New Alternative Energy/Climate Bill. A bipartisan group of Senate and House members and the Department of Environmental Protection announced new legislation to expand the Alternative Portfolio Standards and help address climate change by creating a carbon sequestration network in Pennsylvania.
In this video, Rep. Greg Vitali (D-Delaware) introduces the press conference on the bill. Release covering the announcement. Environmental groups express concerns.
Video of those involved in the announcement--
Sen. Ted Erickson (R-Delaware)
Rep. Chris Ross (R-Chester)
Rep. Kate Harper (R-Montgomery)
Acting DEP Secretary John Hanger
Steve Stroman, PennFuture

Pittsburgh's Earth Friend Awards honor friends, neighbors, schools, and organizations improving the environment and greening the Pittsburgh Region. The awards are presented by the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and WTAE-TV Channel 4 and supported by Sony.
The Earth Friend Award is presented on a bi-weekly basis to recognize specific efforts being made by persons, schools, groups, organizations, or communities to improve or conserve our environment and communities in the Greater Pittsburgh Region.
To see examples of past winners, watch these videos from WTAE-TV.
To nominate a group or individual, or to learn more about this exciting opportunity, please visit the WTAE-TV website.

Low Impact Development In Lebanon County. The Village at Springbrook Farms is a good example of what is possible when a township that takes a long term view works with a developer willing to innovate.
More than 100 storage/infiltration BMPs have been distributed throughout the site. Each was located and sized according to its drainage area, and accounts for both storage volume and the amount of surface area required to "spread out the water" to avoid over-concentrating infiltration. (Click here to watch this Stormwater PA video.)

DEP Farm Show Exhibit. Julie Stone from the Department of Environmental Protection talks about the "Feel the Power of Energy Conservation" exhibit at the just completed Pennsylvania Farm Show with a reporter from the York Dispatch. (Click here to see article.)

Audubon Christmas Bird Count In Philadelphia. Keith Russell, Audubon PA Ornithologist, talks about the just completed 109th Christmas Bird Count in Philadelphia.

Somerset Summit Highlights Water Quality Improvements. In the newest installment of the Western PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation Video Diaries, we visit the Somerset Watershed Summit and go on a tour of the Casselman River Watershed in southern Somerset County to learn about water quality projects going on there.
Somerset County has a long history of coal mining and numerous environmental problems stemming from the unregulated mining practices of the past. Visit the Casselman River Watershed Association website for more information.
Produced and written by Andy McAllister, WPCAMR Watershed Coordinator

Lawsuit To Keep Chesapeake Bay Cleanup Commitment. After 25 years of watching promises broken and commitments unfulfilled, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation this week filed a lawsuit in federal court to require the federal Environmental Protection Agency to enforce the law and reduce pollution sufficiently to remove the Chesapeake Bay from the federal ‘impaired waters’ list. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following a legal requirement for a 60-day notice of intent to sue period (CBF filed the notice on October 29). (Click here for full announcement.)

Welcome To Cosmo's World. The Pennsylvania Wild Resource Conservation Program has a new interactive education program now online featuring Cosmo the flying squirrel and Terra the river otter to help teach students about biodiversity, invasive species, endangered species and climate change.
Cosmo and Terra are featured in four online videos that introduce the topics. Teacher's Guides accompany each video with a lesson plan and related student activities. This video is on biodiversity.
Cosmo's World is produced by the Wild Resource Conservation Program and public television station WLVT Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton (PBS 39) to help classroom teachers and environmental educators teach these elementary school science topics in a fun and engaging way.
Visit the Cosmo's World webpage for more information.