US. Among the fears stirred by autonomous vehicles,…
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A private bond market emerges for low-income community development
The sale of $150 million in S&P-rated bonds caps years of work by community development financial institutions—with federal support the Trump Administration wants to eliminate. If you need an example…
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California is about to revolutionize climate policy … again — The state’s cap-and-trade program would be replaced by a new, sleeker one.
The changes that SB 775 proposes for the state’s carbon trading program are dramatic — and, to my eyes, amazingly thoughtful. I know some environmental groups have reservations (on which…
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The Rebirth of Shopping Malls-A New Possibility
Shopping malls can take up massive amounts of space. So with interest in them waning and many of them falling victim to vacancy and disrepair, what can be done? Taking…
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From Sewage Fumes to Vehicle Fuels!
What would you do if you could convert sewage fumes and use it for your public vehicles? Innovations, as such, are becoming a reality in Portland, Oregon. Adding to the…
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Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future
Clean, renewable solar energy is a vital to economic growth, environmental protection, and electrical grid resiliency in Pennsylvania. Finding Pennsylvania’s Solar Future is a 2017-2019 statewide planning project being led…
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Taking Blight into Your Own Hands
In the Pittsburgh’s Northside, neighbors took matters into their own hands under the State’s Blighted and Abandoned Property Conservatorship law by acquiring a deteriorating and dangerous property next to their…
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Will Gas Drilling Company Overturn The Way DEP Has Calculated Penalties For Nearly 40 Years? We’ll See
Sometime after June 12 the PA Supreme Court will schedule a hearing on one of the most important environmental cases in recent decades– will EQT drilling be successful in overturning…
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How housing policy over the last century has made Pittsburgh what it is today
This timeline of housing policies in Pittsburgh outlines many of these historic issues and attempts to shed light on how the city has evolved. For instance, urban renewal projects in…
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ACEEE City Energy Efficiency Scorecard
This report ranks 51 large U.S. cities on what they are doing to save energy in five key areas. Click on the map to go to database.aceee.org, where you can…
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DEP and 100 supporters urge high court to reverse limits on pollution fines
Nearly 100 Pennsylvania elected officials, environmental groups and businesses signed on to legal briefs this week to support the Department of Environmental Protection in a state Supreme Court case that…
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PhD Research Survey Request to SPI Readers: Would triple bottom line accounting accelerate investments in building energy efficiency?
Rohini Srivastava, LEED AP BD+C at Carnegie Mellon’s Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics and DOE CBERD Researcher, is currently conducting a survey to understand how knowledge of longer term…
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Frack Off!
“In 2013, Long discovered that a drilling company sought to dump its wastewater into an abandoned gas well two and a half miles from her home. She and her mother,…
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Two more states successfully raise taxes & fees to invest new dollars in transportation
“Because of the same declining revenue sources that required the federal government to beg, borrow and deficit spend to fund the FAST Act in 2015 through 2020, states are increasingly…
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My defining moment? Earning a permanent seat at the table
But my defining moment as a CSO is definitely not to tell my CEO to tell someone else what they should do. It is to earn a place at his…
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3 big ways sustainable design will shape future cities
“By 2050, 70 percent of the world’s population will live in urban areas, so our cities need to adapt to sustain this population influx. While digital transformation and the Internet…
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Under pressure, Trump punts on Paris climate deal
“Across industries, he said companies have different rationales for getting more involved in policy advocacy that once might have been considered well outside the scope of day-to-day business. “‘If you’re…
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Calling all CSOs: This is your defining moment
You start with this because your CEO needs to know that the situation we face right now represents a starkly moral issue for each of us as individuals. Even more…
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Sun instead of coal? Group wants owner to build solar array at shuttered Shenango Coke Works
“When a trio of Pittsburghers traveled to Boston this week to ask the leaders of DTE Energy to put a solar array in place of the company’s shuttered Shenango Coke…
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Patenting invention: Clean energy innovation trends and priorities for the Trump administration and Congress
“At just the moment when the U.S. clean energy innovation enterprise may be hitting a flat spot, the Trump administration has proposed draconian federal budget cuts that raise new concerns…
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Understanding in Order to Prepare: Ethane Cracker Risk and Disclosure
Highly-industrialized operations like petrochemical plants carry risks, including the possibility of large-scale disasters. In an effort to best prepare, stakeholders must understand these risks. The planned Shell ethane cracker and…
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Asthma at ‘epidemic’ levels in region’s schools, experts say on World Asthma Day
Ms. Buford said half of all schools in the U.S. have poor air quality, and school districts should have strategies in place to address the problem, including high-quality air circulation…
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First global standard for sustainable procurement hits the market
“The first standard of its kind in the world, ISO 20400 aims to help companies make better purchasing choices throughout their supply chains by establishing guidelines for companies to judge suppliers on…
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Taming air pollution: The region’s century-old challenge
“This is the introduction to a series of articles that will examine air quality in southwestern Pennsylvania, from where we are today in the struggle to tame air pollution to…
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Sustainability Dispatches: Virginie Helias, P&G
“At this time, we had a vice president of sustainability. He was a toxicologist — amazing at the science, but the connection with the business was loose. I flew to…
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3 ways to help your board get wiser about sustainability
“Meanwhile, BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest asset manager overseeing $5.1 trillion, told portfolio companies in the energy and real estate sectors that it expects a company’s “board to have demonstrable…
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Shale gas threat to forests can be eased by consolidating infrastructure
“So if Pennsylvania is to have core, interior forests left after shale-gas development ramps up in coming decades, policies regulating placement of well pads, pipelines, access roads and other infrastructure…
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Exxon released 10 million pounds of air pollution in Texas
“The judge ruled in favor of the Sierra Club and Environment Texas Citizen Lobby, finding Exxon violated the Clean Air Act 16,386 times between October 2005 and September 2013. “The…
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What it was like “Living Downwind” of Shenango Coke Works
“Members of Allegheny County Clean Air Now (ACCAN), the neighborhood group credited for taking down Shenango, don’t want people to forget how bad it was before the plant’s owner, the…
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The surprisingly short list of U.S. metro areas achieving inclusive economic growth
“These patterns indicate a “high-road” economic development strategy that prioritizes both high-skilled, innovative sectors like technology and middle-skill traded sectors like manufacturing and logistics can facilitate inclusive growth. This balance…
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Is employee activism on sustainability nearing a tipping point?
“A new survey shows that nearly two-thirds of those who work for large U.S. corporations want their employers to actively take on environmental and social issues. Full stop. “The survey…
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Pittsburgh 2030 progress report shows participation growth, millions in energy savings
“’We completed energy reduction projects across the system — energy and water use notably,’ he said. ‘Over the last three months, we’re averaging 25 percent [energy reductions] a month over…
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Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan receives National Planning Achievement Award for Environmental Planning – Silver
“The plan addresses six categories — energy, water, food, mobility, air, and equity. It has been instrumental in improving residents’ quality of life and changing the perception of water from a…
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Pitt professor tells local crowd that Shell will affect air quality
From Fabisiak’s perspective, one ethane cracker plant’s emissions are equivalent to 36,000 automobiles each traveling 12,000 miles a year. Or in simpler terms, it would represent a 25 percent increase…
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UN Environment launches Young Champions of the Earth Competition
“Today, on International Mother Earth Day, the United Nations Environment Programme will launch Young Champions of the Earth, a new initiative to spot young, talented people between the ages of…
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When You Think Monaca, The Borough Manager Wants You To Think ‘Green’
“Nearly 10 years ago, the manager of the Borough of Monaca started making the municipality a little more environmentally friendly. “90.5 WESA’s Mark Nootbaar spoke to Borough Manager Mario Leone…
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24 heads of Pittsburgh environmental groups unite to urge action: “We need your help.”
“In an unprecedented show of collaboration, 24 leaders of environmental groups in the Pittsburgh region stood together today to proclaim the importance of environmental protection for our region. “’Even after…
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The $2 billion question: The Mon-Fayette extension is not the best use for this money
With so many of the region’s roads and bridges in poor shape, it would be an awful shame to waste a huge sum on a project that isn’t needed. The…
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United They Stand – 24 Pittsburgh Nonprofits Unite for Environmental Justice in the Age of Trump
“’Earth Day 2017 has a special urgency,’ said Executive Director of Sustainable Pittsburgh, Court Gould, ‘given the rollbacks that are being articulated at the Federal level that will have a…
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Pittsburgh region’s air gets failing grade again, but it’s getting better
“The report ranked the region the eighth worst of more than 200 metropolitan areas in the nation for long-term (annual) soot pollution; the 14th worst for short-term or daily soot…
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Kraft Heinz says shareholder proposal withdrawn because of company’s sustainability efforts
“The group’s proposal had called for the company, dually headquartered in Pittsburgh and Chicago, to issue a comprehensive sustainability report addressing its environmental, social and governance performance and goals. The…
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Realizing the development potential along rail corridors
“In 2007, the City of Charlotte, NC opened its Lynx light rail line and this week, the Charlotte Business Journal took a look at what’s happening along the line 10…
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New Study Identifies Nine of the Worst Highway Projects Across the Country, $10 Billion in Taxpayer Dollars Wasted
“A new report by the United States Public Interest Research Group (U.S. PIRG) Education Fund and Frontier Group identifies nine of the most wasteful highway expansion projects across the country,…
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Working Women – Key Indicators for Understanding Our Region
Women account for a larger share of the southwestern Pennsylvania labor force than the national average — the result of a decades-long upward trend in a region where women had…
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#LetsMakeASEEN: The Door Campaign
“‘I was really passionate about urban agriculture, but wanted to find ways to combine it with education so that students could see sustainable ways of improving their own communities while…
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Diana Nelson Jones’ Walkabout: This Cranberry golf course is so much greener than you think
“The 18-hole course is one more link in Cranberry’s impressive record of responding to its growth responsibly. . . . “The Cranberry Highlands Golf Course could have been just a…
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Cranberry, Millvale, Ross join Pittsburgh as towns going green
“Cranberry and Millvale belong to an exclusive club today. They are among six municipalities in the state certified as top models of governance by Sustainable Pennsylvania. The others are Pittsburgh,…
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Air pollution around the world takes a staggering toll
“’Studies of long-term exposure to air pollution demonstrate that people living in more polluted locations die prematurely, compared with those living in areas with lower levels of pollution,’ the report…
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Contemplating Governing – Registration now open
The Local Government Academy is offering the Contemplating Governing course on the following dates/locations: Community College of Beaver County | Thursday 4/20/2017 | 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM Community College…
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Coal’s Last Kick – As clean energy rises, West Virginia looks past Trump’s embrace of coal to what comes next
“There’s almost zero reason to be completely optimistic,” says Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy. “It’s a disservice to coal-mining communities to tell…
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Feds issue license for proposed hydroelectric plant for the Highland Park Dam at Aspinwall
“Hydroelectric power could be fueling the homes and businesses being developed in the Riverfront 47 project along the Allegheny River in Aspinwall and Sharpsburg by 2020. . . . “One…
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Public sounds off on DEP’s environmental justice policies
“‘They talk about improving the EJ policies, but there’s no money in the state budget to do that,” she said. “So I have a lack of trust. I’m happy the…
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A Toolbox of Green Infrastructure Solutions to Flooding Risks
“‘Naturally Resilient Communities is an interactive tool featuring 30 case studies of places that rely on nature-based solutions to protect themselves against climate threats like flooding and coastal erosion,’ reports Krutika Pathi…
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An eviction in Polish Hill shows affordable-housing issues go beyond Pittsburgh neighborhoods like East Liberty and Lawrenceville
“Polish Hill has mostly been off the Pittsburgh-housing-boom radar. But housing prices there have skyrocketed, and rents have steadily risen over the past few years. Also, private developers are taking…
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Despite Improvements, Report Finds Pittsburghers Still Breathe Some Of The Worst Air
“According to the report, the Pittsburgh metropolitan area experienced 220 days of elevated soot pollution in 2015, more than any city east of the Mississippi. Pittsburgh also experienced 93 days…
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Overdue: The next Copernican mindset shift
“Now, at a time when most current sustainability models center around people, markets and capitalism, it is time to put natural cycles — particularly the carbon cycle — at the…
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Sustainability Pioneers: “Home Sweet Home”
“Millions of people in the most vulnerable regions around the world are already being forced to leave their homes because of climate change. Almost 40 percent of all the US…
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Can solar power fuel mass transit?
“After studying the technical and economic issues for a year, my colleagues and I concluded that BART could increase the amount of on-site solar by means of PV installations on…
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Power Sector Carbon Index shows big drop in CO2 emissions, but more needs to be done
“When Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) professors Costa Samaras and Ines Azevedo wanted to measure the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by US electricity producers, they found themselves moving into…
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The Sustainability Officer and Real Estate Operations
“Sustainability is becoming a big issue in commercial real estate. For real estate developers and owners, it typically involves considering factors such as location, site design, architecture, stormwater management, LEED…
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Rapid transit proposal gets positive reviews at sessions
“The general sessions followed about 20 meetings with neighborhood groups since the project was unveiled last month. The system will put electric vehicles on dedicated lanes to cut travel time…
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Rethinking the role of the corporate sustainability officer
“The corporate sustainability officer should be a C-level executive and engaged in the development and communication of the company’s long-term strategy. The thought — at least in some in some…
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PNC Park joins stadium lighting revolution
“The team announced last week the installation of new LED stadium lights at PNC Park, an upgrade that will reduce glare and provide more uniform on-field illumination, as well as…
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Pittsburgh Today and Tomorrow 2017
The 2017 Pittsburgh Today and Tomorrow report, produced by Pittsburgh Today, analyzes recent data to assess the Pittsburgh region’s standing compared with 15 other regions in key economic and quality…
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Chatham University Moves Some Endowment Investments From Fossil Fuels To Green Companies
Chatham University is inching closer to divesting its $80 million endowment fund of investments in the fossil fuel industry. At a recent meeting of the investment committee of the Board…
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Draft NEER Principles and Operating Rules Released for Public Comment
The National Energy Efficiency Registry (NEER) is a web-based platform that will help states document achievement of energy and environmental goals, disclose regulated entities’ compliance activities, and drive voluntary investment…
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Eyes wide open: The cons, and pros, of a big petrochemical plant
As part of that planning process, county officials and community representatives might want to make their own trip to St. Charles and Ascension parishes and gather their own insights into…
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State energy factsheet: Pennsylvania
This report provides a fact-based overview of Pennsylvania’s power sector. It presents key metrics, highlights recent trends and discusses the outlook and opportunities for clean energy. Read more
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Here’s what locals said about Trump’s executive order on coal
“We are extremely pleased that President Trump has, once again, followed through on his promise to preserve coal jobs and low cost electricity in the United States. Indeed, President Obama…
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Buffalo used to be a city filled with millionaires. It plans to get rich again by betting against Trump.
. . . “What you see is a flat, wide mat that lays right on top of the road surface. And as vehicles drive over it, they’re pushing pressurized fluid…
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In Pennsylvania, Trump’s climate order met with anger and relief
“But over the long term, without the [Clean Power Plan], Pennsylvanians will pay the price in worsened air quality, decreased public health, and pass on even more severe climate risks to…
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Highway Projects Won’t Save the Rust Belt
“Although transportation-focused efforts encourage business development in some areas, they often have a negative impact on the vitality of downtown areas, existing business districts and adjacent neighborhoods. While better roads…
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Pittsburgh & Purpose – Philanthropy for the 21st Century
Now, Pittsburgh is at the forefront of the Purpose Economy with a new kind of corporate philanthropy that leverages people’s skills and expertise to advance the greater good. Skills-based volunteerism…
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Meet 9 badass women fighting climate change in cities
As a woman who has chronicled the technology business for close to three decades (ahem), I’m used to being at briefings where the gender demographics are way out of balance…
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Take the Survey: Bus Rapid Transit
The Bus Rapid Transit project is intended to better connect communities in the Downtown-Oakland-East End corridor, and more specifically connect residents to job centers, educational opportunities, medical services, and cultural…
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How New York Created a Solar Boom
As it turns out, New York City—the region’s densest metropolis—is in the midst of a solar boom, with installations in the residential sector leading the way. In 2016, the number…
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Making water safe from street to tap
If a resident’s lead testing indicates 8 ppb or 12 ppb, they should not, and must not, conclude that they are “safe” from lead in water. In fact, no amount…
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Census finds continuing population slide for Pittsburgh region
The place that suffered the second worst decline in numbers among 382 metro areas has been lauded by national media as among America’s most affordable, friendliest, restaurant-rich, appealing places to…
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10 facts about water policy and infrastructure in the US
From the water safety crisis in Flint, Michigan to the near-disaster with the Oroville Dam in California, a string of water-related events have made headlines, and called into question the…
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Proposed Cuts to EPA Budget Would Be “Immediate and Devastating”
The Trump administration’s final budget request includes a 31% reduction in funding to the Environmental Protection Agency. Cuts would be applied to both EPA programs and to grants given to…
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High temps, higher stakes: The Administration owes us an answer to a simple but vital question
Over the long haul, science and truth will inevitably prevail, but if this administration reverses recent progress and abandons a U.S. leadership role, then accelerating climate change and incalculable damage…
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As Mon-Fayette Expressway faces critical vote, Peduto, Fitzgerald voice concerns
The future of the $1.6 billion Mon-Fayette Expressway faces a crucial vote Monday, and two top local leaders say they aren’t convinced the project should move ahead… The Southwestern Pennsylvania…
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Keeping Pa. clean when EPA goes AWOL
In-depth research by Earthworks on natural gas processing and compression facilities in southwestern Pennsylvania, including infrared videos and air testing at nearby homes, shows that these facilities pollute the air…
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“Permitted to Pollute 2017”
Permitted to Pollute is an unprecedented study of how state regulatory oversight of oil and gas operations, authorized by the Clean Air Act to protect air quality and public health,…
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Brian O’Neill: Taking blight into your own hands
This new state law provided the mechanism for what she describes “as a surgical strike on blight.” There’s remaining paperwork, but the house on Juniata now belongs to Ms. Rosensteel…
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PNC shareholder proposal seeks workforce diversity stats
PNC’s board of directors is recommending that shareholders vote against the resolution, saying the bank was “seriously committed to increasing gender and racial diversity in the workplace,” but that it…
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The Region’s Top 10 Air Polluters
The following is a list of the 10 facilities within the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area that released the greatest volume of toxic chemicals into the air in 2014 and 2015…
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Up in the Air
This is the introduction to a series of articles that will examine air quality in southwestern Pennsylvania, from where we are today in the struggle to tame air pollution to…
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It looks like this year will be big for investor activism
So far in 2017, shareholder resolutions specifically related to social and environmental issues have increased to 430 from 370 resolutions last year, according to As You Sow’s annual Proxy Preview….
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Doctors join forces, warn climate change is harming our health
Climate change isn’t just happening in the Arctic Circle and Antarctica where more ice is melting year after year. Its impact is being felt right here at home, and it’s…
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Survey: Tell PennDOT What You Think
Every two years, the Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission and PennDOT update Pennsylvania’s Twelve Year Transportation Program. The open public comment period is March 6 – April 19, 2017. During this…
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The Mythical Link Between Immigrants and High Crime Rates
A large body of research, however, finds no link between immigration and high crime rates, with some studies suggesting places with more immigrants actually enjoy slightly lower crime rates. Still, critics often contend that illegal immigration leads to more crime as research has generally failed…
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Inclusionary Housing Policy Attracts Millennials
The fact is, in many metro areas, people who never considered themselves “low-income” are finding themselves priced out of the housing market altogether. Teachers, nurses, cops and accountants are just a few of those feeling the squeeze. If you’re a millennial working in customer service and eyeing that studio apartment near work and a transit stop…
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When Street Parking Becomes a Pop-Up Bus Lane
One morning last December, cones and small signs popped up along Broadway, the main drag in working-class Everett, Massachusetts. The modest change, replacing a mile of curbside parking with a temporary bus lane, had big implications. After a week, city officials said riders were saving so much time on their morning commutes that the bus lane…
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Your Neighborhood Affects How You Age
Some older adults are living in neighborhoods that may be making them sick. These communities aren’t safe, they’re not walkable, and they lack good public transportation and other resources. The fact that people may be living in these neighborhoods for decades is troubling, as the impact of poor conditions accumulates over time and leads to chronic health problems. While “aging in place” usually has positive connotations…
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LISTEN: To the 23%, a New Podcast, Featuring Women in Government
Governing Magazine recently released the first podcast in their new series titled, “The 23%: Conversations with Women in Government”.
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The SDGs: How can we sustain our optimism?
Ordinarily, an email from someone I’ve never met, asking for answers to many difficult questions, would end up pretty far down on my over-packed list of things to do. But…
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Plan for Bus Rapid Transit system takes next step forward
It’s called Bus Rapid Transit, but officials say the proposal unveiled Thursday to use electric vehicles between Downtown and Oakland would address an array of issues that include neighborhood renewal,…
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NRDC issue brief: Clean Energy & Efficiency Can Replace Coal for a Reliable, Modern Electricity Grid
This brief makes the case that it is cheaper and cleaner to replace retiring coal-fired power plants with wind and solar power and energy efficiency upgrades than to saddle the…
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A $2.5 trillion asset manager just put a statue of a defiant girl in front of the Wall Street bull
The money manager said it would vote against boards if a company failed to take steps to increase its number of members who are women. State Street plans to send…
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Help Wanted: Executive Director, Local Government Academy
Local Government Academy (LGA), a non-profit organization that develops excellence in local government through education, is seeking an Executive Director to lead the organization’s long-term strategic direction, oversee program development…
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State Transportation Commission – Twelve Year Transportation Program Update
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the State Transportation Commission (STC) is in the Public Comment Phase for the Update of its 2019 Twelve Year Transportation Program (TYP). An…
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Better Mobility for All: Regional Transportation Alliance Releases Vision to Guide Southwestern Pennsylvania’s Transportation Future
The status quo is not good enough anymore. That’s the conclusion of a major, 18-month effort to develop a new transportation vision for the 10 counties in southwestern Pennsylvania that…
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Why investors have fiduciary duty for the environment
Corporate disclosure of environmental data continued to grow in 2016. This is unlikely to relent in 2017, given the added pressure created by the Paris Agreement on climate change. Four…
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Report: Pittsburgh’s economy ‘prosperous’ but leaving some behind
The median wage grew 7 percent overall, but it was uneven for various sectors. The median wage among African-American residents in Pittsburgh plummeted by 20 percent, putting the region near…
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For Corporate Sustainability Professionals, Trump is the ‘Black Swan’ Event
Sustainability executives from companies such as Amazon.com Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc., and Starbucks Corp. spoke about continued plans for sustainability initiatives on stage, but conference attendees also talked about new…
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Shale gas driller fined $1.2M for contaminating drinking water in Westmoreland
More than four years after a WPX Energy Appalachia wastewater impoundment leaked and contaminated the drinking water of five Westmoreland County families, the shale gas company has agreed to pay…
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The Black Experience
Pittsburgh’s African-Americans often leave or languish in region Read more
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Sustainability Indicators: Unemployment Trends in Pittsburgh
Southwestern Pennsylvania’s economy suffered less during the last recession than most regions and one key reason was that unemployment was relatively stable when other places were reeling with more widespread…
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New Video: The Story of Microfibers
Most of us wear synthetic fabrics like polyester everyday. Our dress shirts, yoga pants, fleeces, and even underwear are all increasingly made of synthetic materials—plastic, in fact. But these fabrics…
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Why doesn’t Pittsburgh appeal to young African-American professionals? A report dives in
Lane, one of the founders of AANC, said the project was sparked by conversations about other cities. “Lots of us in government or community development got talking about the presence…
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State funding to DEP is inadequate, says advisory panel
In a letter sent Tuesday to state Senate Appropriations Committee chairs Patrick Browne and Vincent Hughes, DEP’s Citizens Advisory Council chairman William Fink says the cuts are threatening the agency’s…
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Doubling Down on Infrastructure
But the repair and replacement of these monumental infrastructure systems in their current configurations does not reflect social, environmental, and technological advances that have occurred over the last half century….
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How are metro areas prioritizing health and building more biking and walking projects?
This new paper, produced with the American Public Health Association, outlines four policy levers MPOs have at their disposal to help increase and improve active transportation projects to meet the demand,…
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Registration Now Open for Good Deeds Day PGH
Good Deeds Day is an international celebration of doing good! Since its launch in 2007, this annual tradition of good has attracted an ever expanding number of participants and four…
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Why the time is right to chart a new sustainability course
These visionaries deliberately disrupt their own business model, adopting plans to rethink and transform their entire industry. Other shifts include: turning away from viewing sustainability as a trade-off toward seeing…
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Cancer Rates Are Dropping — But Not In Rural Appalachia
“People don’t think a lot about their health, especially right now, with our economy,” said Ashley Teague, a regional cancer control specialist for the Kentucky Cancer Program. “They’re more worried…
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Former President Carter leases 10 acres of his farmland to build 1.3-megawatt solar power station
The single axis tracker (which tracks the sun) solar array installed on Carter’s property is projected to produce more than 55 million kilowatt hours of clean energy for Plains over…
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Pennsylvania confirms first fracking-related earthquakes
In April 2016, Texas-based Hilcorp Energy Company was fracking a pair of wells in the Utica Shale near New Castle, Pennsylvania when seismic monitors nearby detected five tremors, measuring between…
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Energy grid operator PJM to invest $1.5B in upgrading aging infrastructure
“The growing need to replace aging infrastructure, energy efficiency and the resulting reduction in the growth of demand for electricity are affecting transmission development,” Andrew Ott, PJM president and CEO,…
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Carbon is not the enemy- William McDonough
Let’s keep those carbon bridges open on all landscapes — rural and urban. Let’s use carbon from the atmosphere to fuel biological processes, build soil carbon and reverse climate change….
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Engaging the C-suite to reach global goals
Another supportive CEO is Unilever’s Paul Polman, who has embedded sustainable business practices into his company’s activities and has created added value throughout its supply chain: “The SDGs present a…
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Temperatures in the Arctic are skyrocketing — for the third time this winter
“As that sea ice moves northward, there’s a huge reservoir of heat over the North Atlantic,” Mr. Moore said. “As we lose the sea ice, it allows essentially this reservoir…
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A Formula for Disaster: Calculating Risk at the Ethane Cracker
While the site of the Shell cracker is worth attending to, it would be a mistake to limit assessments of disaster risk to the site of the facility alone. Shell’s…
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Sustainability Indicators – Recreational opportunities in the Pittsburgh region
Southwestern Pennsylvanians think highly of the parks, trails and other recreational amenities in the region and survey data suggest most base their views on firsthand knowledge. The accessibility and quality…
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New technical assistance opportunity for MPOs interested in performance measures
Today T4America is launching a new technical assistance program to help metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) go further with measuring and quantifying the multiple benefits of transportation spending decisions to help…
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Bloomberg/Sustainable Business Council: Consumer Energy Spending Plummets In 2016
American consumers spent less than 4 percent of their total annual household spending on energy in 2016, the smallest share ever recorded by the U.S. government, a new study finds….
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Alcosan to provide $9M to help stem sewage overflows via 32 municipal projects
Alcosan, its municipal members, the city of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority are federally mandated to end illegal wet weather discharges into the region’s waterways from 53…
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Solar advocates see hope for the future after industry jobs grow in Pennsylvania
Solar installations in Allegheny County doubled from 51 in 2015 to 107 in 2016, according to a state database of power generating units. Solarize Allegheny has nurtured the sales of at least…
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The Allegheny Front: PA has a big problem with drinking water safety. Here’s how to fix it.
This week on The Allegheny Front, we dig deeper into Pennsylvania’s growing problem enforcing safe drinking water standards and chat with the climate change skeptic who’s shaping Trump’s environmental policy. Read…
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Help Wanted: Zero Waste Specialist
The Pennsylvania Resources Council (PRC), a 501 (c)(3) non-profit environmental organization, is one of the oldest grassroots environmental organizations (founded in 1939) in the Commonwealth. PRC’s mission is to lead…
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Sustainability Indicators: Water quality in SWPA
Levels of bromide and total dissolved solids have improved in the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers in recent years. But the future is uncertain due to potential new sources. This…
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Why 98% of Companies Do Not Achieve Their Sustainability Goals
Many CEOs want to make a difference. Convinced that companies should play a positive role in environmental stewardship and social development, they declare sustainability a top priority, launch a transformation…
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Better Business, Better World report
The Business & Sustainable Development Commission (BSDC) has now launched its flagship Better Business, Better World report. This report sets out to map the economic prize that could be available to…
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Sustainability Indicators – General Health Trends in Pittsburgh
The prognosis for residents’ health in southwestern Pennsylvania is mixed. Heart disease deaths declined over a recent 10-year period in Allegheny County, the most populous of the seven Pittsburgh Metropolitan…
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U.S. Clean Energy Jobs Surpass Fossil Fuel Employment
The recently published 2017 U.S. Energy and Employment Report by the U.s. Department of Energy shows that clean electricity jobs are no doubt the engine that drives America’s electric energy economy, outstripping…
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Blake introduces energy financing bill
Sen. John Blake, D-22, Archbald, said the bill gathering bipartisan support would provide low-cost financing to meet pent-up demand to modernize commercial properties by installing solar panels, LED lights and…
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House Republicans Vote to End Rule Stopping Coal Mining Debris From Being Dumped in Streams
. . . It is that aspect of the law that frightens environmental groups that have fought for years for the coal-mining rule and another rule to restrict energy companies…
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The State of Green Business, 2017
Companies and markets dislike uncertainty, of course, so the coming year or two may see head-snapping policy shifts as the public and private sector grapple with two seemingly unstoppable forces:…
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Pitt to launch Master of Science in Sustainable Engineering program this summer
Answering a demand for professional programs that help students find sustainable solutions to regional and global engineering issues, the University of Pittsburgh this summer has designed a new Master of…
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Life After Shenango: One-year Anniversary of Coke Plant’s Closing
We have found that since Shenango shut down, the improvement in air quality has been significant. In the first quarter of 2015, the Health Department received 109 complaints from the…
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The irreversible momentum of clean energy
Since 2008, the United States has experienced the first sustained period of rapid GHG emissions reductions and simultaneous economic growth on record. Specifically, CO2 emissions from the energy sector fell…
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State Street Nudges Corporate Boards on Climate, ESG
Climate change is no longer listed as a top issue on the White House website, but it’s very much at the forefront for $2.47 trillion asset manager State Street Global…
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Hiring: Communications Director
Green Building Alliance is seeks to fill the position of Communications Director. This full-time position manages all strategic cross-departmental marketing and communications initiatives for Green Building Alliance. The Director is…
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Susan LeGros on holding energy companies to a higher standard
But the investment community looks really closely at environmental stewardship and they are very focused on the oil and gas sector. They are very much in favor of this kind…
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Sustainable investing goes beyond ‘pure imagination’
More than $8.7 trillion of investment capital is managed using ESG factors in U.S. markets. But Karp, a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF), a founding member of the…
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As OK frackquakes spiked, Trump EPA pick fought the EPA
Rachel Maddow reports on how Oklahoma attorney general Scott Pruitt did not try to prosecute fracking companies for the sudden rise in man-made earthquakes, but instead went after the EPA,…
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How These Top Companies Are Getting Inclusion Right
When it comes to fostering an environment where employees feel encouraged to contribute, some companies consistently get it right, according to rankings like the DiversityInc Top 50, Great Place to…
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The Allegheny Front: Trump’s in. Here’s what he can (and can’t) do to environmental laws.
This week on The Allegheny Front, we explore just what President Trump can and can’t do to environmental regulations and preview a new PBS documentary about famed environmentalist Rachel Carson. Read more
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9 ways companies are making a difference, Citigroup to SolarCity
The world finally bid 2016 goodbye and welcomed 2017 with open arms. In the middle of all the cynicism, social upheaval and increasing materialism of last year, some companies took…
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2017 Call for Stories about Black Male Leaders
The honor is designed to provide recognition, funding and networking opportunities to black men who are helping to build prosperous communities. Application deadline: Feb. 21.
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USDOT rewrites congestion rule in response to outpouring of feedback
At long last, USDOT has finalized new requirements for how states and metro areas will have to measure traffic congestion and in the final rule — responding to the outpouring…
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How furniture is saving the planet
The SFC has grown from an initial 70 companies to more than 400 members. It has also partnered with the World Wildlife Fund and the American Sustainable Business Council, according…
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Earth sets a temperature record for the third straight year
Fifteen events caused $1 billion or more in damages, for a total loss of $46 billion. They were part of more than 200 weather and climate disasters the United States…
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Yes, Americans are divided – but not on the environment
The results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election exposed some deep rifts in the American psyche and leave many of us feeling more divided than ever as Donald Trump takes…
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Sustainability Indicators: Mobility Trends in Pittsburgh
An easy commute is hard to come by in the Pittsburgh region. Traffic delays are longer, transit use lags and transportation costs consume a significant share of household income in…
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Which Cities Are Gentrifying?
One possible explanation is that people with money simply like to live in walkable regions with strong downtowns. Another possible explanation is that inner-ring midcentury suburbs are declining everywhere, but…
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Brian O’Neill: Put methane in its place, not the atmosphere
It’s not often we see legislation that eases the way for the emission of methane and other volatile organic compounds we’d be better off not breathing, but America’s Largest Full-Time…
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Help Wanted: Living Product Challenge Manager
The International Living Future Institute (ILFI) seeks a talented, high energy Living Product Challenge (LPC) Manager to join our staff. The LPC Manager will be responsible for the growth and…
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Uber Offers City Planners a Slice of Traffic Data
The site, dubbed “Movement,” curates GPS data from more than 2 million trips, and it could be a helpful tool for observing traffic patterns and reducing congestion. Uber claims that…
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With a record $1.4 trillion in sustainability assets, investors bail on fossil fuels
As President-elect Donald Trump puts together his fossil fuel-focused administration, the investment community is moving full speed in the opposite direction, instead putting their bets on emissions reductions and support…
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7 exceptional sustainability podcasts you should tune in to
A bumper crop of new green podcasts has materialized since my last round-up, so here is the 2017 edition of exceptional shows worth your ear. All the picks in the list…
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The expanding role of sustainability leadership
My respondents feel that as sustainability moves out from under the tent of segregated functions such as “supply chain,” “compliance,” “environmental health and safety” and “government affairs,” and into the…
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630+ Businesses to Trump: Support the Low Carbon Economy
In today’s letter addressed to the incoming Trump administration and Congress more than 630 companies and investors reaffirmed their support for U.S. policies that will accelerate a low-carbon economy and…
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Northern states need immigrants
They are the only answer to slow growth in industrial states like Pennsylvania Perversely, if the economy improves under Mr. Trump, one indication will be the accelerated decline of the…
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Parcel Scale Green Infrastructure Siting and Cost Effectiveness Analysis
About This Map: Potential green infrastructure project sites published here were estimating[sic] using planning-level siting criteria applied discretely to each parcel in the City of Pittsburgh. These criteria are summarized…
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Health Hazards of Wood Smoke Pollution
Dr. Brian Moench, M.D., Utah Physician’s for a Healthy Environment and a member of the Union of Concerned Scientists Read more
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Shell to tie executive bonuses to greenhouse gas goals Company to screen future investments for ‘long-term carbon intensity’
Royal Dutch Shell plans to link part of its executive bonuses to greenhouse gas emissions and conduct more active screening of future investments to further efforts to reduce the energy…
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U.S. Dept. of Energy – Cabinet Exit Memo
The U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz provides his report to the President of the United States in this Cabinet Exit Memo. Read more
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Apps, Intelligent Transportation Systems Improving Safety for Pedestrians
MAPS is one example of a booming group of technologies, ranging from apps to software in cars to connected infrastructure, that are poised to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in…
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China Is Pumping Hundreds of Billions of Dollars Into New Renewable Energy Projects by 2020
China has been pulling out all stops to create a clean-tech revolution. Last year, a Chinese firm topped a reputable global ranking for wind energy production for the first time,…
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Here’s why 2017 will be the year of the circular economy revolution
The seeds of many such partnerships came to fruition in 2016 — CE 100 came to the U.S., the Chamber of Commerce Foundation built a CE focus area for their membership,…
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Top 13 Clean Energy Developments of 2016
While certain events in the past year may have had some people scratching their heads, we can look back on 2016 with a lot of gratitude. We’re not just talking…
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And the Best Street Transformation of 2016 Is…
Last week we asked readers to choose their favorite American street transformation of 2016. Six finalists were in the running. These projects sped up bus trips for tens of thousands of riders (San Francisco), improved…
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Sustainability Indicators – Graduation Rates
High school graduation rates are improving in southwestern Pennsylvania overall. Yet, in a handful of districts, nearly a third or more students fail to graduate on time. This brief is…
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Sustainability Indicators – Racial Equity
The racial and ethnic demographics of southwestern Pennsylvania are changing, just as they are across the nation. The share of the population held by African American, Asian, Hispanic and other…
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Elizabeth Twp. Sustainable Certified
Elizabeth Township announced Friday that it is among high-performing municipalities recognized by the Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification Program. Read more
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Eyes on Your Performance: Big Data + Market Forces are Driving Tech Innovation for Sustainable Enterprise
The sustainability genie is out of the bottle! Expectations for ESG performance are now widely held among investors, insurers, portfolio managers and customers. So much so that the U.S. Securities…
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I love Pittsburgh, but this air is killing us
Before making a decision to relocate, we researched different states and cities where our son’s needs would be met, determined to find a good place to call home where we…
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Costa Rica modernized without wrecking the environment. Here’s how.
Costa Rica has a long way to go, but it’s still a worthy role model for pulling populations out of poverty. If Namibia or Haiti could look like Costa Rica…
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Sustainability Indicators: Air Quality
The days when Pittsburgh earned the reputation as the “Smokey City” may be long gone, but the quality of the region’s air remains a concern. Air quality has improved across…
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BigBurgh tracks 170 free services for vulnerable populations
Since its debut last August, BigBurgh has provided a way for vulnerable and homeless populations in Pittsburgh to access various resources throughout the city. Now the app—actually a “mobile-optimized” web…
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Trump ushers in the next phase of sustainable business
As a result, the first phase of business sustainability — integrating these practices within core corporate functions — is inadequate for the scope of the issues we face. Using this model, we…
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From Smokestacks to Robots: the Pittsburgh Story and the Future of Work
These types of efforts, along with many others, are examined in our National League of Cities report, The Future of Work in Cities. The report analyses the shifting nature of…
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Close To $25 Billion Spent To Secure Green Infrastructure Worldwide In 2015
The report found that the $24.7B spent in 2015 either protected, rehabilitated, or created new habitat on 486 million (M) hectares of land – an area 1.5 times the size…
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3 reasons fossil fuel companies should reveal their reserves
Fossil fuel companies hold vast oil, gas and coal reserves that help determine their market value. These reserves are also the basis to understanding the potential climate risks of burning…
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Potter Township hearing on Shell cracker still not closed
After more than 10 hours of testimony, Potter Township supervisors went home Tuesday night without a vote on a conditional use permit for the Shell Chemical’s ethane cracker being built…
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Sustainability Indicators: Environmental Ethic
The environmental ethic among southwestern Pennsylvanians is complex. More than 86 percent of those who live in the Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Area agree that individual citizens should be responsible for…
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The 4 pillars of a corporate sustainability program
These four principles can serve as guidelines for executives to develop more effective sustainability structures. Principle 1: Sustainability rests on a continuum Principle 2: Identify your core purpose Principle 3:…
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The Allegheny Front: Headwaters
In many ways, the Ohio River is an unsung resource for the region it serves. The Ohio’s near-thousand-mile course flows through Pennsylvania and five other states before emptying into the…
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“Growth, Carbon, and Trump: State Progress and Drift on Economic Growth and Emissions `Decoupling’’’
Entitled “Growth, Carbon, and Trump: State Progress and Drift on Economic Growth and Emissions `Decoupling,’’’ the new analysis offers an important perspective on where continued climate and energy progress may…
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Sustainability reporting in stock exchanges ‘comes of age’
By reporting on sustainability issues, companies tend to act more sustainably, Zhan said, explaining the incentive of a positive correlation between strong sustainable performance and financial performance. The private sector…
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Ellwood wins sustainability certification
The borough received recognition at the silver level of certification for meeting the program’s criteria, which tracks 131 policies and practices that define a sustainable community. To earn the designation,…
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Vote for your favorite UpPrize Idea
UpPrize is a social innovation challenge to solve some of the most important issues of our day. The sponsors of UpPrize are seeking to fund and support product or service…
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Audit: Vague guidelines led to improper spending of Pa.’s impact fees
Act 13 was deliberately broad but it has several flaws, the audit found. Its 13 “vague” guidelines for how local governments can spend impact fees do not clearly delineate what…
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Most States Are Combating Climate Change and Growing Their Economies
A new Brookings Institution report compares state’s recent economic growth to changes in carbon emissions. In all, 33 states and the District of Columbia achieved reductions in emissions while expanding…
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Millvale honored at state level for sustainability
Millvale is the first borough in Pennsylvania to attain the highest level in a program that recognizes achievement in sustainability. . . “Beyond saving tax dollars and making sure our…
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Car-Free Bridges: Are They the Future?
“A bridge should be about moving people,” says Veronica O. Davis, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Transportation Policy Committee. “To some extent, we’ve been using the…
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City of Pittsburgh and PWSA Release Draft City-Wide Green First Plan for Public Comment
Today, the City of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) released its comprehensive draft City-Wide Green First Plan for public comment. The plan outlines how Pittsburgh intends…
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Resilience Generation (ReGen) Resources – Applications due Dec. 2
Resilient communities are comprised of both strong social networks and accessible resources enabling residents to address both chronic and acute shocks that may affect their health and well-being. For this…
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Can coal miners become solar technicians?
Advocates for renewable energy are typically consumed with matters such as technology development, cost competitiveness and policy support for deploying solar, wind and other renewables. But the social dimension of…
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The mission behind Mastercard’s SDG master plan
. . . One year ago, the company, which has made financial “inclusiveness” a key pillar of its long-term growth strategy, made a very public commitment to all 17 of…
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This stunning world map shows the awful state of air pollution
This three-dimensional interactive world map, produced by an award-winning French start-up company based in Beijing, makes it easier for everyone to gauge the depth of the problem. . . . “We…
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U.S. Voters Approve Billions for Transit and Green Space
In November, voters across the United States endorsed numerous state and local ballot measures approving additional funding for green space, land conservation, and public transportation… While transit measures received widespread…
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As population declines, Westmoreland County residents asked to reimagine their county
The plan will provide a policy agenda for quality-of-life issues such as land use, housing, parks, infrastructure, transportation and more over the next 10 to 20 years, according to a…
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Canada to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030
The move is in stark contrast to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to revive the American coal industry. . . . Four of Canada’s 10 provinces still use coal-based electricity. Read…
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New Pitt Seed Grant Encourages Students to Get Their Hands Dirty for Sustainability
The Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation (MCSI) has provided seed funding of $49,912 for a new research and education effort that will look at changes in soil moisture, particularly in…
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Sustainability Indicators: Regional Poverty
Poverty remains a stubborn problem for most regions in the United States and southwestern Pennsylvania is no exception. The rate of poverty in the seven-county Pittsburgh Metropolitan Statistical Areas remained…
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2 Vanpool Groups Looking for Riders
CommuteInfo, the region’s one stop shop for ridesharing services, has two vanpool groups in need of riders. One vanpool begins in Sarver and goes to downtown Pittsburgh. Arrive for work…
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Covestro, WindStax to continue collaboration on sustainable business practices
Jerry MacCleary, president of Covestro’s North American region, and Ron Gdovic, founder and chief executive of WindStax, are the founding partners of CEOs for Sustainability. About 18 regional executives are…
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Open Letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Climate Action
As President, you will have the power to expand and accelerate these local initiatives which the people resoundingly supported. We call upon you and the federal government you will lead…
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Sprout Fund offers $100k for local projects during Trump’s first 100 days
Ryan Coon, program officer at the Sprout Fund, says 100 Days is a non-partisan initiative aimed at “developing a mechanism to help people support what is most important to them…
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Pittsburgh awarded $50 million in tax credits for new development
The NMTC program is intended to help “economically distressed communities” attract private capital for new developments. Of 238 applicants nationwide, only 120 had their requests granted. . . This is the…
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PNC Bank announces $100 million fund to acquire affordable rental housing properties
Pittsburgh’s biggest bank on Wednesday said it has closed a $100 million fund that will be used to preserve affordable rental housing for families and senior citizens. PNC Bank, part…
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Pitt Study Shows Buses Main Source of Diesel Pollution
Although public transportation like Pittsburgh’s Port Authority reduce the total number of vehicles on the road, the emissions from its buses are still a leading contributor to air pollution Downtown,…
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Beyond Reporting: 3 principles for weaving sustainability into communication
Sustainability leaders go “beyond reporting” by using more than traditional print and web mediums to communicate performance. The best follow three key principles: Be consistent; be repetitive; and be strategic….
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In Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods, a natural gas leak every 2 miles
When a Google Street View car carrying a methane-sniffing sensor drove around half a dozen Pittsburgh neighborhoods over the past year, it picked up 200 indications of gas leaking from…
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Explore 100 city solutions for a greener and fairer future
Here are 100 solutions from 61 cities which show how local governments around the world are taking the necessary steps to mitigate and adapt to climate change, while at the…
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Pittsburgh Joins the City Energy Project
Mayors from 10 U.S. cities today announced that they are joining the City Energy Project, a united effort to address their largest source of energy use and climate pollution: buildings….
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Sustainability Report indicator – Regional Housing Trends
More southwestern Pennsylvanians have been able to find housing that fits their budgets in the past decade, despite steadily rising home values and rents. But there are stark disparities in…
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Sustainable Investors Find the Positives in Trump Win
Even though ESG investors expect increased uncertainty and setbacks in the global fight for climate change, they also expect the election result to galvanize more private responsible investment. Read more
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PolicyLink – Our Response: Resistance!
After a moment of reflection, we are comforted by the strength, resilience, and unconquerable nature of the equity movement. We are also clear on our next steps. Our purpose —…
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Companies Grapple With Diversity Questions After U.S. Election
Diversity issues have come to the fore as the presidential campaign exposed and deepened bitter divisions on matters such as the treatment of women and minorities; the rights of lesbian,…
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B Inspired by the purpose-driven businesses of Pennsylvania
Now Philadelphia will host an international gathering of B Corps: The “Champions Retreat” is a private event for B Corps representatives, culminating in “B Inspired,” a public event on October…
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Sustainable Pittsburgh – Our air quality is a stain on the region
We cannot win the competition for investment, talent, business, job growth, etc., while perpetuating our indignant affair with a model for progress that is no longer legitimate in a world…
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Sustainability Report indicator – Regional Crime Trends
Public safety has improved significantly in Pittsburgh, with property and violent crime rates falling more than 20 percent from 2003 to 2014. But crime remains disproportionately high in some neighborhoods. …
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Video Footage from p4 Conference is Now Available
Presentations from the p4 Conference are now available on the p4 website. To view the video, click on the speaker’s name on the schedule. View here
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Doggerel, on cities – COP22: Cities, climate action, and scalable solutions
Last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Paris resulted in a historic agreement, with nations formally committing to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This year’s COP22 in Marrakech includes a conference…
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Regional Energy Use by Pittsburgh Today
In a region where coal was once king, nearly half of the electricity consumed today is generated from non-carbon sources. Yet, wind, solar and other renewable sources claim a tiny…
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Gov. Wolf: DEP To Begin Statewide Solar Energy Planning Project In January
Gov. Tom Wolf Wednesday announced a statewide planning project, led by the Department of Environmental Protection, to put Pennsylvania in a better position to produce more solar energy and increase…
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The World Passes 400 PPM Threshold. Permanently
That all but ensures that 2016 will be the year that carbon dioxide officially passed the symbolic 400 ppm mark, never to return below it in our lifetimes, according to…
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The Allegheny Front presents Headwaters, series on future of our region’s water resources.
In many ways, the Ohio River is an unsung resource for the region it serves. The Ohio’s near-thousand-mile course flows through Pennsylvania and five other states before emptying into the…
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Clean Power PA Coalition Amasses Statewide Support for Clean Energy Program
The Clean Power PA Coalition today submitted comments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) featuring strong statewide support of the agency’s proposed Clean Energy Incentive Program (CEIP). Over 100…
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Scott and Brian Wolovich on the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan and a more sustainable Pittsburgh
Recently, the Millvale Ecodistrict Pivot Plan—which kicked off in 2012 and is now in its second phase of development—was one of five projects to receive a Planning Excellence Award from…
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Amish oppose use of drilling ‘brine’ wastewater on roads
There are 44 miles of dirt roads in rural Farmington Township, Warren County, hard against the New York state line, and it’s not uncommon to see horse-drawn Amish buggies clip-clopping…
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A How-to Guide on Job Searching with Disability
The apprehension on both sides contributes to unfortunate statistics: The Labor Department reports the employment-population ratio for people with disabilities was 20.8 percent in January 2013. Their unemployment rate was…
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Doctors call for state ban on drilling and fracking
The Pennsylvania Medical Society has called for a moratorium on new shale gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing and is urging the state to establish an independent health registry and start…
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Renewable energy projects outpace non-renewables added to global electric supply in 2015
It’s a development that speaks to a “transformation of global power markets,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol. China, for instance — the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases and greatest…
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Small business backs new climate disaster legislation
Small business owners are very concerned about climate change. Polling from ASBC found that nearly one in five already had been affected by climate change, and more than 30 percent…
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Is the Infrastructure ‘Time Bomb’ Beginning to Blow?
At first glance, a neighborhood with fewer large homes valued at $600,000 to $900,000 might look more fiscally sustainable than a neighborhood with more modestly priced homes. But Jeff Schug,…
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Pittsburgh Botanic Garden brims with life after abandoned mine cleanup
A “living museum” of plant collections and walking trails, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden sits on land once used for farmland, strip mines and deep mines. It has since undergone work…
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Black church leaders stress issues of environmental injustice, stewardship
Organizers said Baltimore is known for inspiring discussion about racism across the country after the rioting last year sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, but few connect with issues…
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p4: tough talk about making Pittsburgh a more sustainable, inclusive city
It was an unsettling, in-another-person’s-shoes scenario that made the point and set the tone for a conference that was unlike any other in Pittsburgh. Straight talk about race. Uncomfortable questions…
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Vitali: Bill prevents municipalities from addressing plastic bag problems
Specifically, under the bill, H.B. 1280, municipalities would be prohibited from imposing a ban, fee, surcharge or tax on a single-use plastic bag provided by a retail establishment such as…
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Martin Luther King’s ‘Letter From Birmingham Jail’
I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is…
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p4 Performance Measures
The p4 Performance Measures project has been an intensive year-long process to develop an evaluation tool that will inform the prioritization of investments in real estate development projects located in…
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The Road to Sustainability
A new report commissioned by the nonprofit Sustainable Pittsburgh examines the region’s progress across more than three dozen environmental, economic, social equity, quality of life and performance indicators of sustainability….
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NETL partners with City of Pittsburgh & Regional Stakeholders to help design and implement a 21st century energy infrastructure
Under the memorandum, the Laboratory is helping Pittsburgh with: Creating social responsible networks of distributed energy generation and storage systems to increase resiliency, reduce carbon footprint, and improve efficiency Providing…
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Bus Rapid Transit system between Oakland, Downtown progressing
A consultant working for the agency has narrowed the possible path for the system to two choices, one using Fifth and Forbes avenues and the other through the Uptown neighborhood,…
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County late on permits for major polluters, groups say
Two of the permit renewals have been pending for more than 20 years. Others have been delayed for 19, nine, eight and six years, the petition said. The department also…
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Why we need to start giving a damn about the Ohio River
This week on The Allegheny Front, we kick off a new series exploring how the restoration of the heavily polluted Ohio River could be critical to the region’s future. Read more
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Arcadis ranks Pittsburgh among 15 most-sustainable U.S. cities
Pittsburgh received strong marks in the areas of education, gross domestic product per capita, ease of doing business and providing clean drinking water and good sanitation services. . . To…
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Pennsylvania shows the way toward a clean energy future
After hearing oral arguments last month, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit is now deliberating on a case that could determine the fate of the federal Clean Power Plan (CPP)….
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A story of two girls: Why being black means more scrutiny and punishment in Pittsburgh schools
Why does Kelis Campbell feel pressure to work twice as hard as so many others? She realized it in the seventh grade. Simple reasons: She is black. And she is…
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Unique partnership pairs corporate professionals with area municipalities on sustainability projects
October marks the completion of a successful pilot program to provide corporate pro-bono technical assistance to municipalities on a diverse range of sustainability projects. The program matched corporate volunteer professionals…
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Why does Pittsburgh’s workforce lack diversity?
To diversify the region’s workforce and workplaces, Heuck said the city and county must accomplish three things: provide jobs that people want, have an affordable place for them to live…
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The new crosswalks at 11th and Penn are more than just pretty designs
The crosswalk project began as an effort to narrow and realign traffic lanes on 11th Street in order to slow drivers. Envision Downtown was also “able to include this more visual piece…
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This old mill town turned tragedy into economic opportunity
Millvale’s borough manager, Amy Rockwell, concurs that businesses interested in Millvale are also interested in the sustainable practices preached by the community. “Businesses seem to be focusing on sustainable practices…
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Secretary Foxx Participates in White House Frontiers Conference, Announces Nearly $65 Million in Advanced Technology Transportation Grants
Pittsburgh, PA, will receive nearly $11 million to execute elements of the vision it developed in its Smart City Challenge application, including deployment of smart traffic signal technology – proven…
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Cities turn a new leaf to count the ROI of trees
Pittsburgh takes its regional sustainability issues very seriously, as our column described last year. Sustainable Pittsburgh has been collaborating with a range of regional organizations over the last 18 years…
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Re:NEW Festival wraps up with tons on tap
A citywide celebration of all things creative reuse, sustainability and transformation, the first-of-its-kind Re:NEW Festival is gearing up for its final leg, with tons on tap over the next six…
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International art show features masterpieces from Pittsburgh Public students, teachers
From bottle caps blooming in a garden to men’s dress shirts recycled into messenger bags, the artwork of gifted students from Pittsburgh Public Schools represents the city’s creative talent as…
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Dine Out; Win Prizes! Now thru 10/9
Celebrate Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants during the Re:NEW Festival – now through October 9! Check out international art exhibits, talks, tours, and workshops focused on creative reuse, sustainability, and transformation. While you’re…
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Almost One-Third of Major Sources of Air Pollution in Southwestern PA Do Not Have a Current Operating Permit
And while the stale permits sit, emissions could be increasing. The Environmental Integrity Project, working with GASP, analyzed emissions data for these sources and found that some facilities with expired…
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Business action on the SDGs: Insights from GSK
In this installment, Priya Madina, director of government affairs and global issues at pharmaceutical company GSK, shares how the business is eyeing implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Read more
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The dos and don’ts of CR reporting
The rules and trends in sustainability reporting continue to change rapidly, particularly among Fortune 500 companies. As we approach the beginning of a new reporting cycle, our Corporate Responsibility team…
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Whose country is it, anyway?
Of course, there was a time, as recently as the 1950s, that the United States was for all practical concerns a white man’s country. White women were less powerful, too….
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2017 Rudy Bruner Award Call for Entries
Applications for the 2017 Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence are now being accepted. The Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence (RBA) is a national urban design award that seeks to…
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European Union Ratifies Global Climate Deal
The European Union approved the ratification of the global climate deal, a step that is set to enable the most sweeping accord to combat pollution to come into force less than…
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What are the Secrets to a Long, Healthy Life? From Japan’s Longest-Lived Prefecture, Nagano
Among Japan’s 47 prefectures, Nagano has the longest average life expectancy for both men and women. It leads Japan not only in terms of average life expectancy, but has also…
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Why the SDGs are leading a global transformation
The way I explain them, the SDGs are nothing short of a diplomatic miracle. They have gifted the world with its first truly universal vision of a positive future. The…
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Pennsylvania Supreme Court rightly rules for transparency
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court last week struck down as unconstitutional several provisions in Act 13, the 2012 state law that revamped regulations in the oil and gas sector. Two of…
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New Map Illustrates Clean Energy’s Broad Reach in Pa.
E2’s Pennsylvania Clean Energy Map shows the location of clean energy businesses across the state as well as sites where renewable energy is generated. The purpose of the map is…
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To anyone who rides the bus in Pittsburgh: PA turnpike debt is threatening your commute
The Port Authority of Allegheny County could be in jeopardy of losing more than half of its annual funding in just six years, according to state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale….
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Our Region’s Water
An interview with Jeanne M. VanBriesen, Ph.D., P.E., the Duquesne Light Company Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Center for Water Quality in Urban Environmental…
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The Future of the Headwaters
In a time when water shortage is a growing problem in the United States and across the globe, our region actually has an abundance of water. In fact, water is…
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Smell Pittsburgh App
We all deserve to live in healthy neighborhoods and communities. Pollution in Allegheny County still poses a significant threat, making the air we breathe dirty and people in our communities…
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Can Pennsylvania nonprofits and volunteers with clipboards increase voter turnout in the election?
Harris-Fulton is a volunteer with the Wilkinsburg Family Support Center, one of the nonprofits participating in a Western-Pennsylvania wide effort to get people representing minority populations to register and vote….
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Mayor Releases “Clean and Green” Plan for City
Mayor Peduto has just released the City’s Clean and Green plan! The city-wide, green-first plan not only fixes our region’s combined sewer overflow problem AND addresses our flooding issues, but…
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High court strikes down Pa. law on shale gas
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has decided that Act 13, the state Legislature’s 2012 attempt to accommodate the shale gas industry is an unconstitutional “special law” that benefits specific groups or…
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Pittsburgh-area schools invested big money in crumb rubber fields. But how safe are they for your kids?
The concerns that prompted the federal study arise largely from a list of about 200 young athletes — mostly soccer goalies — who have been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma after…
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Take the “Making Pittsburgh better for all survey” and make your opinion count
Got an opinion about those left behind in the new wave of prosperity in Pittsburgh? The Pittsburgh Foundation wants to hear from you. As part of their 100 Percent Pittsburgh—an…
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Pennsylvania Wastewater Plant Upgraded with GE Tech
Seeking to increase the wastewater treatment capacity at the Brush Creek sewage plant without expanding its footprint, Cranberry Township, Pa., turned to GE’s high-performance LEAPmbr membrane bioreactor technology for an…
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Pittsburgh Still the Whitest but Creeping Toward Diversity
Greater Pittsburgh remains the least racially & ethnically diverse of the benchmark regions, according to annual data recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau. But the region’s portion of whites is declining…
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A Giant Cheeseburger and the Fight Against Blight
There are about 27,000 vacant lots in Pittsburgh. And though vacant lots are often seen as the bane of many communities, this group of artists is trying to reimagine them…
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Pennsylvania extends drilling moratorium in its forests for 5 years
Pennsylvania’s five-year forest management plan nixes new oil and gas leasing and drilling in state forests and parks where the state controls subsurface mineral rights, and for the first time…
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We Have the Technology, Just Do Sustainable Development
That old commercial for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups spoke to the marvel of accidental synergies. “You got your peanut butter on my chocolate!” “You got your chocolate in my peanut…
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Why Pittsburgh should go all-in on equitable development
The development that is rapidly transforming some areas of the city could actually be part of the solution to ensuring everyone benefits from the region’s economic transformation. That’s the premise…
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How do you define the American dream? Ikea wants to know
We are still very small. We have 2.4 percent market share here in U.S. And we are a long way from having…market dominance in the American market. So our mission…
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Gov. Wolf Nominates Patrick McDonnell As DEP Secretary
“In his acting capacity and throughout his career, Patrick has been a dedicated steward of the environment and a leader in advancing Pennsylvania’s energy development in a responsible way,” Gov….
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2015-2016 Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard
Pennsylvania’s four largest citizen-based environmental advocacy groups have released the “2015-2016 Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard,” tracking state lawmakers’ votes on key environment-related bills during the current legislative session. The groups –…
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Earth posts hottest August on record and 16th straight month of unsurpassed heat
Record-breaking heat has never persisted on the planet for so long. Not only did Earth witness its hottest August on record, according to NOAA, but it also extended its streak of record-warm…
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Pittsburgh recognized as Biophilic City
Each Biophilic City is required to choose its aspirations and to monitor its own progress. Biophilic Cities will monitor Pittsburgh’s progress, too, but it is not regulatory. Among Pittsburgh’s commitments…
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Making energy conservation personal
The experiment took place in the fall of 2013, with alternating control and energy-saving weeks. When it was done, Rohan concluded that when everyone was minding their energy use, the…
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Could Shell’s Ethane Cracker Erase Recent Gains in Air Quality?
In fact, with a projected 522 tons of VOC emissions per year, the plant would be the largest source of VOC pollution in western Pennsylvania, according to the most recent data available…