Code orange reminds us that air pollution is still a problem

On July 28, an air quality alert was in effect for the Pittsburgh region stemming from a sweltering heat wave across the U.S. This "code orange" alert is a warning to those sensitive to exposure such as children, people with respiratory diseases, and those who are active outdoors. During these extremely hot days, smog is a main health concern and can have detrimental effects on our lungs by irritating the respiratory system, reducing lung functioning, and aggravating asthma. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), smog is ground-level ozone that forms when harmful air pollutants, usually emitted from industrial and chemical plants as well as cars, chemically react with sunlight. This damaging chemical reaction, when trapped close to the earth’s surface, forms “bad ozone” (not all ozone is bad - that which is higher in the atmosphere protects us from damaging UV rays). Bad ozone is most often seen in cities around the country where air pollution emissions - and populations exposed to air pollution - are greatest. Numerous power plants and factories - including U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works, the largest coke processing facility in the nation - are still operating in the Pittsburgh region and adding smog-forming pollution to our air. 

Fortunately, on Monday, August 3, 2015, President Obama and the EPA announced the Clean Power Plan as a vital effort to tackle climate change by cutting carbon emissions. This pollution, emitted from power plants along with other toxins, contributes to soot and smog. With more hot days on the horizon, smog will have a greater effect on all of us, particularly vulnerable populations.

The Clean Power Plan represents the action needed to minimize air pollution.

For more information on air pollution, take a look at this video on air quality and climate from our good friends at Communitopia.

Nikole Baker is a PennFuture intern based in Pittsburgh.

Safety on the line

In the last two years, there have been more than 65 cases of tank cars bound for or arriving in the Philadelphia region, where approximately 700,000 people live within a one-half mile potential evacuation zone around rail lines, that were “found to have loose, leaking or missing safety components” (ProPublica, Nov. 25, 2014). Similarly, more than 300,000 residents in the Pittsburgh region live within such a zone. Earlier this year, a train carrying oil derailed near downtown Philadelphia, shutting down traffic along I-95. And last year, a train carrying Bakken crude derailed over the Schuylkill River, near the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and the Schuylkill Expressway, one of the busiest roads in the state. Fortunately, there were no injuries and no immediate environmental impacts. However, there have been many similar incidents across Pennsylvania in recent years. While a Lac-Mégantic level emergency would be devastating for any Pennsylvania community, it would be catastrophic in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Unfortunately, most municipalities, including Philadelphia, have yet to develop emergency plans appropriate to handle a Lac-Mégantic level crisis. But as the frequency of derailments increases, conversations about the safety of aging rail lines and bridges, as well as the train tanker cars used to transport oil through heavily populated areas, has increased as well.

As newly retrofitted refineries continue to expand capacity in Philadelphia, the risks become that much greater for all Pennsylvanians. As a result, we are afforded uncommon leverage because the risks are so widespread, effecting urban and rural communities, endangering the health, safety, and local economies of both Republican and Democratic districts. In this sense, we have a unique opportunity to build legislative consensus in Harrisburg as well as to engage municipalities in public discussions about emergency planning in their communities.

We can’t wait for a domestic Lac-Mégantic to prompt action on crude-by-rail safety. One of the most significant barriers toward establishing safeguards is the oil industry’s huge investment in rail and the rail industry’s dependence on DOT-111 tanker cars, which creates a system of financial dependence on an inherently unsafe mode of transit to recoup their investments, at least in the short-term. To be sure, these tanker cars are not being phased out as quickly as they should be. The challenges are compounded by sophisticated oil and rail industry lobbying efforts, targeting legislators and regulators, to push back against stricter laws and costly regulations.

PennFuture is committed to eliminating the safety risks associated with crude-by-rail transport. In Pennsylvania, there are too few government railroad inspectors, poor oversight of railroad bridges, a lack of transparency and minimal access to rail maintenance records, and insufficient penalties for regulatory violations.

As the number of derailments continues to increase, so do the chances of a catastrophic accident in Pennsylvania on a scale many times larger than the tragic events of Lac-Mégantic. But disaster need not be inevitable. With effective and transparent government oversight of rail lines and bridges as well as a ban on the use of outdated DOT-111 tanker cars for crude-by-rail, we can prevent the loss of life and the destruction of our environment.

Jay Andrews is PennFuture’s Director of Outreach and is based in Philadelphia.

Pittsburgh, a resilient city

Point State Park at Sunset

From steel, to collapse, to a diverse knowledge and health-based economy, Pittsburgh has come to embody the definition of a resilient city. Our growing economy alone doesn't make this the vibrant city that it is, however. Pittsburgh’s rivers, trees and the air we breathe impact our health and well being. As climate change exacerbates bad air on hot days and brings more intense storms and extreme cold, protecting our environment will mean protecting our neighborhoods. Smart policies and planning now can turn environmental threats into impetus for bolstering healthy and cohesive communities.

That is what the Rockefeller Foundation saw in our city when they selected Pittsburgh to be one of only 100 Resilient Cities, worldwide. 

100 Resilient Cities provides resources and guidance for an active network of urban hubs throughout the world. The first group of 32 cities began work in December 2013 and the second group was announced in December 2014. Of the 331 applications for the second round, Pittsburgh was one of 35 to be selected and PennFuture is thrilled to be part of the local collaboration to make our city stronger.

On June 6, we met with other stakeholders from the private, public, and nonprofit sectors for an agenda-setting workshop. The conversations were eclectic and electric, and centered around key urban concerns (both chronic and acute), many of which overlap with our environmental efforts, including:

• Infrastructure failure and flooding concerns (in addition to safety concerns, flooding equals raw sewage in our streams and rivers -- where we boat, swim and get our drinking water).
• Hazardous materials accidents (oil bomb trains, anyone?) 
• Heat waves (unhealthy ozone pollution is expected to get worse as summers get hotter)
• Significant environmental degradation (clean air, clean water and healthy land: the building blocks of life) 

With our own holistic mission to create a just future where nature, communities and the economy thrive, we at PennFuture are very excited about Pittsburgh’s participation in the 100 Resilient Cities effort. It makes sense and the time is ripe.

Nicole Catino is PennFuture's 2015 Student Conservation Association Green Cities Sustainability Fellow and is based in Pittsburgh.

PennFuture Gives Back on #GivingTuesday

Thanksgiving. Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday.

And now #GivingTuesday.
 

On December 2, people around the world came together to give back and focus on philanthropy, advocacy, volunteerism, and education.

It's a simple idea: Find a way to get your family, your community, your organization to come together to give something more. We agree.
 

It's an annual event that invites you to make a contribution to a non-profit organization that does good work you support. In the spirit of the day, PennFuture's staff decided to create its own #GivingTuesday Giving Back Award by taking up a collection and distributing the proceeds to regional organizations that do the kind of work we support.
 

This past Tuesday, presentations were made to four worthy groups in each of our four offices. Each group received an award certificate, a handmade up-cycled trophy, and a check to help them continue their good work.

 

The staff donation was completely voluntary and no limits were set, but we got excited and were able to present each of our awardees a sum of $437.50!

PennFuture's 2014 #GivingTuesday Giving Back Award winners

Central Giving Back Award (Harrisburg) Harrisburg Rain Barrel Coalition

Northeast Giving Back Award (Wilkes-Barre) North Pocono CARE

Southeast Giving Back Award (Philadelphia) Vetri Foundation for Children

West Giving Back Award (Pittsburgh) Allegheny County Clean Air Now

If you believe in what we do, please consider PennFuture for your donation dollars during this giving season so that we can continue to help protect the water you drink and the air you breathe, and advance renewable energy and energy efficiency. Even a little can go a long way.

It's something you can do for yourself that will benefit many — and that's #unselfie.

Mary Kane is events and development associate for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg.

It's (almost) party time!

The leaves have fallen, the days are shorter, and there's a bite in the air. This can mean only one thing: It’s almost time for the annual PennFuture holiday parties. Each one of our offices will be hosting a terrific event with food, drinks, good conversation, and cheer, but it won’t be much of a party without you!

In Pittsburgh, you can ask our chief counsel, George Jugovic, about our recent local zoning victory, or discuss air quality with outreach coordinator Valessa Souter-Kline. In Philly, director of outreach Andrew Sharp can tell you everything you’d want to know about methane regulations, and in Wilkes-Barre, ask our attorney Mark Szybist about natural gas development. I bet you can’t stump him! In Harrisburg, our policy director Steve Stroman can bring you up to speed on our plans to protect state parks and forests, and CEO Cindy Dunn will be attending ALL of the holiday parties, so don’t miss your chance to tell Cindy and the rest of the staff what matters to you.

There’s no denying that we couldn’t do the work we do without the support of members and friends like you. So join us, as we raise our glasses to celebrate our work and as we look forward to the new year.

Harrisburg

Where:  The Civic Club of Harrisburg

              612 North Front Street

              Harrisburg, PA 17101

When: Wednesday, December 3, 5:00 - 7:00pm

Register

Wilkes-Barre
Where:  MainStreet Galleries

              370 Pierce Street

              Kingston, PA 18704

When: Thursday, December 4, 5:30 - 8:30pm

Register

Pittsburgh

Where:  PennFuture Pittsburgh Office

              200 First Avenue, Second Floor

              Pittsburgh, PA 15222

When: Monday, December 8, 5:30 - 8:00pm

Register

Philadelphia

Where:  PennFuture Philadelphia Office

             1500 Walnut Street, Suite 502

              Philadelphia, PA 19102

When: Tuesday, December 9, 5:30-7:30pm

Register

Jen Quinn is central Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for PennFuture and is based in Harrisburg. She tweets @QuinnJen1.

University of Pittsburgh research links autism to air pollution

A new study was released Wednesday showing a link between autism spectrum disorders and maternal exposure to toxic air pollution during pregnancy. The study was conducted by the University of Pittsburgh and the results add to a growing body of research pointing to a correlation between exposure to air pollution and incidence of human neurodevelopmental disorders.

We know that air pollutants such as particulate matter and ozone negatively impact our health by increasing rates of asthma and cardiovascular disease, and they are even being correlated to cancer. This new study shows that air toxics may be hurting us in another way, as well. The fact is that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders among children in Pennsylvania more than doubled between 2002 and 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That increase is likely too large to be explained by genetics alone, leading researchers to look for environmental factors. It is becoming increasingly clear that air pollution in our state may well be contributing to a significant public health problem.

In this particular study, researchers conducted a population-based control study in six counties in southwestern Pennsylvania, estimating the association between autism spectrum disorders and 30 known neurotoxicants. Their research found that exposure to chromium, cyanide, styrene and other toxic air pollutants during gestation and a child's early years of life increased the risk of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Enough is enough. We in southwestern Pennsylvania have been breathing unhealthy air for decades. Progress toward ensuring that everyone can exercise and play outside without risking their well being has been far too slow. Let's act now to find innovative solutions to the pollution problem. Bottom line: We all deserve to breathe clean, healthy air.

Valessa Souter-Kline is PennFuture's western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator and is based in Pittsburgh. She tweets @ValessaSK.

Get on the bus! A huge day for climate action coming up

July 31 is shaping up to be a huge day for climate action in Pennsylvania. And not just because it's likely to be hot. Pittsburgh has been chosen as one of only four cities in the nation to host Environmental Protection Agency hearings on the newly-proposed standard to limit industrial carbon pollution from existing coal-fired power plants.

Pittsburgh EPA Hearing
Thursday, July 31 
9:00 a.m. — 8:00 p.m. 
William S. Moorhead Federal Building 
Room 1310 
1000 Liberty Avenue 

This hearing will give all Pennsylvanians (and even our neighbors in surrounding states) a chance to shine -- and make their voices heard in support of EPA's strong rules on carbon pollution. There will also be noon rally near the Federal building to show support (stay tuned for more details).

What you need to do: Sign up to testify. Everyone is welcome — whether you're an individual, on staff or a volunteer for an environmental community group, a business owner, a teenager concerned about the future, a faith leader — anyone can and should testify. No expertise required — just passion about climate change.

We're providing a FREE bus from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh for folks who want to attend the rally and show their support. More buses are being scheduled from State College and Erie, and we hope to have that info posted soon.

Eager to hear more? Email <quinn at pennfuture dot org.>

Andrew Sharp is PennFuture's Director of Outreach and is based in Philadelphia. He tweets at @RexBainbridge.

What would you do?

How would you feel if I told you that by living in your chosen city, you have elevated your risk of having cancer -- and your children's risk? Pittsburghers learned exactly how it feels last week when the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Healthy Environments and Communities (CHEC) released a report that said just that.

As part of its Pittsburgh Regional Environmental Threat Analysis (PRETA), CHEC concluded that residents of southwestern Pennsylvania, particularly those in Allegheny County, have a significantly higher than acceptable risk of developing cancer due to exposure to air toxics. In fact, Allegheny County places in the top 2 percent of U.S. counties in terms of cancer risk.

It's pretty scary stuff. Reports like CHEC's are often dismissed by policymakers and citizens alike, but this one resonates in a way that others haven't because it feels so personal. What would you do to reduce your cancer risk? Would you switch to a clean energy provider? Take public transit? Stop idling in your car? Write the mayor-elect to tell him how important it is to you that Pittsburgh addresses air toxics? 

Maybe what you do isn't as important as the act of choosing to do something. I challenge our wonderful readers to make that choice this week. If you do, please tweet your action to us at @PennFuture. For more suggestions, check out these actions from the Breathe Project, or the recommendations in the shared statement we put out with our environmental partners last week.

Tiffany Hickman is PennFuture's western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator, based in Pittsburgh.

Join us for the PennFuture Holiday Party Crawl!

Pick your favorite city for a PennFuture holiday party, or come to all four -- our new president and CEO, Cindy Dunn, will be doing just that. Time to celebrate the holiday season with your favorite environmental organization!

The first party kicks off on Thursday, December 5 from 5:30 – 8 p.m. in our Wilkes-Barre office at 8 West Market Street. We look forward to filling you in on what’s happening on the front lines for Pennsylvania’s environment. Enjoy a mix of local and organic hors d’oeuvres and drinks while listening to great music by NEPA’s own Big Daddy Dex.

Rest up over the weekend and hit the next party week running.

Party in the capital city on Monday, December 9 from 5 - 7:30 p.m. in our Harrisburg office at 610 N. 3rd Street. We are right across from the capitol building so you never know who might stop by. Rub elbows with fellow members, environmentalists, legislators, lobbyists, and like-minded folks.

Keep the party crawl going and join us in our Center City Philadelphia office at 1500 Walnut Street on Tuesday, December 10 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. Home to the PennFuture Energy Center, we're eager to hear your thoughts about how we can best support the environment as we promote a clean energy economy.

Enjoy another breather before we, in the best Pittsburgh tradition, redd up for a party in our dahntahn Pittsburgh office at 200 First Avenue on Tuesday, December 17 from 5:30 – 8p.m. Expect good food, beverages warm and cool, and an update on what we have planned for 2014.

It's the most wonderful time of the year, and we can’t think of anyone else we would rather spend it with than YOU!

Please RSVP for whichever -- or all -- parties you would like to attend on our Events page.

Here's looking forward to more environmental successes in 2014, and thanks again for your steadfast support.

Mary Kane is PennFuture's events and development associate, working out of our Harrisburg office. She is wicked with a pun.

Hell with the lid off? Maybe not, but work to be done.

Pittsburgh used to be so polluted that it was referred to as “hell with the lid off.” The pollution is mostly invisible these days, however, “out of sight” usually means “out of mind.”

A recent survey by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette showed that Pittsburghers care about the environment more than ever. Sixty four percent of responders believe that climate change is a problem and a whopping 96 percent believe that the environment is important to Pittsburgh’s economic outlook, but the majority still doesn’t believe that the region’s air quality is a problem because they can’t see it. Unfortunately, it's the pollution that can’t be seen by the naked eye that can do the most damage. Fine soot particles can wreak havoc on the body, and contribute to lung cancer, lung disease, and heart disease.

Still, it's great to see that area residents feel strongly about the environment. There are many great organizations in the region, and campaigns including the Breathe Project, that are educating citizens about the state of our air and how we can improve it.

VICTORY: PennFuture legal eagles prevail so the Pittsburgh bald eagles can fly home

This post is one in a month-long series speaking to 15 of PennFuture's significant victories. It was 15 years ago this September that we began our work to protect the environment and champion a clean energy economy.


The best kind of legal victory is the one that keeps on giving.  Take Hays Woods in Pittsburgh, for example.  Did you know that bald eagles nested there this summer?

Sounds incredible, but it's true.

These majestic creatures, with their seven-foot wingspan soaring mid-air, make every sighting breathtaking. Watching eagles fly is a thrilling experience that can stop you in your tracks. Their continued recovery in Pennsylvania, and throughout the nation, is one of our great wildlife conservation stories.

    Soaring eagle 

Photo by Tom Moeller, Pittsburgh, PA

Hays Woods, a 600-plus acre wooded property in the Hays district of the City of Pittsburgh, sets high on a hilltop overlooking the Monongahela River.  It is the single largest undeveloped piece of property in the city. 

In 2003, area residents let PennFuture know that a proposed strip mine for the property would level its hills and fill its stream valleys to pave the way for a race track and casino. PennFuture led the way to oppose what amounted to mountain top mining in the City of Pittsburgh. We partnered with neighbors, grassroots organizations, activists, university students, and concerned decision makers to fight to protect the woodland and streams for local wildlife. The legal and education work that began in 2003 culminated in 2009 with a major victory for Hays Woods and Pittsburgh's environment.

The arrival of a nesting pair of bald eagles has brought renewed attention to Hays Woods, an area that many local residents would like to conserve permanently. Those thoughts would no longer be possible but for the efforts of PennFuture. We are proud to have played a role in keeping that long term goal alive. It is but one example of  the work that we do to protect and sustain the natural habitats of Pennsylvania's wildlife. 

A pair of nesting bald eagles in Pittsburgh's Hays Woods are now parents. 

Photo by Tom Moeller, Pittsburgh, Pa.