Putting Down Roots: Maren's List: 200908

Aug 31: Deadline for nominating GASP Environmental Heroes

This fall marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of GASP (the Group Against Smog and Pollution), the local environmental group dedicated to improving air quality and the environmental health of our region.

To celebrate this noteworthy occasion, we will be honoring 40 regional Environmental Heroes. These

may include representatives of local environmental organizations, scientists, medical professionals,

government, business and nonprofit leaders, citizen activists, and other individuals who have worked

to improve southwestern Pennsylvania’s environment. Please help us to identify worthy candidates

from your board, staff, membership or anyone you think has contributed to improving southwestern

Pennsylvania’s environment over the last forty years.

Nominating someone is easy. Just send this form to GASP, or simply email a one page summary

of the individual’s contribution to improving southwestern Pennsylvania’s environment, along with

their name, address, phone and email, to hero@gasp-pgh.org. Don’t forget to include the nominator

information as well. Self-nominations are permitted.

The deadline for submission is August 31, 2009. Environmental Heroes will be recognized at our 40th

Anniversary celebration event, on Friday, October 23rd at the Union Project in Highland Park.

Aug 31: Environmental Hero nominations for GASP's 40th Anniversary

To celebrate this noteworthy occasion, we will be honoring 40 regional Environmental Heroes. These

may include representatives of local environmental organizations, scientists, medical professionals,

government, business and nonprofit leaders, citizen activists, and other individuals who have worked

to improve southwestern Pennsylvania’s environment. Please help us to identify worthy candidates

from your board, staff, membership or anyone you think has contributed to improving southwestern

Pennsylvania’s environment over the last forty years.

Nominating someone is easy. Just send this form to GASP, or simply email a one page summary

of the individual’s contribution to improving southwestern Pennsylvania’s environment, along with

their name, address, phone and email, to hero@gasp-pgh.org. Don’t forget to include the nominator

information as well. Self-nominations are permitted.

The deadline for submission is August 31, 2009. Environmental Heroes will be recognized at our 40th

Anniversary celebration event, on Friday, October 23rd at the Union Project in Highland Park.

Aug 29: Pittsburgh Hostel Project benefit

Sleeping with Strangers: An Economic Stimulator: a party to benefit the Pittsburgh Hostel Project. Live music from Ishtar, Devilish Merry, Molly-in-the-Crowd, The Mighty Viaducts and more, DJs, FREE food and beer, 50/50 raffle, Chinese auction, kids' games, surprise celebrity guests, and more. Come share your ideas and excitement for a hostel in Pittsburgh!

5-11 p.m. at Viaduct Studio, 622 Second Avenue. For more information, email pittsburghhostel@gmail.com .

Aug 21: Green Drinks on Local Foods

Green Drinks! Join the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture, the East End Food Co-op, and Three Rivers Bioneers in celebrating local and regional food at Six Penn Kitchen for this month's Green Drinks. Lots more details can be found here.

5-9 p.m. at Six Penn Kitchen, 146 6th Street, 15222.

Aug 12: Sierra Club on Wind Energy

The Allegheny Group Sierra Club's monthly public meeting will feature a point-counterpoint on energy from wind.

Supply and demand... the economists are right; we can increase the supply of alternatives, or we can decrease demand. Amory Lovins used to say (and probably still does!): “Conservation is the answer. What was the question?” The question this night is on the supply end: what is the role of wind power in PA? We’ll have a representative of GAMESA, the huge Spanish firm building wind turbines within the Allegheny Group's boundaries in Ebensburg, explain their point of view. Their presentation will be followed by Patty DeMarco, PhD, formerly Executive Director of the Power Facilities Evaluation Council of Connecticut dealing with such issues as nuclear power plant safety, energy conservation, and clean fuels technology, also a Commissioner of the Alaska Regulatory Commission, with jurisdiction over all electric, gas, water, refuse utilities and oil and gas pipelines. She is presently head of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association, and she will present a wide-ranging look at the relative impacts of wind and other energy sources.

7:30-9 p.m. at the Phipps Garden Center (5th & Shady Avenues in Squirrel Hill). Conversation and refreshments to follow the presentations. For more information, email Donald L. Gibbon.

Aug 1: Schwartz Market Extavaganza

Schwartz Market at 1317 East Carson Street in Pittsburgh's historic district of South Side will be hosting an extravaganza rejuvenation event on Saturday, August 1, 2009, from 10:00AM -1:00PM. Schwartz's is introducing local and natural foods into our local market and we are all very excited!

Sweetwater Cooking School will be doing a cooking demonstration using foods that will now be available at the market and Building New Hope, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit organization, will be giving away samples of their organically certified (OCIA), shade grown coffee from worker owned farming cooperatives in Latin America. Schwartz's will be carrying the coffee too! Eat, drink, and support this local market that has been serving South Side since the 1920's!

Special thanks to the South Side Local Development Company, Sweetwater Cooking School, Building New Hope, Pennsylvania Resources Council and Mark Perry.

Please spread the word, and be sure to join us at 1317 East Carson Street on August 1 between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM! Come brainstorm with us. We are looking for ideas to make the market better and better!

Whether or not you can make it to the event, please consider taking this very short online survey.

For more information, contact Elisa at ElisaBeck@aol.com .