TOP NEWS AND OTHER GREEN EVENTS

Blooming May Programs
April showers ensure GBA members discounted fees to blooming May programs! Upcoming events offer attendees the opportunity to increase their understanding of stormwater management, participate in an informative brown bag lunch, or enjoy a stimulating tour at day's end. Also, a special “members only” event is being planned for late summer. If you join GBA today, you can still benefit from an abundance of 2007 offerings designed to increase your personal and professional development, as well as strengthen your awareness of how “green” principles impact you and the surrounding built environment. Visit www.gbapgh.org/membership.asp today.
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Giant Eagle Store Uses 20 Percent Less Energy than Traditional Supermarket
It isn't just the produce that's green in Giant Eagle’s remodeled Shadyside neighborhood store. The whole building is now certified “green” for its energy efficiency, high air quality, water conservation, and even the cities largest living greenroof. The 67,000-square-foot store earned a LEED Silver Certified Commercial Interior designation, indicating it met a broad array of environmental performance benchmarks.
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May 18 - 7th Annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Smart Growth Conference - "Focusing Growth for Regional Prosperity"
This year's event, as in past Smart Growth conferences, will serve as a public comment session to assist the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's process of updating the region's Long-Range Transportation and Development Plan (Project Region).

Attendees will also hear progress reports and provide input to the on-going work of the three Smart Growth Community Committees that were created in response to regional priorities voted upon at last year's conference:
- Leveling the Field for Redevelopment  
- Promoting Regionalism  
- Funding Public Transportation  
More information.
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Library to be Eco-Friendly, "a Beacon" to Community
The Carnegie Library's Hill District branch at Centre Avenue and Kirkpatrick Street incorporates a design that harkens back to the storefront buildings once so prevalent in the Hill. This one, however, will be built according to standards for green building certification. Features will include enough natural daylighting to make electric lights unnecessary on most days and a floor-up ventilation system.
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URA Fosters Green Development in City
Seeking to build on Pittsburgh's reputation as a leader in green building practices, the city's Urban Redevelopment Authority intends to offer incentives, including discounted interest rates on some of its more popular loan programs and other financial assistance, to developers who earn a LEED rating from the U.S. Green Building Council.
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EPA, State, Environmental Groups Promote "Green Infrastructure" Solutions
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen Johnson celebrated Earth Day by signing a statement of intent at the LEED-certified David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh with four other environmental organizations promoting the use of "green infrastructure" techniques such as rain-catching roofs and gardens to lessen sewer overflows and storm runoff.

The statement formalizes a collaborative effort among EPA, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, the Association of States and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Low Impact Development Center to assist local, city and state governments in implementing and evaluating innovative and effective green infrastructure approaches.
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Green School Students Attain Higher Performance Levels
According to a recent American Federation of Teachers report, many schools are overcrowded and in a state of disrepair, often with inadequate HVAC systems, poor acoustics, and even substandard plumbing. Additionally, ever-diminishing budgets and increasing student populations compound these issues.
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Report: Buildings Can Play Key Role in Fighting Climate Change
Significant gains can be made in efforts to combat global warming by reducing energy use and improving energy efficiency in buildings. The right mix of government regulation, energy-saving technologies and behavioral change can substantially reduce carbon dioxide emissions from buildings, which account for 30%-40% of global energy use, says a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Sustainable Building and Construction Initiative (SBCI).
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UPCOMING GBA EVENTS