Forest Hills Goes Green

Although Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement Pittsburgh has continued to follow the agreement, and opt for eco-friendly alternatives. However, there is one area that stands out above the rest, Forest Hills. NextPittsburgh reports that Forest Hills leads the charge in environmental plans.

Forest Hills, a small borough with a population of 6,000, has become an important area in the city of Pittsburgh as it fights against climate change. Forest Hill’s green initiatives are run by none other than Professor Patricia DeMarco. DeMarco has a long history of contributing to environmental policies. Prior to her run on the Borough Council, DeMarco was the director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University.

The biggest project that the borough has worked on thus far would be the Forest Hills Municipal Center. The building not only has a library, but it also has a police station, and numerous government offices! In order to be even more eco-friendly than it already is, the building is run on solar panels, with a geothermal air flow system to control the temperature.

With a project costing a total of $4.5 million you would think taxpayers would be weeping, but the money for the building was collected without raising local taxes!

Forest Hills maybe leading the charge against climate change, but the city as a whole has been pretty busy fighting climate change as well.

Pittsburgh’s city council created a plan in May, that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With this plan the city plans to function solely on renewable energy.

The city of Pittsburgh’s green initiatives shows that with commitment and community participation we can fight against climate change!

One Comment Add yours

  1. Dr. Katherine Cruger says:

    Hmm, curious about how other municipalities can adopt similar plans and how the funding came together without additional tax revenue. thanks for sharing this!

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