Eastern Corps 2009 Sites Green Cities | Green Cities |
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Green Cities Corps
Program Summary:
- Assists cities in the creation and implementation of climate action plans - Members are placed with key sectors working to implement climate action plan recommendations
Goals:
- Place trained and experienced college graduates with local agencies looking to mitigate climate change - Develop and/or implement policies and actions that address sustainability - Provide meaningful opportunities to its corps members while expanding the capacity of the partnering agencies.
Background - The Pittsburgh Climate Initiative:
"The fact that the PCI enjoys broad support, from all levels of government and from a wide variety of institutions and individuals, is proof that reducing greenhouse gasses and their impact on climate change is worthy of our City's support." - Mayor Luke Ravenstahl
The Pittsburgh Climate Initiative (PCI) is a collaborative effort designed to lead Pittsburgh's residents, businesses, government, and institutions of higher learning in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
PCI organizational partners include:
- Green Building Alliance - PCI Management and Higher Education - City of Pittsburgh and ICLEI - Municipal - PennFuture - Community - Sustainable Pittsburgh - Business - Pennsylvania Environmental Council - Translation to County level
In an effort to prevent irreparable consequences from climate change, the City of Pittsburgh has established a goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2023.
To achieve this goal, the Green Government Task Force solicited recommendations and compiled an action plan. In August 2008, Pittsburgh City Council unanimously adopted the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan as a guiding document.
The Initiative is financially supported through generous funding from the Roy A. Hunt Foundation, the Heinz Endowments and the Surdna Foundation.
Members of the Green Cities Corps are placed with PCI's organizational partners as well as other organizations helping to achieve Pittsburgh's greenhouse reduction goals.
Bruce supports Allegheny County's Green Action Team and Sustainability Coordinator by developing community-based sustainability programs. He is researching green infrastructure opportunities and helping to coordinate a unified effort among all County Departments. Bruce is also helping Allegheny County conduct a greenhouse gas inventory, assessing the County's overall baseline emissions.
At CCI, Ty is learning to install their new solar panel array and is giving educational programs for local schools students on energy conservation and green building design. At GTECH (Growth Through Energy and Community Health), Ty is researching and developing a strategy for the reclamation of vacant "brown" lots, urban agriculture initiatives, and youth and community outreach. In addition, Ty is working on a GTECH/CCI collaborative to create a workforce pipeline of green jobs in the home weatherization and retrofitting markets.
At the GBA, Miriam facilitates meetings of the Higher Education Climate Consortium (HECC) and acts as a resource for the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, helping to explain the Plan to the general public and other organizations. Her primary focus is conducting a 5-year benchmark emissions inventory of Pittsburgh that quantifies the City’s progress toward its emissions reduction goal. Recently, Miriam has updated and rewritten the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative’s website to reflect committee development in 2009 (www.pittsburghclimate.org). March through May, she has been building a survey tool to conduct a community-up emissions evaluation that will compliment the top-down traditional inventory. The survey is launching in the PCI committees in June, and Miriam will begin collecting top-down data simultaneously.
Erin has a dual placement with both the municipal and community sectors. With the City government, she is working to develop a green guide resource for City employees and is increasing resource conservation in City offices. She is also working with the Senior and Recreation Centers to green structures and educate constituents. With ELDI, she is managing funding for street tree maintenance, plantings, and trash cans to improve the East Liberty Elm Street District. She is also collaborating with neighboring community groups and the local government to coordinate regional improvements.
Jessica works with PennFuture to help implement the community recommendations outlined in the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan. Through the PCI's community actions campaign, called the Black and Gold City Goes Green, she is raising awareness of global warming among the citizens of Pittsburgh and is trying to convert this awareness into measurable community action. Jessica is also working with the SCA to research how the Green Cities Corps model can be implemented in other cities throughout the U.S.
Oliver is conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory of Allegheny County's municipal operations in collaboration with Allegheny County and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. He will then use the inventory to help craft a climate action plan for the county. Oliver will also work with PEC to formulate policy recommendations that will help 17 communities along the Allegheny River to improve their riverfront access and water quality.
Working with Steel City Soils, Tom is helping to retool food nutrient cycling in Pittsburgh to increase community self-reliance and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. As coordinator of a project called the Pittsburgh Garden Experiment, Tom facilitates member-supported classes on how to grow food in the City of Pittsburgh. Tom is excited to help start-up member-owner farms and a compost collection service during Steel City Soil's fierst season of operation.
Members are placed in organizations throughout the City of Pittsburgh.
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Conservation Consultants, Inc. & GTECH - Tynan Edwards:
Green Building Alliance - Miriam Parson:
The City of Pittsburgh & East Liberty Development, Inc. - Erin Stacy:
Sustainable Pittsburgh - Jillian Ryan:
PennFuture - Jessica Schrum:
Pennsylvania Environmental Council - Oliver Gibbon:
Steel City Soils - Tom Anderson-Monterosso: