G-20 Summit Gets Underway in Pittsburgh

World leaders are gathering in Pittsburgh this week for the G-20 summit which brings together the leading industrial and emerging-market countries.

Pittsburgh was chosen because it is seen as a city that has revitalized itself from heavy industrial companies to companies leading the way in healthcare, technology and education.

Together, the G-20 member countries represent around 90 per cent of global gross national product and 80 per cent of world trade plus two-thirds of the world's population.

Many of the activities during the summit will be held at the David Lawrence Convention Center which is billed as the world's first and largest green convention center.

Another location is the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens. It's a Victorian-style glasshouse that opened in 1893 in Oakland.

Phipps boasts the First LEED Certified building in a public garden, thanks to its earth-sheltered Welcome Center, which was completed in 2005.

Phipps' newest addition, the Tropical Forest Conservatory, is passively cooled and is considered the world's most energy-efficient conservatory. In addition, it is the only conservatory in the world powered by a solid oxide fuel cell.
Phipps' is near the campuses of Carnegie-Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh. It's located within Schenley Park which also has several miles of running trails and playgrounds.

Also included in the summit are the Andy Warhol Museum, the largest single-artist museum in the United States, CAPA - Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts Magnet High School which is in a complex downtown and has a 400-seat auditorium, and Rosemont Farm, the suburban Pittsburgh home of philanthropist Teresa Heinz.

Located in the wealthy Fox Chapel suburb of Pittsburgh, Rosemont Farm is a fully working farm where they grow their own fruits and vegetables and raise cows, chickens and produce their own fresh eggs.

More than 100 multi-billion dollar global companies are headquartered or have substantial business units here. Today, Pittsburgh stands as an unparalleled example of the "new America," a city with a global economy focused on sustainability and growth with a commitment to a green future.

On Tuesday, September 22, Bill Gates will attend the dedication of the Gates Center for Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University, Oakland.

Also during the week, The Freedom Conference, a coalition of conservative organizations, will sponsor its alternative G-20 summit at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall, Oakland, located within the campus of the University of Pittsburgh.

The G-20 summit ends September 26.