Feb 26 & other dates: Tree Tender courses

Tree Pittsburgh is excited to announce the dates and locations for our 2011 Tree Tender Courses! This year we are pleased to hold the courses at Rothschild-Doyno Collaborative in the Strip District and at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh in the North Side!

Tree Tenders help young street trees to survive and live longer, healthier lives in the city of Pittsburgh. Learn about urban forestry, tree biology, tree care, pruning, and planting.

Saturday February 26th 9am-4pm, Downtown at Gateway Towers on Ft. Duquesne Blvd

Wednesdays March 23rd, 30th, April 6th 5:30pm-8:30pm, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Tuesdays May 10th, 17th, 24th 5:30pm-8:30pm, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Saturday June 18th 9am-4pm, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative :: 2847 Penn Ave, Strip District

Saturday July 16th 9am-4pm, Rothschild Doyno Collaborative :: 2847 Penn Ave, Strip District

Thursdays Sept. 8th, 15th, 22nd 5:30pm-8:30pm, Children's Museum of Pittsburgh

Tree Tenders must attend all three sessions in the course. All evening courses run 5:30-8:30 and include dinner. All single day courses run 9am-4am and include lunch.

The cost of the course is $40 and includes materials, a meal at each session, and a t-shirt upon completion.

A reduced rate option is available for those on a limited income—Contact Caitlin for details at Caitlin@treepittsburgh.org .

Sorry, Tree Pittsburgh cannot give refunds once you have paid for this course.

Children under the age of 18 are not permitted in the course. Please contact Caitlin if you need childcare and we can arrange on-site childcare for you.

Register for a Tree Tender Course here!

Feb 25-27: I Heart Empowerment conference

I Heart Empowerment is a student-organized and student-led conference composed of three sets of experiences in one weekend. The first is a symposium of organizations and discussion on nonviolence and empowerment as a way of life. The second is forum of student presentations on the dynamic of empowerment and its role in overcoming diverse conflicts in society. The third is a series of unity projects that aim to move empowerment to the realm of lived experience on a local and global scale.

4 p.m. on Friday to 2 p.m. on Sunday at Carlow University, 3333 Fifth Avenue; free to attend. For out-of-towners, they can even provide housing. For more information and to register, visit here.

Feb 24: Invest In America! rally

Join MoveOn and Democracy for Pittsburgh to speak out against careless budget cuts that hurt education, healthcare,
and research. Speak out for the economic and social benefits of investing in education, healthcare, research.

• Gather at 11:30 a.m. at Aldo Coffee Shop, 675 Washington Road, Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon), PA 15228. • At 11:45, attendees will proceed to a spot near the office of Representative Murphy, which is at 504 Washington Road, Pittsburgh (Mt. Lebanon), Pa 15228

Please RSVP for the event by clicking on the link below:
http://pol.moveon.org/event/invest2011/112639

Feb 24: Fighting for the Middle Class rally

To all who concerned about the health of our natural environment and the people who live here: Many of us believe that what is currently happening in Madison Wisconsin is about power, the power of polluting corporations to break the unions, reduce the opposition in state and federal elections, and influence the courts.

The Supreme Court’s ‘Citizen United’ decision to recognize corporations as individuals with the right to provide funds to election campaign is one part of this quest for power. In our own state the gas industry is making sure that elected officials will listen to them at any time. In Congress the coal and electric power companies are using their power to make sure that Representatives like Altmire and Critz vote to remove EPA authority to regulate greenhouse gases.

The unions of this country are the remaining bulwark against the power of polluting corporations. If the Governor of Wisconsin, elected with the help of the Koch brothers, is able to break the public service and teacher unions right to collective bargaining, we can expect Ohio and Indiana and others to follow.

Please join the Rally “Fighting For the Middle Class”

Beginning at noon on Thursday, February 24 at the United Steelworkers

International Headquarters,

5 Gateway Center/

60 Boulevard of the Allies in

Downtown Pittsburgh.

Lunch Provided.

Feb 23: Film screening: Crude

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES

For Schedule and Speakers: http://www.duq.edu/human-rights/ or for individual films, see the list below:

Tuesday, Jan. 18
The Age of Stupid
The future judges our inaction on global warming (Read more)

Monday, Jan. 24
They Killed Sister Dorothy
One woman versus the forces destroying the rain forest (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Food, Inc. The health impact of an industrialized food supply (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Crossing Arizona The national debate over illegal immigrants (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 15
Afghan Star
American Idol, Afghan style (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 23
Crude
The irreparable environmental impact of oil production (Read more)

All screenings begin at 7 p.m. in 105 College Hall, Duquesne University.

Feb 23: Peak Oil lecture by Dan Bednarz

Pittsburgh Peak Oil activist Dan Bednarz will speak about the consequences of Peak Oil as it relates to students, faculty, and the University of Pittsburgh as a whole. The concept of Peak Oil, in a nutshell, says that modern societies depend almost entirely on finite sources of energy--notably cheap petroleum, natural gas, and coal. Because those resources are finite, it is a natural law that we will eventually run out. Although most peak oil theorists say that we will not "run out" of oil or natural gas for many years, if ever, the prices are bound to drastically increase, which could potentially cause widespread suffering as transportation, agriculture and communication all become dramatically more difficult.

8:30 in 157 Benedum Hall on Pitt's Oakland campus.

Feb 22: Reception with Irish sustainable technology companies

Pittsburgh City Council member Doug Shields and the Ireland Institute of Pittsburgh are hosting an evening reception to welcome the Northern Ireland delegation of sustainable technology companies. The sustainable technology sector is growing in North Ireland and presents a great opportunity forPittsburgh. These delegates have already identified Pittsburgh as THE place to find good partners for various business activities. Councilman Shields hopes that local leaders in this sector will be open to some exchange of ideas, practices, etc.

7:00 – 8:30 p.m. at the University Center’s Connan Room at Carnegie Mellon University. Food and beverages will be provided. Parking is available for free in the main garage on Forbes Avenue.

(The University Center is located on the main part of campus along Forbes Avenue, between the PurnellCenter for the Arts and Gesling Stadium. From the East Campus Parking Garage, exit the facility toward the major part of campus (on the opposite side as Beeler Street), and you will see the University Center on your left. The University Center is marked as number 28 on the campus map, available at this website.)

Feb 17: Urban Forest public meeting

Urban Forest Health Alert: Public Meeting on 2011 Tree Action Plan. Last month, a number of tree specialists gathered to tour the four historic RAD parks and assess the damage and potential damage from emerald ash borer, oak wilt, and other threats. These specialists confirmed that our city parks may face significant losses in the coming years. Immediately, an action plan for 2011 and beyond was outlined. Public input is a large part of this plan. Please join us as we fight to protect our city's trees!

6:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the Frick Fine Arts Building on the University of Pittsburgh Campus, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 (near the fountain where Schenley Drive enters Oakland).

Feb 16: GASLAND screening in Regent Square

Come and see the film that has made FRACKING a household name.

"The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudi Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."

The above description is from the HBO website.

7pm in the Trevanion Room of the Wilkins School Community Center at 7604 Charleston Ave, Swissvale, PA 15218.

Feb 15: Film screening: Afghan Star

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES

For Schedule and Speakers: http://www.duq.edu/human-rights/ or for individual films, see the list below:

Tuesday, Jan. 18
The Age of Stupid
The future judges our inaction on global warming (Read more)

Monday, Jan. 24
They Killed Sister Dorothy
One woman versus the forces destroying the rain forest (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Food, Inc. The health impact of an industrialized food supply (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Crossing Arizona The national debate over illegal immigrants (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 15
Afghan Star
American Idol, Afghan style (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 23
Crude
The irreparable environmental impact of oil production (Read more)

All screenings begin at 7 p.m. in 105 College Hall, Duquesne University.

Feb 15: County Council meeting

At a recent County Council hearing on ordinances regarding Marcellus Shale, a concerned citizen invited along with Range Resources and DEP representatives was silenced several times as she raised issues related to health and safety while the Council was engaged in negotiations about setback distances for gas wells from residential structures (200', 500', or 2000'). The Council has been reluctant to hold another hearing on the topic, and citizen presence and comments at the upcoming Council meeting may help demonstrate the urgency of the issue.

You can sign up (at least 24 hours in advance) by calling 412-350-6495 or going to the Council web site's registration page. The agenda for this and other County Council meetings can be found here.

5pm in the Gold Room on the Fourth Floor of 436 Grant St., Pitsburgh 15219.

Feb 15: ACHD air quality meeting

The Allegheny County Health Department will hold a meeting on air quality, at which citizens are able to speak briefly near the end. Allegheny County is one of two counties in the whole state that governs its own air quality. Allegheny County can establish laws more stringent than DEP; DEP can establish laws more stringent than EPA. The goal for this meeting is to have the Air Quality Advisory Committee formally ask that its own Regulation Subcommittee look into shale gas extraction AQ issues and formulate new regulations if necessary. The subcommittee (made up of citizens, enviros, academics, industry) would then begin a (possibly year-long) journey to learn about Marcellus air quality impacts and formulate laws to protect our health. When the new regulations are formulated the full committee will review (citizens welcome here) and recommend yay/nay that the Board of Health approve (citizen input welcome here too).

AGENDA:
Welcome, Call to Order, Chair’s Remarks, Approval of Minutes from October 19, 2010
Subcommittee Reports:
A. Criteria Pollutant /Air Monitoring Subcommittee – Coleen Davis
B. Pollution Prevention/Education Subcommittee –Rachel Fillipini
C. Regulation Subcommittee – Robert Orchowski
Clean Air Fund Request – Southwest PA Air Quality Partnership – Alaina Conner
Revised PM2.5 SIP – Jayme Graham <==== THIS REPORT ON CLAIRTON MAY TAKE A LONG TIME New Business A. Health Impacts related to Air Quality raised in the Hopey-Templeton series in the Post Gazette in December B. Marcellus Shale Drilling air quality concerns Other Business Citizen Comments Date of Next Meeting, Adjournment

5:30-7 p.m. (may go a bit longer) at 3901 Penn Ave., Building #7, Pittsburgh 15201-1891. For more information, 412-578-8103 or 412-687-ACHD.

Feb 10: WHOI talk on Deepwater Horizon spill

Christopher Reddy of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution will speak about Searching for Subsurface Plumes following the Deepwater Horizon Disaster, as part of Carnegie Mellon's Distinguished Lecture Series in Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy (sponsored by the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research).

4:30 p.m. in Porter Hall 100 (Gregg Hall) at CMU.

Feb 10: Marcellus Shale Law & Policy Symposium

This event, live at PSU and available via webcast, will feature a one-of-a kind lineup of scholars, advocates, and scientists for an examination of legal and environmental aspects of Marcellus Shale in the Northeast.

The event is sponsored by the Penn State Environmental Law Review, a student-run legal publication. For more information, please contact Christine Arena, symposium editor of the Penn State Environmental Law Review at cma237@law.psu.edu.

Registration is required to attend in person.

10 a.m. at the Greg Sutliff Auditorium, Lewis Katz Building, University Park, PA; simulcast to auditorium of Lewis Katz Hall, Carlisle, PA; available via webcast.

Feb 9: Film Screening: Crossing Arizona

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES

For Schedule and Speakers: http://www.duq.edu/human-rights/ or for individual films, see the list below:

Tuesday, Jan. 18
The Age of Stupid
The future judges our inaction on global warming (Read more)

Monday, Jan. 24
They Killed Sister Dorothy
One woman versus the forces destroying the rain forest (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Food, Inc. The health impact of an industrialized food supply (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Crossing Arizona The national debate over illegal immigrants (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 15
Afghan Star
American Idol, Afghan style (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 23
Crude
The irreparable environmental impact of oil production (Read more)

All screenings begin at 7 p.m. in 105 College Hall, Duquesne University.

Feb 7: Sustainable Monroeville meeting

The next meeting of Sustainable Monroeville will be Monday evening, February 7, 2011 at 6:30 PM in the program room of the Monroeville Public Library. Join us for a pot luck dinner -- bring along a dish with a locally sourced ingredient, or a raw foods dish. Also, bring along your own place setting, so we can make this a zero waste event! John Silvestri, member of Sustainable Monroeville, will talk briefly at 6:45 about the new program Sustainable Monroeville is spearheading to facilitate recycling in Monroeville.

Update from Elisa:

Tina Clarke of Transition Network.org will be a guest at our pot luck dinner tonight! She was a co-facilitator with Fred Brown of the Kingsley Center this past weeknd for the third Transition training in Pittsburgh (seeTransitionUS.org for details about Transition)

Christy Fuscoe, Director of the Monroeville Public Library who is very interested in a permaculture landscape for the library will also be attending.

Come by and show your support for a Monroeville Transition initiatives!

If you able to bring a dish, try to use one locally sourced ingredient or bring a raw foods dish. Bring utensils and a plate too if you can. If not, bring yourself only and come eat!

www.sustainblemonroeville.com

www.transitiongph.org

http://1317eastcarson.blogspot.com

Feb 5: GASLAND screening in Butler

Screening of the award-winning documentary film GASLAND, followed by a community discussion.

1:30pm in the Preston Room at the Butler YWCA, 120 W. Cunningham St., Butler, PA 16033.

Feb 5-6: Training for Transition

Transition Pittsburgh (http://TransitionPGH.org/) and TransitionUS (http://TransitionUS.org/) are teaming up to offer a two-day intensive training for transition (T4T) course as developed by the Transition Network in the UK (http://TransitionNetwork.org/).

The course is an in-depth experiential introduction to the ideas, process and practices that have inspired and influenced tens of thousands of people around the world and catalyzed a rapidly-growing, positive, inspirational global movement.

9 a.m. on Saturday to 5 p.m. on Sunday; location TBA. Cost: $160 until Jan 31, $175 after that date. Lunches, refreshments and study materials (but not lodging) included. If you can donate extra money for scholarships, your generosity will help those with low incomes to attend! Recommend a friend and both of you receive $15 off! A small amount of work-trade spots and scholarships are available. Registration: Send an RSVP Email with your info (name, neighborhood, affiliations) to Jeff Newman: jnewman11@gmail.com or call 814-449-3552.

A $100 deposit will hold your spot. We’ll send you all the information via email or phone.

Curriculum: This course is packed with imaginative and inspiring ways to catalyze, support and engage your community, and delves into both the theory and practice of Transition that has worked so well in hundreds of communities in the U.K. and around the world.

• Explore ways of increasing community resilience
• Learn to describe the challenges of Peak Oil, climate change, and economic instability in ways that bring people together and inspire action
• Receive tools for community outreach, education and creating shared vision
• Learn ways to work with obstacles that have prevented our communities from responding to the challenges
• Learn how to facilitate community collaboration -- supporting existing activities and expanding the number and diversity of people involved
• Meet others in your region who share your concerns and want to transition to greater stability and security
• Become a part of a rapidly growing positive, inspirational, global movement!

Who should attend: People interested in learning ways to transition their community, people already creating a Transition Initiative, and communities wishing to become an internationally-recognized Transition Initiative.

Instructors: Tina Clarke, certified Transition Trainer will be making her third trip to Pittsburgh!

Feb 3: Tom Ridge on Marcellus

Former Governor Tom Ridge will speak about Marcellus Shale Gas Development as part of Carnegie Mellon's Distinguished Lecture Series in Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy (sponsored by the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education & Research).

4:30 p.m. in Porter Hall 100 (Gregg Hall) at CMU.

Feb 2-5: PASA Conference

Preparations are underway for the annual Farming for the Future Conference, and the conference staff is busy going over the numbers. We are excited to be celebrating 20 years of Farming for the Future with over 70Friday/Saturday workshops. We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from 94 sponsoring companies and organizations. We are also offering an unprecedented 16 pre-conference tracks, in addition to 3 scrumptious dining events and 2 PASA-bilities Leadership Award Winners who will serve as closing plenary speakers. Surely, this year's conference is 1 you won't want to miss!

The conference takes place every year in State College, PA in early February.

Feb 1: Transition Pittsburgh Gift Circle

The next Training for Transtion (T4T) event will be an introductory meeting about the Transition movement, with a Gift Circle.

A Gift Circle is a way of building personal connections and fostering the flow of goods and services within a community.
A Gift Circle is essentially a gathering of community members intent on sharing and receiving gifts and services. Instead of the dominant money system, where every individual is encouraged to be financially independent and thus isolated from the community, a gift circle facilitates interconnection and relationship.

Typically, a group of 5-20 people sit in a circle. Each person introduces themselves and answers an ice-breaker. Then each person individually expresses a need, a desire, or a goal (ie a bicycle tune-up, foot massage, garden assistance). Next, anyone in the circle can address this need with a direct or indirect solution. After everyone has shared needs and goals, round two begins, where one by one, participants offer a gift, skill, or resource (ie knitting skills, space to garden, a truck). Then, anyone interested in these offerings speaks up and connects with their fellow community member. Terrific connections and gratitude often emerge between previous “strangers”. It is truly eye-opening what can happen in such a setting.

We will be facilitating a big gift circle at this event on Feb. 1st, and would love to see you there. You don't need to bring any sort of material gift, unless that is what you want to share. To learn more about gift circles, check out

http://www.realitysandwich.com/circle_gifts

7-10 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Pittsburgh at 5401 Centre Avenue.

Feb 1: Film Screening: Food, Inc.

DUQUESNE UNIVERSITY HUMAN RIGHTS FILM SERIES

For Schedule and Speakers: http://www.duq.edu/human-rights/ or for individual films, see the list below:

Tuesday, Jan. 18
The Age of Stupid
The future judges our inaction on global warming (Read more)

Monday, Jan. 24
They Killed Sister Dorothy
One woman versus the forces destroying the rain forest (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 1
Food, Inc. The health impact of an industrialized food supply (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 9
Crossing Arizona The national debate over illegal immigrants (Read more)

Tuesday, Feb. 15
Afghan Star
American Idol, Afghan style (Read more)

Wednesday, Feb. 23
Crude
The irreparable environmental impact of oil production (Read more)

All screenings begin at 7 p.m. in 105 College Hall, Duquesne University.