These commitments and the details provided were made over 10 years ago – the page is under review and more commitments are needed!
Alcoa
- Bulbs to replace current energy-wasting incandescent light bulbs in their home
Using these bulbs for an average of four hours per day, Alcoa Technical Center employees will save about 449.5 Mwh of electricity per year resulting in an approximately $2.25 per month reduction in each employee´s electricity bill. The bulbs will also reduce carbon dioxide production by 449.5 tons per year. This is the equivalent of taking 66 cars off the road each year.
Bayer Corporation
Since 1990, Bayer has cut direct greenhouse gas emissions worldwide by more than 70%. Through audits at the Pittsburgh campus, Bayer and its employees saved 800,000 gallons of water in 2006. Bayer also keeps its campus in harmony with nature through the help of employee volunteers.
Future environmental advances will spring from the bright young minds of budding scientists and engineers. Bayer sponsors the C.A.U.S.E Challenge™ Film Festival in partnership with SciTech Spectacular and Pittsburgh Filmmakers. The environmental documentary competition invites high school students to write, produce and edit a five-minutes or less video or film on the theme, “Mutual Impact: The Environment and You.”
Carnegie Science Center
Carnegie Science Center (CSC) is developing a master plan for Eco.Experience, a large-scale, destination attraction that will engage residents and visitors in the themes of environment, ecology, biology and sustainable living. Eco.Experience will be an intersection of engaging environmental education experiences, sustainable landscape design and engineering, integrated water and storm water management, and environmentally progressive and inspired architecture.
Additionally, CSC will launch the “Rachel Carson Environmental Film Festival” on Earth Day. This will be a year-long celebration and give audiences the opportunity to view environmentally-focused films. Student-produced video will be included.
Chatham College
Chatham will increase its alternative energy power purchase to 15% in 2007. Chatham will also expand its efforts to implement environmentally sustainable practices on campus including:
- expanding the use of environmentally sustainable practices in student residence halls;
- banning the use of chemical pesticides or herbicides on campus grounds;
- using only “green” cleaning products on campus;
- using only compact fluorescent lighting to the fullest extent possible; and
- using only non-VOC paints on campus.
Chatham will begin to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce and eliminate Chatham´s greenhouse gases over time.
City of Pittsburgh
The City of Pittsburgh is training its road and park crews in Integrated Pest Management practices which will reduce the amount of dangerous chemicals in City neighborhoods. By using less pesticides and alternate methods of pest control, as well as changing operational procedures, Pittsburgh neighborhoods will be safer, cleaner and greener for our citizens. The City will accomplish these objectives in summer 2007. Training and certification of work crews is already underway.
Pittsburgh is also moving forward with its commitment to convert its fleet to clean-burning bio-diesel and reduce the City´s dependence on imported oils.
County of Allegheny Department of Public Works
Allegheny County has established an Integrated Pest Management policy where its public works employees are directed to make “Smart Choices” by using a sustainable approach to monitoring, suppressing, and managing weeds, insects, and diseases in the nine County parks and along Allegheny County rights of way.
The County´s Public Works Department will protect soil by managing the timing and sequence of tillage operations. The Department will also protect ground and surface water through the use of mitigation techniques in order to limit the risks to humans and non-target plants and animals.
Highmark
Highmark commits to establishing an Environmental Management Sustainability Program with a full-time coordinator. The goal of developing an environmental management program within Highmark is to reduce operating expenses and waste within Highmark and its subsidiaries; improve employee productivity through a more environmentally friendly work environment; and increase corporate visibility within the region, state and national arena.
Highmark is committed to utilizing green technology and building practices in our existing facilities and new construction, including our new Mountain State Blue Cross Blue Shield headquarters in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
International Union of Operating Engineers Local 95
The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 95 commits to establishing a Green Building Operators Certification program that will include all the requirements of the EPA Energy Star program; indoor air quality standards; CFC certification, backflow prevention, and LEED certification. The training program will be available to all building operators throughout the country. This certification will standardize the content for training building operators in green build management practices for maximum energy efficiency, health and safety of commercial buildings.
Parkhurst Dining Services
Parkhurst Dining Services, a division of Eat ´N Park Hospitality Group, commits to purchase a minimum of 20% of its $36 million in food purchases from farmers within 100 to 150 miles of the communities we serve by December 2008. It will convert all of its “On the Go” containers to corn-based packaging by December 2007. Lastly, Parkhurst will promote Community Supported Agriculture, small local farmers, by establishing firm corporate and university markets for locally grown products.
Phipps Conservatory and Botantical Garden
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens supports the 100th anniversary of Rachel Carson´s birth and the legacy she created through its ongoing commitment to world class performance in green building construction and management.
To support this year-long celebration, The Children´s Discovery Garden at Phipps will feature a Rachel Carson theme this summer focusing on her book A Sense of Wonder. Children can explore the Discovery Garden using all of their senses, use magnifying glasses to get a close look at nature, or draw a picture of what they see in the garden.
Pittsburgh 250 Inc. Allegheny Conference on Community Development
Pittsburgh 250 Inc. commits to reinforcing awareness of environmentally sustainable practices throughout the multiyear celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Pittsburgh region (2007-2009), including completion of three Signature Projects:
- publication by French and Indian War 250, Inc. of the Forbes Road Travel Guide to “America´s Independence Trail,”
- “Closing the GAP” in the Great Allegheny Passage by supporting the leadership of the Allegheny Trail Alliance to complete the final nine miles from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh, and
- completing the transformation of Point State Park by supporting the leadership of the Riverlife Task Force and the Point State Park Planning Committee in their efforts to capitalize on the rich history and recreational opportunities of Point State Park.
Pittsburgh Public Schools
Thousands of recent studies have shown an overwhelming connection between exposure to diesel exhaust and serious health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, lung cancer, and premature death. Children are particularly susceptible to these impacts, and are directly exposed to diesel emissions nearly every single day on their ride to school.
In response to this serious threat to children´s health, the Pittsburgh Public Schools has launched the Healthy School Bus Fund, which will be used to start retrofitting their 350 diesel buses with the best pollution filters available, reducing their dangerous emissions by 90 percent.
The Healthy School Bus Fund is a unique collaboration between the Pittsburgh Public Schools and the Heinz Endowments, Clean Water Action, Group Against Smog and Pollution, Clean Air Task Force, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, and the Allegheny County Health Department.
PPG Industries, Inc.
For decades PPG Industries, Inc. has been committed to making products and pursuing business practices that help sustain a healthy global environment. PPG has voluntarily committed to a Climate RESOLVE greenhouse gas emission reduction goal of 18% by 2012 from a 2002 baseline.
PPG´s Springdale Plant, located in Rachel Carson´s hometown, has committed to the construction of a new regenerative thermal oxidizer in 2007 that will reduce greenhouse gases by 1,400 tons a year.
Sustainable Pittsburgh
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions result from many of our daily activities as households, organizations, businesses, etc, whenever fossil-based fuel or power is consumed. With CO2 footprints easily calculated, we then can purchase equivalent amounts of “offsets” or clean renewable energy credits representing commensurate clean energy production to “neutralize” our emissions and simultaneously invest in growing renewable energy sources.
Sustainable Pittsburgh embraces the Rachel Carson Legacy Challenge in committing to climate-neutralize its office operations and all of its major public events. Furthermore, it will promote this market approach to living lighter and doing business responsibly throughout southwestern Pennsylvania.
UPMC
UPMC is committed to environmentally sustainable policies in all business unit operations. A new director of Environmental Initiatives is charged with leading efforts to develop and implement a system-wide greening program. UPMC´s greening expansion includes the creation of a “Green Loan Fund” to finance high performance design, operations, maintenance, and occupant behavior projects to reduce UPMC´s environmental footprint. UPMC also is incorporating environmental reviews of proposed product acquisitions into a redesigned value analysis process.
United Steelworkers (USW)
USW will:
- Promote clean energy and sound environmental policies that encourage safe jobs and a sustainable economy;
- Educate our members about the impact of global warming and the need to work together toward solutions;
- Encourage community leaders and the employers whose workers we represent to adopt sound environmental practices that reduce greenhouse gases and conserve energy;
- Conduct an independent energy audit of our Pittsburgh headquarters and implement recommendations to reduce energy consumption and move toward renewable energy sources;
- Review our purchasing policies to ensure that products and services that we acquire are recyclable and non toxic;
- Over time, implement similar programs in the more than 100 USW offices throughout North America
If your organization or agency would like to make a permanent and measurable commitment to the Rachel Carson Legacy Challenge: green steps to a sustainable future initiative, please contact us at (724) 274-5459 or e-mail info@rachelcarsonhomestead.org.