Women's Health and Environment Conference

Wednesday, April 21, the 14 year-old Women's Health and the Environment conference is coming to Pittsburgh for the third time. This free conference was founded by Theresa Heinz. Unfortunately, the conference is full, but you can check out the proceedings online. Let's be honest: that's probably what you'd prefer since you're reading a blog entry about it. Go to their website to register for the video streaming.

From the press release:

Among the distinguished guests joining Mrs. Heinz as speakers are U.S. Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. Panels of nationally renowned scientists, environmentalists and activists also will share their perspectives on the current science linking the environment and human health. Morning speakers will present scientific data to support the ways in which toxins affect health. Afternoon speakers will share solutions that will enlighten attendees about lifestyle choices they can make to create a healthier environment for themselves and their families.

Thanks to Theresa Heinz for putting the spotlight on women's health and the environment.

On Driving, Biking and Riding in Pittsburgh

Last month, Ray LaHood declared an end to favoring motorized transportation. He should have declared an end to favoring self-motorized transportation. As much as I love the health benefits of biking and walking, I will never be able to get rid of my car until we have serious public transportation for short trips. Taking the 28X to the airport allows me to travel to any major city in the world conveniently, cheaply, and safely but I can't say the same about Penn State, Harrisburg, Cleveland or any suburb. We need to see progress on commuter rails to Greensburg and Latrobe. We need to see progress on train rides to Harrisburg and Cleveland. We need to see progress on service between Oakland and Downtown. Instead, we are seeing cuts.

Nationwide, public transportation is facing cut after cut. According to the Post-Gazette, "Systems in New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Jersey, Louisville, Ky., Orange County, Calif., and Fort Worth, Texas, are among those cutting service or proposing to do so."

Closer to home, the recent Federal decision to decline tolling on Interstate 80 is forcing Port Authority of Allegheny County and SEPTA in Philadelphia to ponder yet more service cuts and/or fare increases.

Public transportation fans around the country cheered when the Federal Stimulus bill devoted $8 Billion to high-speed rail projects. This weekend, I drove from Pittsburgh to Albany, New York. I couldn't help but notice the abundance of road construction occurring along that route, but I didn't notice any public transportation project construction. That's because overall, the Department of Transportation received almost $40 Billion, and most of that money is being devoted to highways.

Are we an irreversible car society? I hope not. But we are going to have to keep fighting on all fronts if we want to turn the tide. For now, I'll take hope in news that the megabus has restored service to Pittsburgh and Allegheny County has started talks with Westmoreland County to move forward with a commuter rail from Latrobe through Greensburg to downtown Pittsburgh. They are also considering a line that starts in Arnold and goes through Penn Hills to downtown Pittsburgh. A study determined last year that both lines were feasible.

When I asked my neighbor of 70-something years if he thought the commuter rail would go forward, he said: "Yes. If there's anything I've learned, it's that you can't stop progress." He's optimistic because he's watched the slow but steady progress of Pittsburgh's transition from a steel city to a green city. Personally, I think they should sell it as the "Steelers Training Camp" line. Ultimately, Pittsburgh will fund anything involving the Steelers.

Wanna Free Tree? (Part 2)

Treevitalize and the city of Pittsburgh have plans to plant 20,000 trees by 2012. Yesterday, they gave away 1,000 in less than an hour at the City-County Building downtown. Saturday, they'll be giving away another 1,000. At this rate, they could have 20,000 planted by the end of this year.

To get your tree: Head to Frick Environmental Center in Squirrel Hill on Saturday. Supposedly, they're giving them away from 11AM to 4PM, but if you really want one, show up early.

The Great Allegheny Passage

This weekend I headed down to Ohiopyle State Park to enjoy the great weather. While I was down there, I explored about 10 miles of The Great Allegheny Passage. This 135 mile trail connects Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland. From Cumberland, you can connect to the C&O Canal Towpath and head all the way to Washington, DC. After this weekend's visit, I'm inspired to do the whole thing. I figure if this self-proclaimed wonk can do it, so can I.



Of course, we're still waiting for the trail to be finished. There's a one-mile section in Pittsburgh that is waiting on an agreement with the owners of Sandcastle. I can't wait for the day when I can ride from my house to Washington, DC on a bike. Of course, since negotiations with Sandcastle have been on-going since the 90s, it may be my grandchildren that complete the ride.

April Green Events

There are a bunch of green events coming up this month in Pittsburgh:

"Unblurred" is a monthly art gallery crawl along Penn Avenue through Friendship every first Friday. This month the line between art and green is getting blurred with the "Geek Art/Green Innovators Festival", Pittsburgh's first art and technology festival. The event will also feature family-friendly activities during the day at the Union Project.

Next week, Thursday April 8 and Friday April 9, the University of Pittsburgh is hosting "Blue, Gold, and Green," their second annual green celebration. The event is free and open to the public but online registration is appreciated. Click here for a full schedule of events and to register.

Gypsy Cafe on the South Side is launching their "Geek Salon" Monday April 19 with the topic "Going Green". For a mere $5, you can listen to 3 speakers talk about what gets them excited about going green. The price also includes a Q&A, snacks and soft drinks.

Last but not least, we have the monthly "Green Drinks." This group meets every 3rd Friday at Mitchell's Restaurant downtown. Everyone is invited to this casual get-together of about 100 of your closest green friends. The next event is Friday April 16.

Anything I missed?

A Good Month For Biking

As if the freedom of the open road and saving money on a gym membership weren't enough reasons to hop on a bike this Spring, we have 3 new reasons in Pittsburgh:

1) Bike Parking.

In a 9-0 vote, council approved a measure that the planning commission approved last September. It would require developers to provide one bicycle parking space for every new project that is between 6,001 and 20,000 square feet and another space for every additional 10,000 square feet.

2) Google Bike Directions. Ever wondered the best way to get from Shadyside to Oakland on a bike? Now Google does the math for you, taking into account bike lanes, trails, and even hills.

3) Ray LaHood. The US Secretary of Transportation (and former Republican member of the House of Representatives) announced the following at the National Bike Summit:

"Today, I want to announce a sea change. People across America who value bicycling should have a voice when it comes to transportation planning. This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized."

What's next? Pressure on Sand Castle to relinquish the last mile of the Great Allegheny Passage? Significant Federal funding for bike trails and lanes?

CSAs and Our Contest Winner!

Random.org tells me that a random number between 1 and 15 is 7.

The lucky winner is SandyU. SandyU, please contact me, and I'll hook you up with your $50 gift card from Sonoma Grille and Seviche as promised last week!

SandyU commented that she uses Kretschmann Farms for her local food source via their CSA program. I participated in their CSA two summers ago and loved all the vegetables, so this is a great opportunity to highlight Kretschmann and CSAs in general. Unfortunately, my schedule and location make it easier for me to go to the Farmer's Markets than participate in a CSA but if you have a convenient drop-off location and a consistent schedule, I can't recommend them enough. CSAs encourage you to change up your recipes and cook more food on the fly. Plus, you end up trying vegetables that you'd be less likely to pick up normally. I learned that I love fennel because its pungent anise flavor mellows when it cooks. You'll also eat a ton more salads and make lots of friends when you give away any extra vegetables you can't eat. Their season begins the first week of June.

Friends also rave about Penn's Corner Farm Alliance for their variety of produce, cheeses, and other local products and their flexible plans. If you're desperate for fresh veggies, their "cabin fever" plan starts up next month April 13. They also have a "harvest" share that starts in June, and the full-season share which runs from April to November.

City of Pittsburgh Farmer's Markets should begin in May. With convenient locations throughout the city (and prices cheaper than most grocery stores), you have no excuse to not eat fresh local vegetables this summer.

New Ways to Get Outdoors in Pittsburgh

Dust off those New Year's Resolutions. Pittsburgh is getting outside this Spring and Summer and coming soon there will be even more opportunities to do so. Frick Park and Schenley Park are the classic great outdoor city amenities of Pittsburgh. However, lately, they've had to make some room for the newcomers.

6 Up-and-Coming Outdoor Activities

1. Grandview Park - Last year, this under-utilized park celebrated its 100th anniversary. The Mount Washington Community Development Corp. is in the process of mapping its trails and future plans for the park.
2. Three Rivers - Point State Park has been under-going a renovation plan, and it's starting to look gorgeous. You can bring your own kayak and float along the rivers (or rent one from Venture Outdoors).
3. Grandview Staircase - The developer of a hotel on Mt Washington is planning a grand staircase which parallels the incline. I can just imagine Rocky Balboa training on that staircase.
4. South Side Park - This is a 65-acre park in the heart of the South Side Slopes which is largely ignored by everyone. The South Side Slopes Organization is trying to remedy that by focusing their efforts this year on cleaning up and publicizing this park. You can help by heading to the March 27 Reclaim and Revitalize the park event.
5. Urban Hiking - Once again Venture Outdoors is the go-to group for urban hiking in the city of Pittsburgh with their activities for folks of all ages from cookie hikes to soup hikes. Another, more informal, option is Urban Hike, a group of Pittsburghers who get together on a monthly basis during the warm-weather months to explore a new neighborhood of the city.
6. Biking - Bikes have been around seemingly forever, but it's only recently that bike lanes and bike parking have started popping up all around the city. Thanks to groups like bike-pgh, biking in the city is safer and easier than ever.
   

The resounding theme throughout this list is community involvement and initiative. Without a strong community group (run by local residents like you and me), most of these options wouldn't exist or would be continuing their slow decline. It's up to us to make Pittsburgh what we want it to be, and I'm pretty pleased with all these new initiatives. Keep up the good work.

Small Green Business Tuesday: Contest Edition

Last week, when I was contacted about doing a contest for the two local restaurants, Sonoma Grille and Seviche, I scoffed. What could these downtown restaurants have to do with a "green" blog? Then I looked at their menus and talked to their chefs.

Seviche

When I asked about local foods, Mark, the chef at Seviche, pulled out his iPhone and brought up the extensive order form for Penn's Corner Farm Alliance. Though he complained that in order to get their great selection, you need to order early in the week. His backup choice is Green Grocer. He says that whenever he can he uses local foods in the restaurant. (As a side note, Mark told me a little known fact, most mushrooms in the United States are actually grown in Pennsylvania. So anyone who eats mushrooms is basically eating locally. Did you know that Penn State has a mushroom research program?) But back to the food, clearly a fish and mojito restaurant like Seviche can't survive only buying local meats and vegetables. However, if you order their salmon, you can rest assured that it is farmed sustainably. I can't assuage your doubts about the limes in the mojitos though. Even if you don't win the gift certificate, I recommend stopping by Seviche in downtown Pittsburgh for happy hour to try their drinks and tapas at a great price.

Sonoma Grille

Drew, the chef at Sonoma Grille, has a passion for local meats. In addition to using sustainably farmed salmon, he has also incorporated local beef and lamb on the menu. When he brought my partner and me a burger, he asked us to savor it. "Can't you just taste the grass? Cows are intended to eat grass." He's especially proud of his kitchen-made corned beef and swears by the grass-fed beef from Ron Gargasz. Drew says that when the restaurant changes their menu every season, he attempts to introduce another local item, but he has to do it slowly in order to insure that they stay in business. Green meats are not cheap. Randy, the wine guy who talks to everybody to insure they're having a good time, told us that 1/4 of their wine list is organic or sustainable and they even have a vegan wine offering. He gave us a few samples of these "green" wines. In particular, I recommend the Parducci "Sustainable Red" as a reasonable, tasty, feel-green wine on their menu. This Pittsburgh restaurant also has a great happy hour and one of the best wine selections in the area.

The Contest

Now, I'm pleased to announce the first ever "Green is Good" online contest. Leave a comment on this blog entry with your favorite local food (or place to eat it). Next Tuesday March 16, I'll use a random number generator to pick the winner of a $50 gift card good for each restaurant. May the luck of the Irish be with you!

*Disclaimer* I received a free, delicious tasting at these restaurants as part of this contest. I get free food. You get free food. We all win.

Wanna Free Tree?

If this warmer weather is making you think of spring planting, check out the South Side Pittsburgh Tree Project. After the devastation that February's snow storms wrecked on our Pittsburgh tree stock, I hope to see many new plantings this spring.

If you're really into trees, you should also check out Pittsburgh's tree tender program. This is a class through the Pittsburgh Friends of the Urban Forest where you learn more about the importance of trees and how to care for them.

Some Tree Benefits

• Cleaner Air - Trees "breathe" in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen making our air better.
• Storm Water Run-Off - Trees absorb water making it less likely for that water to combine with sewage and flow into our rivers.
• Natural Air Conditioning - Shade from trees is natural air conditioning.
• Beauty - Isn't it just nice to look at trees?

Small Green Business Tuesday: Beer Edition

Not only are restaurants (like Mitchell's) jumping on the green bandwagon, so are breweries.

3 Great Local Green Breweries

1. East End Brewing Company
This local brewing company believes in sustainable practices in every area of their business. They only sell beer by the re-usable keg or growler, and their re-use plans extend to their pre-used brewery equipment and building materials and actual building which was formerly a warehouse. They give their spent grain as feed to a local farm and recycle pretty much everything else. Most importantly, they're made right here in Pittsburgh.



2. Appalachian Brewing Company
This Pennsylvania Brewery based in Harrisburg recently became Pennsylvania's first certified organic brewery. Currently, they only have one organic brew - the Trail Blaze Organic Brown. Its Harrisburg brewpub/brewery is located in a great historic building. Additionally, they're proud to report that they recycle 24 tons per year.



3. Great Lakes Brewing Company
This brewery is based out of Cleveland, Ohio. If you're in the neighborhood, stop by to visit their brewpub and take a tour of their green building. In the winter, they have a warehouse-sized refrigerator naturally cooled and taking advantage of Cleveland's less-than-tropical climate. Additionally, they have oodles of natural light in their remodeled building minimizing their electricity usage. According to their website, they've found some incredibly varied uses of their waste products from bread in their restaurant to growing mushrooms to vermicomposting.

Next time you're at the bar (or beer distributor), keep your eye out for Appalachian Brewing Company, East End Brewery, and Great Lakes Brewing. And make sure you don't drive after drinking - it's bad for the environment and your health.

U.S. Senate may scrap Cap and Trade in exchange for Cap and Dividend

I may have spoke too soon the other day. It seems that a few Republicans in the Senate are not only on board with Cap and Trade but could be willing to support a Cap and Dividend model as the centerpiece of the climate change legislation that the House of Representatives passed last year. I've been a fan of Cap and Dividend since I read about the concept in a few publications and blogs.

The key difference between Cap and Dividend and Cap and Trade is that the revenues that are raised through the auctioning of permits, which would allow businesses to emit a certain level of greenhouse gases, would be paid out in the form of dividends to American citizens, whereas in a Cap and Trade system the revenues go to the Federal Government, where they are supposed to be used to fund renewable energy projects. The problem, as we have seen with many of these types of government programs, is that legislators seems to always find away to use the money for something other than its intended purpose (in Allegheny County you have Dan Onorato trying to use tax revenues intended for public transit or air quality improvements to build roads).

When it comes to Cap and Trade or Carbon Taxes, many Americans have a legitimate concern (and for once, Republicans have a valid argument against Democratic legislation) that utilities would pass on any increased costs in the form of a new tax or fee on their utility bills. The utilities are almost guaranteed to pass these costs on to us, which is why a Cap and Dividend is the way to go. The dividends that are paid out to citizens would in essence offset any taxes or rate hikes on our utility bills. A bonus of the Cap and Dividend is that it acts as an incentive to consumers to reduce their electricity consumption, since a lower utility bill would mean they would have more of the dividend to keep for themselves.

This past December Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Susan Collins (R-ME) unveiled the CLEAR (Carbon Limits and Energy for America’s Renewal) Act. Which, at only 39 pages, is much simpler and clear cut than the Waxman-Markley climate bill that was passed last summer.

CLEAR is a “100-75-25-0” policy:

• 100% of the permits to bring fossil carbon into the U.S. economy will be auctioned from day one – there are no permit giveaways.
• 75% of the auction revenue is returned directly to the public as equal per person dividends.
• 25% of the auction revenue is devoted to investments in energy efficiency, clean energy, adaptation to climate change, and assistance for sectors hurt by the transition from the fossil-fueled economy.
• Zero offsets are allowed: polluters cannot avoid curbing use of fossil fuels by paying someone else to ostensibly clean up after them.

What's not to like about that?

For more on the CLEAR act, check out Senator Cantwell's website.

For more on Cap and Dividend read Scientific American's Cap and Dividend, not Trade: Making Polluters Pay

Home Sweet Green Innovators

I'm happy to report that Pittsburgh Green Innovators has officially found a home in the Hill District.

"The campus center for the Green Innovations Center will be located in the former Connelly Trade School, in the city's Hill District, where a sales agreement has been finalized. It will house educational programs, serve as a public meeting place and accommodate long- and short-term residential uses."

This exciting program received a $250,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Gaming Economic Development and Tourism Fund for design and construction of the center. They received an additional $100,000 for educational and operational services.

Other local green recipients of this fund?

"$210,000 to the Steel City Rowing Club in Verona to construct an energy-efficient boathouse at 100 Arch St., using geothermal heating and cooling, on-site stormwater management and retention ponds, and many other green building components."

Is the UPMC Line Coming?

County Chief Executive Dan Onorato (running for Governor of Pennsylvania) has put out a request for submissions to create a private-public partnership Oakland to Downtown public transit option and Oakland Circulator. Obviously, it's an election year. After all, it's been 4 years since Onorato created the panel that eventually became the county Transportation Action Partnership. But who am I to look a gift horse in the mouth. From the official website, the panel hasn't decided on the final transportation mode. It could be people movers, light rail, or bus rapid transit. On registering and logging into the site, you receive access to more official study documents than you can shake a stick at. There will be a "web based information conference" on March 1. We'll see if it's just bloggers and journalists that are listening.

I'm sure it's just a bureaucratic coincidence that the Final Report of the Transportation Action Partnership was produced in July of 2009, but the official request for private partners was not released until this week - 8 months later and in the heart of election season. But seriously, I'll be a turncoat and vote for Dan Onorato for governor if by the election, a plan is decided upon, money is in place, and a schedule is produced to have a real transportation system in place between Oakland and Downtown with a ground-breaking in 2011.

In Cleveland, the University Hospital is a proud partner of the bus rapid transit system, the hospital bought the naming rights to the bus system and called it the "HealthLine". This system has been very popular recording a 47% increase in ridership over their previous incarnation. Imagine the decrease in traffic and parking woes if 47% more people took public transit to Oakland. What better way for UPMC to truly show their commitment to this region than to put some major moolah into connecting the iconic Steel Tower UPMC building to their multitude of hospitals in Oakland. When will we see the UPMC Line?

Green Is Good Money for Mitchell's

The long-term (and short-term) benefits of being green are being felt throughout the region in the most surprising of places. Jim Mitchell of Mitchell's Restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh caught wind of the green movement when he realized he was giving away his restaurant's used fryer oil for free. Mitchell's Restaurant has been in business for over 100 years. They offer a classic menu with highlights of burgers, meatloaf and beer. Jim Mitchell, himself, will tell you that the only green he cares about is money. So why is this restaurant going green, environmentally? Because Jim realized it would save him money.

The restaurant spends $60,000 per year on electricity and gas, and because of the recent economic downswing Jim was considering laying off some long-standing employees. Last week, he received a free energy audit. He's already changed his light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs and has exterior LED lights to illuminate his downtown corner. Through contacts in the mayor's office and the county, he's lining up for grants and loans. He's waiting on a proposal from a local company to convert his fryer grease into electricity. To be honest, when I met at Green Drinks last Friday, he was as excited about greening up his restaurant as a kid in a candy store.

If a bar/restaurant that's been open in the same family for over 100 years can change its ways to be green while saving money, why can't every business in the city?

If you know of any other success stories in the Pittsburgh region, let me know. I'd love to chronicle them here and put a spotlight on Pittsburgh's innovative small businesses.

Lastly, if you want to encourage our small businesses to continue on a green path, the best way is to put your money where your mouth is. Stop by Mitchell's for happy hour, a post-Penguins game drink, or for a comfort food lunch downtown.

Green Drinks Pittsburgh

Interested in green issues in Pittsburgh? Tonight at Mitchell's in downtown Pittsburgh (and every third Friday night), Green Drinks Pittsburgh gets together to chat green. This weeks chatting will revolve around "Turning waste plastic into an alternative clean energy source" hosted by Gerald Driggs.

Check out the website for more information. Maybe I'll see you there?

It's Always Sunny in Pittsburgh

If Mayor Luke Ravenstahl's administration has its way, next year when you are shopping at the Waterfront, you might do a double-take. If you look across the river towards Glen Hazel, you will see a field of solar panels. The administration is proposing a site ravaged by coal mining becomes a solar panel farm - the ultimate in reuse. The Glen Hazel location was picked because it's on a south-facing, city-owned property that can't be redeveloped as feasible residential or commercial office space because of coal mines beneath the surface.

Germany, one of the international leaders of solar energy use (and a country no more sunny than Pittsburgh), generates 1% of its power from solar panels thanks to some hefty tax breaks. Market analysts expect that Germany will be generating 25% of its power from solar energy by 2050. Solar energy is also taking off nationally in the USA from Southern California all the way up to Oregon.

In other news, I learned about a new Pittsburgh neighborhood today. Did you know Glen Hazel was one of the city of Pittsburgh's 90 neighborhoods?

Midwest Pittsburgh

The tentative results of the destination of $8 Billion for high-speed rail are in. To give you some background on the state of high-speed rail in the USA, check out this Wired article with lots of pictures (courtesy of Pazzler.)

The results?

• Florida and California are the big winners - as marked by Obama giving the official announcement in Tampa later today.
• Maglev is dead.
• Philadelphia to Harrisburg will get about $26 Million with Harrisburg to Pittsburgh getting another $750,000 for research studies.
• Ohio is getting $400 Million to link Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and Dayton.

Pittsburgh, it's time to embrace our midwest location. Governor Rendell (and his succeeding governor) are not going to suddenly realize that Pittsburgh is a gem hidden in the rough. We are only 2 1/2 hours from Cleveland. Let's jump on the Ohio bandwagon and ultimately connect ourselves to Chicago in less time than it takes to get to Philadelphia. Now is the time for leadership and inter-state cooperation. In the next round of rail funding, there needs to be a request for improved Pittsburgh to Cleveland rail. Otherwise, we will be left in the dust.

Supreme Court Ruling is a Huge Blow to Climate Change Legislation

Big business just got a huge shot in the arm yesterday thanks to a Supreme Court of the United States ruling that removes restrictions for federal campaign financing by corporations, unions, and other special interest groups (See "A Shocking Win for the Fat Cats"). The argument made by the majority boils down to the need to give corporations the same freedom of speech that you and I have under the Constitution of the United States. I blogged over at Thoughts on Government about how wrong this reasoning is, but here at Green is Good I wanted to touch upon how corporations can now directly spend their money to work to defeat any legislation that threatens their bottom line.

Health care firms were already spending an average of $1.4 million a day, yes, a single day, to defeat health care legislation. Now that the SCOTUS has made a ruling that will remove the restrictions that force corporations to use PACs for federal campaign contributions, one could argue that any legislator who supports a bill that hurts corporate profits will now be under fire from those same corporations and industry groups. Besides health care, the climate change legislation comes to mind as the most critical legislation that is now under threat of being derailed thanks to this ruling. The utility industry groups have already been sending out letters to their customers, telling them that climate change legislation would lead to higher rates or a tax on the utility customer. The SCOTUS ruling will open up a floodgate of more mailings, more commercials, and much more money being spent to defeat any legislators who support cap and trade or cap and dividend legislation.

This ruling will make it more likely that any Democratic Senator or Congressman in a red state or district will think twice about supporting a bill that puts them squarely in the bulls eye of corporate America. Our legislators, those who do not have a spine anyways, will not vote for something that is unpopular, even though it is, in their mind and heart, the right thing to do. My friends, we are becoming a plutocracy - a nation where our laws and policies are no longer written for your average citizen, but for the citizen (think T Boone, Bloomberg, Soros, etc) and the corporations that have the deep pockets to buy any politician who supports their agenda. If you haven't already, please watch the great documentary The Corporation for more on how treating corporations as if they were citizens poses a serious threat to our democratic republic.

Happy New Green Year Pittsburgh

Is this the year Pittsburgh makes it onto a top green cities list or gains us a major bike-friendly nod? We're getting off to an auspicious start.

First, a landmark study commissioned by the city was released this week which affirmed that LED street lights are the most efficient, green and money-saving option. The results of this study should kick the Pittsburgh streetlight conversion process into high gear.

Second, Pittsburgh unveiled new secure and bright green bike parking. For a mere $100 per year, you can have a reserved biking space downtown. With the impending lease of Pittsburgh Parking Authority parking garages (and resulting car parking price increases), I expect these will only get more valuable.

Third, even Newsweek is getting in on the Sandcastle-bashing, with an article on how the international amusement park company is holding up the last one mile of the Great Allegheny Passage. Maybe this is the year the trail is finally completed?