It was announced yesterday that Pittsburgh, our fair, green city, has been selected by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) to be the host city of World Environment Day in 2010. Officials sited Rachel Carson, pioneer of the modern environmental movement and a Pittsburgh area native, and the city’s remarkable transformation from polluted industrial hub to emerging green urban center, among the reasons that contributed to the selection.

A series of activities are planned to “bridge the gap” between Earth Day, held April 22, and World Environment Day, which is celebrated June 5. According to the UNEP, the general aim of World Environment Day is to “stimulate worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.”

The announcement comes on the heels of a string of notable events the city has hosted this year, such as Netroots Nation and, most recently, the G-20 World Economic Summit. (The latter left a bitter-sweet memory on the minds of many here.) Arguably less politically-charged, this coming occasion promises to be just as significant, if not more, as it shines a light on important climate- and energy-related issues that affect us all. We’re delighted that Pittsburgh can serve as a viable backdrop, this time not as the problem to solve, but as an alternative solution others can follow.

Photo: David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the first LEED Certified convention center and largest building in the world to receive certification