Happenings in Pittsburgh!! (Carnegie, Duquesne, Denver: housing, rent, travel)

[jinxd_13]

Originally Posted by boylocke

It was indeed. You are lucky you will see the trees turn!! This warn weather seems to be delaying the process.

I hope it doesn't delay it too long. We are trying to come down for the pic nic

[guylocke]

This is quite interesting!! I love it!!

GM Promotes E85 Ethanol Infrastructure in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH – If the 10,305 owners of General Motors E85 ethanol-capable vehicles in the Pittsburgh area refueled solely with E85 ethanol fuel, they could save an estimated 6.2 million gallons of gasoline every year. Millions of additional gallons of gas could be saved if all owners of flex-fuel vehicles regularly used mostly renewable E85.

Ethanol can be made from domestic resources that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the nation’s dependence on imported petroleum. Educating consumers about the use of E85 as an alternative to gasoline is the goal of GM’s E85 Fall Kick Off of the Fuel for Thought Tour.

Pittsburgh is the first of six stops on the national tour that runs through mid-November.

As part of the tour, Carnegie Mellon University, a leading ethanol researcher, will host a biofuels forum on Tuesday, Oct. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Porter Hall. Representatives from Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities, Sheetz Inc., the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and GM will discuss the manufacture, availability and benefits of ethanol, and dispel myths about E85.

On Oct. 10 at the Sheetz station at 3954 William Penn Ave. in Monroeville, GM and Sheetz will sell E85 ethanol for 85 cents per gallon from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. E85 ethanol regularly sells for about $2.40. In Pittsburgh, the average cost of a gallon of midgrade gasoline was $2.88 as of Oct. 2.

There are seven E85 ethanol fuel pumps within 100 miles of Pittsburgh. According to the National Ethanol Vehicle Coalition, there are more than 1,200 ethanol fueling stations in the U.S.

Pennsylvania Gov. Edward Rendell is a strong biofuels supporter as exemplified by his strategy requiring that all diesel or gasoline sold in the state have a percentage of ethanol or biodiesel by 2017 and that the state be in a position to produce 1 billion gallons of alternative fuels in the same time frame.

[guylocke]

Is Pittsburgh the green-city of the future? I don't know, but we are certainly pioneering the way!

Pop City - Thinking green: local companies win awards, Hillman fundraiser captures the hue

For Pittsburgh-based global relocation company AIReS, it was a matter of tremendous paper waste.

“One employee started with a box by her desk and would haul it out herself,” explains Laura May Carmack, AIReS quality assurance manager. “She couldn’t stand to watch the waste. It started at a grass roots level.” In time, AIReS expanded the effort to stem the waste world-wide both here and to its partners beyond.

As a result, AIReS was selected the winner of this year’s PAIMA Ecology Award, the Pan American International Mover’s Association award that honors the company that shows remarkable and innovative resourcefulness that values the environment.

By moving almost all global communications to an electronic, or “soft,” system, and recycling cartons and packing materials, AIReS has reduced its paper waste by 10 percent, a big deal in an industry that is known for its waste production. In addition, trucking agents are given incentives to drive during off peak hours. “We pick employees and partners that can be green with us,” Carmack says.

AIReS is just one of several local companies thinking green. Last month Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens won a 2007 Green Power: Turn It On! Award from Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future in recognition of its wind powered, LEED-certified Welcome Center.

Even the Hillman Cancer Center is joining in with a green gala, "Destination Hope...A Future Without Cancer" on Oct. 4th featuring an organic menu and recycled products at Atlantic Aviation’s new hangar in Moon Township. The event will include 800 of Pittsburgh's most famous and influential and Broadway performers. It is expected to raise $6 million for cancer research.

[guylocke]

Good news for you park lovers!!

Pop City - Allegheny County unveils vision for regional parks, commits $1M to effort

Allegheny County has launched a major initiative that will boost the redevelopment of its nine regional parks, which span 12,000 acres.

Designed to expand regional recreational opportunities, the County Parks Action Plan includes the creation of the Allegheny County Parks Foundation, which will raise private funds for nine parks and a proposed riverfront greenway. The County has directed $1 million from its capital budget to start the foundation, and has committed to matching future funds. Public-private partnerships will be established to help operate the parks’ major amenities and attractions.

Last summer, a study conducted by the American Institute for Leisure Resources recommended park upgrades. “We're looking at about sixty million dollars worth of maintenance and upgrade projects. If we get the foundation to raise thirty million that the County would match, that would take care of our existing backlog—everything from fixing park shelters and tennis courts to repaving trails,” says Kevin Evanto with Allegheny County. “There are a lot of opportunities for capital improvements, increasing usability and programming. We want the foundation and donors to be creative." The County is looking at national destinations like Oglebay Park as models that serve diverse audiences and generate revenue.

[guylocke]

Since these boards are a bit littered with posts about the job market, here is an interesting article from a few months ago.

Regional Insights: Sluggish regional job growth masks growing job opportunities

f you're thinking about future job prospects, will you find more opportunities living in the Pittsburgh region or in other parts of the country? The standard statistics on job growth seem to indicate that this region is a poor choice. For example, preliminary figures for 2006 show that jobs here grew by only 0.79 percent, less than half the U.S. growth rate.

But not all job opportunities come from job creation. In particular, when a current worker retires from the labor force, and assuming his or her employer decides to fill the vacancy, that creates a net new job opportunity in the regional economy, even though there is no increase in the total number of jobs.

Every community has workers approaching retirement. But a higher proportion of workers in the region are nearing retirement than in any other large region. At the end of 2005, 17.7 percent of the workers in the region -- more than one out of every six -- were age 55 or older. In contrast, only 13.1 percent of the workers in Austin, Texas, and San Diego were that age. In Atlanta; Charlotte, N.C.; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Indianapolis; Minneapolis; Seattle; and Silicon Valley in California, 15 percent or less of the work force is 55 or older.

That means that over the next decade, Pittsburgh probably will have a higher rate of job opportunities resulting from retirements than any other region. And that could make a dramatic difference in how Pittsburgh looks to a potential job seeker.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by boylocke

This is quite interesting!! I love it!!

GM Promotes E85 Ethanol Infrastructure in Pittsburgh

Ethanol is very inefficient, it takes more than a gallon of other fuel to make a gallon of ethanol...

not that sounds green

[guylocke]

Ethanol is very inefficient, it takes more than a gallon of other fuel to make a gallon of ethanol...

not that sounds green

E85's claim to fame isn't its ability to be green (which it is), it's the ability to get the US off of our dependency of oil, especially foreign oil.

Ethanol is made from corn and sugar cane, ect, and is a renewable source of energy (unlike oil). Obviously, it's also in the alcohol we drink. E85 is made up of 85% ethanol (made from corn, grass, and algae in this country) and 15% petroleum.

That means that 85% of what you burn as fuel is clean and 15% is harmful, as oppose to the 100% harmful fuel found at your local gas station. Now, granted, E85 has a lower energy-output than pure gasoline. This means, theoretically, that you would have to fill up your fuel tank a bit more often than you would on E85 than gasoline, but not nearly more often enough to off-balance the positive gains on clean burning fuel.

Also, it is true that at least in this current moment, it takes so much power and manufacturing to make ethanol, that we are still polluting the earth just as much. It isn't green neutral, yet, but it will be and then some in the near future.

There are plants coming online (one in Arizona I believe for sure) that are completely fuel-efficient, 100%, and renewable based upon an extremely high-energy yielding algae. This algae is so dirt cheap and easy to grow (all it needs is any sort of water and sunlight) and holds so much energy that not only can these plans export their ethanol for fuel, but they even power the plants with it!!!! Completely. There is no energy-loss whatsoever and not a single pollutant.

It might not be a perfect solution right now, but ethanol technology is in it's infancy and once we crack more innovations like algae, it will quickly catch up to being less expensive, completely renewable, and nearly completely clean for the environment.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by boylocke

E85's claim to fame isn't its ability to be green (which it is), it's the ability to get the US off of our dependency of oil, especially foreign oil.

Ethanol is made from corn and sugar cane, ect, and is a renewable source of energy (unlike oil). Obviously, it's also in the alcohol we drink. E85 is made up of 85% ethanol (made from corn, grass, and algae in this country) and 15% petroleum.

That means that 85% of what you burn as fuel is clean and 15% is harmful, as oppose to the 100% harmful fuel found at your local gas station. Now, granted, E85 has a lower energy-output than pure gasoline. This means, theoretically, that you would have to fill up your fuel tank a bit more often than you would on E85 than gasoline, but not nearly more often enough to off-balance the positive gains on clean burning fuel.

Also, it is true that at least in this current moment, it takes so much power and manufacturing to make ethanol, that we are still polluting the earth just as much. It isn't green neutral, yet, but it will be and then some in the near future.

There are plants coming online (one in Arizona I believe for sure) that are completely fuel-efficient, 100%, and renewable based upon an extremely high-energy yielding algae. This algae is so dirt cheap and easy to grow (all it needs is any sort of water and sunlight) and holds so much energy that not only can these plans export their ethanol for fuel, but they even power the plants with it!!!! Completely. There is no energy-loss whatsoever and not a single pollutant.

It might not be a perfect solution right now, but ethanol technology is in it's infancy and once we crack more innovations like algae, it will quickly catch up to being less expensive, completely renewable, and nearly completely clean for the environment.

I don't think you understood what i said. to make one gallon of ethanol it takes more than one gallon of fossil fuels. so yes, while the ethanol is sorta clean, it takes more fossil fuels to make and if we had just used the fossil fuels instead. So when you burn that '15%' gasoline in that ethanol mix, you are actually burning that plus the original fossil fuels needed to make it. so that is more like 115%+ (roughly 100% used in the manufacturing process, plus the 15% in the final product)

as for the algae, it is in the very beginning of figuring out the processes, and so far it hasn't been shown to be 'green' either. there seem to be some pollutants that are let out in the manufacturing process, but then again, industrial wind farms aren't green either, just 'clean' i suppose.

A more responsible choice would be to stop using so much energy all together, but no one will take a REAL step.

[guylocke]

A more responsible choice would be to stop using so much energy all together, but no one will take a REAL step.

I think it'll take evacuations in Florida or the lowest points in our OWN country before anyone truly believes global warming exists and that it is, in fact, going to be bad. We will need water levels to rise enough so peoples lives are being directly affected in the NOW - when it can splashed all over the news and we can see people leaving behind their homes and lives. We'll need a huge slap in the face before we REALLY do something, as usual. It might not be as far away as we think, but by then, may be too late.

[oktaren]

Originally Posted by boylocke

I think it'll take evacuations in Florida or the lowest points in our OWN country before anyone truly believes global warming exists and that it is, in fact, going to be bad. We will need water levels to rise enough so peoples lives are being directly affected in the NOW - when it can splashed all over the news and we can see people leaving behind their homes and lives. We'll need a huge slap in the face before we REALLY do something, as usual. It might not be as far away as we think, but by then, may be too late.

I agree,

Although, It is already too late. I don't even care if global warming doesn't exist, there are other ways in which using so much energy is extremely dangerous. Just the web of electrical wires that flow throughout your house is extremely dangerous to the people who sit within it all day. And then, when you aren't there you are at work, in the same situation.