Controversy over Koch Foundation Funded Center at U Pitt
Koch Foundation gift sparks heated Faculty Assembly meeting. By SUSAN JONES, University Tiimes, Dec. 5, 2019. “The questions and concerns surrounding a $4.2 million gift from the Koch Foundation to start a new center at Pitt’s Graduate School of Public and International Affairs haven’t gone away since the University officially approved the funding in October. (More...)
A natural gas blowout in Ohio released more methane than many countries do in an entire year
By Drew Kann and Steve Almasy, CNN. December 18, 2019. In February 2018, a blowout at a natural gas well in rural Ohio forced nearby residents to evacuate, but the incident received little national attention at the time. A new analysis of satellite data shows that the leak was far more significant than previously (More...)
Bill Peduto says no additional petrochemical plants should come to Western Pa.
By Ryan Deto, Pittsburgh City Paper, Oct. 30, 2019. Today at the Climate Action Summit, Mayor Bill Peduto announced his opposition to any additional petrochemical cracker plants that have been rumored for the Western Pennsylvania region. … Today, the summit at the David Lawrence convention center in Downtown marks the first time Peduto has publicly (More...)
Pennsylvania’s Gas Politics Churn as Trump Embraces Industry
By The Associated Press, Oct. 23, 2019, New York Times. PITTSBURGH — President Donald Trump promoted his support for the natural gas industry Wednesday, making clear on his second visit to Pennsylvania in the past three months that he sees his pro-industry policies as a boost to his chances of winning the battleground state in (More...)
W.Va. energy company plans to develop solar field in Greene
Rick Shrum Observer-Reporter, Oct 22, 2019. One of the largest solar facilities in the Appalachian Basin, and perhaps the largest in Western Pennsylvania, is planned for Greene County. Greene Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said Monday morning that Longview Power LLC, based in Maidsville, W.Va., is in the developmental phase of constructing a 70-megawatt utility grade solar (More...)
Governor Wolf Takes Executive Action to Combat Climate Change, Carbon Emissions
Gov. Wolf Press Release, Oct. 3, 2019. Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today took executive action instructing the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), a market-based collaboration among nine Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change while generating economic growth. (More...)
State Impact PA Ups Its Climate Crisis Focus
September 16, 2019. Scott Blanchard, State Impact PA. Pennsylvania has a key role in talk of a carbon-neutral economy. We’ll take a closer look at the stakes. We know that most people come to StateImpact Pennsylvania’s website through a link to a specific story. But today, if you go to our homepage, you’ll see (More...)
CMU Provost Announces New Sustainability Initiative
September 9, 2019. James H. Garrett, Jr., Provost, Carnegie Mellon University. “Dear Members of the Carnegie Mellon Community, I am pleased to announce the creation of a new campus-wide Sustainability Initiative. This initiative will be organized around objectives that strengthen our university’s commitment to sustainability; elevate Carnegie Mellon’s engagement with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development (More...)
Pittsburgh mayor introduces energy efficiency legislation
Katie Pyzyk , SmartCities Dive, Sept. 4, 2019. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto introduced legislation to the city council yesterday that would require government buildings to be net-zero energy efficient, meaning they produce as much energy as they consume. The proposed ordinance would cover all new buildings or those undergoing renovation. So far there is not a (More...)
Next Steps on University of Pittsburgh Divestment Effort
Patrick Gallagher, Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, released a letter in September 2019 outlining the next steps he is asking the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor and Chief Financial Officer to pursue. This is a follow-up to the report from the Socially Responsible Investment Committee that Gallagher formed in response to student (More...)