A green Cranberry

A fast-growing community is more likely to be labeled sprawl than "green", but Cranberry is trying to change that.

The Trib today takes a look at how Cranberry, and the region in general, is making an effort to be more environmentally friendly, cleaner and energy efficient.

Cranberry:

In an effort to discourage sprawl, Cranberry is working on a comprehensive plan that will detail how the community will be shaped until 2030. Already it has one of the highest per-capita recycling rates in the state. Energy saving LED, or light-emitting diode, traffic lights save money, and treated wastewater is used to irrigate the community golf course, Andree said.

Nearly 2,000 compost barrels have been given to residents who complete classes to learn to use them in backyards to break down organic materials.

Pittsburgh:

Pennsylvania is second among states with green buildings behind California, Sroufe said. The Pittsburgh region is poised for a green economy that could include all varieties of sustainable projects, such as ecofriendly construction and the research and development of alternative fuel and energy resources, he said.

Pittsburgh officials have committed to more nature-friendly initiatives.

In addition to changing over all of its traffic lights to LED, the city is among the top in the nation with 23 Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified buildings, including the David L. Lawrence Convention Center and the Senator John Heinz History Center.

The rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, provides standards for environmentally sustainable construction. Only Portland, Seattle, Chicago and Atlanta have more certified buildings than Pittsburgh, according to statistics from the Green Building Alliance in the South Side.