Jul 20: House Concert with Two Of A Kind & Brad Yoder

One giant leap for mankind!  At least for those who enjoy a wonderful house concert.  Join us for another great show in the Putting Down Roots Occasional House Concert Series.  

Two Of A Kind is David and Jenny Heitler-Klevans -- joined this time by their sons Ari and Jason (who just finished college).  Best known for their award-winning children's music, they'll present a "grown-up" concert, adding 4-part "family harmony" plus French horn and trombone.  This intimate folk/singer-songwriter concert will include original, traditional and cover songs by the likes of Pete Seeger, Melanie DeMore, Tom Waits, Greg Brown and more, including lots of topical/political material on topics such as climate change, peace and justice, and songs to give you hope in these difficult times.

Opening for the Heitler-Klevans clan will be local singer-songwriter Brad Yoder!  We'll enjoy a taste of Brad’s unique mix of humorous, poetic, political, funky and edgy original songs, covering a musical range from folk to indie rock (with unexpected musical and lyrical twists) which has earned him a loyal following ranging from kids to retirees.  And as a special treat, he'll be joining Two of a Kind on the saxophone for a song or two!

Two Of A Kind will also be doing a couple of free interactive kids' shows at libraries in the area that week, a Summer Reading Program performance titled Building a Better World featuring songs about books, reading, and making the world a better place.  Daytime shows in Butler and New Castle (more details below).

House concert at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6:30) at our home in Squirrel Hill.  Light fare to share (contributions welcome but not expected).  Directions and other info will come after you RSVP -- and please do RSVP even if you know your way!  RSVP by email to maren dot cooke at gmail dot com with "concert" in the Subject line, with name(s) of attendees -- and/or via the Eventbrite notice that will appear closer to the date, if you're on the email list for Sustainability Salons (email me with "salon" in the Subject line if you'd like to be added!)  Suggested donation is $15 (goes to the performers;  we won't use Eventbrite tickets but we will be passing the proverbial hat). 

Two Of A Kind's other area performances: 

Wednesday, July 19 at 10:30 a.m. at the Butler Area Library (218 N. McKean St., Butler, PA 16001, info at 724-287-1715).  

Thursday, July 20 at 10 a.m. at the New Castle Library, 207 E. North St., New Castle, PA 16101;  info at 724-658-6659).

Possibly also a program at the Carnegie Library/Squirrel Hill branch (412-422-9841) on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning -- still ironing out details.  

Previous Putting Down Roots house concerts have included Mike Agranoff, Sparky & Rhonda Rucker, Putnam Smith, Ken Gaines and the Squirrel Hillbillies, and Randal Bays & Davey Mathias.

Jul 15: Sustainability Salon on Getting STEM into Congress

A reminder:  please remember to RSVP if you might come!  And apologies for the multiple emails this month, what with a salon and a house concert less than a week apart...  

With a flock of science deniers in the White House for the next while, wresting control of Congress back into the world of reality is more important than ever.  The 66th Sustainability Salon will take place on July 15th, on the topic of Getting STEM into Congress.  We'll have Duquesne University biologist John Stolz who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 12th District (to replace Keith Rothfus), and Shaughnessy Naughton -- biochemist, former congressional candidate, and founder of 314 Action, which aggressively advocates for a pro-science agenda in D.C.   And local scholar and policymaker, Forest Hills Borough Council member Patricia DeMarco, will discuss the value of citizen scientists in public office, sharing a few instances where being a scientist has aided in the disposition of policy matters in the public interest.  

Please check back on MarensList for updates, as the date approaches, and for the date of the August salon -- which will be our annual no-topic gathering (so that I don't have to interrupt the conversations for the presentations).  In the meantime, we'll be having a house concert with Two Of A Kind and Brad Yoder on July 20th.

Salons run 3-10 p.m. at Maren's house in Squirrel Hill.  Please don't arrive before 3 p.m.  We usually aim to start the program not long after 4, after folks have had a chance to meet, mingle, and tour around an interesting and productive urban permaculture site.   Please email me (at maren dot cooke at gmail dot com) with salon in the Subject line to RSVP (yes or maybe), or click on the link in your EventBrite invitation (if you're not already on my list, please email me to be added!).  

July's salon with Bill Peduto

Please RSVP each time -- it helps greatly in several ways.  Among other things, attendance varies widely, and these events have been so successful that we need to begin limiting attendance.  So RSVP early if you can, to ensure your participation!  The free virtual "tickets" on Eventbrite may run out (you don't need to print any tickets, by the way, just be on the list).  Also, weather and such can be unpredictable and it's good to know who to contact if there's a change -- and I'll send directions and/or a trail map if you need 'em on Friday or Saturday.  Be sure to include salon in the Subject line, as I receive a ridiculous amount of email every day.  And if you're new, please let me know how you heard about the Salons!

Bring food and/or drink to share if you can (see below), along with musical instruments if you play.  Check back on MarensList (where you can find information on all sorts of environmental and social justice events) for updates.  And if you aren't yet on my list, if you're interested in Sustainability Salons (and our occasional house concert, simply contact me and I'll put you on my email list.  

As always, I'll be sending out directions and such, and any late-breaking info, to all the RSVP'd folks by the morning of the salon if not before.  So if you don't have it yet, please be patient!  One of these days I'll streamline this process a bit, but for now it takes a while to to dot all my i's and cross all my t's.  (All the extraneous requests for the address don't help;  I have lots of other stuff I send out with it, but don't like to let them go unanswered so it adds hours to my prep time.  If you RSVP properly (see above), you should get the info by the morning of the salon!)

For the uninitiated, a Sustainability Salon is an educational forum, it's a mini-conference, it's a venue for discussion and debate about important environmental issues, it's a house party with an environmental theme.  We usually have featured speakers on various aspects of a particular topic, interspersed with stimulating conversation, lively debate, delectable potluck food and drink, and music-making through the evening.

Past topics have included keeping Pittsburgh's water public, Shell's planned petrochemical plant, visualizing air quality, the City of Pittsburgh's sustainability initiatives, fossil energy infrastructure, getting money out of politics, community solar power and the Solarize Allegheny program, the Paris climate negotiations (before, during, and after), air quality (again, with news on the autism connection), reuse (of things and substances), neighborhood-scale food systems, other forms of green community revitalization, solar power, climate change, environmental art, environmental education (Part I & Part II), community mapping projects, environmental journalism, grassroots action, Marcellus shale development and community rights, green building, air quality, health care, more solar power, trees and park stewardship, alternative energy and climate policy, regional watershed issues, fantastic film screenings and discussions (often led by filmmakers) over the winter with films on Food Systems, Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, Plastic Paradise, Rachel Carson and the Power Of One Voice, Triple Divide on fracking, You've Been Trumped and A Dangerous Game, A Fierce Green Fire, Sustainability Pioneers, films on consumption, Living Downstream, Bidder 70, YERT, Gas Rush Stories, and food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, and more food (a recurrent theme;  with California running out of water, we'd better gear up to produce a lot more of our own!).

Quite a few people have asked me what sorts of food to bring -- and my answer, as always, is whatever inspires you;  I believe in the "luck" part of potlucks.  Tasty noshings for the afternoon, hearty main dishes or scrumptious salads and sides for dinner, baked goods from biscuits and breads to brownies or baklava -- and/or beverages:  wine, hard or sweet cider (the latter we can mull if you like), juice, tea, whatever.  The more the merrier!  Local fare is always particularly welcome, whether homemade or boughten.  Dishes containing meat or dairy are fine, though if it isn't really obvious please make a note of it.  We refill a bunch of growlers at East End and provide a big batch of mostly-homegrown pesto (cheesy and vegan), and other things as needed.  More details will come after you RSVP (hint, hint!). 

If you haven't been here before, you may enjoy checking out our roof garden and solar installation (and now apiary!) as well as the many other green and interesting things around our place.  

And if you like to make music or listen to homemade music, don't forget the evening sing -- we typically run the gamut from Irish fiddle tunes to protest songs to the Beatles, and a fun time is had by all.  Bring instruments if you play, and/or pick up one of ours.  Conversations will continue through the evening, as well. 

Jul 13: Managing Risk in a Changing Climate

Penn State Center Pittsburgh, WPSU Penn State, Penn State Center for Climate Risk Management (CLIMA), and the City of Pittsburgh are hosting the Pittsburgh premier public screening of  Managing Risk in a Changing Climate, with a panel discussion to follow.

5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Penn State Center/Energy Innovation Center in the Hill (1435 Bedford Avenue 15219;  the Covestro BrightSpace on the first floor.)  Free, but space is limited so you need to register in advance.  For more information and to register online, go here.

Jul 1: Pittsburgh March Against War

The unilateral military actions and proposals of the Trump administration threaten to draw the United States deeper into the cycle of perpetual war.  We believe ordinary people, through bold, nonviolent activism, have the power to stop the next conflict. 

We seek to rebuild the mass anti-war movement by opposing military spending increases, the irresponsible use of force abroad and the outsized role of the military industrial complex, with a large demonstration on July 1 -- the Pittsburgh March Against War. 

Pittsburgh must stand united in its opposition to a growing militarism that has sparked reactionary movements around the world, threatens to slash social service budgets and allows private corporations to profit excessively off of the production, and ultimate use, of destructive weaponry.

Participants will assemble in Schenley Plaza (4100 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh 15260) at 1 p.m. for a rally under the tent with speakers and music, followed by a march through Oakland at 1:30.  Along the way will be a few tops where marchers will voice disapproval of local institutions that profit from war.  The march will end in front of the Cathedral of Learning, on Bigelow Blvd. 

Featured musical performers include Raging Grannies of Pittsburgh and Dan Schlegel.

For more information, please contact: antiwarpgh@protonmail.com