May 20: Chill the Drills! Oil and the Arctic

The Sierra Club Allegheny Group presents Chill the Drills with Kit McGurn. If you are upset about the recent offshore oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, then just think what a similar oil spill in the arctic would mean to the endangered species we care so much about! Kit McGurn, the Sierra Club's arctic expert, will give us all the facts about oil development in the arctic, and suggest ways that we can help here at home.

"The Arctic region is the single most endangered ecosystem on the planet" says Kit McGurn, the Sierra Club's national expert on the Alaskan wilderness. Come be part of a multimedia presentation describing the growing threat of climate change and oil development to Alsaka's most pristine habitaqts. Kit will explain the problems of the Arctic in a way that is appropriate for adults and children 11 years and older. Join other environmentally-conscious citizens and find out what you can do to help.

Enhance your knowledge of what arctic drilling is all about, connect global problems with local solutions, and ask questions of concern to you. On the local/regional front, Erika Staaf of Penn Environment will also speak about Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania.

Kit McGurn is the National Arctic Organizer for the Sierra Club. He earned degrees in Economics and Environmental Studies at the Pacific Lutheran University. Formerly with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Kit now works to educate and engage citizens about these unique American ecosystems.

7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (first floor gallery), 420 Boulevard of the Allies, Pittsburgh, PA 15219. The event is free, but RSVP to alleghenyesa@gmail.com, with contact information and number of guests so we can plan the right amount of food and drink! More information about this event and local issues related to endangered species, climate change, coal, and other environmental concerns at the local Sierra Club web site.

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