In March, 2009, leaders from community groups, the business sector, local government and the higher education community launched a new citywide campaign, “The Black and Gold City Goes Green”, the first-ever attempt by any city in the nation to run a citywide citizen action campaign to cut global warming. The goal of the campaign is to work together to reduce heat-trapping gases from global warming, with a significant measurable decrease expected by January 2010.

The campaign includes a series of monthly actions, all with little or no cost, that families and individuals can take that will make measurable reduction in the heat-trapping gases they produce.  A new website, www.theBlackandGoldCityGoesGreen.com allows participants to keep tract of the environmental improvement they are making, and see how the reset of the city is doing.

“This exciting project will make history, not just in Pittsburgh, but around the nation,” said Joylette Portlock, western Pennsylvania outreach coordinator for Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture), which is coordinating the community outreach campaign. “The plan is designed to empower the people of Pittsburgh through their community and public interest organizations; civic groups; churches, synagogues and mosques; sports fans and players; the news media, and any other group to make Pittsburgh even cooler by going green. Together, we will save energy, save money, build green jobs and save the planet – all by taking a few simple actions.”

The Black and Gold City Goes Green is part of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative, which is coordinated by the Green Building Alliance. The Initiative grew out of the work of Pittsburgh’s Green Government Task Force, which conducted a citywide greenhouse gas inventory and then created a Climate Action Plan. The inventory and plan are available at www.pittsburghclimate.org. Last year, Pittsburgh City Council unanimously passed a resolution of support for implementation of the plan.

For more information about the Black and Gold campaign, the list of proposed monthly actions and a fact sheet on compact fluorescent light bulbs, check out the website at www.TheBlackandGoldCityGoesGreen.com or call PennFuture at 412-258-6680.

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