As we seek to create a future where every building and every community is sustainable so that every person can thrive, GBA looks to the teachings of Dr. King to inspire courage and clarity in our work. Early on, Dr. King identified connections between racial equity, human health, and environmental justice – connections that […]
Archive | Occupant Health
Health and Environmental Concerns of Artificial Turf Fields
This is the first in a two-part series about safer options for athletic fields by guest authors Susan Kaplan and Rachel Massey of the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Schools, universities, and municipalities often face the need to make a choice between natural grass athletic fields and artificial turf. These choices can involve substantial monetary investments. Reasons some cite for choosing artificial turf can include an […]
Pennsylvania’s Schools Have A Lead Problem, But There’s a Solution
Whether you have kids there, work there, or were recently there yourself: daycares and schools are where we spend a substantial amount of our lives — 1,000 hours for the average child per year to be exact. These places should be safe to spend time in — and free from the risk of lead contaminating the drinking water. In partnership with Women […]
GPRO Operations and Maintenance Essentials: What’s It Really Like?
“This course greatly increased my awareness of the complex the process of going green, and how important it is to the environment.” – former GPRO Student Green Building Alliance trains a lot of professionals in the design and construction fields, but we recently decided to add a particular focus to facilities professionals by offering GPRO Operations […]
p4 Measures Compared to Green Building & Sustainable Development Certifications
At this point, almost everyone in the building world is familiar (if not intimate) with LEED, with emerging awareness of the Living Building Challenge, WELL Building Standard, and Passiv House. BUT, in Pittsburgh, there is a new framework in town, developed right here. You’ve heard “p4” tossed about as the next frontier of sustainable, urban […]
Finding An Eco-Friendly Apartment
Homeowners can make great strides to change the carbon footprint of their homes through weatherization, the installation of insulation and using alternative energy sources. But as a renter, your hands are tied. So if you’re hoping to keep your housing eco-friendly and save on your utilities bill, you’ll want to make sure the building meets […]
Clean Power Plan Support in Op-Ed by Mayors of Pittsburgh & Philadelphia
Mayor Peduto of Pittsburgh and Mayor Kenney of Philadelphia have spoken out in support not only of a new federal power plan, but also a way to comply that puts those most vulnerable (those who spend the highest portion of their income on energy bills) first. The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon pollution from […]
PNC’s Onsite Well-being Centers Achieve LEED Silver
In 2015, PNC Financial Services opened onsite Well-being Centers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Miamisburg, Ohio, providing convenient, affordable, and quality care. Among other services, the centers offer primary, preventive, and urgent care, as well as lab services, annual physicals, well-woman exams, and physical therapy. Both centers are open for all employees enrolled in PNC medical benefits, their covered […]
On Falling in Love with Trying: Or Lessons I Learned from Majora Carter, David Orr, and Antwi Akom
Over the last three years, Environmental Charter School (ECS) has had the exceptional opportunity to be part of the Green & Healthy Schools Academy’s School Sustainability Culture Program. According to the GHSA site, this program is a two-year, hands-on, immersive learning community that assists schools with integrating sustainability into their buildings, curriculum, and culture through inspirational, […]
On Emotion: The Green & Healthy Schools Academy
In November, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols (“J”) traveled to Pittsburgh from California’s slow coast to present at GBA’s monthly Inspire Speakers Series. The following day, he joined participants of our School Sustainability Culture Program (a program of the Green & Healthy Schools Academy) to discuss how K-12 educators, administrators, and facility managers could use his research to […]