Pittsburgh Goes From Industrial Wasteland To G20

Pittsburg, PA has long been famous for its steel industry, and the environmental degradation that follows from it.  The sky was black and longtime residents stated that the only time the sky was blue in Pittsburg was when the steel workers were on strike.  You couldn’t even wear a white shirt to work without having to change into a clean one once you got there.  Luckily for the G20 that is no longer the case.

When the G20 meet in Pittsburg for their economic summit, they will be greeted by clear skies, award-winning green architecture, and a growing solar power industry.  The summit will open in the Phipps Conservatory, a gorgeous glass structure that houses more than mere plants.  Inside is a tropical rainforest and a sophisticated system of pipes that provide natural, electricity-free air-conditioning.
The main venue, the Pittsburg Convention Center, has won awards for its green architecture and design.  What was once a city directly contributing to global warming, is now a city leading the nation into the future.  Even the old steel factories have solar panels and millions of dollars of improvements to eliminate soot and CO2 emissions.  The city is striving to conserve energy and grow in sustainable ways.  Hopefully, being in such a changed city can inspire the leaders of the G20 to work towards an economic solution for the world.