The Choose Clean Water coalition brings together people and more than 130 organizations from Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, working together to help everyone in the region choose clean water.

This vidcast features Ryan Ewing, communications and outreach coordinator for the coalition, detailing the campaign to clean up our water here at home and throughout the region, all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. PennFuture and its Clean Water Starts Here campaigners are excited to be part of this coalition.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

Won’t you be our friend? See us at www.facebook.com/PennFuture. Or at least tweet along with us – our Twitter handle is @PennFuture.

Our podcast this week features State Representative Eugene DePasquale (D-York), the prime sponsor of the Clean Energy and Green Jobs bill (now HB 2405), talking about the need for the legislation at PennFuture’s Clean Energy breakfast, held in York earlier this year. This bill is a major piece of unfinished business for the General Assembly to attend to when the members return in September.

The legislation will help Pennsylvania regain its leadership in the 21st Century green energy economy, by increasing the amount of clean energy – especially solar and wind power – that our utilities must include in our electricity mix. This bill expands and extends our groundbreaking 2004 Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard, which has already created thousands of great green jobs and attracted billions in private investment. This bill will also save Pennsylvania families and businesses more than $2 billion.

Urge your legislator to make passage of the Clean Energy and Green Jobs bill a top priority for the fall. We can’t let the green economy pass us by.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

Dr. Michael Mann, internationally respected climate scientist at Penn State University is a true profile in courage. He has endured attacks on his work and on him personally by the minions of the polluters for years. And each set of attacks has resulted in the same thing – his vindication.

PennFuture’s Heather Sage interviewed Dr. Mann this week as the most recent report was published, totally vindicating him. This interview shows that under that mild mannered exterior is a man of steely courage.

Dr. Mann also spoke at PennFuture’s Global Warming Conference this spring. The video of his presentation is well worth a look.

Smeargate – the smear campaign against Dr. Mann and the other Nobel Prize winning climate scientists – is the real scandal. And right-wing apologists for the polluters, like the Commonwealth Foundation, who attempted to discredit these scientists by creating the “Climategate” scandal out of thin air, must be called on their behavior. Matt Brouillette, executive director of the Commonwealth Foundation should “man up” and issue an apology to Dr. Mann.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Greenworks Philadelphia, the plan to become the greenest city in the nation, is now one year old. June’s Urban Sustainability Forum featured three experts providing a review of exactly how successful that plan has been – PennFuture’s Director of Outreach Christine Knapp, Philadelphia’s Director of Sustainability Katherine Gajewski, and Adam Freed, deputy director of New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability.

This podcast features PennFuture’s Philadelphia Outreach Intern Alyssa Tombler interviewing Gajewski and Freed. Gajewski discusses the plan's original goals, its successes, challenges, and continuing obstacles. Freed reports on the status of PlaNYC, New York City's sustainability plan, which is three years old.

Want to learn even more? See videos of the presentations (including Knapp’s) from PlanPhilly.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Things are happening fast and furious here in Harrisburg as the legislature works towards a budget agreement.

And thanks to our supporters, we had a terrific week last week, with the adoption of two new regulations to protect our drinking water and our streams and rivers, and the House passage of new law to require computer and television manufacturers to arrange to have their products recycled.

This podcast features our President and CEO, Jan Jarrett, with an audio message to thank our supporters for their great work in helping achieve last week’s victories – and to talk about what to expect next.  We hope it will give you a feel of the work ahead – and how important your supporters are to continuing our winning streak.

So, hang on to your hat, it’s going to be a bumpy ride until the state budget is passed. We’ll be on the Hill 24/7, if necessary. And you’ll be hearing from us a lot, as we move our legislation to protect and promote Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. So please sign up for our alerts, and help us move forward – creating a just future when nature, communities and the economy thrive.

Sometimes the most mundane things can have the biggest impact on our lives. Take building codes and zoning. Please. (Ba da bum)

But seriously, folks. Building and zoning laws can mean the difference between life and death in earthquake and flood zones; between a peaceful or a hostile atmosphere in mixed use neighborhoods; and between energy efficient, non-toxic homes and businesses or wasteful and unhealthy buildings.

To reach its goal of making Philadelphia the greenest city in the nation, the Urban Sustainability Forum held its March meeting, Cracking the Code:  How 21st Century Building and Zoning Codes Will Make or Break Our Communities. This podcast features interviews by PennFuture’s Philadelphia outreach coordinator, Rachel Vassar, with Don Elliott, Senior Consultant, Clarion Associates, and Fran Burns, Commissioner, Department of Licenses and Inspections for the City of Philadelphia, who detail the zoning and building code changes that can help turn Philadelphia green.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania's environment and economy. Isn't it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you won’t miss any podcasts if you subscribe to them through iTunes.

It was an incredible honor to have Dr. Robert Bullard as featured speaker at PennFuture's Global Warming Conference on May 2 in Pittsburgh. This video podcast demonstrates why Dr. Bullard is so respected across the globe as the Father of Environmental Justice. He clearly lays out the case for fighting global warming as a justice issue, outlining how intertwined the drive for social equity is with environmental protection, and how urgently we must act.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

One of the highlights of our Pittsburgh Global Warming Conference on May 2 was the presentation by one of the world’s premiere climate change experts – Dr. Michael Mann. PennFuture was delighted that Dr. Mann agreed to present his research.

Unfortunately, people identified with the tea party tried to stop that presentation. They demanded that we stop educating other Pennsylvanians about global warming, and that we stop advocating action to slow, and eventually reverse, global climate change. Claiming their beliefs are superior to science, they wanted to disrupt our conference, had we let them. With their blogs full of violence, vitriol and racism, we were forced to enhance our security to protect Dr. Mann’s safety and preserve his right to speak the truth.

This video podcast shows how right we were to invite Dr. Mann to our conference. After his introduction by Jan Jarrett, PennFuture’s president and CEO, he clearly outlines the science on global warming, and how urgently we must act.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Last Sunday (May 2), PennFuture held its annual Southwestern Pennsylvania Global Warming Conference in Pittsburgh. Two experts and heroes of the environmental movement – Dr. Robert Bullard, the father of environmental justice, and Dr. Michael Mann, one of the world’s preeminent climate scientists, were the keynote speakers. (Stay tuned for videos of their presentations.)

This podcast features a panel discussion on global warming policies that are great for the environment, the economy, and create great green jobs. The panelists are John Hanger, secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection; Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture; and Heather Sage, PennFuture’s vice president.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Many of the presentations so far could be depressing, as speakers detailed the chemical and pollution soupd we are constantly bathed in.

But this session is all about hope, and what action we can take to make a difference.

Listen to the panel here, which includes:

Will Allen
Founder & CEO, Growing Power

Kenneth Cook
President, Environmental Working Group

Alan Greene, MD
Author “Feeding Baby Green” and “Raising Baby Green”
Founder of drgreene.com

Jeanne Rizzo, RN
President and CEO, Breast Cancer Fund

I think I'll get some worms for my kitchen!

Pete Myers started this session with a dramatic reading of the Rubber Ducky song. Poetry in action!

He introduced the two authors of "Slow Death by Rubber Ducky: The Secret Danger of Everyday Things," Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.

Their presentation, and their book, answers the question, "How did this stuff get in me?"

These are two funny Canadians. Listen to them online. And make sure you see all the Rubber Duckies.

She starts by talking about being named one of the most powerful Moms in America. Says the audience will be the powerful women -- and it will be women -- to clean up our environment.

Chemicals are everywhere.  In our environment and in our bodies. 287 chemicals were found in the cord blood of 10 infants tested. It starts before birth.

We aren't doing enough to make sure the chemicals that surround us are safe. Manufacturers don't have to show that existing chemicals are safe. Companies have no legal obligation to do testing on new chemicals. The burden of proof is on the EPA.

Since 1976 EPA has issued regulations to control 5 chemicals -- out of 80,000. Even our asbestos ban was overturned because EPA hadn't complied with all the requirements -- despite our legacy of deaths and disease from that asbestos.

EPA needs the tools to do the job the public should expect.

6 Principals:

Test all chemicals old and new and make sure they are safe

Require manufacturers to prove safely

EPA and industry must consider more vulnerable populations (kids)

EPA must have authority to take action to protect health

We must encourage innovation in green chemisty, to make them safer and better

EPA's safety assessment work must be properly funded.

People are calling for strong regulations of chemicals. Last week, legislation was introduced to strengthen and expand our toxic substances law.

Some states are moving forward, because the Feds haven't. Some manufacturers are supportive, knowing that surety and safety are good for the industry.

Common ground exists among EPA, manufacturers, and the environmental community. We need to work from that common ground to make the changes to the law happen.

But we need everyone's help. This will be hard work. Please join us in this work, and make the world safer.

See the conference live online. Or go to the conference website for more information.

This panel is moderated by Dr. John Peterson Myers -- called Pete by everyone -- who is a genuine rock star in the field of Environment Health.

Trust me, I can never do this panel justice.  These are amazing people:

Patricia Hunt, PhD
Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor in Life and Environmental Science
School of Molecular Biosciences, Washington State University

Julia G. Brody, PhD
Executive Director, Silent Spring Institute

Beverly Wright, PhD
Director, Deep South Center for Environmental Justice, Dillard University

Listen for yourself here.

Dr. Benjamin is telling everyone how one person can make a difference. She discussed how she worked to get the AMA to require teaching of STD (sexually transmitted disease) diagnosis and treatment -- when she was an intern!

She served in a very poor community in Louisiana. There she learned about how other factors can harm your health. For instance, she discovered one patient who couldn't manage her medications and treatment program because she couldn't read. Obviously, providing literacy programs will improve health.

Another patient was in severe pain but couldn't fill her pain prescription because she couldn't afford her copay. Dr. Benjamin got her the medicine but inadvertently stripped her of her dignity. Dr. Benjamin also discovered that this patient was frequently exposed to harmful chemicals, but she was committed to her work at a local school, trying to make the world better for kids.

Talking to patients she realized that they were concerned about many environmental problems. They worried about whether the air they breathed was clean. They wanted paths and sidewalks so they could walk safely. The local shrimpers were fouling the water, but just a simple action, providing a way to avoid the practice, made all the difference and cleaned up the water.

She said she left her practice reluctantly, but looks on as opening a new practice in DC, with 300 million new patients.

Giving everyone the right to health insurance was a giant first step, she said. But now we need to move from a sick care system to a well care health system.

She discussed the project on childhood obesity, which she helped announce with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and First Lady Michelle Obama.

Prevention is the key, and there is a strong verbal and financial commitment to wellness in the Obama Administration.

There is lots of evidence that people's health improves when they move out of polluted areas. But we can't move everyone, so we have to stop the pollution, she said.

"Let me emphasize what Mrs. Heinz said. We have to take care of ourselves. Just like in airplanes, put your own facemask on first, then help others."

See the conference live online.

She's a worldwide activist. Philanthropist. Chair of the board of The Heinz Endowments. And one of Pittsburgh's biggest boosters. And a woman living with breast cancer, as so many women are.

What a brave woman. She is candidly and openly talking about her life with cancer, and how she coped.

She didn't have any symptons. But the medical tests - a mammogram and an MRI - discovered not one, but two. That's why she feels so strongly about providing these tests to women worldwide.

She's talking about how to navigate the most difficult relationship -- the one every woman has with her own well-being.

She had cancer -- stage one, but invasive -- in one breast. Then they discovered cancer in situ in the other breast.

She said the time before the diagnosis was her terrible horrible no good very bad year. She had a series of accidents with broken bones, and much international travel, and even more stress. Then came the diagnosis.

She had more than one surgery. The surgeon had to go back in to find some cancer that was missed in the first surgery. Between the two surgeries -- on the way to the hospital -- she fell and broke her heel and had a concussion. The aftermath of the concussion was far worse than the aftermath of the second surgery. Her doctor urged her to exercise, but she couldn't because of the vertigo, nausea and disorientation from the concussion.

She had targeted radiation twice a day on both breasts for a week. That also had serious problems, and her back gave out afterwards.

"When the sky falls in, it really does."

She is starting on tamoxifen tomorrow.

So the lesson. How did I get to this? How do you manage it all? How does a single mother with 3 kids do it?

I don't have answers for others. I'm still figuring it out for myself. And the first thing I've done is learn to say no.

How did I get cancer? It isn't in my family. One thing I know, I used a lot of sunscreen that had estrogen in it. I used it on my skin.

And I had active breasts (great name, she remarked!). Could they then do needle biopsies before anything is diagnosed and find out if you are at risk because of high estrogen and other factors?

My interest is in prevention. That's why we do these conferences. I asked many questions of all my doctors. Some had differing opinions. In the end, you have to make your own decisions, and that's very hard.

You have to be smart. Take care of yourself. (If you don't, you can't take care of anyone else.) Take time to do what you need for you. Stretching, yoga, walking. All help. Go to yoga and you'll thank me forever.

The doctor let me look at my cancer. It looked like pastina, and there was a little curlycue. Amazing.

My memory, my sight, and my hearing still aren't right. I hope they come back.

Human health is totally linked to our environment. Especially the chemicals we've added to the environment. Stress impacts our health.

But most important, ask questions. A doctor who doesn't have time to answer your questions shouldn't be your doctor.

Be sensitve and fearless. Know that we can't do all the work to get healthy and stay healthy. But it can be done.

My surgeries were easy. I wasn't disfigured. I didn't have to have chemotherapy. But it was still tough.

We must monitor what we put in our bodies, what we put on our skins, what's in our water, the air we breathe -- hello Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has about the worst air quality in the nation.

It's unnecessary and dangerous to all of us, and we must find and mandate control over the sources of our air pollution.

Eliminating pollution is a win win win solution. Kids that our healthy. Less cancer.

That's been my year. I am definitely to the hip interconnected with the world. I've learned a lot. And my husband is paying more attention.

Try it you (and he) might like it.

See the conference live online

What a great event! More than 2000 women and men of quality gathered together to learn about cutting edge research on women's health and the environment, ready to take action to make the world a better place.

Stay tuned. They are now introducing Teresa Heinz, the creator and inspiration for this conference.

On April 6, 2010 PennFuture's Federal Policy Manager Joy Bergey hosted a Webinar for Congressional staff members and clean energy businesses focused on how enacting new federal energy policies will create more good-paying, non-exportable jobs in Pennsylvania and nationally.

A leader among states, Pennsylvania enacted the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act in 2004 and passed an energy savings mandate requiring energy conservation (Act 129) in 2008. These forward-thinking policies have already created thousands of new jobs for Pennsylvanians. The Webinar exlpored how enacting a federal Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and Energy Efficiency Resources Standard (EERS) would stimulate economic growth and job creation here at home, in short order. An RES and EERS would also save consumers money on their energy bills, reduce our dependence on imported oil, and cut pollution. The webinar presenters come from companies who already have added jobs in Pennsylvania who spoke directly to the benefits that federal legislation would deliver. Presenters were:

• Dr. Martin Kushler, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy;
• Peter Krajsa, AFC First Financial Corp.
• Michael Perillo, Dynamic Solar, LLC
• Paul Spiegel, Practical Energy Solutions, and 
• Eric Thumma, Iberdrola Renewables.

PennFuture supports a comprehensive, three-pillar approach to federal climate and energy policy, including a strong cap on heat-trapping pollution emissions that are causing global warming; developing new renewable, clean energy production that will shift our economy away from fossil-fuel dependence; and requirements for energy conservation and efficiency that will help save consumers money and create a host of new domestic jobs. To learn more about our work, and to join our efforts, visit our Web site.

To download any of the presentations from this Webinar, see our Cool Pennsylvania pages.

Pennsylvania became a leader in the renewable energy industry after we passed the landmark Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards Act in 2004. That policy helped to drive major private investment from both international and homegrown companies who created thousands of family-sustaining jobs, including manufacturing.

We have the opportunity to expand and ramp-up the requirements in the law for more new, clean renewable energy from solar, wind and geothermal. Legislation is pending in both houses of the General Assembly that, if enacted, will bolster our position as a national leader, spur new investment, create even more great green jobs-- and would create the largest reduction in global warming pollution in Pennsylvania's history.

In this video podcast, we revisit some of the reasons why the Pennsylvania legislature must act now to keep our clean tech economy growing. We feature Philadelphia City Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown, who covers why green jobs are so essential in our urban centers. The same holds true statewide, as every corner of the Commonwealth stands to gain from the new jobs, more affordable electricity prices, and better environmental quality that come from more renewable energy production.

To learn more, visit our Web site. There you can get involved and contribute to our efforts to bring more clean energy and green jobs to Pennsylvania.

This podcast features a press conference held by State Representative Chelsa Wagner (D-Allegheny) to discuss the Green Workforce Training Act (HB 1550). Rep. Wagner, along with 33 House co-sponsors and local leaders, are pushing for passage of the bill, which would create a program to train workers in energy efficiency and renewable energy industries. A companion bill, SB 21, has been introduced in the Senate by Senator Shirley Kitchen (D-Philadelphia).

Passing this legislation would be a great win for both our economy and environment. It would build the green economy and train workers to meet the need to fix our homes and businesses so that we use energy smarter. Every year for at least five years, $5 million would go to training programs, with veterans, unemployed workers, those displaced from old economy industries, low income and formerly incarcerated and rehabilitated people. 

Among those joining Representative Wagner at the press conference were Dewitt Walton, A. Philip Randolph Institute/United Steelworkers, coordinator of Breaking the Chains of Poverty Program and Richard Morris, Bedford Hope Center.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications.

And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

This week’s podcast features an interview with PennFuture’s Sharon Pillar and the Rev. Dr. Samuel W. Ware, Executive Director, Building United of Southwestern Pennsylvania. Building United’s mission is helping families throughout Southwestern Pennsylvania fulfill their dreams of affordable homeownership and to teach people sound money management principles. Dr. Ware discusses how BUSP started, and their success in moving low and moderate income families into homes that are also energy efficient. This is a project of the faith community, grounded in faith, started by African American clergy in 2001.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.

Many of us have adjusted our individual habits to conserve materials and resources: recycling regularly, installing programmable thermostats, and replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents.  But how do large corporations and institutions adjust their collective habits?  How is change initiated, and how is it managed?  February's Urban Sustainability Forum highlighted a variety of local Philadelphia institutions and corporations that have implemented sustainability policies. Their actions are helping to mitigate climate change.

In this podcast, PennFuture's Rachel Vassar talks with two of the event presenters. We hear first from Catherine T. Hunt, Ph.D., Director of Technology Collaboration Development at The Dow Chemical Company (which took over Rohm and Haas).  She also served as the 2007 President of the American Chemical Society where she championed education, collaboration, and innovation. At Dow, the company initiated an internal audit of their operational and daily practices- and found a host of opportunities to improve, as well as a number of practical measures that they were already doing that save the company energy and money. One of the "coolest" was putting in a cool, white roof at their facility-- significantly saving money and also extending the life of the roof by at least ten years. Philadelphia homeowners can enter to win a cool roof and other energy-savings retrofits for their entire block of neighbors as part of the Coolest Block Contest. And businesses can join companies like Dow as part of the Greater Philadelphia Green Business Program, a project of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council.

We then hear from Daniel Garofalo, AIA, LEED-AP, Environmental Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Pennsylvania.  Dan directed the creation of Penn’s first Climate Action plan for carbon emissions reduction, which was released on September 15, 2009. It's a three-part plan aimed at creating a culture of sustainability at Penn. He describes the steps they take to analyze and buildings on campus for their energy performance, so that the biggest energy users (in terms of buildings) are as efficient as possible. Part of the project includes working with students to challenge them to initiate creative solutions to cut their energy use. He notes that staff and faculty are much harder to get motivated and involved!

You can learn more about how to save energy-- and money-- at PennFuture's Web site. There you can also take action and support our ongoing work.

Just like the song about Kansas City, everything’s up to date in Erie. Home to Pennsylvania’s most visited state park, Erie is also home to a lot of green energy companies, and one of the new green economy’s biggest boosters, State Representative John Hornaman (D-Erie).

This podcast features some of the speakers at the Erie Clean Energy Breakfast, held on January 21. PennFuture’s President and CEO, Jan Jarrett, who drove more than 1300 miles in the PennFuture hybrid car to lead discussion at the six clean energy breakfasts we organized in January, once more set the stage for the other speakers. Jan is then followed by Representative Hornaman, one of the members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s Green Dog Caucus. We then hear from some Erie area green business leaders – Brian Gerrits, senior product manager for General Electric, Drivetrain Technologies; Tim Ryan, senior executive vice president of Apex Wind Energy Inc. and Axio Power Inc. and president, Apex Offshore Wind LLC; and Joe Simko, president and general manager for Hodge Foundry.

Passing the Clean Energy and Green Jobs legislation (HB 80) will help these and other green businesses grow here in Pennsylvania. You can do your part to help pass the bill by contacting your own representatives. Just go to PennFuture’s Action Center to urge your rep to vote for clean energy and green jobs now.

PennFuture works every day to make a difference for Pennsylvania’s environment and economy. Isn’t it time to join us and make a difference yourself? Go to our secure website to join PennFuture, and make sure you sign up for our publications. And remember, you can make sure you don't miss any podcasts by subscribing to them through iTunes.