Dear Boys and Girls,

The elves came to me with a new project yesterday, inspired by those very nice boys and girls at Google. The gurus at Google announced they were going to invest millions into renewable energy technologies, with a goal of driving down the cost. Google aims to produce one gigawatt of power from renewable energy, enough to supply all of San Francisco, at prices below the rates of electricity generated at coal-burning plants. And the company expects to do it in “years, not decades.�

Well, Santa doesn’t have Google’s billions. So what was the elves’ brainstorm? “Methane, Santa, think methane,� they yelled. “Those reindeer are practically an endless supply!� The more the elves talked, the more excited they got. They convinced me that we couldn’t waste any more time –we needed to clean up our own pollution right away. So I moved 10 percent of the elves off the toy shop floor and they are now busily creating a methane digester (with a portable collector for Christmas Eve).

And speaking of no time to waste – it’s now been 10 months since the Energy Independence Strategy was proposed, but the General Assembly still hasn’t acted. And State Senator Mary Jo White (R-Venango) told Public Radio Capitol News’ Jen Rehill that there really wasn’t any urgency. “We know that electric rates are going to go up, we know that gasoline prices are high, we know that we have infrastructure needs in our transportation, and none of these bills is going to solve any of those problems in the short run. Maybe a long way down the road. . .�

Santa confesses that he has a warm spot in his heart for Senator White. But Senator White is wrong. For families that have to decide between paying their heating bills or buying Christmas presents, the ten month delay means they won’t have help for this winter or the next, since the EIS programs will take a few months to ramp up. Families who are paying a dollar more a gallon for gasoline would welcome the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative, so that more ethanol, and cheaper fuel, would soon be in sight. Families who could use smart meters to reduce their electricity bills still don’t have them, although about 400,000 of these meters could have been installed in the past ten months. Pennsylvania has lost nearly $1 billion in private investment in our growing renewable energy industry – investments that are now going to New Jersey, New York and other states that had the foresight to act. The longer we wait, the more serious our energy problems become, and the harder it will be to dig out. Santa doesn’t want to put Senator White on the naughty list – he’s hoping that maybe she just didn’t think this through.

Earlier this week, some senators made the nice list with their votes against Special Session SB 25 in the Energy Policies committee. This is the bill that would allow paper mill waste to be added to the inadequate 8 percent Tier 1 renewable mandate of the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act, crowding out wind and other truly clean energy technologies. These nice boys and girls – Senators Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), Andrew Dinniman (D- Chester, Montgomery) Edwin (Ted) Erickson (R-Chester, Delaware), Jim Ferlo (D-Allegheny, Armstrong, Westmoreland), Wayne Fontana (D-Allegheny), and Leanna Washington (D-Montgomery, Philadelphia).

But there is a very naughty company trying to cash in on the EIS – Conoco Phillips, the world’s fifth-largest refiner and the sixth-largest reserves holder of nongovernment-controlled companies. Conoco Phillips wants a piece of the biofuels business, but it doesn’t actually want to make biofuels. Instead, the company is pushing for an amendment to the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative to add “bio-based diesel fuel� to satisfy the biodiesel mandate. Biodiesel is a clearly defined and accepted term; bio-based diesel is not. So what does Conoco want to provide? Regular diesel with up to 5 percent rendered chicken fat. This bogus plan would kill Pennsylvania’s burgeoning biodiesel industry, crowding out our homegrown true biodiesel. Pennsylvania’s farmers would be denied a new cash crop – one that may make the very difference in survival for a family farm – and the definition of renewable would be turned on its head.

As always, send me your own naughty and nice list at Santa@PennFuture.org.

Dear Boys and Girls,

Good legislation on energy is moving at a snail’s pace in Harrisburg. I hope the boys and girls in leadership know that Santa’s watching and waiting. The people of Pennsylvania are suffering because of the delay. The clock is ticking and space is running out on Santa’s Nice list.

The reindeer and I are hitting the road today for Pittsburgh, where we’ll be joined by a lot of good boys and girls – State Representative Joseph Preston, Jr., Chair of the Pennsylvania House Consumer Affairs Committee and other local officials, as well as representatives of Conservation Consultants, Inc. (CCI), Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), Steel City Biofuels and other community leaders.

Pittsburghers really have a big stake in passing the Energy Independence Strategy (EIS). Their energy costs are spiraling out of sight, and they need help right now. Remarkably that uphill trek started in gasoline prices in mid-February, just a few weeks after Governor Rendell proposed the EIS. If the General Assembly had acted then, everyone might have more money left (as opposed to leaving more money at the pump). As we know, Philadelphia has the lowest gas prices in the state, thanks to the requirement that gasoline there must include 10 percent ethanol.

Unfortunately, the Senate Energy Policies Committee passed Special Session SB 25 which would help a very naughty company if it becomes law. It seems that P.H. Glatfelter, a York County paper mill with a long history of egregious air and water pollution offenses, would stand to gain a lot if its paper mill waste suddenly became a valuable Tier 1 renewable, diluting the small 8 percent requirement that solar, wind and other new technologies meet. How naughty has Glatfelter been? In 2001, the company agreed to pay $30 million to clean up discharges into Codorus Creek, and a $2 million penalty that went into an endowment for environmental cleanup projects on the Codorus. At the time, the settlement was the largest in state history. In 2003, the company paid another $1.5 million after DEP discovered illegal discharges into the creek. The company has also been found to repeatedly violate air pollution standards, too. Naughty, naughty, naughty.

But some very nice boys and girls are doing everything they can to help Pennsylvania move into the 21st Century economy – the members of the United Steel Workers of America. Because they understand that every environmental victory grows the economy, and that renewable energy jobs are great jobs, they are working side by side with others in the Green-Blue Alliance to make sure that the EIS passes. USW members know firsthand that good jobs and clean energy go together – there are 1,500 new, good paying jobs in Pennsylvania’s renewable energy sector just since the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard Act passed. Santa is very happy with this new alliance and he’s going to check the USW members’ names twice for nice.

As always, send me your own naughty and nice list at Santa@PennFuture.org.

Dear Boys and Girls,

Time is really flying – once Thanksgiving passes, the elves all know that they will be working some serious overtime. It’s not because we don’t work hard all year here at the North Pole; we do. No, right after Thanksgiving, boys and girls everywhere suddenly realize they better clean up their acts – making a longer nice and a shorter naughty list.
That’s one reason why Santa is hopeful that the girls and boys in leadership in Harrisburg (okay, mostly boys) will look at the calendar and speed up their slo-mo consideration of the Energy Independence Strategy. They need to act soon to make sure Pennsylvania has a 21st Century energy policy before they break for the holidays.

So here’s a hint, boys and girls:  Santa doesn’t really hold with Christmas Eve miracles — the earlier you can stop being naughty, the more likely it is that Santa will move you from the naughty to nice list. Got it?

One very naughty boy got his comeuppance early last week when Australia’s Prime Minister John Howard, who refused to take real and significant action on global warming, lost his own seat in Parliament, and the control his party had over government, with the very nice Kevin Rudd becoming the new prime minister. One of Rudd’s main campaign planks was the need for Australia and the world to treat global warming as a worldwide crisis and act immediately. And the Australian voters took this issue to heart – Dr. Geoffrey Hawker, Head of Politics and International relations at Macquarie University said climate change had overtaken the issue of economic management in this election.

Pennsylvanians want action on global warming, too. And not just because Santa’s home is in danger. That nice boy, John Plunkett from the Green Energy Economics Group, has a report that shows how parts of the Energy Independence Strategy – especially the smart meters and conservation requirements – can really make a difference on global warming here at home. Just with those two strategies, we can cut our contribution of heat trapping gases, particularly carbon dioxide, by over 14 million metric tons by 2017. You can see the whole report at www.pennfuture.org.

Santa hopes that today’s hearing by the Senate Energy Policies Committee doesn’t result in more names being added to the naughty list. While some good bills might be considered, some not nice bills are on the agenda, including Special Session SB 25 and Special Session SB 31. These bills would amend the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard Act (AEPS) – which has brought millions of dollars in investment and over 1,500 jobs to Pennsylvania, with more to come – and reduce the value of true renewable energy by adding paper mill waste and an old dam to the list of qualifying technologies. This would pull the rug out from under the same businesses that are growing our new energy economy, and move Pennsylvania backward. Any changes to the AEPS should be comprehensive and must improve on our paltry renewable requirement of only 8 percent, build new technology and energy sources, and not just be a Porkfest for old outdated electricity production sites and methods.

Time is really running out, so Santa and the reindeer are hitting the road to make sure all Pennsylvanians help their legislators be nice, not naughty. On Wednesday, Santa will be in Pittsburgh, along with nice Representative Joe Preston (D-Allegheny), one of the leaders vital to moving the EIS briskly forward.

As always, send me your own naughty and nice list at Santa@PennFuture.org. And don’t worry. If you can’t make it to Pittsburgh, I’ll see you somewhere else in the Commonwealth very soon!

Dear Boys and Girls,

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. But time is getting short –there are just 23 days left to pass vital legislation that would make Pennsylvania an energy conservation leader, cut peak electric demand, provide $850 million for solar and other renewable energy technologies, and make more biofuels that are cleaner and cheaper than gasoline. Santa is counting the days, watching the legislative leaders, and hoping they pass the bills that we all need.

The elves really enjoyed the dinner I made, but the cost of going over the river and through the woods caused pain for most Pennsylvanians – at least in the purse.

Even Santa feels the pain at the pump, since the reindeers’ contract prohibits flying on the first few days of deer hunting season. Gasoline is now over $3 a gallon (up almost a dollar from last year) with no relief in sight. And a good deal of the blame goes to a very naughty group of boys – the members of OPEC, the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

At their gathering last weekend, the OPEC leaders were crying all the way to the bank. They feared that the rising cost of oil would cause a worldwide recession and further weaken the dollar. They also are starting to consider what impact they are having on global warming, but mostly they’ve expressed concern that oil will be treated unfavorably
Of course, they aren’t doing badly, despite their fears. They control 80 percent of the world’s oil reserves. The 12 members expect $658 billion in revenue this year, up from $605 billion last year, according to a recent estimate by the Energy Information Administration. Next year, their revenue could rise to $762 billion.

So how are these oil barons going to help avoid the problems they see ahead? First, they will continue to restrict output of oil, guaranteeing continued high prices at the pump. And they are launching a $750 million (not billion, million) fund, which they have dubbed “an environmental fund,� which would investigate carbon capture and storage. Talk about too naughty too late!

But one area of Pennsylvania has some relief from OPEC and other oil suppliers – Philadelphia (surprise!) has the cheapest gas in the state, thanks to its10 percent ethanol content. The cost of ethanol at the pump is currently much lower than traditional gasoline. Requiring ethanol and biodiesel across the state could help lower everyone’s gas bill. So the good boys and girls of the Pennsylvania legislature should move quickly to pass the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative.

And speaking of the good boys and girls in Harrisburg, the state Senate, led by Senator Ted Erickson (R-Chester, Delaware), passed the Pennsylvania Climate Change Act (SB 266), by a margin of 47-3 just before Thanksgiving. Santa was very happy and gave thanks for all the senators who voted to reduce Pennsylvania contribution to the world’s global warming pollution – a full 1 percent – and move forward to be part of the solution.

The 46 other nice boys and girls who voted yes in the Senate deserve a pat on the back and, of course, if they keep it up, presents from Santa: Gibson Armstrong, Lisa Baker, Lisa Boscola, Patrick Browne, Michael Brubaker, Jake Corman, Jay Costa, Andrew Dinniman, Jane Earll, Jim Ferlo, Wayne Fontana, Vincent Fumo, John Gordner, Stewart Greenleaf, Vincent Hughes, Richard Kasunic, Shirley Kitchen, Gerald Lavalle, Sean Logan, Roger Madigan,  Charles McIlhinney, Robert Mellow, Raphael Musto, Michael O'Pake, Jane Orie, Jeffrey Piccola, Dominic Pileggi, John Pippy, Terry Punt, John Rafferty, James Rhoades, Robert Robbins, Joseph Scarnati, Michael Stack, Barry Stout, Christine Tartaglione, Robert Tomlinson, Patricia Vance, Leanna Washington, Michael Waugh, Donald White, Mary Jo White, Anthony Williams, Constance Williams, Robert Wonderling, and JohnWozniak.

You can write to Santa with your own naughty and nice list at Santa@PennFuture.org.

You may have sensed a theme at the PennFuture blog/podcast site as of late... we aren't resting until we pass Pennsylvania's vital energy independence legislation!

In this podcast, Jan Jarrett talks with our President and CEO John Hanger about the latest in Harrisburg regarding the major pieces of energy legislation that are, unfortunately, still awaiting action in the General Assembly.

With an overwhelming number of Pennsylvanians of all walks of life strongly in favor of swift and aggressive policy changes on using and making energy, and with more and more global scientific evidence detailing the devastating health, economic, and environmental consequences of failing to act on global warming, there really is no plausible explanation for delay.

The question becomes this: does the leadership in our state Capitol take the need for energy independence seriously, or are they wasting precious time and money playing political games? With the legislative session winding down before the winter break, time is of the essence.

What will it take to get the legislature to move forward? YOUR voice in the process. We urge you to listen in to get the latest update, and then take action to let your legislators know that failure is not an option.

Dear Boys and Girls,

On Saturday, a powerful report was released on global warming. The report by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change synthesized previous reports in strong language, saying that if governments fail to respond, our planet faces melting ice sheets that could lead to a rapid rise in sea levels and the extinction of large numbers of species.
You probably saw the report – it was in all the papers, on television and radio and all over the Internet.

But apparently, Morgan O’Brien, president and chief executive officer of Duquesne Light Company spent his weekend in an igloo. That’s all Santa can think, since anyone being as deliberately naughty as O’Brien continues to be is unfathomable.

O’Brien testified in Harrisburg yesterday as the chief cheerleader for using more coal as the planet suffers, following up on his mailer to all the customers and a 19-page presentation on Duquesne’s (DQE) website. And despite the clear overwhelming proof that more coal equals more and more severe global warming – DQE/O’Brien never mentions global warming or the damage mining does even once in its website misinformation. Instead, DQE/O’Brien vaguely talks about “clean coal.� What’s that? Does it include capturing carbon pollution and storing it underground? O’Brien doesn’t say, though Santa thinks probably not, since coal is more expensive than conservation or renewable energy when the costs of carbon are included. And one of the worst things is that O’Brien used Santa’s and your money to make his distorted case. O’Brien’s case for more coal was mailed to every ratepayer in the territory. By putting his propaganda in with each ratepayer’s bill, he violated his obligation to use ratepayer money prudently.

Santa hears that some nice girls and boys were so mad about what O’Brien did that they switched to a competitor of Duquesne Light, saved 10 percent by doing so, complained to Duquesne Light and, when they got no satisfaction, they complained to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, which is in charge of making sure ratepayers’ money is not abused. You can make a point about O’Brien’s naughty behavior by switching to Dominion and using the 10 percent savings to buy clean renewable energy. Go to www.cleanyourair.org to see the clean energy choices.

Some nice boys and girls in Harrisburg are working even harder. Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Northampton) introduced the smart meter legislation today with bipartisan support as HB 2017 in the regular session and HB 38 in the special session. The bill requires utilities to furnish smart meters to all customers within nine years. It also requires utilities to offer all customers the voluntary option of paying electricity’s actual cost at the time they use it, rather than an average cost.

Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester) is also a very good boy for being the first co-sponsor of the smart meter bill. Santa really likes the children of both parties, especially when they are being nice and working together so well! Senator Robert “Tommy� Tomlinson (R-Bucks) is also a nice boy for holding a hearing today on his energy conservation bill, SB 1134. And Majority Whip Keith McCall (D-Carbon) is meeting with Governor Ed Rendell where Santa is sure the energy plan will be heavily discussed.

You can reach Santa at Santa@PennFuture.org. Santa won’t be handing out his next list until next Monday at 11 AM in the Capitol newsroom because he’s so busy — Santa does all the cooking on Thanksgiving (since Mrs. Claus gets stuck on Christmas) and those elves eat a lot of pies!

Dear Boys and Girls,

Did you have a good weekend? It’s getting colder up here at the North Pole, and the reindeer are anxious to get going. Yet, if there’s no change in Pennsylvania’s energy policy, nightmarish energy bills will be all too real.

Those naughty girls and boys at Duquesne Light Company are in trouble. They sent every customer a newsletter (with their bill) that calls for what they say is the “middle ground� on state energy policy. They claim to know what’s good for their customers — and what do they say this good, middle ground is? Electricity from old polluting coal-fired power plants. The same power plants that cause acid rain, smog, soot, and mercury pollution. The same power plants that contribute to global warming, and are causing the ice at the North Pole to melt. They herald coal as cheap. Duquesne Light apparently does not know the price of coal plants has skyrocketed, causing many cancellations of coal plants around the country, even before coal plants start paying for the huge cost of carbon pollution.

And then there is the $15 billion needed to clean up the mess just in Pennsylvania from coal mining. Six thousand miles of our streams have been damaged or destroyed by acid mine pollution. One hundred and eighty thousand acres of abandoned mine land must be reclaimed. Underground mine fires must be extinguished. All that costs a lot of money. But the naughty Duquesne Light Company kids didn’t tell their customers that.

But there is a kind of Pennsylvania power plant that not only causes very little pollution, but the fuel is really, really cheap. In fact, once the plants are built, the fuel is free! Yes, you guessed it, boys and girls, Santa is talking about wind power. And Pennsylvania is not only one of the fastest growing states for wind energy, it is also becoming a hub for wind energy throughout the nation.

The nice girls and boys at Gamesa are a great example. Gamesa decided just a few years ago to build its North American headquarters and production facilities here in Pennsylvania. Now, more than 1300 Pennsylvanians are working round-the-clock to meet the demand for towers, generators and all the other parts of wind turbines. There may be as many as 1500 employed by Christmas – because even though they are working non-stop, there is a three year backlog of orders.

I hope all those nice Gamesa kids get everything they want this year – a clean environment and a booming economy.

But Santa is getting worried about the lack of action on the energy bills in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. Since the governor is a Democrat and the House calendar is controlled by the Democrats, Santa really wonders why things aren’t moving along. And with the House out of session until after Thanksgiving, time is slipping away. The good news is that the House just added days to the session, so we have a little more time – 30 days as of today – to pass the Energy Independence Strategy.
Santa is pretty powerful, but he can’t pass any laws. On this one, the reins of the reindeer are in the hands of the House Democratic leadership. Giddy up, boys and girls!

If you think you should be on the nice list, send Santa an email – Santa@PennFuture.org.


Love, Santa  (R&D-North Pole)

(You can also view the list online, with pictures).

Dear Boys and Girls,

Santa is truly perplexed when boys and girls are deliberately naughty. Don’t they know I see them when they’re sleeping; I know when they’re awake; I know if they’ve been bad or good? So they should be good for goodness’ sake, shouldn’t they?

But the naughty boys and girls at the Electric Power Generation Association seem bound and determined to have a permanent place on Santa’s naughty list. It’s bad enough that they unsuccessfully fought against cutting toxic mercury from power plant pollution, so that every baby would get a great start. But now they are fighting against the Energy Independence Strategy, trying to stop Pennsylvanians from having the tools needed to use electricity smarter and cleaner.

Among the worst at EPGA are the very naughty Doug Biden and Terry Fitzpatrick .  Even though rate caps on Pennsylvanians’ electricity bills have ended in four electric utility service territories and will terminate everywhere within the next three years, resulting in higher – and for some, much higher – electricity bills, Biden and Fitzpatrick are dead set against requiring statewide energy efficiency programs. Pennsylvania is the only state in the Northeast that doesn’t have a comprehensive set of energy efficiency programs. If Pennsylvania created energy efficiency programs including incentives for high efficiency appliances, lighting, motors, and new homes that waste less energy, electric customers in the state could pay between $9 and $12 billion less for electric service over the next decade. That would mean more money in every family’s pocket, and a better business climate for all Pennsylvania’s businesses.

But Biden and Fitzpatrick claim that Pennsylvania’s electricity companies shouldn’t be compelled to give customers smart meters and other tools to manage and reduce their electricity use. They argue that the electricity companies should be able to raise their rates as much as necessary, and customers will have a “natural incentive� to use less. They also argue against increasing requirements for clean, renewable energy, instead sticking with our old and outdated “dirty dinosaur� power plants. They should realize that is certainly not being nice, and Santa is watching these very naughty children.

Santa is very happy that there has been progress on the Energy Independence Strategy. On the nice list, Governor Ed Rendell (have you ever wondered how great he would fill a Santa suit?) met with the House Democratic Caucus this week. He told them how important it was and that he really wanted them to lead the fight and pass it. I hope all the boys and girls listening decide to be nice, not naughty.

I know some are already being very nice. A little elf whispered in my ear that Camille (Bud) George (D – Clearfield), Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee), is planning to move a big part of the EIS through his committee in the near future. That makes Santa really, really happy.

If you think you should be on the nice list, send Santa an email – Santa@PennFuture.org.  

Love, Santa  (R&D-North Pole)

P.S.  About those cookies and milk. After 1700 years, it’s getting old. How about a Philadelphia cheese steak and a glass of St. Nikolaus Bock from Penn Brewery in Pittsburgh? That will really hit The Spot!

On November 14, prime sponsors of four vital pieces of legislation that will put Pennsylvania well on its way toward energy independence, together with Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty and PennFuture President and CEO John Hanger, held a press conference in the Capitol Rotunda to urge immediate action on these bills. The scheduled holiday break for this legislative session is December 12.

Listen in to this bipartisan press conference in this podcast. You will hear from Representatives Michael Gerber (D-Montgomery), who introduced the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative (HB 1202); Carole Rubley (R-Chester, Montgomery), appearing at the request of Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester), who is prime sponsor of legislation (Special Session HB 31) to require that energy conservation programs be created in all parts of Pennsylvania so that electricity demand is stabilized at current levels; Robert Freeman (D-Northampton), sponsor of the bill (HB 2017 in the regular session and Special Session HB 38) helping consumers to save money by insuring that smart electric meters are installed for all electricity customers, so that all consumers can be paid for cutting energy demand during the times when electricity is most needed and most expensive; and Eugene DePasquale (D-York), whose legislation (Special Session HB 1) will ensure adequate funding to provide incentives for job-creating renewable energy development and money-saving energy efficiency investments to compete with surrounding states.

Representative Camille (Bud) George (D – Clearfield), Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, also participated in the press conference, saying he would do everything in his power to move these bills forward. Others attending the press conference include Representatives Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), John Hornaman (D-Erie), Chris King (D-Bucks), Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware), and Mike Vereb (R- Montgomery), among others.

To learn more about the Campaign for Energy Independence, visit our Web site. There you can also take action to urge your legislators to support these critical bills.

Days left for passage of Energy Independence Strategy:  27

Dear Boys and Girls,

Santa is very sad that there hasn’t been any more movement for passage of the Energy Independence Strategy, and some very naughty children aren’t helping. Those bad boys and girls at the American Petroleum Institute, which now calls itself just API (are they trying to hide something? hmm...), are trying to stop the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative from passing. Santa thinks he knows why – he was taking the reindeer out for a trial run in Lititz the other day, and he saw a sign for prices at the local gas station. Unleaded gasoline was $3.03, and E85 was $1.99.
If Santa’s sleigh weren’t reindeer-powered, I know where we’d fill up – and I’d want all of Pennsylvania’s good little girls and boys to be able to cut their energy costs, too, and buy energy that was made in Pennsylvania.

But the American Petroleum Institute is very, very naughty. As President Bush said, “America is addicted to oil.� That is bad for America but good business for the oil industry. America consumes more oil every day than any other country. And some of that oil inevitably gets spilled. Oil is making many creatures sick, killing some, and really hurting the planet. Last week, 58,000 gallons of toxic bunker fuel spilled from a container ship into San Francisco Bay in 30 minutes, killing thousands of birds, closing beaches, destroying both commercial and recreational fishing and creating a real mess. This week, a single hull tanker ship broke apart in very heavy weather near the Black Sea. That dumped 560,000 gallons of fuel oil, killing birds and fish and destroying the environment for years to come. Fighting biofuels helps to keep America addicted to oil and all of its dangers. API is now at the top of the naughty list.

Santa is very happy that there are so many good boys and girls in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, many of whom joined him yesterday in announcing the plan to pass the Energy Independence Strategy before anyone gets a holiday break. The main sponsors of the EIS legislation — Robert Freeman (D-Northampton), Eugene DePasquale (D-York), and Carole Rubley (R-Chester, Montgomery), appearing at the request of Chris Ross (R-Chester), all were there. (One of the sponsors, Michael Gerber (D-Montgomery), had to meet with the leadership, but he wanted to be there.)

But a whole lot of good girls and boys who are supporting the energy plan were there too, including Camille (Bud) George (D – Clearfield), Chair of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, Joe Preston (D-Allegheny), Chair of the House Consumer Affairs Committee, Greg Vitali (D-Delaware), Kate Harper (R-Montgomery), Bryan Lentz (D-Delaware), Jan Moyer (R-Montgomery), Patrick Harkins (D-Erie), John Payne (R- Dauphin), John Hornaman (D-Erie), Marguerite Quinn (R-Bucks), Chris King (D-Bucks), Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery), Daylin Leach (D-Montgomery), Tony Payton (D-Philadelphia), and Rick Taylor (D-Montgomery). Another good boy who is on the nice list, Jake Wheatley (D-Allegheny), couldn’t be there because he was chairing the Renewable Energy Caucus meeting (Santa really likes that!), but that scamp, Katie McGinty (DEP) unexpectedly showed up, displaying her smiling support.

If you think you should be on the nice list, send Santa an email – Santa@PennFuture.org. Look for another list tomorrow!

Love, Santa  (D&R-North Pole)

(To view this list with pictures, click here.)

Too little has been done on energy policy in 2007, and our energy problems are getting more serious every month. Funding renewable energy, supporting biofuels, boosting energy conservation, and cutting peak electricity demands with smart meters have been discussed and debated since February in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The countdown is on: we now have 28 days left before the legislature is scheduled to leave for the holidays. Will 2007 be a lost year of no action? Or will it be known as the year the leaders of Pennsylvania passed key energy legislation that protects our economy, environment and security?

Voters across the state support the EIS legislation overwhelmingly. This support, unprecedented in scope and size, is held by both Republicans and Democrats; by conservatives, liberals and moderates; by women and men; and by Pennsylvanians from every part of the state. Poll results from earlier this year confirm that.

It’s time for bold, immediate action, and that means the legislature should act by December 12. Oil prices are near or at $100 a barrel and gasoline is over $3 a gallon; the ice cap dramatically disappeared in the Arctic this summer, with climatologists predicting worse to come; and electricity rate caps have already ended in four areas of Pennsylvania and will end in the rest of Pennsylvania in the next two to three years. Conserving energy, cutting peak electricity demands, and making electricity and transportation fuels from renewable energy are the only ways to protect our economy and environment from crippling price shocks.

Beginning today, Santa Claus, who has his own selfish interests in making sure we get our acts together on energy policy (like keeping his digs at the North Pole!) has promised to keep a list of the ‘naughty and nice’ to highlight the need for immediate bold action on the environment. In this podcast, PennFuture's Jan Jarrett has the honor of talking with Santa about the “Naughty and Nice List� he intends to issue every day until the energy legislation passes. We will be making the list available to you via our blog as well.

Stay tuned! And get involved, by taking action immediately to let your elected officials know that you are paying attention to who's being naughty and nice. Send them a message through our online action center to support vital energy legislation now, and to pass it before the winter holidays.

In September, 2007 Montgomery County announced its plan to supply all of the county's properties with 100 percent renewable wind energy. This initiative makes Montgomery County the first county government  in the nation to operate solely on clean power. The decision to move county properties to green operations will reduce carbon emissions by 17,000  metric tons per year, the equivalent of taking 3735 cars off the roads every hour of every day of every year.
 
PennFuture’s Joy Bergey attended  the Commissioner’s announcement of this plan and interviewed three leading  officials on the matter.  Join us in this week’s podcast as Joy interviews Steve Nelson, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of Montgomery County;  Brent Alderfer, Executive Vice President of Community Energy; and James  Matthews, Montgomery County Commissioner.
 
PennFuture applauds the  leadership that has been displayed by those individuals involved in making  this groundbreaking decision.  We now encourage our readers, listeners  and members to join in the movement by purchasing wind energy products for your homes and businesses. The steps are easy, and the cost is minimal.  Visit PennFuture’s website for 10 ways you can reduce carbon  emissions; visit CleanYourAir.org for how you can buy clean renewable  energy; and speak up for wind energy today.
 
Ordinary citizens are taking the steps today to lead the  forward for clean renewable energy. Let’s take the steps with them.
 

Imagine that you've just relaxed in bed anticipating a wonderful nights sleep only to hear your child screaming from his or her crib because of a sore throat. Naturally you would take your child to the doctors, hear the diagnosis, receive a prescription, and your child's healed. However, in this scenario you have to imagine that none of the antibiotics that the doctor prescribes are strong enough to fight your child's aching throat. No, this is not a fictional horror story. This is what has become a reality in the medical field that doctors and parents are facing around the world. In This weeks podcast we will introduce you to the disappearing effects that our hero antibiotics are beginning to have on the enemies force of diseases, bacteria's, and viruses. Understanding the problem and finding solutions requires a proper examination of the issue. The content is intense and may require some prior knowledge so we decided to separate this weeks podcast into segments so that you may find the material categorized and introduced with a brief overview. Below are six separate mp3 files that combined make up the CHE Partnership call, Antibiotics in Agriculture as an Environment Public Health Issue: Saving the "Magic Bullet".


- David Wallinga, MD, MPH, Director, Antibiotic Resistance Project, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP)
Dr. Wallinga gives an in-depth introduction to the problem of our dwindling safety net. You'll begin to understand what old McDonald really has on his farm and you'll respond with a ehhh! and a ohhh!
Click here to listen to segment.

- Mardi Mellon, PhD, Director, Food and Environment Program, Union of Concerned Scientists
Dr. Mellon will introduce you to developments in the Policy Landscape. She will specifically talk about the most recent work that she has undergone.
Click here to listen to segment.

- Richard Jackson, MD, MPH, Adjunct Professor, Environmental Health Sciences Division, University of California at Berkeley, School of Public Health
Dr. Jackson discusses the steps citizens must take to battle human health concerns. It is very important to look at success of the past. Eventually we get the bills. It always starts on the state level before a movement goes national. We need to know what tools we can use to build a brighter future of human health.
Click here to listen to segment.

- Catherine Porter, Coordinator of the funders forum of Keep Antibiotics Working
Pressure on big market companies has prevailed successfully, including work McDonalds. Catharine Porter will mention a few benchmarks that the Keep Antibiotics Working Coalition has made so far.
Click here to listen to segment.

- Ted Schettler, MD, MPH, Science Director, Science and Environmental Health Network
Dr. Schettler gives a brief example of the devastating effects of contaminants in our foods and common products we are exposed to each day. Studies were conducted at the experimental lakes in Northern Ontario.
Click here to listen to segment.

- Question and Answer Session
Obviously with an issue as immense as this there are bound to be many questions. Listeners to the Partnerships call participated in the phone conference, asking the doctors questions about their own concerns. 
Click here to listen to segment.


Call Moderator:  Steve Heilig, MPH, Director of Public Health & Education, San Francisco Medical Society and the Collaborative on Health and the Environment

Links
Listen to the complete phone call with no breaks.
Keep Antibiotics Working Website.
Health and Environment Website.
The Meatrix.
Safe Food, Safe Families - Keeping Medicine Working for You

In this podcast,  PennFuture's Jan Jarrett attends the annual dinner for the Hershey-Harrisburg Chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility, and speaks with their keynote speaker, Dr. Bob Edgar, President and CEO of Common Cause. Common Cause works to bring positive change to our democratic system, including important work to reform media ownership,  elections, and lobbying. And with over 300,000 members, they help to increase public involvement in our political systems in order to create a more just democratic society.

PennFuture's own mission shares a great deal in common with the work of Common Cause. At PennFuture, we are "working to create a just future where nature, community, and the economy thrive." We have witnessed firsthand the accomplishments that informed and empowered citizens can (and do) achieve. Take for example Pennsylvania's transformation from an economy without the option of clean, alternative energy to a state with a growing renewable energy sector where local governments are adopting green practices. Or consider the legal victory spearheaded by PennFuture that requires the Pennsylvania coal companies to post bonds to cover the cost of environmental clean up. The list goes on, and accomplishments such as these and those of many other groups could not have been fully realized without the support and efforts of people working together for a shared vision.

Like PennFuture, Common Cause (and Physicians for Social Responsibility) understands the need to act without hesitation to stop our contributions to global warming. The mission is critical, and success is only achievable through the work of passionate individuals carrying the messages of clean energy, carbon reduction, and energy independence.

Listen in as Jan and Bob talk about the work of the people. To learn more about our work, visit our Web site. There you can also make a tax-deductible contribution to support our efforts toward creating a just future for all. As always, we welcome your feedback. Simply send us an e-mail at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

Pennsylvania is unfortunately a leader in the production of heat-trapping gas emissions that are causing global warming. Ranked third in the United States and responsible for one percent of the world’s entire greenhouse gas emissions, the Keystone State is a major part of the problem. And its projected to worsen; greenhouse gas pollution will grow at a rate of 10 percent per decade in the years to come, unless we act now.

The first of the autumn's Urban Sustainability Forum events in Philadelphia focused on just that: impacts of global warming on the Philadelphia region, and ways that we can take action together to prevent the worst. The forum featured Brian Hill, President of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) and Erica Spanger-Siegfried, Northeast Climate Project Manager for the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp speaks with them both as they describe the facts about global warming and its expected impacts in southeastern Pennsylvania.

It's important to note that global warming is a problem that requires many solutions all at once, from dedicated people of all stripes: scientists, economists, environmentalists, medical professionals, students, elected officials, businesses, clergy, hunters, anglers, and concerned citizens of every variety. We all need to be working for change in Pennsylvania.

Taking action on key Pennsylvania policy initiatives is one critical way to help. Visit PennFuture's web site to learn more about the Energy Independence Strategy and our Cool Pennsylvania campaign. You will also find our most current action alerts where we urge you to speak out now! You can also make a tax-deductible contribution by clicking here; your support enables us to continue our successful work for healthy communities, a healthy economy, and a healthy environment today and tomorrow. As always, we welcome your comments. Simply send us an e-mail at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

September ended with the start of a special legislative session on energy in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Recall that Governor Ed Rendell introduced the Energy Independence Strategy in February 2007, a comprehensive package of funding and programs that will put Pennsylvania where we need to be in the next several years in order to keep electricity prices low, to bolster development of clean, alternative sources of energy like wind and solar, and to help stop Pennsylvania's contributions to global warming-- just to name a few.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Vice President Jan Jarrett and President & CEO John Hanger review how far we've come in the fight for energy independence, and what we need to accomplish in the coming months.

Demand for electricity in Pennsylvania increases on average by 1.5 percent per year, despite the fact that our population isn't growing. It may not sound like much in any given year, but over the course of a few years-- it adds up. And since the overwhelming majority of our electricity in Pennsylvania comes from coal-fired and nuclear power plants, which spew toxic chemicals, cause premature death, use enormous amounts of water, and result in serious waste disposal issues, meeting that rising demand for electricity means more of the same. The costs for "more of the same" are staggering-- nearly $20 billion for new power plants and energy distribution and transmission infrastructure. Unless we stop business as usual, and follow a different road to the future.

That road is one paved with energy policies that require Pennsylvania to meet growing demand for electricity with energy conservation programs and strategies linked with renewable energy development. It's been done with wild success in other states. In California, for example, electricity demand has stayed even since energy conservation mandates were enacted, yet their population and economy have grown a great deal.

We can have our cake and eat it, too: build our economy while at the same time curbing heat-trapping and health-threatening pollution causing global warming. Spur new family-sustaining jobs in the alternative energy fields while at the same time saving every Pennsylvanian money in their electric bills. Enhance our security by replacing imported foreign fuels with biofuels made here at home.

Listen in to learn more. Visit the Energy Independence section of our Web site, and take action to declare your support for energy independence. There you can also make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work for energy independence. As always, we welcome your comments. Just e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

The United States started with a single curbside-recycling plan. Twenty years later, Americans recycle 32 percent of their total waste each year on average, as projected by Earth 911. Over time, recycling methods and the availability of facilities have grown. Today we are finding new ways to reduce, reuse, and recycle the materials that would typically end up in landfills. These aren't really new concepts, but the "throw-away" society of the 20th century is starting to come around-- everything old is new again.

Environmental health is but one great reason to recycle. In Philadelphia, PennFuture-led Next Great City project is demonstrating that focusing more on recycling has economic benefits for the city as a whole, since waste disposal costs come down as recycling rates go up.

In this podcast, PennFuture’s Joy Bergey conducts a series of interviews with Philadelphia-area businesses involved with recycling and reusing materials that most of us may not have thought possible. When we hear the word "recycling" we usually think of those things that are easily taken out to the curb: paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum. But as Joy discovers, that's only the beginning. Listen in as she talks with folks from Elemental, Inc., Walk a Crooked Mile bookstore, and the Urban Nutrition Initiative about their contributions to recycling beyond the curb.

To learn more about Next Great City and other projects and activities at PennFuture, visit our Web site. There, you can sign up for more information and make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments; just e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported today on the first mayoral debate of the campaign season last night, hosted by the Pittsburgh Design Coalition.  Check out this quote from the article:

The two agreed on major transportation issues: that Oakland and Downtown should be better linked by mass transit; that the subway extension to the North Side is a waste of money; and that the northerly portion of the Mon-Fayette Expressway is dead. Mr. Ravenstahl said the expressway wasn't even in the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission's most recent request for federal funding.

Boy, are we glad to hear it!  Now let's hope the candidates can agree that finding workable alternatives for Pittsburgh and the Mon Valley should be among the priorities for our region's transportation planners.

We're working on helping communities in the proposed dead road's path connect with opportunities to attract new transportation investment that supports smart growth.  We can't do it without your help!  Take a moment to contribute, and click on "comments" below to let us know what you think our region's transportation priorities should be.

Supporters of the Mon-Fayette Toll Road, a proposed Turnpike expansion project in southwestern Pennsylvania, say the project is necessary to attract economic development and to retain young people in our region.  But that underestimates the impact that the Mon-Fayette’s car and truck pollution would have on the area's residents, economy, and quality of living.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Andrea Boykowycz speaks with Braddock Mayor John Fetterman and Michael Parker of Group Against Smog and Pollution. They elaborate on just how the Mon-Fayette would affect our health, and the health of our region’s economy-- and the outlook is bad on both counts.

Braddock is squarely in the path of the proposed Pittsburgh leg of the Mon-Fayette Toll Road. As Braddock Mayor John Fetterman testified last month before the State Transportation Commission, the proposed toll road is a menace to his community in more ways than one. The threat that the Turnpike would acquire right-of-way for this road has been an obstacle to economic and community re-development in Braddock for decades -- and the traffic that the road would deliver (if it's ever built) would blanket it in diesel fumes. Braddock already has some of the highest asthma rates of any municipality in our region. Plowing a highway right through the middle of town will only make Braddock's residents sicker.

It's not just Braddock's lungs that would suffer, either. Because Allegheny County is a non-attainment area for PM 2.5 pollution (meaning, the EPA has determined our air doesn't meet federal standards for soot pollution), any new fine particulate pollution source -- such as a new four-lane highway -- would make it that much harder for new businesses to locate here, or for existing businesses to expand. This is because we're prohibited by federal law from adding to our pollution problem; any new emissions sources would need to pay to mitigate the effects they'd have on our region's air quality.

Far from delivering economic opportunity to the Mon Valley, the Mon-Fayette would only create an additional obstacle to development.  Building it would cost $3.6 billion -- but it would also cost us our health and a sizable chunk of our economic future.

We shouldn't have to shoulder any of those costs. Communities in the Mon Valley deserve much better.

For more information about the Mon-Fayette and what we can do to help Mon Valley communities move forward with achievable alternatives, visit PennFuture's Mon-Fayette campaign page. While you're there, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Just email us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

Battle for Energy Independence Starts
The Senate kicked off the Special Session on Energy Policy this week with a hearing on the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative. On Monday Governor Rendell will discuss the Energy Independence Strategy before a joint session of the General Assembly.

Will Pennsylvania win energy independence or surrender? The stakes are that big.

Politics as usual will lose the battle for energy independence by doing nothing, or passing small items that make no real difference to how much energy is consumed or how energy is made. Winning energy independence means boosting energy conservation and curtailing the addiction to oil and coal.

To be specific, winning this vital battle means Pennsylvania must require:

• that energy efficiency be increased enough to stop the annual 1.5 percent increase in demand that is now taking place like clockwork;
• an $850 million fund to finance solar, wind, energy conservation and clean energy projects;
• smart meter installation in all homes and businesses over a reasonable period to cut peak demand - demand that is driving up electricity prices and the need for more power lines and power plants; and,
• increasing production of biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol.

Bipartisan Support Grows for HSCA Funding
Representatives Rick Taylor (D-Montgomery) and Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) this week introduced House Bill 1810, which taps $30 million of surplus budget revenues to make sure the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Account (HSCA) is fully funded for the remainder of the 2007-2008 fiscal year. There are 79 co-sponsors of this bill and counting.

Senator Charles McIlhinney (R-Bucks) plans to introduce companion legislation, Senate Bill 1059, in the very near future.

Haul Your Ash Out of Here
A report by the Clean Air Task Force and Earthjustice examines the practice of allowing power plant fly ash to be dumped into abandoned coal mines. Records from 10 of 15 mines in Pennsylvania examined show unsafe levels of arsenic, lead, cadmium, chromium and other pollutants in nearby streams and ground water.

Don't have time for the exhaustive report? Watch the video.

Vance Proposes Shift in Truck Idling Practices
Diesel soot pollution from trucks is a burgeoning public health problem for Pennsylvania. And it is not just an urban problem. Interstate 81 and numerous truck warehouses help make Cumberland County one of the 25 worst places for this fine particle pollution in the nation according to the American Lung Association.

This week Senator Pat Vance (R-Cumberland and York) introduced legislation to significantly restrict the idling of commercial diesel vehicles. Senate Bill 1095 prohibits these trucks from idling more than five minutes, with certain exceptions, if the outside temperature is between 40 and 80 degrees.

On May 16, the Environmental Quality Board voted to accept DEP's recommendation that the agency develop statewide anti-idling regulations. The move was in a response to a petition submitted by the Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania.

Not Another Lawyer Joke
Know a sharp legal eagle interested in working to protect Pennsylvania's environment and economy? Please send her or him our way. PennFuture has an opening for an attorney to work in our Pittsburgh office.

Wind energy is the best energy source in Pennsylvania when one considers the options available and the costs and benefits to our economy, environment, and to public health. PennFuture's President and CEO took to the Capitol to speak to people directly about the overwhelmingly positive aspects of wind energy production and development in the Commonwealth. Pictured to the right are but a few reminders of how coal causes harm: through mining, through poisoning wildlife such as birds and fish via toxic pollution, and by creating many public health problems such as worsening asthma or contributing to premature deaths when burned for electricity. More than half of Pennsylvania's electricity production comes from coal-fired power plants.

In this podcast, listen in as John details why wind is a win for Pennsylvania during a press conference, and why PennFuture is committed to working to help reduce the long list of damages caused by traditional power production. Our work to promote clean, alternative energy like wind is complemented and strengthened by our work fighting air pollution and toxic mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, working to protect communities from devastating impacts of coal mining, and striving to stop global warming and its many impacts on all aspects of life.

Following are but a few basic but important facts about wind energy:

-Electricity from Pennsylvania’s wind farms creates no air pollution. Wind energy emits no mercury that is poisoning birds, fish and working its way into the human food chain, no soot that kills 2,000 Pennsylvanians each year and belches from coal plants, no arsenic, no smog causing pollution that sickens and kills humans, and no global warming pollution that is causing dangerous climate change that will destroy Pennsylvania’s existing forests.
-  Every kilowatt-hour of zero pollution electricity produced at a wind farm is a kilowatt-hour that will not be produced by traditional dirty generation sources that cause massive environmental damage. Supply and demand for electricity must constantly be kept in balance and so every kilowatt-hour produced by a wind farm is instantly consumed and avoids the need for that kilowatt-hour coming from another dirty plant.
-  Wind energy helps Pennsylvania reduce our contributions to the global warming problem; Pennsylvania ranks third worst in the nation for production of heat-trapping gases that cause global warming, as much
as 105 countries combined. That equates to a full 1 percent of the world’s total global warming pollution.
-  Wind energy has no fuel costs. Investing in wind energy now means that costs will never escalate in the
years ahead, no matter what. The same cannot be said for traditional sources of energy in Pennsylvania.
-  Pennsylvania’s forest, wildlife, and water resources are enhanced and protected by wind energy production, since it does not result in pollution. Each and every wind project proposed in Pennsylvania is reviewed thoroughly by four state regulatory agencies, applying guidelines that were designed specifically for the Commonwealth, using the best science from all sources. These reviews are conducted for two years prior to the construction of a wind project. Many wind energy companies have voluntarily agreed to the nation’s most rigorous set of project review guidelines and requirements developed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission. Pennsylvania is a model for the U.S. in this regard.
-  More than 1,000 Pennsylvanians are already employed in Pennsylvania’s wind industry. Gamesa, a wind turbine manufacturer, shortly will be hiring another 300 Pennsylvanians. That is just the beginning of the many good paying jobs wind power is bringing now to Pennsylvania.

To learn more about why PennFuture supports wind energy, energy conservation, and the effort to move us toward a clean energy future, visit our Web site. There you can take action to voice your support for energy independence and wind energy, and make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Just e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

Ozone can be both very harmful, and a life-sustaining feature of our planet's composition. Stratospheric ozone, a layer far above ground level, perpetually protects us from the sun's harmful UV rays. But ground-level ozone, a byproduct of pollution from tailpipes and smokestacks that reacts in sunlight to form what we know better as smog, creates a dangerous and even deadly situation. Ground-level ozone smog has significant health impacts ranging from inducing or worsening asthma to contributing to premature deaths. Medical research tells us clearly that ozone pollution must be decreased in order to protect public health today, and in the world of tomorrow.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes the health impacts of ground-level ozone on human beings; the agency was given the responsibility under the federal Clean Air Act to take steps to reduce and prevent pollution that hurts human health. Ozone pollution standards currently in effect have not done enough to protect us, and the EPA is now considering whether to tighten up the rules, and if so, by how much. Early indications are that the EPA's proposals are falling short of scientific recommendations on the issue. A series of five public hearings are being held by the EPA to discuss the challenge of reducing ozone in our air, and a public comment period on the proposed rule is open until October 9th, 2007.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp, who testified on behalf of PennFuture at the Philadelphia hearing, speaks with several individuals who took time to publicly comment on the need for a more protective ozone standard. Join us in listening as Natalie McCloskey, volunteer for the American Lung Association, Kevin Stewart, Director of Environmental Health for the American Lung Association, and Ben Dunham, Associate Legal Counsel for EarthJustice share their perspectives on the many problematic impacts of ozone on our lives.

To read more about the EPA's findings on the impact of ozone, view their ozone section of their web site.  To find out more information about how PennFuture is working to protect health and improve air quality, please visit our Web Site. There you can also make a tax-deductible contribution. We encourage you to join us in discussion of these issues by e-mailing us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or commenting through the link below. 

PennFuture's Session Daze is designed to be a brief, informative and occasionally humorous look at public policy in Pennsylvania. Please visit our website for more information about PennFuture.

Lather. Rinse. Repeat – Except with Black Gunk
In a cycle seeming without end, FirstEnergy's Bruce Mansfield power plant smokestacks continue to belch black gunk that settles all over the town of Shippingport and neighboring communities like Raccoon Township in Beaver County. After each episode, residents demand to know what potential health problems they might suffer – going so far as to getting their own tests of the black rain – and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) fines FirstEnergy for violating its clean air permit.

Now the Beaver County Times reports that local residents are trying to jump off this not-so-Merry-Go-Round. Shippingport Borough Council members demanded answers from officials from FirstEnergy and DEP. According to the newspaper report, Councilman Terry Ordich said a DEP report on the incident seemed to be written in a foreign language.
Residents want plain English explanations of the problems at the plant and also want the problems there fixed. They are also demanding details about the composition of the pollution and the possible health impacts of it for their families, pets, and wildlife. PennFuture and the Environmental Integrity Project have notified FirstEnergy that they intend to sue to stop these massive air pollution violations.

The Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund Two-Step
Step One - Representatives Rick Taylor (D-Montgomery) and Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery) will be introducing legislation to keep the Hazardous Sites Cleanup Fund (HSCA) solvent through the end of this fiscal year. The legislation, HB 1810, has already attracted 55 co-sponsors of both parties. It would transfer $30 million of the state's budget surplus to HSCA. (Note: There is still time for more members to sign on before the bill's formal introduction later this month.)

Step Two – Senator John Rafferty (R-Berks, Chester, Montgomery) has introduced a bottle bill, SB 1035, to provide permanent funding for HSCA. The legislation would authorize a nickel deposit on beverage containers and use money collected but not redeemed by consumers as the revenue source.

This bill has attracted the opposition of a coalition of business interests that includes soda and water bottlers and beer brewers, waste companies and associations, convenience and food store associations and others who claim that a bottle bill is bad for the state, the environment and consumers. That flies in the face of the successful programs up and running in eleven other states. Some of these programs are so successful at reducing litter and expanding recycling that states are expanding their programs.

This Preview is Rated P-G
Coming soon to the Capitol and to the Pennsylvania Cable Network, premiering on September 17: "Survivor Pennsylvania - The Special Legislative Session on Energy Policy."

This special session is brought to you by a deal between Governor Rendell and Senate Republicans that was struck when the budget agreement was reached.

The governor wanted the Energy Independence Strategy to be addressed in June along with the budget. The strategy includes an $850 million fund for development of renewable energy projects, energy efficiency measures, and consumer rebates for energy efficient appliances. The legislators refused to consider it in June, but promised to provide funding during the special session.

Also on the agenda: moving the PennSecurity Fuels Initiative, which would commit the state to producing 900 million gallons of its own transportation fuel –completely offsetting the amount we currently import from the Middle East. PennFuture is also drafting legislation that would require that energy conservation be increased to reduce growth in electricity demand and to require utilities to install smart meters in customers' properties. Governor Rendell and a growing group of bipartisan legislators support both initiatives.

Preseason Scrimmage - House Consumer Affairs Committee Hearing
The House Consumer Affairs Committee held a hearing on Wednesday to gather information about how the end of caps on electricity rates will affect consumers and the utility industry. PennFuture's president and CEO, John Hanger, testified at the hearing emphasizing the important role of renewable energy, energy conservation and smart meter technology in helping to minimize the expected rate increases after 14 years of electricity rate caps. Expanding supply with renewable fuels and reducing demand by cutting waste is the only recipe for easing the impact on household budgets.

Others testifying included J. Michael Love, president and CEO of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania; Stephen Feld, Associate General Counsel, FirstEnergy; Lisa Crutchfield, Senior Vice President, Regulatory and External Affairs, PECO Energy Company; Doug Krall, manager of regulatory strategy for PPL Electric Utilities; PUC Chairman Wendell Holland; Dave Turner, Senior Vice President, Geslalt; Sonny Popowsky, Consumer Advocate of Pennsylvania; William Lloyd, Small Business Advocate; Douglas Biden, President, Electric Power Generation Association; and Frank Lacey from Direct Energy, who spoke on behalf of the Retail Energy Supply Association.

More than Just a Place to Congregate
A workshop to help congregations reduce their energy costs, "Energy Costs and the Environment: The Practical and Moral Bottom Line for Your Congregation," will be offered two times, once each on Saturday and Sunday, October 6 and 7 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Cathedral in Harrisburg. The workshop will feature Andy Rudin, coordinator for the Interfaith Coalition on Energy and offer practical advice and real solutions to cutting energy costs. The workshop is limited to the first 100 registrants, cost is $20, and the deadline for registration is September 28. For more information contact Anne Yellott.

The Mon-Fayette Toll Road is a Turnpike Expansion project that has been planned for decades to connect Morgantown, WV to Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River Valley. The proposed 24-mile “Pittsburgh leg� of this road is currently projected to cost $3.6 billion, more than twice what’s been spent on all other sections of the Mon-Fayette and Southern Beltway projects combined. The region’s roads and bridges are suffering from neglect partly as a result of all the money that’s been spent on the Mon-Fayette in Washington and Fayette Counties – but ironically this fact is being exploited by the toll road’s boosters, who peddle their multi-billion dollar boondoggle as the only way to provide transportation access to the Mon Valley from Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, completing the Mon-Fayette will only draw more resources away from maintenance and safety investments in the region's infrastructure.

Improving accessibility in the Mon Valley doesn’t have to cost billions. Some projects that operate on a much smaller scale have the potential to boost economic and transportation investment in the region, without damaging the environment. In this podcast, PennFuture's Western Pennsylvania Outreach Coordinator Andrea Boykowycz tours the future riverfront trail connection between McKeesport and Pittsburgh with Steel Valley Trail Council President Hannah Hardy, and talks about future Pittsburgh Mon Valley trail connections with Friends of the Riverfront Executive Director Tom Baxter. You can follow along with Andrea and Hannah on the SVTC’s trail map. 

For more information about the Mon-Fayette and what we can do to help Mon Valley communities move forward with achievable alternatives, visit PennFuture’s Mon-Fayette campaign page.  While you're there, you can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments.  Just email us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below. 

Watershed health, especially in very populous areas, is greatly impacted by the manner in which we manage stormwater runoff. As you will hear and see in this video podcast, it's not the rain that's the problem. It's what happens to it once it hits the roofs, parking lots, and myriad other impermeable surfaces we've done such a thorough job of proliferating.

In this podcast, we join Jeff Bergman and Tim Converse of Pittsburgh's Nine Mile Run Watershed Association as they demonstrate proper rain barrel installation on residences in the area as part of the organization's Rain Barrel Initiative.

Rain barrels come in different sizes, colors, and specifications, but the basic principles remain the same: capture and store water from a roof, and then use the water for such applications as gardening or watering your lawn. In doing so, you've kept stormwater out of the storm sewer system, which in many urban areas in Pennsylvania and beyond, is horribly overtaxed as-is. Plus you're saving money on water usage.

Stormwater overflows are more and more commonplace, as sewer infrastructure is stretched far beyond capacity, and as the systems designed and installed many decades ago fail and decay. Helping to stem the tide in watersheds like Pittsburgh's Nine Mile Run dramatically help to improve water quality in the streams, benefiting everyone in the community-- humans and wildlife alike.

Of course, Pittsburgh isn't the only place where you'll find rain barrels popping up all over the place! Throughout the state, there are programs and initiatives underway. And many people simply make their own rain barrels, and have done so for ages. In arid states, capturing stormwater runoff is even required to help save water. Give it a try!

To learn more about how PennFuture is working around the state to improve water quality, visit our Web site. There you can make a tax-deductible contribution to support our work. As always, we welcome your comments. Just e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Joy Bergey and Alex Bard take us through a whirlwind tour of some of Pennsylvania's many outstanding options for enjoying locally-grown and organic foods. Eating locally-grown and -raised foods (ideally organic) provides a cornucopia of benefits, ranging from personal health, to the health of soil and water, to the health of the planet as we help to reduce global warming impacts, and of course to the vitality of local economies as small farmers thrive.

Our first stop takes us to southeastern Pennsylvania, where Joy speaks with Mary Ann Flaherty Ford, co-owner of Farm Fresh Express (which we are happy to recognize is one of the hundreds of Pennsylvania organizations proudly endorsing our Cool Pennsylvania campaign to stop global warming here at home). Mary Ann details several important reasons to eat local. Farm Fresh Express is a food delivery service in the Philadelphia area that offers only fresh, locally-grown grocery products brought right to your door. You can also visit their storefront farm stand in Lansdowne, PA if you prefer.

Joy moves on to central Pennsylvania talk with David Robb, manager of the Tuscarora Organic Growers Co-Op, which brought together growers and farmers in the region to collectively market and sell their organic products. The co-op now serves the Washington, D.C. metro area and some other mid-Atlantic markets. While there, Joy also spoke with a founding member of the co-op as well as one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Jim Crawford. Jim has been a successful organic farmer for more than 35 years.

Finally, we hear from Alex who stops into the fantastic Six Penn Kitchen restaurant located in downtown Pittsburgh to chat with executive sous chef Keith Fuller. Keith describes the variety of locally-grown foods that Six Penn uses in their ever-changing menus, designed to adjust with the seasons, sometimes a couple times each month. Six Penn even features local products in its bar selections!

Local foods are easy to find with a little looking. Two outstanding sources of information can be found here and here. So no matter what corner of Pennsylvania you find yourself in, be sure not to miss the wealth of local foods that await just outside your door. You are what you eat, so be sure to eat well.

For more information on PennFuture's work to ensure safer foods for our families, visit our Web site. There you can also make a secure, tax-deductible contribution to support our work. We welcome your comments at any time; just send us an e-mail at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

Decision making at the local level can have a strong impact on the quality of our air, water and visual environment. The 2007 Mayoral election in Philadelphia has seen the rise of environmental issues into prominence, causing most of the primary candidates to release their own plans to clean up the city - literally. The Next Great City initiative, spearheaded by PennFuture, played a large role in making that happen.

WHYY invited four panelists - Christine Knapp from Penn Future, Dr. Mary Myers of the Center for Sustainable Communities, Joe Minott from the Clean Air Council, and Mary Tracy of SCRUB (the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight)- to outline a list of immediate priorities for the next mayor. These range from recycling, to rethinking storm water management to stricter enforcement of littering laws.

Check out the video here. Then leave us your comments by clicking on "Comments" below! We'd like to know your thoughts on Philadelphia, the Next Great City. To join the NGC e-mail update list, contact Christine Knapp at knapp (at) pennfuture (dot) org. To support our work in Philadelphia and statewide, visit our secure Web site to make a tax-deductible contribution.

On the heels of our podcast with current and former interns, Harrisburg intern Sarah Goetz wrote her reflections about life as a PennFuture intern on our blog.

PennFuture Reflections by Sarah Goetz

For a college student, activism is not hard to find. A walk through the quad can mean wading through protests, petitions, flyers, and other campaigns for worthy causes. Campus is the perfect canvas for activism:  the combination of carefree youth, idealism, and energy empowers students and their diverse passions. Masterfully wielding the charisma and informed optimism that seem to come naturally at this stage of life, student activists fight for what they believe in. Sometimes the mere fight for the sake of counterculture is enough to call a student rally successful. 

But college campuses are a far cry from the real world. And the onset of reality and the working world forces many to abandon their idealism and former causes. So, as I exited the gates of my campus this May for a brief respite from college life, I braced myself for a change of pace. Expecting the monotony that is standard in an office setting, the vitality within the walls of PennFuture’s Harrisburg office building continuously surprised me from the first time I was buzzed through the door.

The staff members at PennFuture are the people who, even after youth has worn off and reality set it, still fight for the causes that engage them. Less idealistic and more grounded, they rely on experience and expertise to deliver their messages and to conduct environmental business with some serious clout. And the result of their work is not measured by the mere satisfaction of the fight, but by the tangible victories that are won in the courtroom, through the legislature, and with citizen support.

It is vital that these staff members still possess the will to fight, because environmental advocacy is often an uphill battle against many and diverse opponents.

I walked into PennFuture just as the battle for Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy became red hot in the state legislature. In the past, my only involvement in legislation was reading about the finished product in the newspaper. Here, I was privy to the gritty and complex process of a bill’s voyage through the state legislature.

PennFuture’s staff hatched ideas and strategies in the conference room and promptly spread them to the state capitol building and to media outlets. They had to equip politicians and the public with the knowledge and precision to ward off the persuasive opposition – which arose from every angle – in order to enact environmental policy. An incessant flow of information and personal contacts passed between PennFuture’s office and the Capitol building.

Perhaps the most unexpected aspect of the process was PennFuture’s constant vigilance over the bills as they passed through the hands of legislators. Battles on the Hill seem to be unpredictable; a steady climb in the support for a bill could overnight slink in the opposite direction. And then it might be back to the conference room for more strategizing.

As a result of my internship at PennFuture, I have gained some skills and garnered just a glimpse of that ever-elusive “real worldâ€? experience. The most valuable part of my learning experience here has been the opportunity to observe the skills displayed each day by the staff of PennFuture. Their ability to reach and accommodate diverse audiences contributes to PennFuture’s growing citizen support and validates its authority as an organization. 

I will carry all I have learned long after I leave the office. My experiences in this real world setting should be of great use as I reenter the gates of my college campus this fall.

We hope other interns, past, present and future, will join in this discussion.  Let us know how we're doing as mentors and whether your internship made a difference in your life's plan.

And PennFuture is always looking for interns. If you have an interest in volunteering or interning at PennFuture, we welcome your support. Contact our Director of Outreach Heather Sage at: sage (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or visit our website to locate a staff person focused on your specific area of interest. You can also take a look at our Jobs Board, where we post opportunities for employment at PennFuture and elsewhere. We welcome your support as a new member of PennFuture! And remember, citizen action really does work, so check out our Action Center and brand new "Legislation to Watch" section of our site to find out more about how you can affect Pennsylvania policies.          

This is part two in our two-part series on the Union of Concerned Scientists' (UCS) recent report "Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: Science, Impacts and Solutions." In this podcast, PennFuture's Sharon Pillar speaks with Dr. Lewis Ziska, who serves as one of the members of the UCS health & agriculture teams. Dr. Ziska is a plant physiologist with the United States Department of Agriculture in their Agricultural Research Service.

Dr. Ziska reviews some fascinating recent findings regarding the impacts of increasing temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on crops, agricultural products, and public health. Scientists are interested in determining how agriculture must adapt to the impacts of global warming, the impacts of weeds and pests resulting from climate change, the economic and environmental consequences of both things, and the links between climate change, plants, and public health.

For example, in Pennsylvania, agriculture is the state's number one industry. Pennsylvania's dairy farmers alone contribute a very significant amount to the Commonwealth's economy, at the state and local levels. Producing about one billion gallons of milk every year, Pennsylvania cows are at serious risk from global warming because their milk production decreases as temperatures go up. In 2005, the industry lost $40 million in Pennsylvania as a result of high temperatures and low rainfall.

Many Pennsylvanians also suffer from allergies and allergenic asthma. Dr. Ziska describes how weeds like ragweed actually are making allergies worse as heat-trapping gas emissions continue to rise in the atmosphere. Pollen from ragweed, for instance, is produced in greater quantities as temperature and carbon dioxide goes up, and the allergy-causing attributes of that pollen increase as well. Poison ivy has been thriving as well. Nutritional values of some agricultural crops are even decreasing as a result of global warming-- cereal crops are losing protein, though scientists don't yet understand why.

And while many people in the world deal with illness by filling a prescription at the pharmacy, few of us consider the plants that many medicines come from, or the three billion people worldwide that depend directly on plants for their medicinal qualities. Dr. Liska shares that scientists are discovering that the medicinal values of many plants are decreasing or changing as a result of higher temperatures. The effects are almost impossible to predict or quantify.

Waiting to act is not an option, as Dr. Liska points out during this podcast. The need for action is "yesterday," as he says. To learn how you can become a part of the Cool Pennsylvania Campaign to stop global warming at home, visit our Web site. There, you will also find links to the UCS study and other important information about global warming. We encourage you to support our work through a donation, and by joining our weekly global warming news e-mail list. As always, we welcome your comments; simply e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

"Confronting Climate Change in the U.S. Northeast: Science, Impacts and Solutions" was recently released by the Union of Concerned Scientists, and PennFuture's Sharon Pillar had an opportunity to speak with two of the scientists who contributed to this comprehensive, stunning report. This new report, part of a series in the Northeast Climate Impacts Assessment (NECIA), provides information on the impacts of climate change on key climate-sensitive sectors (coastal, marine, forests, agriculture, winter recreation and health), and options and opportunities for mitigation and adaptation.

The NECIA is a collaboration between the Union of Concerned Scientists and a team of more than 50 independent scientists and economists and covers the U.S. Northeast, from Pennsylvania to Maine.   

The report finds that without urgent action to reduce heat-trapping gas emissions today, the region could face a number of very serious impacts, detailed below. Important to note, however, is that the report examines two emissions scenarios, a high and low, but these should not be considered ceilings or floors. In other words, things could be even worse than predicted and modeled, and even under the lower emission scenario, things are bad. The key will be for us to reduce significantly our contributions to the problem to come in below the low-emissions scenario; that would mean, on average, cutting emissions by about three percent per year for decades, which is very achievable but cannot be delayed.

In this podcast (first in a two-part series), Sharon speaks to Dr. Jerry Melillo. Vice-chair of the NECIA synthesis team, Dr. Melillo is director of the Ecosystems Center at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass., and a trustee for the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment.

Summary of Potential Impacts
Climate: By late this century, summers in Pennsylvania could resemble summers today in Georgia or Alabama if emissions continue unabated.  Under a lower-emission scenario, summers in Pennsylvania could resemble those in Virginia and Kentucky.
Human Health: The number of days of dangerous heat and poor air quality that Pennsylvania residents will need to cope with could increase dramatically this century.  By late-century, Pittsburgh could experience roughly 24 days over 100°F every summer under the higher-emissions scenario, compared with roughly six such days under the lower-emissions scenario. Also, increasing levels of carbon dioxide are expected to accelerate seasonal pollen production over the next several decades, extending the allergy season and exacerbating symptoms for asthma and allergy sufferers across the state.
Agriculture: Under the high emissions scenario, most July days in Pennsylvania late in the century are projected to exceed the heat-stress threshold for many economically important crops currently grown in the state, and the dairy industry is particularly at risk. High temperatures would also allow agricultural pests and weeds, such as kudzu, to spread further north.

But there is good news, too. The report shows that the technology and ingenuity to reduce the threat of global warming is already at our fingertips. Solutions are already available:
Electric Power: The state of Pennsylvania has seized upon wind energy as a new energy resource and an economic development strategy. The wind-energy company Gamesa, for example, is investing $84 million and creating nearly 1,000 jobs by locating its U.S. headquarters in Philadelphia and building three plants in the state. We have also made great strides in jump-starting renewable energy development and energy conservation by passing key sections of the Energy Independence Strategy, and will continue to pursue other aspects of the total strategic package as laid out by Governor Ed Rendell this fall.
Buildings:"Green" building programs, like the federal Energy Star Buildings program and the U.S. Green Building Council LEED certifications, provide guidance needed to make buildings more energy-, water-, and resource-efficient. Pittsburgh has the largest number of "green" buildings of any city east of the Mississippi.
Transportation: The transportation sector in the Northeast represents the single largest source of CO2 emissions. Pennsylvania adopted California's vehicle emissions standards, which will require emissions reductions of 30 percent below 2002 levels by 2016, beginning with the 2008 model year (with implementation contingent upon an EPA ruling).
 
For more information and to view the full report, including state-specific information for all the northeastern states as well as a new solutions feature, visit www.climatechoices.org/ne. For more information on PennFuture's Cool Pennsylvania Campaign to stop global warming here at home, visit our Web site. There you can also make a donation to support this critical work. As always, we welcome your questions and comments. Simply e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on the "Comments" link below.

Pittsburgh-based Giant Eagle has been a leader on environmentally-conscious matters, not only as compared to other grocery stores, but as compared to other businesses in general. With their new Market District store in Pittsburgh's Shadyside neighborhood, they've again broken new ground, with recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council as the world's first LEED-certified store in the category of commercial interiors, with a silver rating. Giant Eagle was also one of the first companies in Pennsylvania to purchase clean, renewable wind energy.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Jeanne Clark leads us on an audio tour of the Market District facility. Joined by Marc Mondor (evolveEA), Giant Eagle's green building consultant on the project; Indigo Raffel (Conservation Consultants, Inc.) who leads educational tours of the facility for local students and community organizations; and jim lampl, Giant Eagle's Director of Conservation, Jeanne gets to see, feel, smell, hear, and taste the many wonders of this amazing store.

From the moment you set foot in Market District, there is more than meets the eye. Special floor mats are treated to remove as much dirt and muck from your shoes as possible. Signage throughout the store informs customers about the health and environmental benefits of the green building features, such as natural lighting, fresh air, and wood from only Forest Stewardship Council-certified suppliers. Giant Eagle continues to purchase wind energy for a significant portion of their stores' electricity needs, and the many energy-efficient features of the structure and their operations also reduce their contributions to global warming. In fact, you can even donate your fuelperks credits back to the store if you like, and those credits go toward purchasing additional carbon offsets.

In a rare moment, Jeanne even admits she learned something new-- and she thought she knew everything!-- when jim explains that the management decision to not only build green but to implement a host of additional environmentally-friendly practices cost just under one percent more than doing things the conventional way. Kind of makes you wonder why every grocery store isn't green... and in fact, Giant Eagle has plans to build two new LEED-certified stores in the coming year. They conducted a survey in conjunction with Carnegie Mellon University about shoppers' attitudes in their Pittsburgh and Brunswick, Ohio LEED stores. It turns out that a large majority of shoppers cited the green features as important to them in choosing Giant Eagle.

Moving through the store, Jeanne notices not being cold in the frozen foods aisles (energy-efficient air-return system), a decidedly pleasant olfactory experience (low-emitting flooring and paint, with zero to very few volatile organic compounds or VOC's), and is impressed to learn that only non-toxic, environmentally-friendly cleaning products are used which are also far healthier for the store's staff. She gets an insiders-view of the back room operations, where all of the store's cardboard and plastics (including films, bags, and packaging materials) are prepared for recycling.

The last stop is onto the store's 12,000-square-foot green roof, planted with a variety of sedum year-round. The roof is not only a cost-saver from energy and life-span viewpoints, it is helping to inform the region about the possible stormwater retention benefits of green roofs as part of an ongoing research project between 3 Rivers Wet Weather and the University of Pittsburgh. (You can even monitor the results of the project online.)

All of this, and a great deal more, can be heard in this fact-filled forage through the Market District. To learn more about the store, see their informative fact sheet here. To learn more about how you can support PennFuture's work on energy independence, stopping global warming at home, and to join us, visit our Web site. As always, we welcome your feedback! E-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or click on "Comments" below.

Pennsylvania has the opportunity to move away from the escalating costs, insecurity, and negative environmental and economic impacts of energy dependence on foreign, fossil fuel based, and energy-hogging sources of electricity and fuel. Governor Rendell proposed the Energy Independence Strategy in February 2007, and the package is currently under serious consideration in the General Assembly.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Heather Sage speaks with PennFuture President and CEO John Hanger about the critical need for immediate action on the Energy Independence Strategy. John is a former member of the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission, and is an expert on energy policy and renewable energy. He describes the many benefits of the $850 million proposed package-- benefits for consumers from energy conservation savings, rebates, and improved local economies, benefits for the business sector in the form of new jobs, grants and loans for renewable energy development and high-tech research, and benefits for our health and environment in the form of less air pollution and far fewer emissions of heat-trapping gases that are causing global warming.

If you care about solar and wind energy, keeping soaring energy prices in check, stimulating the local economy, stopping global warming, saving money, cutting our addiction to oil... then you care about the Energy Independence Strategy.

We urgently need to send the message to our state elected officials that the public demands energy independence by Independence Day! Tell them not to come home without passing the Energy Independence Strategy. Visit our Web site TODAY to learn more about the legislation, how you can take action to support it, and to declare your energy independence.

PennFuture is extremely lucky to have so many outstanding members, donors, partners, and volunteers. They hail from every corner of the state and well beyond. Working together, we are able to continue our successful work to ensure that every environmental victory grows our economy.

And who better to help us work toward a just future where nature, our environment, and the economy thrive than future leaders? Summer brings many fresh new faces to the offices of PennFuture, as young people looking to gain real-world experiences working in the environmental field volunteer their time, skills, energy, and creativity in our four locations around the state.

In this podcast, current PennFuture interns interview one another and a couple veterans to get some insights about why they became interested in the organization and our work, and what they did and learned while they were here. It's a fascinating journey into the world of twenty-somethings, and we hope quite a plug for how rewarding it is to contribute to the mission at PennFuture.

We were a little geographically biased in this podcast, talking only to interns who are working or have worked in our Pittsburgh office. But kudos to each and every one of the many student volunteers and interns we are working with now and have worked with in the past. Drop us a line if we haven't heard from you in awhile!

If you have an interest in volunteering or interning at PennFuture, we welcome your support. Contact our Director of Outreach Heather Sage at: sage (at) pennfuture (dot) org, or visit our Web site to locate a staff person focused on your specific area of interest. You can also take a look at our Jobs Board, where we post opportunities for employment at PennFuture and elsewhere. We welcome your support as a new member of PennFuture! And remember, citizen action really does work, so check out our Action Center and brand new "Legislation to Watch" section of our site to find out more about how you can affect Pennsylvania policies.

PennFuture intern Megan Landfried recently graduated from the University of Pittsburgh. Before she dashed off to accept her first full-time position this summer, she spent some time on campus exploring with fellow students their work on environmental issues. In this podcast, Megan talks with a few students from Pitt's chapter of Free the Planet, a student-based organization with chapters nationwide.

Pitt's Free the Planet chapter has mounted a wide variety of environmental campaigns, ranging from the very local (Swapapalooza, a used clothing swap on campus) to the global (fair trade and global warming). This student group also works collaboratively with other student groups on campus, the administration, local non-profits, and other chapters nationally.

Listen in for inspiring stories from young people who are dedicating themselves toward educating and motivating their peers to take action.

To learn more about ways you can get involved in PennFuture as an intern, volunteer, or member, visit our Web site, or contact us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org. We welcome your comments and support!

More than 50 businesses, organizations, educational institutions, agencies, and individuals were nominated for the first (and presumably not the last!) Philadelphia Sustainability Awards. PennFuture, together with a team of core partners, came together to honor those who are making Philadelphia a more livable, healthy, sustainable city-- what is truly the next great city.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp talks with Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Michael DiBerardinis, and a number of the nominees and winners of this year's awards. Secretary DiBerardinis was rooting for his home team, the Philadelphia Eagles, for their Go Green program.

Christine also spoke with folks from RecycleBank, Philly Car Share, Judy Wicks from White Dog Cafe, Re:Vision Architecture, all award winners that evening, as well as Whole Foods Market, another nominee.

To learn more about the work PennFuture is doing in Philadelphia and across the Commonwealth to ensure that every environmental victory grows the economy, visit our Web site. As always, we welcome your support and your feedback. Comment below or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

PennFuture and the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign recently hosted a conference called Global Warming: It's Time for Action at Pittsburgh's Mercy Hospital. Nearly 200 people attended the conference, featuring panelists and presenters who are experts on the science and policies of global warming.

Our keynote speaker at the conference was U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr., newly elected Senator from Pennsylvania, who campaigned on a strong environmental platform, including support for immediate federal action on global warming. Senator Casey, while previously serving as Pennsylvania State Treasurer, introduced some groundbreaking initiatives to help the Commonwealth cut our contributions to the heat-trapping gases causing global warming, by incentivizing energy efficiency and investment in renewable energy. In this video podcast from the conference, Senator Casey is introduced by PennFuture's President and CEO John Hanger.

The podcast covers most of Senator Casey's keynote speech at the conference. Special thanks to conference attendee and blogger Agent Ska who was on hand to video the speech! We commandeered her home video so that you could have a taste of what you missed at the conference.

Other presenters at the conference included Sr. M. Christopher Moore, Provincial Minister at the Felician Sisters of Pennsylvania, who shared the green renovation and sustainable ministry at the order's Provincial House and school in Coraopolis, PA.; Alan Traugott, Board Director for the Green Building Alliance, who shared an update on state legislative initiatives for green building and on Pittsburgh's Green Government Task Force, that is developing strategies to cut Pittsburgh's contributions to global warming; Dr. Brenda Ekwurzel, Climate Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, who provided an update on the latest in global warming science and impacts specific to Pennsylvania; and Rep. Jake Wheatley, Jr. (19) who addressed the need for state policy on global warming and the disparate impacts of climate change on urban, minority, and poor populations.

To learn more about PennFuture's Cool Pennsylvania Campaign to stop global warming here at home, visit our site. You can also take action by urging your elected officials to pass global warming legislation, signing a petition to the Governor, and joining our weekly global warming e-mail list where you will receive the latest news in a handy digest format. As always, your contribution to PennFuture will ensure that every environmental victory helps grow Pennsylvania's economy, and that together we can create a just future where nature, communities, and the economy thrive. For more information, e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org. We welcome your comments! Just click on "Comments" below.

NOTE: This video podcast takes a couple minutes to load, so be patient!

This week, leaders of the environmental and conservation communities came together with leaders in the faith and women's communities to defend the honor of two outstanding public servants.

Governor Rendell's cabinet officers needed to be confirmed by the Senate on or before April 25. But in a classic political late hit, a Harrisburg tale of "Gotcha!" unfolded. Governor Rendell agreed to withdraw and immediately resubmit his environmental secretaries' nominations, giving more time for their approval to be granted. 

What went down? Information was spoon fed to an opinion columnist who published allegations– without attribution– the weekend before the scheduled confirmation votes. The Pennsylvania Environmental Council provided that columnist all of the relevant exculpatory information regarding Secretary McGinty, but those facts were excluded from the column. What senator would want to be treated in this manner?

The easily refuted and disproved allegations against Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Kathleen McGinty and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis were never aired during their respective confirmation hearings before the Senate. The secretaries were never provided a proper public forum to defend themselves against the innuendo.

Someone interested in the real facts of this matter would have a hard time finding them in the media coverage to date. They can be found here, here and here.

Who should be flagged for the late hit? As the facts are now catching up to the smear, Harrisburg insiders are trying to finger the identity of its mastermind. Was it a political enemy of Secretary McGinty? Was it a polluter or other sore loser in the political Rolodex unhappy about the strong state mercury rule that protects Pennsylvania’s babies, or the Clean Vehicles Program that protects our health while saving us fuel and money?

Listen in to the April 26 press conference we held in the Capitol Rotunda. It includes representatives from PennFuture, Pennsylvania Environmental Council, Sierra Club's Pennsylvania Chapter, the Pennsylvania Interfaith Climate Change Campaign, Clean Air Council, and the Pennsylvania Land Trust Association. Later in the afternoon, additional organizations added their voices to the call for an end to this inexcusable smear campaign, including the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, Clean Water Action, Pennsylvania Council of Churches, and Pennsylvania NOW.

Organizations large and small across the state, together with citizens in every corner of the Commonwealth, are calling on the Senate to confirm these impressive environmental cabinet officers as soon as possible, and put an end to this shameful smear. You can do your part by taking action here.

On April 2, 2007, the United States Supreme Court issued one of the most important decisions on environmental matters in U.S. history. In a 5 to 4 decision, the court ruled that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) violated the Clean Air Act when it refused to regulate emissions standards for new cars and trucks to control for pollution that contributes to global warming. This means that the EPA can and should treat carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases as pollutants, and regulate them accordingly.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Joy Bergey speaks with Professor Robert McKinstry, Maurice K. Goddard Chair in Forestry and Environmental Resources Conservation at Penn State University about his involvement in the historic case, and the implications of the decision. McKinstry represented climate scientists in the case, writing an amicus brief in favor of the petitioners.

McKinstry believes that the decision indicates a clear need for the U.S. to regulate greenhouse gases, and that this should take the form of federal legislation and policy. Swift action is required, and considerations must be made on how federal policy and mandates will work with existing state regulations and policies, as well as within the international community. But he feels that the United States should once again take a leadership role on environmental issues in the international sphere, something we have not been doing in the recent past.

McKinstry recounts some of the history of U.S. policy on heat-trapping gases, and how our policy (or lack thereof) shifted dramatically within the first year of the current Bush administration. Prior to 2001, and even within the first Bush administration, there was recognition within EPA that authority existed under the Clean Air Act to treat carbon dioxide, for example, as pollution, but that the resistance to doing so came primarily from Congress.

McKinstry explains in this podcast the grounds upon which the EPA asserted in this case that they did not have the authority to regulate greenhouse gases from tailpipes. He then describes the court's decision, implications, and next steps, including information about pending state lawsuits related to this case.

In terms of the "debate" on global warming, McKinstry asserts that we should not be asking how certain we are that "bad things" will happen, but how certain we are that they will not. In other words, we cannot afford to do nothing.

To learn more about PennFuture's Cool Pennsylvania Campaign to stop global warming here at home, visit our campaign pages. Nearly 200 diverse businesses, groups, and organizations across the Commonwealth have signed on in support of the effort to date. You can receive our weekly global warming news digest and let Governor Rendell and state legislators know that you support strong state action on global warming. Support our work with a tax-deductible donation. We welcome your comments or questions; just click on "Comments" below, or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has abundant outdoor recreational resources for hunting, fishing, skiing, bicycling, hiking, walking, climbing, boating, just to name a few. Not only do these outdoor resources help to keep us healthy, they keep our local economies strong. Protecting these resources makes good sense from a health and economic perspective, but it's also part of celebrating our love for the mountains, rivers, streams, forests, and parks of Pennsylvania.

PennFuture's Jan Jarrett recently attended the Governor's Outdoor Conference, "Preserving Past Traditions, Creating New Connections," where she connected with the Secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Michael DiBerardinis, and discussed the focus of the conference this year.

There is a need and an effort afoot, beginning in part at this conference, for Pennsylvanians to re-engage in outdoor recreational activities. Studies show, for example, that the average child in the United States today spends an average of six hours per day watching television or playing video games, or sitting at a computer. That is twice the amount of time children spend in school in a given year! At the same time, studies have found that the vast majority of children (60-80 percent, depending upon age) have no opportunities for outdoor play in their normal routine. Adults are staying indoors, too. In recent years, Pennsylvania has had up to a 20 percent decline in visitation to our 117 state parks, and purchases of hunting and fishing licenses have also been dropping.

Listen in to the conversation as Jan and Secretary DiBerardinis discuss strategies toward the effort to get people off the couch and into the outdoors.

For more information about PennFuture, or to contribute to our work, visit our Web site. We welcome your comments; just click on "Comments" below, or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

PennFuture's Cool Pennsylvania campaign aims to stop the Commonwealth's contributions-- one percent of the world's total-- to global warming. Nearly 200 organizations, businesses, and citizens' groups have already endorsed the campaign, and the number continues to grow each day. More and more, people are realizing that the time to act is now, and that the solutions are within our grasp. The solutions range from increasing energy efficiency at home to switching to clean, renewable energy like wind power to eating locally-grown foods to working to change energy and transportation policies in Pennsylvania and the U.S. The consequences of not acting are grave, not only for our economy, environment, and health here at home, but also for people and places across the globe.

PennFuture's D.J. Trischler was fortunate to travel to Niger in Africa early this year as part of a trip with La Roche College. D.J. spent a great deal of time on the journey visiting with the Touareg (or Tuareg) people in Niger, a pastoralist group of Northwest African peoples who have lived in the Sahara region for centuries.

In this video podcast, D.J. shares some of his wonderful footage from the trip, and introduces us to a Touareg leader Issouf Ag Maha. Ag Maha speaks to the group (seated together around the fire in the evening) about the serious impacts of global warming on the Touareg people. He describes how desertification is increasing, that the traditional means for survival of their people are disappearing as rainfall decreases and agricultural production becomes less and less possible. As many people are recognizing, the impacts of global warming are affecting those people least equipped to deal with it, and the consequences are in fact life-threatening.

To learn more about how you can get involved in stopping global warming, visit our Cool Pennsylvania pages. There are two organizations based in the United States who are working for change on behalf of the Touareg and other tribal peoples: the Nomad Foundation and Rain for the Sahel and Sahara. For more information, e-mail as at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org. We welcome your comments on this and any other podcast; just click on "Comments" below to leave your thoughts or questions.

Like the honoree of Time Magazine's Person of the Week, the Podcast of the Week this week is up to YOU-- we want to know which podcast you've enjoyed and why.

You may not have noticed that for every episode, there is a feature on the site for you to leave behind your comments. We know you are listening-- nearly 20,000 strong! But we want to hear why. What did you like? What's new to you in the content? What leaves you with questions? What more would you like to know? It's a Web 2.0 world out there, meaning that interactivity is the name of the game online.

So talk back to us... we want to hear from you.

Podcasts are archived by category. To leave a comment, simply click on "Comments" at the end of the post for that entry. We promise to respond.

How could the dinner you cook tonight or the birthday gift you purchase help a small village in Africa, Asia, or Latin America? If they are fair trade products, they've been produced sustainably, under safe working conditions, at a fair price, and recognizing high labor and gender equity standards. It's easy to overlook the growing amount of fair trade products available at local stores. Sometimes these ambiguous products easily blend in on the shelf with their competition. If you're lucky, you may find that they have their own section. Look for the Fairtrade label. The fair trade movement has taken firm root in Europe, and is now only beginning to get seeded in the United States.

Pennsylvania is home to the first fair trade town in the United States: Welcome to Media, Pennsylvania in this podcast. A Philadelphia suburb, this forward-thinking community worked together to take all the necessary steps to be recognized as a Fair Trade town: they have a certain number of businesses that are committed to selling fair trade products, another set committed to using those products, a committee of citizens in place to stay up to speed on fair trade issues, they've instituted public relations around their status, and the local electorate has passed resolutions supporting the effort. And as if that wasn't inspiration enough, Media is also wholly committed to using renewable energy; many businesses (and residents) purchase green energy, and there are programs in place to use solar energy on all of the municipal facilities (and then some!) 

Join PennFuture's Joy Bergey as she explores Media, learning more about how this small town in Pennsylvania is affecting small towns all over the world-- and how the Fair Trade movement fits hand in glove with their other efforts to buy local, use green energy, and reduce their carbon footprint. 

Learn more about the various individuals, businesses, and organizations Joy meets in this podcast. Many are endorsers of PennFuture's Cool Pennsylvania campaign, aimed at stopping global warming right here at home:

Elizabeth Killough: Untours Foundation (formerly Idyll Foundation)
Hal Taussig, Brian Lux-Taussig, and Kim Paschen: Untours, Ltd.
Ira Jospehs: Selene Whole Foods Co-Op
Drew Arata: Earth and State Gallery
Tom Hibberd: Rotary Club of Media
Rena Shaffer: Ten Thousand Villages

Did you know that while we spend only about 6 percent of our time each day commuting, it is during that short period of time that we get about half our daily dose of diesel exhaust? This may not sound like a big deal, but diesel exhaust is a nasty brew of all sorts of harmful pollution, delivered in the form of tiny particles that needlessly lead to health problems and shorten life spans.

Fine particle pollution, including diesel, can cause lung cancer, stroke, heart attack, infant death, and triggers asthma attacks. It can even cause people's allergies to get worse.

The Clean Air Task Force just released a new report documenting that diesel exhaust levels are four to eight times worse inside commuter cars, buses, and trains as compared to the outside air. This is due to long-haul trucks with diesel engines on the road in front of you, or the diesel engine in the bus or train you ride.

The report has a major up side, however. For diesel engines where a simple filter was installed, or other modern pollution controls were applied, pollution levels for commuters were next to nothing.

These simple, effective controls are available, but we need increased funding and other incentives and requirements to make retrofitting existing diesel vehicles with pollution controls a high priority.

There are already major efforts underway across the country, but we need your help to get it done. PennFuture is one of the many organizations participating in the State Diesel Initiative. The Group Against Smog and Pollution and Clean Water Action have led the way in southwestern Pennsylvania to curb diesel idling and to make diesel retrofitting in school buses and other vehicles possible. The Clean Air Board of Central Pennsylvania has been on the front lines of cleaning the air not only in their part of the state, but in petitioning the Environmental Quality Board in Pennsylvania to enact a statewide anti-idling rule for large diesel vehicles. In the Philadelphia area, PennFuture is coordinating the Next Great City initiative, where one of the 10 recommended actions is reducing asthma caused by soot from city vehicles-- by installing diesel particulate filters. The initiative is backed by more than 70 organizations. This is just a sampling of some of the work going on. 

PennFuture firmly supports sustainable funding for and the expansion and use of all forms of public transportation. The benefits of transit are enormous, in terms of improved overall air quality and otherwise. But we are also working to ensure that diesel engines get cleaned up so that commuting is healthier and safer for everyone on or living near the road, track, or port.

You can begin by taking action on diesel here. Then sign up to receive more information on this and other important initiatives so you won't miss an opportunity to make a difference.

We've brought you podcasts in the past from a variety of forums in Philadelphia, focusing on various aspects of how sustainable initiatives can and will improve the economy, quality of life, and natural environment in the Delaware Valley.

PennFuture has been leading the collaborative called Next Great City (NGC), and if you haven't checked it out yet, take a few minutes to get familiar.

Then sit back with some popcorn and take a look at this video of the Philadelphia mayoral candidates' forum. It was the first time (and only, so far!) that all of the candidates have come together on one stage to debate and answer questions.

PennFuture's Christine Knapp provides an introduction to the forum, explaining the NGC process, highlighting the many varied endorsing organizations, and reviewing the 10 actions that comprise the NGC initiative.

In our last podcast, we shared excerpts from a recent presentation in Pittsburgh by Yellowstone National Park's environmental manager Jim Evanoff, detailing many of the amazing greening and sustainability initiatives being undertaken there.

This week, a study has been released showing that air quality in the park is markedly improved. Guess those initiatives are working!

Yellowstone National Park is a national and international treasure. Though it is a park, it's had some major "greening" up to do. Thanks in large part to Jim Evanoff, Yellowstone's Environmental Manager, this national park is leading the way on major green initiatives, and setting the bar higher and higher for innovative approaches to sustainability.

Recently Evanoff visited Pittsburgh to give a presentation on the history of the park and the many environmental projects they've undertaken, thanks to sponsorship by southwestern Pennsylvania-based Concurrent Technologies and Steel City Biofuels, together with support from PennFuture and other area organizations and businesses including REI and the East End Brewing Company. PennFuture's Heather Sage was there to capture the presentation.

Evanoff described the endless ways that Yellowstone is minimizing its impacts within its own boundaries, and going beyond its vast expanse to develop partnerships throughout the region and the country to improve the environment. They have created a major commitment to using alternative, renewable fuels in nearly all of their transportation operations; they are diverting more than 65 percent of their solid waste into recycling and reuse operations (and are striving to get to 95 percent); and they have completely overhauled their custodial services so that fewer than a dozen cleaning products are now in use, and all are non-toxic and environmentally-friendly. Yellowstone was among the first in the nation to build a LEED-certified building. They initiated the reintroduction of the federally endangered gray wolf. They've even turned a contentious problem with polluting snowmobiles into an opportunity for colleges, universities, and manufacturers to compete to develop "green" snowmobiles-- and the competition has been fierce.

While a trip to Yellowstone is surely something we all hope to experience, a small sampling of the best the park has to offer, from a sustainability point of view, can be heard in this podcast.

For more information on innovations on environmental issues in Pennsylvania, visit our Web site. We welcome your comments, questions, and suggestions on our podcasts. Leave a comment below, or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

If you could have a conversation with a wild animal, how would it go? That was the organizing question behind a creative collaboration in Pittsburgh recently. The broader goal was to consider how conserving green space and protecting wildlife might be more successful if people, especially children, are better able to connect on a personal level with animals living around them.

Local Pittsburgh artist, Connie Merriman, students and teachers at Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, and the Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania collaborated on a fascinating project called "If Animals and Children Could Speak." The endeavor was part of a broader conservation effort, Connie and Tom Merriman's Community Forest: Hays Woods Project. The collaboration asked fourth and sixth grade students at the school to think creatively about wildlife in Pittsburgh's urban neighborhoods, and got them thinking about conservation from a new point of view.

PennFuture has been working together with the Merrimans, both artists and fellows with the Carnegie Mellon STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, in an effort to conserve a 635-acre forest in Pittsburgh called Hays Woods. Along with citizens living near the site and organizations including the Allegheny Group of the Sierra Club and the Group Against Smog and Pollution (GASP), we've worked to prevent deforestation, strip mining, and elimination of the important headwater streams on the site, and continue to do so. Hays Woods served as a backdrop for the project with the students, as they learned about the sorts of animals that can and do live in urban green spaces there and elsewhere in Pittsburgh.

Listen in on the conversations students imagined they'd have with animals like fox, bears, and birds. Imagine the habitats and habits of our wild neighbors, like the Eastern Screech Owl that attended the exhibit with Audubon's Gabi Hughes. See through children's eyes how they discover the importance of being good neighbors to all creatures. And consider how expanding partnerships to include artists, children, and diverse interests can promote more sustainable communities.

To learn more about how you can get involved in saving Hays Woods, or any of PennFuture's projects, visit our Web site or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

In this podcast, Sustainable Pittsburgh's executive director, Court Gould, gives a presentation entitled "Business of Sustainability," demonstrating that every environmental victory grows the economy. Gould details how sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility are becoming the norm among leading U.S. and international corporations.

"Doing well by doing right" is a credo that many businesses are adopting, especially in light of the impacts of global warming. Notable companies that are taking steps to cut their contributions to global warming, while increasing their efficiency and profitability at the same time include: Wal-Mart and La-Z-Boy, both installing numerous solar energy projects at new stores; General Electric that unveiled its Ecomagination campaign in 2006 to cut greenhouse gas emissions; and John Deere that is now investing in wind energy development.

PennFuture recognizes businesses, leaders, and organizations who recognize that clean, renewable energy is a critical piece of sustainable development each year at our Green Power Awards. To learn more about our Cool Pennsylvania Campaign to stop Pennsylvania's contributions to global warming, visit our campaign online. For more information or to get more involved, please e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

PennFuture is thrilled to introduce our first video podcast, or vidcast, or vodcast, depending on who you ask. No matter: tune in to see and hear why you should join us and many others in supporting a moratorium on prematurely buying and demolishing thousands of homes and businesses throughout Pittsburgh and other communities in the Monongahela River Valley.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and backers of the Mon-Fayette toll road have for decades been pushing for a Turnpike expansion that would extend from Pittsburgh to Morgantown, West Virginia. To date, they've spent over $1.1 billion on the project, but are nowhere close to completion.

The latest move is that backers of the Turnpike expansion want to buy thousands of homes and businesses in the right of way for a 24-mile section of the toll road (PA 51 to I-376) and demolish them-- but they have NO money to actually build even an inch of road. And no plan for generating the measly $2.7 billion (and growing!) estimated to construct the project.

The result: indefinite uncertainty about land use and community revitalization plans, loss of tax revenues for already-strapped school districts and municipalities, and creation of blight.

But the Turnpike Commission could simply wait: they don't have to move ahead with buying and razing communities. Tune in to learn more about the situation, and to learn about the growing list of elected officials and organizations supporting the moratorium.

Get more information on our Web site, in PennFuture Facts, and on the Hands Off Web site. Take action to let your elected officials, Governor Rendell, and the Turnpike Commission know that you support the moratorium. To join our Mon-Fayette Toll Road e-mail list to stay up to sate on this issue, e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

In this podcast, part two of a series on wind energy development in Pennsylvania, PennFuture's Heather Sage and Jan Jarrett talk with experts in the Commonwealth who are involved in processes for siting wind projects in the state. Establishing processes to avoid and minimize negative impacts to local communities and to wildlife is an important goal for the wind industry. Pennsylvania is ahead of most states when it comes to wind energy, and will continue to reap the benefits of this clean, renewable source of energy in terms of our state's long-term economic development, energy security and our environmental health.

We hear first from George Jugovic, Senior Attorney at PennFuture who worked collaboratively with stakeholders under the leadership of Governor Rendell's office to develop the Model Ordinance for Wind Energy Facilities in Pennsylvania. The model ordinance is a tool for local township and municipal officials to use as they begin to examine their local zoning and planning needs in areas where wind energy development is possible. George describes the sorts of local issues that the model ordinance covers, and explains that the ordinance was not intended to examine environmental issues relating to wind development.

However the Commonwealth does have an extensive process underway to do just that, and it is led by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources' John Quigley, who speaks with Jan Jarrett. DCNR has brought together a wide array of stakeholders in a Wind and Wildlife Collaborative, representing a variety of perspectives and expertise to create a process whereby Pennsylvania can consider objective, scientific criteria for determining where wind development is most appropriate and where it is not. The group is also examining the possibility of siting wind energy developments on certain public lands, for example abandoned mine land areas or others. They hope to have recommendations on the possibility of wind energy on public lands by 2007.

Jan lastly speaks with PPM Atlantic Renewable's Sam Enfield, who describes how his company and others within the wind industry extensively consider proper siting of wind farms. Chief among their concerns are potential impacts to wildlife and surrounding communities. Sam also describes what the wind industry has learned about wildlife impacts.

To learn how you can make the switch to clean, renewable, local energy, visit Clean Your Air. For more information on this and other renewable energy issues, visit our Web site or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Christine Knapp speaks with presenters at the November 2006 Philadelphia Urban Sustainability Forum event on mass transit.

Christine interviews Scott Pendergrast, Manager of Real Estate at the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). Atlanta's population continues to grow, and Pendergrast highlights what MARTA is doing to alleviate roadway congestion. He also shares ideas that Pennsylvania cities can implement to expand their transit systems.

Christine next speaks with Dick Voith, one of Governor Ed Rendell's appointees to the Transportation Funding and Reform Commission, and a board director of the organization PenTrans. Voith shares details of the commission's recent report to the Governor, providing recommendations on generating long-term funding for both highways and transit. Voith also provides suggestions on increasing ridership by targeting developments around areas near train stations and bus stops (transit-oriented development).

Christine ends by speaking with Sam Schwartz of Sam Schwartz PLLC, a multidisciplinary transportation engineering and planning firm based in New York City. Schwartz describes his experience in the field of transit development, and expresses optimism about the future expansion of Philadelphia's transit system. 

Visit the Next Great City site to learn more about the initiative to improve the quality of life, neighborhoods, and the environment in Philadelphia. For more information on PennFuture's work, visit our Web site or e-mail us at podcast (at) pennfuture (dot) org.