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Let's Turn Down the Heat: Understanding why a 2°C warmer world must be averted    • Philadelphia, 05/18 A Watershed United: First annual meeting and conference of the Coalition of the Delaware River Watershed    • Lambertville, NJ, 06/10 Climate Change Advisory Committee meetings, 2013 Harrisburg open to the public; dates subject to change    • May 21    • July 2    • October 8

PennFuture unveils easy-to-understand guide on state's drilling law
PennFuture released our new report this week, "Pennsylvania's New Oil and Gas Law (Act 13): A Plain Language Guide and Analysis." The new 174-page drilling law has left a wake of confusion and uncertainty since its passage in early February. Our legal staff has produced a readable, informative, and accurate guide and analysis that should be an invaluable resource for citizens, legislators, and local officials alike. We're also urging citizens to send us questions, comments, and corrections online, so we can continue to improve the guide.

Visit our website to download your copy of the guide.

Another victory for justice
Public servants and regulators can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

Last February, U.S. Judge Joel Slomsky overturned a federal jury's verdict that held four employees of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) personally liable for $6.5 million in damages for doing their jobs. But that decision was appealed. Yesterday, the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the district court decision.

These court decisions correct a major miscarriage of justice that would have had a serious chilling effect on environmental enforcement — and should deter future polluters from personally attacking environmental regulators.

On the road, maybe coming to a town near you?
Our outreach efforts this week took us to the rolling hills of Bloomsburg, a Susquehanna River community that is the only incorporated town in Pennsylvania. Thanks to a local PennFuture volunteer who organized the event, our staff mingled over refreshments with members of the community, talking about farms, clean water, and gas drilling. We enjoyed meeting some great Columbia County citizens who are working hard to protect the watersheds and environment in their special corner of Penn's Woods.

Check our schedule of events for the next event near you. Don't see one in your area, but interested in having PennFuture come to you? We're happy to travel if you're willing to do the legwork to find a venue and get out the word. Please contact our director of outreach with your ideas.

On the march against mountaintop removal
The Earth Quaker Action Team is leading a Green Walk for Jobs and Justice to build awareness of the horrible practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, and to stop PNC Bank from supporting the practice. The team is leading the walk across Pennsylvania and events in Philadelphia on April 30, Harrisburg on May 7, and Pittsburgh on May 16.

Penn wins top honors from EPA
"Hurrah, hurrah, Pennsylvania ..."

The University of Pennsylvania is the top winner in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Challenge for the fifth consecutive year. Penn purchased an extraordinary 48 percent of its total power needs from green sources.

The EPA also recognized 16 other Pennsylvania colleges and universities for their commitment to the use of renewable energy: Allegheny College, Bucknell University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Dickinson College, Duquesne University, Eastern University, Franklin and Marshall College, Gettysburg College, Haverford College, Juniata College, Marywood University, Mercyhurst College, Philadelphia University, University of Pittsburgh, and Swarthmore College.

A great award for an outstanding young leader
Pittsburgh's own Lindsay Baxter, the city's first sustainability coordinator and author of Version 1.0 of the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, was honored as a "champion of change" this week at the White House. We are so proud that we knew her when — she's 28 now, but was she 16 when we first met her? Lindsay's work inspired PennFuture's Black and Gold City Goes Green Campaign, which since March 2009 has helped yinzers reduce nearly 4 million pounds of heat-trapping carbon dioxide each year. Our friends at the Pennsylvania Environmental Council (PEC) are lucky to have her!

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.

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