A pair of local high school students concerned about global warming presented a petition yesterday to city and county officials asking them to ensure that the proposed Penguins arena and the planned North Shore casino are constructed as green buildings.

Students for a Greener Pittsburgh, a project started by two students at The Ellis School, collected 700 signatures requesting that the facilities be LEED-certified.

LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, establishes strict requirements for environmentally friendly construction designated by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Students Daniela Valdes, 16, and Sandra Hartkopf, 17, founders of the student group, delivered the petition to council, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, county Chief Executive Dan Onorato, the governor's office and Don Barden, owner of the proposed Majestic Star casino.

The two girls, who have used a blog and the Facebook site to spread the word about global warming, collected names for the petition at their school and four others: Central Catholic, Oakland Catholic, North Allegheny and Allderdice.

"I think we could have gotten more if we had more time," said Ms. Valdes, a volunteer with the Sierra Club. "Not one person turned us down."

Pittsburgh already has the largest LEED-certified building in the world, the David L. Lawrence Convention Center.

City Councilman William Peduto, who was on hand at the City-County Building to accept the petition, said he plans to introduce a resolution calling for the new facilities to follow suit.

He and members of the Sierra Club, who also attended, said the development of two major projects at the same time gives the city an opportunity "to do the right thing" in setting high standards.

"That's what we're requesting," he said. "I think it's important to understand that many cities around the world are requiring LEED certification on all new development."

Mr. Peduto said he met with the Penguins in April to discuss a comprehensive plan for green site preparation, such as recycling demolished buildings to use for new construction. That didn't happen, he said, but now a petition will help raise public awareness and give the idea some momentum.

Ms. Valdes, whose student group is supported by the Sierra Club and the community organization Pittsburgh UNITED, said it's important to get the initiative started now while both facilities are in the planning stage.

Ms. Valdes said the petition is the most ambitious attempt by Students for a Greener Pittsburgh.

Previously, her group has planted trees, contributed to a "Clean Up Homestead" rally to pick up trash in the borough and conducted a campaign for energy conservation in city schools by posting signs asking people to turn out unneeded lights.