Mar 12: Variety show for CEDAW

There's a move afoot to have Pittsburgh adopt CEDAW, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women.  

You can have fun *and* learn more about the Pittsburgh for CEDAW campaign at an evening of unparalleled and unpredictable entertainment Empower Pittsburgh - A Swive Official Variety Show presented by Ian Insect, with more than 15 acts.  

6 - 10 p.m. at the Black Forge Coffee House up in Allentown (1206 Arlington Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15210).  $8 in advance, $10 at the door.  For more information or to register, please contact pgh4cedaw@gmail.com.  This event is in collaboration with Black Forge Coffee House and No Limits for Women.  More information can be found on the Pittsburgh for CEDAW Facebook Page.

Music by:

Midge Crickett, Julia Devine, David Dickinson, Avi Diamond, Morgan Erina.

Performances by:

Andrew the Impaled, Seth Neustein, Ice Cream Social, Atomic Jane.

Comedy by:

Jess Barnes, Blair Parker, Scott Patton, Liz Tripoli

Burlesque by:

Viva Valezz, Boom Boom Bridgette, Zephyr D'Enchantee.

Mar 10: Inspire lecture on The Story and Power of Place

Inspire Speakers Series and p4 Pittsburgh present The Story and Power of Place with Joel Glanzberg, Valerie Goodwin, and Majestic Lane.

5:30-7 p.m. at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium at the Hill House Kaufmann Center (1825 Centre Ave.).  Networking, food, and drink begin at 4:30).  Fee on a sliding scale, $10-40.  For more information and to register online, go here.  New this season:  free child care -- see details on the registration web page.  GBCI and ACT48 credits available

Joel Glanzberg will share his life’s work on creating a symbiotic relationship between human existence and natural systems, and the role of mindfulness and self-reflection in understanding our place in the complex world around us. He will share insights into previous work completed around story of place work in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood.  Valerie Goodwin will share how fabric, paint and thread can be used to map narratives through three lenses: the personal narrative, the fictional map narrative, and the political/sociological narrative. Majestic Lane will talk about moving beyond placemaking to sustaining and growing places that also promote equity and inclusion.

MORE ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Joel Glanzberg is a tracker and teacher of patterns in landscapes, and has focused on the integration of humans in their place. He works to help people learn to understand their places and how to live in them as inhabitants and co-creators. He helps people to see and think as nature does and to solve problems finding the “difference that makes a difference.”  An active author and educator in the fields of permaculture and ecological restoration, he is skilled in cross-cultural communication and teaching.  

Valerie S. Goodwin is a Fiber Artist and Associate Professor of Architecture at Florida A & M University’s School of Architecture and Engineering Technology in Tallahassee, Florida. She is the author of “Art Quilt Maps: Capture a Sense of Place with Fiber Collage – A Visual Guide.” Her interest in quilts grew out of her architectural background, and now her students investigate parallels between architecture and quality as an introduction to ideas about composition, ordering systems, color, and pattern.

Majestic Lane is Director of External Relations & Member Engagement with Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group.  A community organizer since the 10^th grade, Majestic is co-founder of Juice Up 412 – a social enterprise that aims to expand health and wellness access to communities that suffer from health disparities – as well as founder of GMTK Changemakers, an organization focused on improving the quality of life in under-resourced communities.

Learn more about the speakers here.

ABOUT THE INSPIRE SPEAKERS SERIES and p4 PITTSBURGH:
We are pleased to announce that Green Building Alliance and The Heinz Endowments are partnering to bring this year’s lineup of exceptional speakers as a collaboration between Inspire Speakers Series and p4 Pittsburgh (People, Planet, Place and Performance). The two initiatives have the shared goal of bringing big thinkers to Pittsburgh coupled with local leaders to help us aspire to higher levels of performance for our businesses, communities, economy, and future growth. We look forward to having this season’s speakers open our minds to collaboration, innovation, and challenging the status quo.

The Inspire Speakers Series is a Community Effort! Thank you to our…

Presenting Partners: Green Building Alliance and p4 Pittsburgh

Series Sponsors: FedEx Ground and Fourth Economy Consulting

Partners & Funders: The Heinz Endowments, Hill House Association, Pittsburgh Schweitzer Fellows Program, Chatham University, Environmental Charter School, Homewood Children’s Village, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Repair the World, and Urban Innovation21.

Media partners: WESA, WYEP, and NEXTpittsburgh.

READ MORE & REGISTER

Join the Facebook event, and follow the Series on Twitter #inspirespeakerspgh

Mar 9: Beyond Tunnel Vision, Green-first in Kansas City

Beyond Tunnel Vision: Good Jobs & Green Communities in Kansas City 

Fixing our outdated sewer system and cleaning up our rivers will be the largest ever public works investment in our region. Ratepayers have been calling for a green-first plan that benefits our community, and Mayor Peduto and County Executive Fitzerald are leading the way by calling on the EPA to allow a "green-first, green preferred" plan for our region.   

Thanks to your support and hard work, this shared vision can become a reality! Now, we have an opportunity to see how this vision can transform our region.  Join us for a public presentation on Kansas City's green-first, green-preferred approach and what potential these concepts have in Pittsburgh.  Featuring Tim Duggan and Jason Parson, the architects of the Kansas City plan along with Richard Piacentini, Director of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Garden, and Jessica Demoise, Project Coordinator for the Frick Environmental Center and Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy. 

6 p.m. (reception at 5) at Phipps Conservatory, in the Special Events Hall (adjacent to the Tropical Forest).  Click here to RSVP or for more information.  Co-sponsored by the Clean Rivers Campaign, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy, and Phipps Conservatory.

Mar 5: Urban farming film and discussion

Join Grow Pittsburgh, Hill House Association and Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-Operative for the Pittsburgh premiere of Can You Dig This, part of Hill House Association's 28! Days. 

2 p.m. (doors open at 1:30) at the Elsie H. Hillman Auditorium in Kaufmann Center (1825 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15219).  Tickets are a suggested $10 donation.  No advance sales; tickets will be sold at the door only.  Cash and credit cards accepted.  There is explicit language, and childcare will be provided. 

Can You Dig This follows the inspirational journeys of four unlikely gardeners, discovering what happens when they put their hands in the soil. This is not a story of science and economics. This is a story of the human spirit, inspiring people everywhere to pick up their shovels. Featuring Ron Finely and executive produced by John Legend.

Following the film will be a panel discussion featuring members of the Black Urban Gardeners and Farmers of Pittsburgh Co-Operative.

Mar 2: Last day to sign up for ROCIS 6th Cohort

Those who have attended any of the recent Sustainability Salon​s may have noticed a variety of electronic monitors here and there about the place.  I've been participating in an air quality study called ROCIS (Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces).

A new group will soon begin monitoring their homes, an opportunity to learn a great deal about indoor air quality and how to improve it white contributing to a growing knowledge base about sources and possible interventions. 

Linda Wigington, the head of the program, sent this invitation around, and encouraged me to help spread the word: 

=====================

We are in the process of confirming participants for the 6^th cohort of the ROCIS Low-Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP) which will run from March 3 to March 30, 2016.  We have room for a few more folks – It would be great if you could participate.

We launched the ROCIS Low Cost Monitoring Project (LCMP) in October 2015 with funding from The Heinz Endowments. The purpose of this project is to explore and clarify the value and applications for low cost monitoring devices to address indoor air quality.

Monitoring kits are loaned for a 3–week period. The kit includes nine devices to measure particles, CO (carbon monoxide), CO₂ (carbon dioxide), radon, temperature, and humidity.

The LCMP objectives are to

                1) Understand how to use monitors to empower occupants

                2) Collect baseline data to better understand outdoor pollutant impacts on indoor air quality

                3) Explore the impact of behavioral and technical interventions

We are targeting motivated, knowledgeable occupants, many of whom have been involved with the ROCIS initiative activities as energy, sustainability, health, or housing professionals. Please note: This is not a light-weight investment of time. Please review the participant expectations that are listed at the bottom of this email.

Please reply by noon on Wednesday, March 2, to confirm your interest and availability.

Participation in the kick-off meeting Thursday, March 3, 6-8 PM at Conservation Consultants (CCI) on Pittsburgh’s South Side is a requirement. The other requirements include having a protected place with power to place two monitors outdoors (on a porch, under a deck, or in an out building), and meeting the expectations below. Being away during part of the monitoring period is not a problem, as it is valuable for us to capture data from unoccupied homes as well as active ones.

Let me know if you have the interest and availability to join us. If you have a schedule conflict or if we are oversubscribed for this round, we can put you on the waiting list for a following cohort. 

I look forward to hearing from you.

Linda

Linda Wigington

Project Lead │Reducing Outdoor Contaminants in Indoor Spaces (ROCIS)

Linda M. Wigington & Associates │ Thousand Home Challenge

lwigington1@outlook.com

724-852-3085 (office), 724-986-0793  (mobile)

http://ROCIS.org ; www.1000HomeChallenge.org

Participant Expectations: ROCIS Round 6 Low Cost Monitoring Project

Prior to Kick-off Meeting

1) Complete ROCIS House Characterization Survey

2) Join the Home Energy Pros, Low Cost Residential Monitoring (2-step process)

Orientation

3) Participate in the Round 6 Kick-off meeting, 6 - 8 PM, Thursday, March 3 and pick up your kit

4) Place and plug in monitors by Saturday, March 5

- Two to be plugged in in a protected location outdoors

5) Verify Speck uploading/Dylos downloading, by Sunday, March 6

Ongoing (From March 5 to March 29, 2016)

6) Regularly check on each monitor (Daily, 10-15 minutes)

            - Week 1: Check all readings twice a day, 5 out of 7 days

- Weeks 2 & 3: Check monitors a minimum of once a day

7) Keep a Diary/Log of activity in your home (Daily, 10-15 minutes)

8) Collect data and upload to ROCIS (Weekly, 30-40 minutes)

- Download Dylos data (easiest if you have access to a Windows-based computer; software

  is not as Mac compatible, we have a work-around if you have no access to a PC)

            - Send weekly log, diary, observations, and manually collected readings of radon, CO, and CO₂.

9) Participate in the evening check-in meeting  (6 - 8 PM Wednesday, March 9, 2016)  Can do via conference call

10) Participate in online discussions (several times/week, 15-60 minutes)

             -Home Energy Pros, Low Cost Monitoring Group (closed group)

11) Continue to monitor and experiment! (Week 2 & 3)

-Change behavior or equipment operation to explore  the impact. Examples include increasing runtime of air handler or portable air cleaner, cooking on back burners & covering pans

Close  (March 30, 2016)

12) Return equipment & attend Wrap-Up meeting  (6 - 8 PM Wednesday, March. 30, 2016 at CCI)

13) OPTIONAL – Analyze & share your air quality data and experience during the March 30 meeting

14) Complete close-out survey

Mar 2: DEP protest on drilling setbacks

Setbacks for natural gas wells are not adequate to protect the public, say health researchers – Children’s organizations and families call on Pennsylvania leaders to do more to protect children’s health

Moms Clean Air Force will hold a press conference on Wednesday, March 2^nd, 2016, at the Pittsburgh office of Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to support the authors of a new research study on setbacks. 

Authors of a new study published by Environmental Health Perspectives* will discuss their findings that most setbacks from oil and gas operations are not derived from peer-reviewed data, data driven analysis, or historical events – they instead are a compromise between governments, the regulated community, environmental and citizen interest groups, and landowners. Current setbacks are therefore not based on science and are insufficient to protect public health from the dangers of natural gas wells. Natural gas wells can emit dangerous pollutants such as benzene and hydrogen sulfide, and can pose a safety risk from blowouts and explosions. In addition to health researchers and environmental organizations speaking, moms from southwest PA will share their experiences  of living in the shale field, and how their proximity to oil and gas operations impacts their families. 

Location:        Department of Environmental Protection – Pittsburgh office

                           400 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Date & Time:  March 2^nd @ 10:30am

Speakers:       Patrice Tomcik, Field Organizer, Moms Clean Air Force

            Dr. Marsha Haley, MD, Radiation Oncologist, study author

            Dr. Michael McCawley, PhD, Interim Chair, Department of Occupational and                          

            Environmental Health Sciences, West Virginia University, study author

            Chelsea Holmes, MS, Director of Community Education, Women for a Healthy Environment

            Jacki Smathers, Mars Parent Group, Mother of three children

            Jane Worthington, Nurse, Mother of two children in the Ft Cherry School District  

Contact: Patrice Tomcik, ptomcik@momscleanairforce.org 412-999-2360 with any questions.

Feb 27: Sustainability Salon Winter Film Series with Triple Divide

The 49th Sustainability Salon will continue our annual Wintertime Film Series with the powerful film Triple Divide, an award-winning film by the Public Herald's Melissa Troutman and Josh Pribanic, who will be here for discussion before and after the film.

Hailed as the best documentary about fracking, Triple Divide investigates the inevitable, negative impacts from shale gas industrial development and how those impacts are handled by the state, specifically the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).  Narrated with help from actor and solutions advocate Mark Ruffalo, major findings include stark negligence and endangerment of public and environmental health due to shale gas extraction.  Through personal stories, expert interviews, and investigation of state case files, Triple Divide tells a cautionary tale about a public agency meant to protect the public and environment that is instead protecting industry.  Though extraction of shale gas will one day end, taking many 'boom and bust' jobs with it, contaminated groundwater aquifers, polluted land, and stories of victimization will remain.  Pennsylvanians, fed up with corruption and destruction, won't 'go down' without a fight and are learning how to protect themselves.

Neither partisan nor hyperbolic, Triple Divide is an honest look at an industry that deserves more scrutiny. The film explores and uncovers the haphazard way in which natural gas has been exploited in Pennsylvania, causing significant damage to formerly-pristine waterways. It clearly illustrates through painstaking investigative journalism how current safety measures and industry standards have proven entirely inadequate. I highly recommend this film to anyone who lives in the immediate area of hydraulic natural gas fracking, as well as those downstream from a drilling site.   – Andrew Riedy, Security Policy (Washington, D.C.) 

Thanks to GASP for sponsoring this screening!

Why films this time (and in December and February)?  During the winter (when weather can throw a wrench into the best-laid plans), we take a break from our usual multi-speaker format to host screenings of important environmental films, sometimes with the filmmakers or other folks on hand to lead the discussion, and often in collaboration with the CMU International Film Festival (which featured A Dangerous Game last spring, leading to our selection this winter).  Please be sure to RSVP if you might come (email Maren with "salon" in the Subject line).  General information and links to past Salon topics are below.  The March salon will be on the 12th, and will feature Mark Dixon, Mayor Bill Peduto, Angela Wiley, and Randy Sargent back for a post-COP21 climate update.  Check back on MarensList for updates!

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 sometime around 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!).  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, 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;  a venue for discussion and debate about important environmental issues;  it's a mini-conference;  it's a house party with an environmental theme.  We usually have featured speakers on various aspects of a topic, interspersed with stimulating conversation, lively debate, delectable potluck food and drink, and music-making through the evening.

Past topics have included Solarize Allegheny, climate (again, this time focusing on the upcoming COP21 negotiations), 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, community solar power, 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 (led by filmmakers) over the winter with Rachel Carson and the Power Of One Voice, Sustainability Pioneers, films on consumption, Living Downstream, Bidder 70, YERT, Gas Rush Stories, and 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!).

Past topics have included getting money out of politics, Solarize Allegheny, climate (again, this time focusing on the upcoming COP21 negotiations), 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, community solar power, 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 Rachel Carson and the Power Of One Voice, 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, 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 of any kind:  wine, beer, 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 homegrown or boughten.  Dishes containing meat or dairy are fine, though if it isn't really obvious please make a note of it.  


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. 

Feb 27: Citizen engagement in shale gas development

Citizen Engagement:  What You Need to Know about Oil and Gas Permitting Process

Marcellus Outreach Butler (MOB) has invited attorneys from Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services – Ryan Hamilton and Oday Salim – to give a free educational presentation about opportunities for citizen engagement in state and local permitting related to natural gas development. The presentation will describe which local- and state-level authorizations are necessary for drilling and related activities, and which standards must be maintained during operation. Most importantly, the presentation will highlight the many opportunities for citizen engagement in the process, from negotiations related to impacts anticipated on one’s own property to participating in local hearings to challenging state-issued environmental permits. 
 
1 p.m. at the Butler Public Library (218 N. McKean St., Butler, PA 16001).  Free & open to the public;  refreshments will be on hand.

Feb 26: CMU Film Festival preview with 3.5 Bullets, 10 Minutes

The 10th anniversary season of CMU's International Film Festival this spring will be so chock-full of great films that this moving documentary is being offered as a preview.  

"3  ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets  is a powerful, gripping and deeply shocking film, and a contemptuous critique of Florida’s stand-your-ground law." –Simon Crook, Empire

The last moments of Jordan Davis’ life are the starting point for 3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets.  Marc Silver’s drama, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2015, explores the danger and subjectivity of Florida’s Stand Your Ground self-defense laws by weaving Dunn’s trial with a chorus of citizen and pundit opinions, and with Jordan Davis’s parents’ wrenching experiences in and out of the courtroom.  The film portrays Davis’s murder and its aftermath as anything but generic. Instead, the intimate camera particularizes each character as singular, as if to say: The more we see each other as human beings, the less inevitable will be violent outcomes from racial bias and disparate cultures colliding.

Director Marc Silver will introduce his film with a special greeting from Cuba -- and after the film we'll welcome Jordan's father Ron Davis, who will speak about turning his tragedy into a life of activism, along with a panel discussion.  Come learn how you can become a face of change!

6 p.m. in Jared Cohon University Center's McConomy Auditorium.  Parking is free in the Forbes Avenue lot after 5 p.m.   Tickets for this event or the whole International Film Festival are available at the door or online. Discounts for students, seniors (60+), and Sustainability Salongoers.

Presented in in partnership with CMU Idea Space: Innovative Solutions for Gun Violence & Gun Safety  and co-sponsored by CMU’s Center for Africanamerican Urban Studies & the Economy (CAUSE), Division of Student Affairs, Sembène Film & Arts Festival, and Putting Down Roots Sustainability Salon.

Feb 23: Urban Agriculture forum

Come hear from Shelly Danko+Day from the City of Pittsburgh present about the Urban Agriculture Zoning Code and the Adopt-A-Lot program, and learn about preparing for gardening in Spring 2016.  Shelly will review the rules for growing food, selling food, and using vacant lots for garden projects! 

6-8 p.m. at the Black Forge Coffee House, 1206 Arlington Ave. 15210 (South Side Slopes).

All residents, nonprofits, community groups, and community members across all 11 Hilltop neighborhoods are encouraged to attend (Mt. Washington, Beltzhoover, Allentown, Arlington, Arlington Heights, Carrick, Mt. Oliver City, Mt. Oliver Borough, St. Clair, Bon Air, South Side Slopes & Knoxville)!!

Free seeds will be handed out at registration, along with information about Seed Starting and Spring Planting Guides!

Adopt-A-Lot Program:

The Department of City Planning (DCP) has developed an Adopt-A-Lot Program, which allows residents - and groups to build temporary edible, flower, and rain garden projects on vacant City-owned lots. The program, passed November 2015 by City Council, grants licenses and leases for use of City-owned property as well as the sale of what is grown onsite, through a “market-stand lease.” 

Urban Agriculture Zoning Code:

Passed by the Pittsburgh City Council on July 7th, the updated Urban Agriculture Zoning code streamlines the process for keeping animals and expands the opportunity for the sale of vegetables within the City of Pittsburgh. Now, a landowner can be granted a $70 over-the-counter permit via the Zoning Division of City Planning to keep bees, chicken and goats. Individuals who grow food on land they own (backyard or a parcel used for vegetable production) may now sell produce through an on-site farmstand. Additionally, the amount of land required for a full-scale farm has been reduced to two acres.

Feb 22: Clean Power Plan forum

How is Pennsylvania about to slash the carbon pollution that's fueling climate change?

That’s the question Governor Wolf’s Administration is working on right now—and their answer will chart our energy future for the next fifteen years and beyond. The options are clear: move toward a clean future powered by the wind and the sun or increase support for natural gas, trading one dirty fossil fuel for another.

Join PennEnvironment for a local educational forum on the Clean Power Plan with

• Tom Schuster, Senior Campaign Representative for Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Sierra Club
• Professor Neil Donahue, Director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research, and Thomas Lord Professor in Chemistry, Professor of Chemical Engineering, and Engineering and Public Policy, Carnegie Mellon University
• Allison Steele, Manager of Community Programs and Advocacy, Conservation Consultants

The fossil fuel industry has its strongest roots here in Pennsylvania, and they’re pushing to delay, weaken and outright halt any effort to slash climate pollution.

Together we can overcome their lobbyists and campaign contributions. Join PennEnvironment for your area’s community forum on how we can shift Pennsylvania from a fossil fuel leader to a clean energy powerhouse. RSVP today.

7 p.m. at Community College of Allegheny County North Campus, 8701 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA 15237.  Please RSVP here.

Feb 1: Cafe Scientifique on Climate and Pollution

Interested in science?  Want to learn more about the latest technology breakthroughs in normal English, minus the jargon?  Then Café Scientifique Pittsburgh at Carnegie Science Center is the place to be!

Café Sci is THE place in Pittsburgh where anyone interested in science can get together at a scientific hub to discuss today’s science issues with experts, and best of all… you can ask your own questions!  After a brief talk by our monthly guest speaker, the evening is dedicated to a question-and-answer session.  Plus, enjoy our pub-type atmosphere with food and drinks available for purchase.  
6 -9 p.m. at the Carnegie Science Center (doors at 6, program 7-9, and cash bar from 6-7:30).  Admission is free, though parking costs $5.  RSVP online here.
This month:  If You Can’t See It, It Doesn’t Exist: Connections of Air and Climate Pollution with Policy Decisions with Dr. Neil Donahue.  

The effects of climate change, air pollution, and efforts by leaders to address these effects are pressing issues that pervade recent news-cycles – from climate talks in Paris to the increase in “red alert” days in Beijing.  

Climate pollution is mostly invisible and diffuse.  More traditional air pollution — haze and smog — is visible and localized.  However, both cause a world of hurt, and addressing them together may be a key to making progress on both.  The “social costs” of pollution can be very high, with the costs of climate pollution distributed over the globe and over generations, while the social costs of air pollution bourn locally and immediately, including contribution to millions of deaths every year.

Donahue will discuss the role of three current research activities towards enabling decision-makers to consider the costs and benefits of policies that could affect both pollution types.  The research includes fundamental experiments about fine atmospheric particles at CERN, the particle-physics research institute in Geneva; a collaboration to model the life-cycle of carbon in regional pollution in China; and development of a decision support tool for city policy makers to compare policy “intervention” options in terms of costs and effectiveness for climate and air-pollution benefits.

Donahue is a Professor of Chemistry & Chemical Engineering, founding Director of the Center for Atmospheric Particle Studies at Carnegie Mellon University, and a Science & Engineering Ambassador with the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering.  He directs the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research.

Donahue seeks to understand how Earth's atmosphere works and how humans affect the atmosphere.  He strives to help all graduating CMU students understand the climate problem and to apply their outstanding problem-solving skills to solutions of this enormous challenge.

Donahue’s research focuses on the behavior of organic compounds in Earth's atmosphere.  The world experts in his research group study what happens to compounds from both natural sources and human activity when they are emitted into the atmosphere. Recently, the group’s research has focused on the origin and transformations of very small organic particles, which play a critical role in climate change and human health. Particles scatter light, influence clouds, and kill roughly 50,000 people each year in the U.S., mostly of heart attacks.

Donahue earned a degree in physics from Brown University and a doctorate in meteorology from MIT. He spent nine years as a research scientist at Harvard before returning to Pittsburgh in 2000.