Local food resources
The Putting Down Roots Sustainability Salons have continued each month. The second Sustainability Salon (as well as the 14th, 15th, 26th, 27th, 38th, 39th, 51st, and 52nd) focused on food -- growing it, sourcing it locally, and eating more humanely. Afterwards, Maren put together a list of many such local sources: CSA farms, farmers' markets, grassfed and humanely raised meats and dairy, natural foods suppliers, bakeries, and advocacy organizations. This list now resides on a growing Resources section of the Putting Down Roots Blogger site.
Sep 22: Sustainability Salon on Youth Activism
Student groups like Free The Planet, the Fossil Free Pitt Coalition, and Sustainable Earth are working on important initiatives at local universities. A panel of college-aged activists will include Anaïs Peterson and Young Sarah Grguras from Pitt, CMU's Chandler Sabourin, and other prominent student activists.
Anaïs has organized marches and rallies, testified at government hearings, and worked to green the University of Pittsburgh's finances, pressuring them to divest from fossil energy. She'll share insights about how to engage with and respect student activists. Young Sarah has been working both within the University and with regional groups from Clean Water Action and the Center for Coalfield Justice to Pittsburgh Parks. Young Sarah will talk about failing -- and learning -- in activism.
Please check back for updated speaker info as the date approaches!
The next salon will be on October 6th, in conjunction with the annual Pittsburgh Solar Tour.
Salons run 3-10 p.m. at Maren's house in Squirrel Hill. Please don't arrive before 3 p.m. We generally start the program not long after 4pm, 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 with salon in the subject line to be added!).
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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 greening business, greenwashing, the petrochemical buildout in our region, climate/nature/people, fracking, health, & action, globalization, ecological ethics, community inclusion, air quality monitoring, informal gatherings that turn out to have lots of speakers, getting STEM into Congress, 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, 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.
Sep 22: Electronics recycling event
-Desktop, laptops, tablets, servers, hard drives (optional on-site hard drive shredding will be offered for $10 per hard drive)
-Cell phones, Ipods, MP3 players, etc.
-Computer peripherals include keyboards, mice, printers (
-Phones, phone systems
-AC adapter & wiring
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR A FEE (sign up in advance via Eventbrite):
-32in and smaller TVs and monitors ($35/unit - pre registration is required)*
-32in and larger TVs and monitors ($50/unit - pre registration is required)*
-Audio/video equipment ($10/unit)
-Radio, receivers, amplifiers, tuners, equalizers, tape decks ($10/unit)
-VCR, DVD & Blue Ray Players ($10/unit)
-Consumer/household goods ($10/unit)
-Wooden speakers ($20/speaker)
-Small Freon containing appliances including window air conditioners and dehumidifiers ($20/unit)
*Coupon of equal or greater value provided
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED:
-Universal Waste
-Alkaline batteries
-Light bulbs
-Large Freon containing appliances
10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church (315 Shady Avenue, 15206). More information on Facebook and Eventbrite. A portion of proceeds will benefit Shadyside Calvary Episcopal Church.
Sep 18: Economic Impacts of the Ethane Cracker
Symposium on the Potential Regional Economic Impacts of the Ethane Cracker Plant
W&J Economics professors Robert Dunn, Ph.D., and Leslie Dunn, Ph.D., recently completed a study to examine possible effects of the ethane cracker plant on the region's economy.
We invite policymakers, public officials, business owners, and residents from across the region to learn more the impacts, the study, and the methodology and take part in a lively discussion about the project.
Presented by the Center for Energy Policy and Management and Local Government Academy, this event will showcase the work of Robert Dunn, Ph.D. and Leslie Dunn, Ph.D., along with that of other speakers and researchers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers.
Additional Speakers:
Rebecca Matsco, Chairwoman, Potters Township & Sabina Deitrick, Pitt Researcher
John Goberish, Dean of Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Beaver County Community College
Lance Grable, Executive Director of Beaver County Redevelopment Authority
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington & Jefferson College Ballroom (60 S. Lincoln St., Washington, Pennsylvania 15301). The Symposium is free to attend, but you must register here.
W&J Economics professors Robert Dunn, Ph.D., and Leslie Dunn, Ph.D., recently completed a study to examine possible effects of the ethane cracker plant on the region's economy.
We invite policymakers, public officials, business owners, and residents from across the region to learn more the impacts, the study, and the methodology and take part in a lively discussion about the project.
Presented by the Center for Energy Policy and Management and Local Government Academy, this event will showcase the work of Robert Dunn, Ph.D. and Leslie Dunn, Ph.D., along with that of other speakers and researchers. Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers.
Additional Speakers:
Rebecca Matsco, Chairwoman, Potters Township & Sabina Deitrick, Pitt Researcher
John Goberish, Dean of Workforce Development & Continuing Education at Beaver County Community College
Lance Grable, Executive Director of Beaver County Redevelopment Authority
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Washington & Jefferson College Ballroom (60 S. Lincoln St., Washington, Pennsylvania 15301). The Symposium is free to attend, but you must register here.
Sep 17: Plastics and Our Future
The effects of plastic pollution globally and locally will be discussed, as well as the importance of the 4 R’s: Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Speakers include Patricia DeMarco from Forest Hills Borough Council, Erica Deyarmin from Waste Management, and Dianne Peterson from Our Children Our Earth
Speakers include Patricia DeMarco from Forest Hills Borough Council, Erica Deyarmin from Waste Management, and Dianne Peterson from Our Children Our Earth
7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Forest Hills Borough Building (4400 Greensburg Pike, Forest Hills). Free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.
Sponsored by the Forest Hills Environmental Advisory Council
Sep 8: Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour
The Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour highlights the agricultural production capacity in urbanized areas of Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods. This self-guided tour provides a unique opportunity to connect with local food and farmers on commercial farms, community gardens, and apiaries throughout Pittsburgh. Featured neighborhoods include the East End, Garfield, South Side, and North Shore. Choose your own course and bike or drive to each destination.
Organized by the East End Food Co-op (EEFC), Pittsburgh Food Policy Council (PFPC), and Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), the tour’s purpose is to promote urban agriculture as a viable means for food production, build connections between consumers and farmers, and support the future of farming.
Urban farms have a significant impact on the food system, local economy, and urban environment. To ensure the farmers who manage these plots have access to resources and capital they need to be successful, proceeds from the Farm Tour will provide an honorarium for each participating farm and fund a new Urban Growers Scholarship.
Join us to see these once vacant lots now revived into beautiful, productive spaces!
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (or any subset of that, at your own pace). Select locations will have refreshments, items for sale, and offer demonstrations. Admission is $15/person; kids 12 and under are free. Purchase tickets here Event is rain or shine. Sponsored by Trellis Legal, Sustainable Pittsburgh, Construction Junction, Four Seasons Produce, and Healthy Ride Pittsburgh.
Participating Farms:
African Healing Garden
Ballfield Farm
Bandi Schaum
Black Urban Gardeners & Farmers Co-op
Braddock Farms
Burgh Bees Apiary
Centervue Gardens
Drew Mathieson Center
Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery
Garfield Community Farm
Hilltop Urban Farm
Mt. Oliver Community Garden
Shiloh Farm
Steel City Soils
August 25: March for Peace
A coalition of activists from the Thomas Merton Center and several different social and political advocacy groups will meet in Oakland for a rally in Schenley Plaza, followed by a march through the streets ending at Carnegie Mellon University. The march route includes several stops that represent local hubs of the military-industrial complex.
Although we understand that the U.S. is not technically “at war” with another country right now, a march like this is more necessary than ever. The US military budget now stands at $700 billion, which amounts to 54% of all discretionary spending. It is at its highest since 1945 in constant dollars, exceeding military spending during the Cold War and the Korean and Vietnam wars.
The US spends more money on its military than the combined total of the next 10 biggest-spending nations, including China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia, Britain and France, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Russia's military budget is about a tenth of America's, yet Russia is supposed to represent a top national security threat to the US. Cutbacks in healthcare, housing, education, roads, and bridges are necessary to feed the military machine. Other consequences are wage reduction and increasing poverty and inequality.
The US is involved in wars and violent conflicts in the Koreas, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria, Yeman, Somalia, Mali, and other nations. Increased funding is being allocated for the modernization of nuclear weapons. The US is also violating international law on its border with Mexico in its inhumane treatment of refugees and has militarized law enforcement domestically. Our cities and schools have experienced record killings from gun violence. We believe that these causes, and the fight for a world beyond war, are NOT separate issues.
10:30 a.m. at Schenley Plaza (rally followed by march). For more information, call the Thomas Merton Center at 412-361-3022.
Aug 18: Free soil lead screening
Come join the Allegheny County Conservation District and Grow Pittsburgh at the Garden Resource Center, bring us a dry soil sample in a small ziploc bag, and have your soil screened for lead instantly! Understanding the presence of lead is essential for safe gardening and children's play areas.
ACCD staff will give you the results and explain what they mean, as well as what you can do to lower risk.
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Grow Pittsburgh's Garden Resource Center (147 Putnam St. 15206). For more information, visit the ACCD's facebook page or contact Jonathan at jburgess@accdpa.org or 412-291-8017.
ACCD staff will give you the results and explain what they mean, as well as what you can do to lower risk.
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at Grow Pittsburgh's Garden Resource Center (147 Putnam St. 15206). For more information, visit the ACCD's facebook page or contact Jonathan at jburgess@accdpa.org or 412-291-8017.
Aug 11: 79th Sustainability Salon
The 79th Sustainability Salon will take place on August 11th. In a departure from our usual format of talks and discussion focused on a single topic, this month we'll have more informal, free-flowing conversation. It's the annual No-Topic Salon, where I don't have to interrupt the conversations for the presentations! Overall event timing remains the same, but I won't rearrange the furniture as for a regular salon. And if the Right Folks turn up (you know who you are!), we'll have a bit more time for music after the potluck supper.
Salons run 3-10 p.m. at Maren's house in Squirrel Hill. Please don't arrive before 3 p.m. We usually start the program not long after 4pm, after folks have had a chance to meet, mingle, and tour around an interesting and productive urban permaculture site -- but this time there is no program, so come hang out! 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 with salon in the subject line to be added!).
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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 greening business, greenwashing, the petrochemical buildout in our region, climate/nature/people, fracking, health, & action, globalization, ecological ethics, community inclusion, air quality monitoring, informal gatherings that turn out to have lots of speakers, getting STEM into Congress, 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, 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.
Aug 11: Rethinking Plastic forum
Keynote Speaker:
Patricia DeMarco, local environmental scientist & author of
Pathways to Our Sustainable Future: A Global Perspective from Pittsburgh
Panel Discussion led by filmmaker Mark Dixon with
Myrna Newman , director of Allegheny Cleanways, on Waste Management & Recycling
Doug Shields, Food & Water Watch, on the local connection: Fracking/Cracking & Plastics
Dianne Peterson, activist & owner of Our Children Our Earth on Sustainable Alternatives
11-2 p.m. at the Wilkins School Community Center (7604 Charleston Ave. 15218 (in Regent Square). Free and open to the public, but please register by email to LivablePittsburgh.RePlastics@gmail.com Light lunch included.
A selection of Eco- friendly products from Our Children Our Earth will be available for purchase.
Remember to RSVP at LivablePittsburgh.RePlastics@gmail.com and you can also touch base on Facebook.
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