Friday, April 19, 2013

Black and Yellow: The New Green





In today’s day and age it’s important to go “green” and live somewhere that is clean and eco-friendly.  Now, we admit that Pittsburgh is not the first place to come to mind when one think clean and eco-friendly, but then maybe it should be. Once you free your mind of any preconceived notions of Pittsburgh’s long-gone industrious past, it’s clear that Pittsburgh has made some serious strides in going green for a sustainable future - more than your average city, too.

Pittsburgh is a city for cyclist. Part of what keeps Pittsburgh air cleaner than other cities is its bike friendly attitude. In 2010 Pittsburgh was awarded bronze-level recognition for its “bike friendly” status by the League of American Bicyclists, and rightfully so. It was around this same time that Pittsburgh had completed its mission to lay grounds for over 13 miles of painted bike lanes and shared lane markings!

Pittsburgh has green buildings. In fact, in 1993 the city of Pittsburgh formed the Green Building Alliance, which was the first U.S. Green Building Council affiliate in the U.S. And where has it led us? Well, besides for already being an innovator in LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) with the world’s first LEED convention center (David L. Lawrence Convention Center) and the world’s first LEED dormitory (Stever House at Carnegie Mellon University), in 2012 PNC started it’s plans for building the world’s greenest skyscraper right here in downtown Pittsburgh!

Finally, in 2008 Pittsburgh’s Mayor Ravenstahl hired Pittsburgh’s first ever Sustainability Coordinator and created the Office of Sustainability and Energy Efficiency in effort to provide guidance to all Pittsburghers on how to go green. Since then the office has led campaigns in reducing City-owned building energy use, utilizing solar energy and involving Pittsburghers in recycling programs, tree planting initiatives and other green activities!

So, let go of the preconceived notions of the industrial city Pittsburgh once was, and open your mind to the sustainable city Pittsburgh now is. Pittsburgh is going green and we want you to be a part of it! To find out more about how you can help click here: http://bit.ly/ZhydYX

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