Sep 24: Challenging Marcellus Shale

The 2010 Rachel Carson Legacy Conference : Challenging Marcellus Shale - Consequences and Alternatives will address the health, environmental and community effects Pennsylvania will face with the development of the Marcellus Shale natural gas fields.

We have gathered people from New York, Colorado and Pennsylvania with experience and expertise in evaluating hte results of the deep shale fracking industry.

The Alternatives approach will be highlighted by keynote speaker Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt of Sweden founder of The Natural Step process for reaching a sustainable economy. He will be followed by Ken Melamed, Mayor of Whistler, B.C., who will describe the Whistler 2020 plan as implemented based on Dr. Robert's approach and a panel of renewable and sustainable energy businesses illustrating current economically viable applications of renewable energy systems.

Agenda:

A View from the Field: Marcellus Shale in Pennsylvania John Stolz Duquesne University

Panel 1: Environmental Concerns and Policy Needs

Panel 2: The Consequences: Communities and Society

Keynote Session:

Introduction: Andre Heinz

Keynote: Karl-Henrik Robèrt – The Natural Step, Sweden

The Natural Step - An example from Whistler, B.C. - Mayor Ken Melamed, Canada

Panel 3: Solutions For A sustainable Energy Future

Interactive Workshops (Concurrent Sessions)

Each session will develop a set of recommendations for action to be shared with the plenary group. Results will be posted in the proceedings of the Conference

A: Community Action Plan for Mitigating Marcellus Shale Development

B: Building a Sustainable Energy Infrastructure –The next steps

Closing: Call to Action

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at CMU's Mellon Institute, S. Bellefield Ave. in Oakland, 15213. $50, $25 for students. More information and registration online.

Sep 23: Road to Sustainability II Conference

Sustainable Pittsburgh and the Community College of Beaver County are teaming up to present this cutting-edge conference where businesses and organizations will learn practical ways for moving a company from sustainable concept to sustainable reality, and what it will take train the current workforce.

Throughout the day, attendees will hear from regional and national experts and
• Obtain first-hand information on how to implement a sustainable plan
• Learn about what products to use
• Capture the return on your investment when "going green"
• Hear about construction, renovation, energy audits, and funding sources

Guests will also have the opportunity to attend mini workshops on such topics as

• GBC LEED programs
• Mechanical systems
• Grant development
• Energy Auditing I and II
• Municipal leadership
• Business (employer) leadership
• Building design
• Energy company available funding
• Sustainable construction with EPS
• Storm water management and utilization
• Lighting system primer
• Variable frequency drive applications
• Recycling EPS

8:30-3 at the Athletics and Events Center of the Community College of Beaver County in Center Township. Cost: $40 per person; includes breakfast and lunch. More information and registration are available online. A Resources Room will also be available throughout the day, During the conference, a resources room will highlight vendors displaying green products and services. To reserve space at the conference as a vendor, contact (724) 480-3443.

Sep 20: Bus Rapid Transit forum at Duquesne

A new on-street Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service is under consideration in Allegheny County to offer faster, more reliable, and easier-to-understand transit service. The initial focus is to link Downtown Pittsburgh with Oakland and other East End neighborhoods. As has been realized in other cities, “Rapid Bus” service improves transportation and is an effective catalyst for community revitalization. Implementation of BRT inPittsburgh’s East End could result in similar benefits for the Forbes and Fifth Avenues Corridor. Before us is a golden opportunity to envision and design the service, facilities and economic development that leaders and citizens want for their neighborhoods.

This forum, focused on Pittsburgh’s Downtown – Oakland – East End area, will feature:
- Planning, development, and transportation professionals with BRT experience along with stakeholders from the community.
- BRT insights from other cities including: Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Cleveland.
- Secretary Allen Biehler, PennDOT
- Breakout sessions will facilitate discussion of BRT benefits, challenges and community development issues.

8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Duquesne University's Power Center Ballroom, 1015 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA.
No fee to attend, but space is limited; to register send full contact information to: info@sustainablepittsburgh.org

Pittsburgh BRT Forum Collaborators:
Allegheny Conference on Community Development, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development, Allegheny County Transit Council, Allegheny County Transportation Action Partnership, Bike Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University’s Traffic21 Initiative, City of Pittsburgh - Department of City Planning, Hill House Development Corporation, NAIOP Pittsburgh - The Commercial Real Estate Development Association, National Bus Rapid Transit Institute, Oakland Planning & Development Corp., Oakland Transportation Management Association, Oakland Task Force, Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group, Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development
Port Authority of Allegheny County, Remaking Cities Institute, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission, Sustainable Pittsburgh, UPMC, Uptown Partners, Urban Land Institute - Pittsburgh Chapter

Sep 19: A Taste of Grow Pittsburgh

Grow Pittsburgh's first annual special-event fundraiser will feature an assortment of tastings from Grow Pittsburgh's restaurant partners that purchase locally-grown produce from our urban farm sites. Participating restaurants will include Six Penn Kitchen, Enrico's Biscotti, the Square Café, Dozen Bake Shop, Casbah, Chipotle, the East End Food Co-op, the Frick Café, La Prima Espresso, Legume Bistro, Quiet Storm, and Whole Foods Market. Guests will be invited to indulge in organic foods, sip local beer and wine, and enjoy live local music on the great lawn of the Frick Art & Historical Center.

5-8 p.m. at the 7227 Reynolds St., Pittsburgh, 15208; tickets may be purchased online.

Sep 19: Canning 101: Tomatoes

September marks the start of typical end-of-summer activities like canning and freezing, so we can preserve fresh, local produce to use throughout the winter. Learn the ins and outs of canning with Slow Food Pittsburgh's 2010 Of Course You Can Series. Canning 101: Tomatoes is an interactive demonstration to teach you the best techniques for canning all of those beautifully ripe tomatoes available this time of year. Learn to preserve the tomato's every mood and color: Whole Tomatoes, Tomato Passata (Nonna's old-fashioned Italian tomato sauce using an old-time tomato mill), Paul Bertolli's Green Tomato Confit with raisins and mint, and Julia Child's Provencale Tomato Coulis with saffron. All recipes will be provided. The event will include a lunch of organic pasta with marinara sauce, green tomato quesadillas, and iced tea by Betsy Hollweck, the Tea Goddess. The Faculty: Nancy Hanst, master preserver food writer, teacher and guiding spirit of this successful canning series, now in its second year; Jamie Moore, closet canner, Eat'n'Park's director of sourcing and sustainability, and chef; Anthony DiPietro and Giulianna Pozzuto of Delallo's in Jeannette, with a presentation on their legendary San Marzano tomatoes (specially canned for them in Italy) and with goodie bags for all; Domenica Merante, first-generation Italian, gifted teacher, of the famous Pittsburgh Merantes (Merante Market in Oakland) --about to launch her own cooking school and prepared foods store; Laura King, the farmer's wife at Harvest Valley Farm and talented cook, not to forget the farmer himself, Larry King, who will bring tomatoes for you to taste, compare and buy (we hope also to have tomatoes from Eden Hall's own fields). Assisting will be the the Slow Food team -- Alyce Spencer, Barrie Mars, Virginia Phillips, and Susan Barclay, with expert help from the first class of Chatham University's new Graduate Level Food Studies Program (Alice Julier, Director). 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Chatham University's beautiful Eden Hall campus and farm in Richland Twp: 365 Ridge Road, Gibsonia, 15044 -- here are directions. $25 SFP members, $30 nonmembers. To register, contact Virginia Phillips at vredpath@aol.com or 412-343-7354. More preserving and fermentation classes are being planned for the fall in collaboration with Chatham University's new Food Studies Masters Program. Remember to check buylocalpa.org for details on current and future local-food events.

Sep 18: ALCOSAN Open House

ALCOSAN, a.k.a. the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority, holds its annual Open House, the region's largest watershed and environmental festival, featuring treatment plant and laboratory tours, watershed life presentations, hands-on environmental activities, games, food and fun!

9-4 p.m. at the ALCOSAN facility at 3300 Preble Avenue, 15233. Current directions by bus and car are online. The event is free and open to the public. Lots more information can be found here.

Sep 17: FRESH screening with Faith Starr

Peters Township Public Library GO Green Club is celebrating Local Food Month by hosting a Local Food Potluck followed by a special screening of the movie FRESH. They will also be holding a special event with radio host Faith Starr, who will discuss why eating local foods is important and the affect this decision has on us and our communities.

Ms. Starr is the host of "Living Green with Faith," which offers tips for living a healthier, organic lifestyle, can be heard live every Wednesday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. on 1620 AM.

6:30 p.m. at the Peters Twp Public Library. To register for these events, please contact the library at 724-941-9430 or email programs@ptlibrary.org

Sep 16: PSU Webinar on Marcellus resident experiences

A web seminar on Natural Gas Experiences of Marcellus Residents: Preliminary Results from the Community Satisfaction Survey, presented by Kathy Brasier, Penn State University

1-2 p.m.; for more information and to register, go to the PSU website.

Sep 15: Grow Pittsburgh 5% Day at Whole Foods

As part of their community giving days, Whole Foods Market will hold a "5% Day" to benefit Grow Pittsburgh at their East Liberty location (5880 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). 5% of the store's net sales for Wednesday, September 15th will be donated to Grow Pittsburgh.

Sep 15: Promise and Perils of Marcellus Shale

Five faculty from Carnegie Mellon and Duquesne University come together for a discussion on the Marcellus Shale, a geological formation underlying the state of Pennsylvania containing large reserves of natural gas, and a hot button economic and environmental issue for the Pittsburgh region and the state of Pennsylvania. Refreshments will be served, and an RSVP will be required.

The discussion will cover the panelists recent investigations, or expertise on several issues related to the Shale, including trends in the energy market, environmental risks and remediation, and the proposed severance tax on drilling.

Panelists will include Kent Moors, an expert in oil and natural gas policy from the Department of Political Science at Duquesne University; Kelvin Gregory, from the Department of Civil Engineering at Carnegie Mellon, who is leading a research team to develop new treatments for cleaning the water used in shale gas production; Jon Stolz, Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences and Director of the Center for Environmental Research and Education at Duquense University, and an expert on environmental microbiology and the microbial metabolism of metals and metalloids; and Robert Strauss, Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Heinz College. Carnegie Mellon's Joel Tarr, Richard S. Caliguiri University Professor of History and Policy, will moderate.

This panel was organized by the Center for Economic Development at the Heinz College, and is co-sponsored by the University's Smart Growth Club, an organization of students interested in local government, economic development, and environmental policy.

12-1:30 in Hamburg Hall 1502 or 1000, CMU's Heinz School. For more Information, contact Greg Lagana by email or 412-268-9810.

Sep 15: Marcellus hearing in Jefferson Hills

Jefferson Hills is now ready to make their ordinances public -- including rules/restrictions on all gas drilling -- with a public hearing on these ordinances.

Word on the street is families who've already signed gas leases are going to pack the room, hoping to sway Council's opinion. Activists are fearful this could turn out to be a major problem and undo all the hard work the community has been doing for over a year. Please consider attending to help show support for protective rules in Jefferson Hills!

6:30 p.m. at Council Chambers in the Jefferson Hills Municipal Building. For more information, contact Lisa Graves Marcucci at 412-655-0261 or 412-897-0569 (cell), or by email.

Sep 13: Marcellus hearing at Pittsburgh City Council

Pittsburgh City Council will hold a public hearing on Marcellus Shale drilling proposed for City neighborhoods.

7 p.m. at City Council Chambers, 5th floor of the City-County Building, 414 Grant St., Pittsburgh, PA 15219.

Those who wish to speak (3 minute limit) should contact the Clerk's Office at 412-255-2138

Sep 13: Gas Ordinance Meeting in Bethel Park

Bethel Park Municipal Council will consider the following ordinance at the regular meeting:

An Ordinance of the Municipality of Bethel Park, County of Allegheny, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, amending Chapter 69 of the Code of the Municipality of Bethel Park ("Zoning Ordinance") to provide for oil and gas drilling operations as a conditional use in all zoning districts in the Municipality.

William J. Spagnol, Manager - Municipality of Bethel Park

7:30 p.m. at the Bethel Park Municipal Building, 5100 West Library Avenue, Bethel Park, PA 15102

Sep 9: Tele-Town Hall on Marcellus

Drilling Marcellus Shale: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Senator Jim Ferlo will host and moderate this innovative tele-town hall meeting, featuring; an engaging panel discussion, a toll-free number for thousands of callers to listen and ask questions, studio audience participation, live video streaming at www.senatorferlo.com.

Senator Ferlo represents a three-county district that includes most of the City of Pittsburgh, as well as suburban and rural communities. He sponsored the Statewide Marcellus Shale Drilling Moratorium Act in June. In addition, he supports a competitive severance tax that benefits local communities, and is inviting feedback from the community for additional regulatory proposals. "Regardless, when an issue like Marcellus Shale emerges, healthy conversation is critical to safety and good policy-making," said the Senator in a statement. Panelists include:

· Morgan O’Brien, CEO – People’s Natural Gas

· Richard Weber, President - Atlas Energy

· Scott Perry, Director - PA DEP, Bureau of Oil and Gas Management

· Nadia Steinzor, Marcellus Shale Organizer – EarthWorks

· Charles L. Christen, DrPH, MEd - University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health

· James Kunz, Business Manager - IUOE Local #66

· Emily Collins, Director - University of Pittsburgh School of Law Environmental Law Clinic

Discussion begins at 6 p.m. Please join us by phone at 1-888-886-6603, Ext. 15390#, or RSVP for limited studio-audience seating at the Grey Box Theater in Lawrenceville (3595 Butler Street) by contacting Mikhail Pappas: 412.621.3006, mpappas@pasenate.com.

Sep 9: DIG IT! (But Not Like That)

A discussion with activists from West Virginia and Pennsylvania, with an art show including quilts, toys, posters, and drawings. Mining songs, informational tables, and a silkscreening lesson!

6-10 p.m. (discussion at 8, songs at 9) at Artists Image Resource, 518 Foreland St. 15212

Sep 9: Regional Water Conference

Protecting and Using our Greatest Asset.

This conference highlights ways in which southwestern Pennsylvania leads in the management of water and how its residents and businesses are using the region's greatest asset. The event is intended for professionals seeking to learn about practical solutions regarding water, and engineering practitioners looking to understand what is on the minds of community leaders relating to sustainability and clean water (including Marcellus Shale impacts).

This conference builds on the conversation launched during the Water Matters! Global Water Conference held in June 2010 as part of the Pittsburgh region’s World Environment Day 2010 celebration.

Topics to be covered:
Our Region’s Water Advantages – Why Pittsburgh?
Marcellus Shale Mining Impacts and Solutions f
Early Warning Detection Systems for Water Protection
The Future of Water Quality Regulations and Solutions
The Water Consortium Initiative in Southwest PA
Innovative Solutions to Clean Water
The conference will also feature three speakers on practical solutions related to Marcellus Shale water issues as well as a panel to discuss what engineering and policy practitioners believe to be the most important water-related issues for this region in order to ensure that the right responses to water demand are addressed.

7:30 am – 3:30 pm at the Regional Learning Alliance at Cranberry Woods, Cranberry 16066. Cost: $110 for ASCE, EWRI, or C4S members | $130 nonmembers | $50 students. Register by September 2, 2010 and save $20!
Breakfast and lunch provided More information, including registration and agenda, is available at www.C4SPgh.org.

Presented by: American Society of Civil Engineers, Pittsburgh Section; Environmental & Water Resources Institute; and Champions for Sustainability Recent publicity surrounding Marcellus Shale exploration tends towards polarized debate over whether drilling should be encouraged or banned.

Sep 8: PennFuture Keep the Promise Tour

The Pennsylvania State Legislature promised to pass a severance tax on deep natural gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale by October 1. Now we must make sure that a promise made is a promise kept.

The drilling companies are spending enormous amounts of money to stop the severance tax. They have hired lobbyists of every stripe - including former Governor Tom Ridge - and are working hard to keep the voice of the people from being heard.

The drillers will make enormous profits from the natural gas they take from our land - it's only fair that they pay a reasonable tax that will go to protect our environment and local communities that "host" the drilling, fund our natural resource agencies, and help balance our budget.

Join PennFuture on the Keep the Promise Tour to send the message that Pennsylvanians demand that the drillers pay their fair share. The Tour is traveling throughout the state, holding town hall meetings with legislators and other elected and appointed officials, representatives of land trust organizations and conservancies, anglers and hunters, and ordinary citizens who care about Pennsylvania's environment and economy, all to make sure our elected officials Keep the Promise.

8-10 a.m. at Georgetown Centre 526 East Bruceton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Sep 7: Governor's severance tax event

Governor Rendell will be joined by Secretary Hanger to discuss in an open forum the issue of a severance tax on Marcellus Shale drilling.

Washington County Court House, 100 West Beau Street, Washington, PA 15301

Sep 7: Drilling Ban legislation introduced

Council member Doug Shields invites Pittsburghers to stand with him in support of new legislation to ban Marcellus gas drilling in the city of Pittsburgh.

9:30 a.m. at Pittsburgh City Council chambers, 414 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219

Sep 4: Hunt for Marcellus wells in ANF

Photo: Bill Belitskus

On September 4, join Matt Peters for a Forest Watch hike in the Allegheny National Forest. The group will be hunt for Marcellus gas wells, and visit one of the proposed logging project areas currently in the Scoping phase of the USFS public comment process.

The trip can be a day hike for those who wish to return on Saturday evening, or an overnight for those who want to camp out. Those who camp will share a pasta meal.

To carpool or caravan, meet 8:00 am at the Sierra Club office on North Craig.

Things to bring: camera, GPS, field guide, notebooks, cool weather and rain gear, sturdy shoes, food and water (bag lunch for day hikers)…

For more information, contact Matt Peters at matt at wormsnbats dot com or (412) 320-0739.

Sep 4-26: Shakespeare in the Parks

Pittsburgh Shakespeare in the Parks presents the comedy Much Ado About Nothing, free and on location in various parks around Pittsburgh each weekend in September. As always, "bring a blanket, a thermos, and a loved one."

Sept 4-5 in Frick Park, near Blue Slide Playground (Beechwood Boulevard & Nicholson St. in Squirrel Hill)

Sept 11-12 at Allegheny Commons West Park (W North Avenue & Brighton Road in the North Side)

Spet 18-19 at Mellon Park (5th & Shady Avenues in Shadyside)

Sept 25-26 Back in Frick Park.

All performances are free to the public, and begin at 2 p.m. The first performance will be preceded by a picnic lunch at 1pm; reservations required at pittsburghshakespeare@yahoo.com (cash only). The Sept 25th performance will be ASL interpreted.

Sep 2: Energy Forum at Duquesne

2010 Pittsburgh Energy Forum: PUMP & Duquesne University’s Student Government Association invite you to join us for an interactive discussion about federal and state level energy policy, the Marcellus Shale and the possible environmental and economic impact all of this will have on our region and nation! Join us on Thursday, September 2, 2010, as we host a town hall meeting geared toward helping you understand these complex and controversial issues.

Featured panelists include Congressman Mike Doyle (D- Pennsylvania's 14th Congressional District), John Hanger

(Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)), Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District), and Dennis Yablonsky (CEO, Allegheny Conference on Community Development & Energy Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh). The panel will be moderated by Dr. John F. Stolz (Duquesne University Center for Environmental Research and Education).

Panel Discussion begins at 6:30 (Doors open at 6pm) in Duquesne University Power Center Ballroom; a networking reception will follow the panel.

Aug 29: Tomato & Garlic Festival at Phipps

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, in conjunction with the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, presents the sixth annual Red, Ripe & Roasted: Tomato & Garlic Festival. The festival will include a farmers' market, garlic roasting, live chef demonstrations, tomato and garlic tastings and kids' activities. Chef Joe Colantuono will prepare parmesan and cracked black pepper couscous with roasted tomato oil and cornmeal-crusted fried heirloom tomatoes during a live cooking demo and tasting at noon. Cafe Phipps will vend both items all day on the front lawn, along with other food featuring tomatoes and garlic (Caprese wraps and salads with heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozarella; gazpacho, etc.)

Local celebrity Doug Oster, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Backyard Gardener" and co-host/producer of KDKA's The Organic Gardeners radio program, will be at the event signing copies of his new book, Tomatoes Garlic Basil and demonstrating how to prepare one of the recipes from his book.

Gardeners are encouraged to participate in a seed swap: Just bring a labeled packet of your open-pollinated seeds to exchange with another variety. To be considered for Phipps' tomato contest, guests should bring the ugliest, smallest and largest ripe tomatoes from their gardens for the chance to win a Phipps prize basket.

Visitors should bring a bag of fresh produce from home to donate to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank to receive free admission to the festival and the Conservatory during festival hours (11 a.m. - 5 p.m.).

Aug 29: Rachel's Sustainable Feast

The fourth annual Rachel's Sustainable Feast moves to the Rachel Carson Bridge in Pittsburgh. Why? Because we ran out of space outside Rachel's home in Springdale!! The best of the region's hottest chefs who support local sustainable farmers, our favorite local farmers' markets, our good friends who are eco-friendly vendors and groups who work to protect our land, water and air, and more ways to learn about sustainable living in one of this country's fastest-growing green marketplaces - southwestern Pennsylvania! Some of these great people you've met before, others you haven't. One of the chefs who signed up right away is Kevin Sousa of Salt of the Earth. He's one of the original locavore chefs in Pittsburgh and an all-round great guy! Also, Keith Fuller of Six Penn Kitchen, Steve Salvi of Fede Pasta, Penn's Corner Farm Alliance, Sonoma Grille and/orSeviche are on board! Check our Web site regularly to see who else will be there.

Turner Dairy Farms will be there also. Turner Dairy Farms has been a fixture of the local agriculture scene since the company was founded in 1930. They are proud to offer the highest quality "rBGH free" milk from 50 local family dairy farms, all located within 70 miles of their processing facility. From local farms to local families for 80 years! Our friends from Slow Food Pittsburgh, the Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture, Whole Foods Market andEat 'N Park Hospitality Group who help us organize this event will be there also. So get your appetite going, and get registered today, online. There's an earlybird price special of $7 if you register before the end of July. As always the little ones (5 and under) get in free. 12-5 p.m. on the Rachel Carson Bridge.