Jan 29: "Take A Shot At Changing The World" kickoff

The launch of the 2012 "Take A Shot at Changing the World" video contest will include a free screening of the funny and award-winning film "YERT:  Your Environmental Road Trip".  The contest offers young people up to $10,000 in cash and prizes for making short movies on how they would change the world.  YERT is a hilarious and educational look at three filmmakers who set out from the Rachel Carson Homestead near Pittsburgh and visited all fifty states looking for ways to save the planet while producing (and retaining) a shoebox full of trash each month.  


Special guests include Mark Dixon, YERT's producer and star, Dr. Patricial DeMarco, Director of the Rachel Carson Institute, Andy Masich, President & CEO of the Heinz History Center, and Carl Kurlander, Executive Producer of Steeltown Entertainment Project.  After the YERT showing, stay for a screening of My Hero, last year's winning "Take a Shot" movie from Tyler Anderson of Mt. Lebanon High School.  You can see all the entries here.

Last year, over 265 students in the region took a shot at changing the world, and made movies about the polio vaccine in Pittsburgh.  This year, the contest is bigger and better and we're encouraging students in SWPA to "make a movie and make a difference", by focusing on Pittsburgh innovations and innovators that have change the world and what you might do to make a difference!

Check out these articles in Pop City! and the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on the contest and the new TV show just shot in Pittsburgh (produced by "Two and a Half Men" director Jamie Widdoes).  


2:30 p.m. at the Heinz History Center.  Tickets are free, but you should RSVP to Rachel@steeltown.org .

Jan 23, 24, 25, & Feb 12: Urban Forest Master Plan public meetings

The Urban Forest Master Plan Public Meetings: We Need Your Input! Hear details about the state of Pittsburgh's urban forest, learn about Pittsburgh's first-ever Urban Forest Master Planning process andprovide detailed input about tree protection and maintenance. Bring a friend!  Learn more about the Urban Forest Master Plan here.  All meetings are free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to treestory@treepittsburgh.org or via the Facebook event pages (linked to below).  Community Planning Meeting: EAST Monday January 23rd Union Project 801 N. Negley Avenue 15206 5:30 - 7:30PM See this event on Facebook Community Planning Meeting: NORTH Tuesday January 24th Children's Museum 10 Children's Way 15212 5:30 - 7:30PM See this event on Facebook Community Planning Meeting: SOUTH Wednesday January 25th WYEP Community Broadcast Center 67 Bedford Square 15203 5:30 - 7:30PM See this event on Facebook. Community Planning Meeting WEST Monday Feb 13th Banksville Park Shelter, Banksville Park 5:30-7:30PM See this event on Facebook.

Dec 31: Peaceburgh New Year's celebration

Dec 10: Human Rights rally and march

Come out for a rally and march demanding Human Rights, Not Corporate Rights!  

‐ we have a right to housing

‐ we have a right to jobs & a livable wage

‐ we have a right to protection from all forms of discrimination

‐ we have a right to education

‐ we have a right to assembly

‐ we have a right to food

‐ we have a right to health care

‐ we have a right to determine our own future...

The United Nations adopted a Declaration of these Rights in 1948 and the U.S.

government has NOT guaranteed these rights for ALL.

Join us in reclaiming these rights for the 99%

Occupy Pittsburgh rally and march for Human Rights on

International Human Rights Day, December 10, 2011 at the

Kingsley Association, 6435 Frankstown Avenue

Indoor rally will start at 1:00 pm (doors open at noon) followed by a march

Find us online:

www.occupypittsburgh.org

www.facebook.com/OccupyPGH

Nov 28, Dec 3, and Dec 10: Marcellus trainings

In the coming years Exxon Mobil, Range Resources, and others plan to drill tens of thousands more Marcellus Shale wells, threatening our health and environment. That's why they are putting so much energy and resources fighting any policies that will protect us from this dangerous industrial activity.  The thousands of drilled Marcellus Shale wells are just the beginning.

PennEnvironment has launched a new project to give Pennsylvanians the tools they need to protect their community.

WHAT: Pittsburgh-area Marcellus Shale Citizen Organizer Training

WHEN & WHERE: Choose from one of three events in the region.

• Mt. Lebanon Training: Monday, November 28th, 6:00 p.m.-8:45 p.m. Mt. Lebanon Public Library

• Monroeville Training: Saturday, December 3rd, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Monroeville Public Library

• Squirrel Hill Training: Saturday, December 10th, 1:00 p.m.-4:00 p.m. Carnegie Library of Squirrel Hill

The plan is simple, but big. We need to train a thousand Pennsylvanians with the skills they need to protect their communities from gas drilling. Whether you're new to activism or been on the front lines of the Marcellus Shale, this training will help you take the fight to the next level.

You'll learn from PennEnvironment staff and other organizers in the area how to effectively engage with decision makers on these issues, generate media coverage, and how to hold your elected officials accountable for their failure to tackle the Marcellus Shale gas drilling issue. And, you'll get to meet more people working on these issues so you can band together to protect your community.

You can register online here.

Nov 15: Occupy DUG East

On November 15th, Halliburton is hosting a reception for the rest of the oil and gas industry to kick off the Developing Unconventional Gas conference. At 5:15pm, we will march from Occupy Pittsburgh to the David Lawrence Convention Center and kick off our occupation of the conference with a people’s reception for economic and environmental justice.

The gas industry is poisoning our air and water and hijacking our so-called democracy. They say they are bringing economic opportunity but all we see is exploitation. Stand with us to resist corporate power - join the people’s reception or organize your own creative action to disrupt the conference!

In the spirit of movements across the country against corporate power, local organizers, activists, and occupiers are calling for an occupation of the Developing Unconventional Gas conference in Pittsburgh.

Tuesday at 5:15pm - March on the conference, meet at Occupy Pittsburgh/Mellon Green

6:00pm - People’s Reception and Occupation begins, David Lawrence Convention Center

(Sign-making and flash mob practice on Friday, November 11 at 7pm at the T-station at 6th St. and Ross Ave, below Occupy Pittsburgh)


And as always, check out Marcellus Protest's own event calendar;  Maren doesn't always get a chance to post events as soon as they do.  

Nov 14: Marcellus Q&A at JCC

The most experts on this critical issue -- at one place, at your pace.  Meet them one-on-one.  Ask hard questions.  Get informed answers.


Drop by for 15 minutes, or stay for all 3 hours.  Experts will be at seven stations, ready for one-on-one or small-group interaction.


Featuring experts from Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc., Clean Water Action, EQT Corp., League of Women Voters, PA Environmental Council, Penn State Cooperative Extension, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pipeline, Pitt's School of Public Health, Pitt's Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, and many others.   RSVP to Nancy Hruska at 412-992-5233 or nhruska@jfedpgh.org .  


6-9 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.  Refreshments will be served.

Nov 14: Marcellus theatre arts talk at CMU

CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN SOCIETY"Shale Play: Our Brains on Frack": Theatre Artists Tackle Marcellus Shale

Anne Justine D’Zmura, Department ofTheatre Arts, California State University Long Beach

How do we as artists and educators move ourselves, our students and our community members out of ecological complacency into a state of shared awareness, concern and, ultimately, action? Currently in residence with the Drama School, Anne D’Zmura is leading a group of CMU students through a theatre devising process exploring the political/social/economic and environmental ramifications of the Marcellus Shale drilling in our community. D’Zmura will discuss her past work in the field of ecodrama and the current CMU workshop project “Shale Play: Our Brains on Frack”.
http://www.cmu.edu/cas/events/fall2011/nov-14-2011.html

4:30 pm in Adamson Wing, Baker Hall 136A at CMU

Nov 10-12: Benefit Braddock concert series

Benefit Braddock: A Concert Series in Support of Braddock Pennsylvania 

The Levi’s Benefit Braddock three-day concert series features performances from a virtual dean’s list of the 2011 indie rock scene. The event is more than just a series of shows, however… Proceeds from ticket sales will support the community-based projects in nearby Braddock, tripled by a contribution from Levi’s! 

Here's the lineup for the three-day event: 

Thursday, Nov. 10 - Andrew Bird w/ Kurt Vile & The Violators
Friday, Nov. 11 - Built to Spill w/ Atlas Sound (Bradford Cox of Deerhunter)
Saturday, Nov. 12 - The Hold Steady w/ Titus Andronicus 

The Thursday night show has already sold out, but a handful of tickets still remain for Friday and Saturday. Purchase tickets and support the renewal of the Braddock community here.

Nov 9: ALCOSAN Town Hall meeting

The largest public works project our area has ever seen is on the way -- a massive, multi-billion-dollar effort to get our waterways in compliance with federal standards, so that raw sewage doesn't go into the rivers every time it rains.  How much green infrastructure is included?  How much will it cost, and how many jobs might be created in the process?  Hear ALCOSAN's proposal, and let them know what you think.  Help make sure that the plan to fix our aging sewer system is the best plan for our communities!

The Clean Rivers Campaign is an education program designed to raise citizen awareness about the issues of stormwater runoff and sewage overflows in Allegheny County.

5:30-7:30 p.m. at the IBEW Hall's Circuit Center & Ballroom, 5 Hot Metal Street, Pittsburgh 15203.  The meeting is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.  More information here.

Nov 8: Election day!

Today is the day -- yes, it's an "off" year, but one of the most important things you can do today is to get out and exercise your right to vote.  Help a friend or neighbor vote, by offering to look after kids, or give a ride to the polls.

Some good progressive candidates to support include Kathryn Boockvar (for Commonwealth Court), David Wecht (for PA Superior Court), and both Alex Bickett and Mike Marmo (county Court of Common Pleas).  Since both major candidates for Allegheny County Executive want to frack the living daylights out of any land they might control, there is a write-in campaign for energetic fractivist Dana Dolney.  I'm not sure how close the race will be, so such a vote might be more than symbolic -- but we do need to get the message across that Marcellus (and Utica) shale gas extraction can far more damaging than its value as a revenue source.  Another campaign has been set up to write in Jordan Miles for District Attorney (to express dissatisfaction with Steven Zappala's handling of the Miles case).   

Nov 1: Backyard composting workshop

You can turn all of your non-meat food scraps, your autumn leaves, your grass clippings, yard and garden waste, your newspapers, even some of your cardboard waste into high-quality compost! This is a rich soil conditioner that will improve the health and productivity of your lawn, trees, shrubs, flowers, veggies and house plants.

It’s easy to do, once you learn some basic rules, and have the right bin. And it’s a great way to re-connect with Nature, give something back, in a very direct way.

Pennsylvania Resources Council has been presenting these workshops for over a decade now. Over 15,000 households have gained solid instruction, quality bins and inspiration to do it themselves.

The workshop thoroughly covers the importance of composting, setting up a compost pile, proper maintenance, troubleshooting and some good ways of using finished compost.  Participants will receive an Earth Machine Compost Bin with attendance. Approved across the state as an ideal bin for urban and suburban areas, it has an eighty-gallon capacity (big enough for even the largest household).  If not abused, it can last for many years.

6:30-8 p.m. at the East End Food Co-op.  $50 per adult, $55 per couple (this can be a relative, friend or neighbor, if you share a single bin); free for children <18 with an adult -- this is a great project to share with your kids!  Register Online at http://www.zerowastepgh.org/  or by phone: 412-488-7490 x236

Oct 29: Pittsburgh Solar Tour

Three Rivers Solar Source (a project of PennFuture) is your host on this self-guided open-house tour of homes that use solar energy.  You will find many such homes in Pittsburgh and surrounding communities.  All of the owners of these homes have graciously invited you to stop by, see, learn, and ask questions about their solar installations.

Your trusty blogger Maren's own house (where a new photovoltaic system is being installed in amongst a roof garden) is one of the homes on the tour.

It is exciting that so many solar homeowners want to show off their installations.  We are also excited that so many of these systems were installed by Pittsburgh's and western Pennsylvania's own solar energy businesses.  We know they'll love to show off their handiwork!

Some homeowners might take you on a tour of the other features that make their home more environmentally friendly (in Maren's little permaculture oasis, there is rainwater harvesting and stormwater diversion using a rain garden, pond, and rain barrels;  organic vegetable, herb, and fruit production;  shiitake mushroom cultivation; composting;  and a renovation/addition utilizing local wood and stone as well as recycled, reused, and salvage materials and passive solar design).  Some might answer questions and show the components of their system from their front yard -- it's up to the individual host.

The site hosts will be at their homes to greet visitors between noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 29.  There's no need to register;  just choose a few locations you want to visit and stop on by!  Use the map and online PDF guide at www.pghsolartour.org to plan your tour.

Oct 21: Have a Ball with GASP

Friday, October 21, GASP has the Highmark SportsWorks at the Carnegie Science Center all to ourselves.  Come join us from 6 to 9 PM and run, bounce, spin, and climb on nearly 30 hands-on exhibits.  SportsWorks has activities suited for all ages.  Think baseball looks easy?  Have your fastball clocked and see if you can get it in the strike zone.  Try climbing to the top of the 25′ climbing wall, or strapping in to the bungee cords and turn yourself into a yo-yo.

Grab some delicious hors d’ oeuvres or a mixed rink, and join us in the conference room to hear from athletes from the Pittsburgh Passion, the Steel City Derby Demons, and USRowing, as well as local health professionals, to hear how air quality affects athletic performance.

End the night by munching on desserts and claiming the silent auction prizes that you bid on.

Our annual fall event is a fundraiser, but it is also a great way to reconnect with staff or members, and to learn about GASP’s recent work and plans for the future.

6-9 p.m. at the Highmark SportsWorks at the Carnegie Science Center.  Tickets are $50/person ($25 for ages 6-12, free for 5 and under).  Purchase tickets online, or pay by check or credit card by calling GASP at (412) 325-7382. Parking at the SportsWorks is available for $5.

Oct 18: Marcellus forum in Center Twp

What does Marcellus shale natural gas development mean for Center Township?

You are invited to attend an open informational meeting featuring local farmers and landowners who will share their personal stories about what it’s really like to live with hydraulic fracturing in rural Western Pennsylvania and a screening of a short documentary filmed in Bradford, PA, followed by a community discussion: What choice do we have?

Get the whole story before you decide:  Is fracking right for Center Township? 

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm at the Ghost Riders 2 Dance Hall, 1805 N Main St Ext in Center Township.  Free to the public and everyone is welcome;  refreshments will be provided.  Center Township residents are especially encouraged to attend. 

Presented by: Preservation Advocates for Center Township (PACT).  For more information, email 2011PACT@Gmail.com

Oct 18: Immigration discussion with County candidates

Looking Forward to Immigration (with Rich and Raja)



Pittsburgh is less diverse than 98 out of 100 of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States, according to the 2010 census - "whiter even than the Amish country around Lancaster, the Mormon population center of Salt Lake City, Midwest agrarian capitals such as Des Moines, Iowa, and far more isolated places like Boise, Idaho," says Gary Rotstein of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "How does a region built on immigration, albeit from previous centuries, come to have in 2011 such a small share of people of color?"

On October 18, cityLIVE! and Vibrant Pittsburgh will host a conversation between candidates D. Raja, Rich Fitzgerald and you, the audience, on the status of foreign born talent and diversity in the region. Economic development is at the heart of this discussion. For instance, 25 percent of U.S. business owners in the technology and engineering sector are foreign born, as are the owners of 24 percent of patent applications filed. Moderated by Melanie Harrington, CEO of Vibrant Pittsburgh, we will hear how our future leaders plan to tackle these issues in their future role as Allegheny County Executive.

This is an important conversation. Be there, or be really square.


6:30 p.m. at the New Hazlett Theater.   CLICK TO RSVP

Oct 15: Occupy Pittsburgh begins

The Movement Begins:  OccupyPittsburgh Day of Action
Rally begins at 11 a.m. at Freedom Corner (Crawford Street and Center Avenue in the Hill District);  arrive as early as 10 a.m.
March from Freedom Corner to Market Square: 11:45 a.m.
Movement Kickoff Rally 1:30 - 3 p.m. Market Square
Occupation of Pittsburgh begins at 4 p.m.  Mellon Green, Grant St. & Sixth Ave.

Occupy's website:  http://www.occupypittsburgh.org/

Oct 15: Marcellus health seminar in Canonsburg

Peters Township Marcellus Shale Awareness presents a Marcellus Shale Health and Educational Seminar



Program:

Health Impacts of Unconventional Gas Drilling  Dr. Poune' Saberi is participating in the Occupational
and Environmental Medicine Program at the University of Pennsylvania. She
is also a clinician at B.L. Johnson Sayre Health Center and faculty member
of the Family Medicine and Community Health Department. Her passion is
learning and teaching about the effects of environmental factors and
toxicology on personal health. She is currently undertaking a study at the
Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology about the health impacts
of unconventional natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania.

Marcellus Shale and Pipeline Infrastructure: What You Need to Know and Why
Lynda Farrell, Executive Director of Pipeline Safety Coalition, a
non-profit formed as a clearinghouse for factual unbiased information to
increase public awareness and participation in pipeline safety issues.
Lynda and four of her neighbors were successful in fending off eminent
domain in a landmark Federal Court decision to protect their land, steep
slopes and the historic Brandywine Creek. Lynda Farrell for over a decade
has combined her diverse background in education, finance, marketing and
farming to provide environmental/agricultural consulting and grant
writing.

Unconventional Natural Gas Extraction in Energy Production Landscapes:
Interactions Among Historical and Contemporary Processes
Dan Bain, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh,
Department of Geology and Planetary Science will relate how the
unconventional extraction of natural gas from the Marcellus Shale
Formation is a recent but rapidly growing activity in Pennsylvania that
depends on relatively recent technological advances and that our ability
to evaluate risks is hindered by limited experience in how production
activities effect the landscape.  In particular, areas in southwestern
Pennsylvania which have undergone earlier periods of historical coal
mining, introducing a relatively distinct set of shallow groundwater and
geochemical conditions.  Incorporating such differences into our
conceptual management frameworks is essential to successful evaluation of
risk in decision making processes.

Health and Safety Considerations of the Marcellus Shale Production Process
Jill Kriesky, Ph.D., is the Senior Project Coordinator for the Center for
Healthy Environments and Communities and an affiliate in the Graduate
School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. She will address
the health and safety concerns at all stages of unconventional natural gas
drilling. The Center for Healthy Environments and Communities has a
community-based approach to analyze social, economic, political, policy,
behaviors and geographical variables associated with environmental issues.

Professional  Experiences in Health Care Relating to Workers and Patients
Registered nurses caring for injuries and illnesses related to natural gas
drilling will provide insight into concerns and safety issues as they
relate to their first hand experiences in their profession.

Duquesne University PresentationsDuquesne University Students of the class of Philosophy of Technology in
order to complete their service learning requirement will do two power
point presentations: What Constitutes Good Scientific Research with an
Examination of Problems and Conflicts of Interests Among Researchers and
Pennsylvania's Clean and Green Concerning the Impact of going from
Agricultural to Industrial.

Various environmental groups and health organizations will be present to
distribute information to the public.

Visit our website to register for door prizes www.ptmsa.com

9:30  AM  What Constitutes Good Scientific Research – Duquesne University
Students
10:00 AM  Health Impacts of Unconventional Gas Drilling – Poune’ Saberi,
M.D., University of Pennsylvania
11:00 AM  Marcellus Shale and Pipeline Infrastructure – Lynda Farrell,
Executive Director, Pipeline Safety Coalition
12:00 AM  PA’s Clean and Green, Going from Agricultural to Industrial –
Duquesne University Students
12:30 PM  Natural Gas Extraction in Energy Production Landscapes – Dan
Bain, Ph.D. Geologist, U. of Pittsburgh
1:00  PM   Health and Safety Issues of the Mar.Shale Production Process –
Jill Kriesky, Ph.D. University of Pgh. GSPH
1:30  PM   Professional Experiences in Health Care Relating to Workers and
Patients – Registered Nurses


9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the ballroom area of the Hilton Garden Inn - Southpointe (1000 Corporate Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317;  use Exit 48 off of I -79;  (724) 743-5000).  Door Prize Registration at 9:30 AM

Oct 13-15: Convergence for Social Justice

For the first time ever, hundreds of grassroots organizations, groups, and individuals—spanning across 10 counties in Southwestern  Pennsylvania—will come together to participate in a major convergence to advance social justice in the region. The Three Rivers Community Foundation, in concert with other progressive grantmakers and organizations in Southwestern Pennsylvania, are proud to present:

Building Change: A Convergence for Social Justice

Highlights:

         Renowned Keynote Speaker Winona LaDuke

         Development of a five-year Action Plan for Building Social Justice for the region

         Five-day, multi-venue Building Change Film Festival

         Major Youth Leadership Event for 350 Young People (October 13)

         7 Pathways to Change Art Show

         Regional Champions of Change Awards Presentation and Ceremony

         Three Rivers Community Foundation Grantee Recognition Event

         Eclectic Mix of Entertainment

         Internship Fair

Additional activities include skill-building workshops, panel discussions, roundtable discussions, keynote speakers, and plenary sessions on a wide range of issues such as Disability Rights, Economic Empowerment, Environmental Sustainability, LGBTQ Advocacy, Peace/Human Rights, Racial Equity, and Women, Youth and Families Rights.

This event presents many opportunities for networking and involvement, including tabling, sponsorship, presenting, serving on a discussion panel, and participating in relevant workshops and skill building sessions.

October 13-15, 2011 at the Senator John Heinz Regional History Center.  Please spread the word to organizations and individuals working for social change.  For more information and to register for the Convergence, visit www.buildingchangewpa.org, email trcf@trcfwpa.org, or call 412-243-9250.  There are still opportunities to table and put an ad in the program book.  Join the buzz on Facebook by clicking here.

Oct 8: Marcellus protest at Marburger dairy farm

Keep fracking chemicals out of our milk, food and schools!

Join Marcellus Outreach Butler and concerned PA citizens in opposing Exxon Mobil’s fracking operations on Marburger Dairy Farmland. Marburger Farm Dairy ("Quality in a Bottle") supplies local grocery stores and nearly 700 schools with milk and dairy products from the cows exposed to their new fracking operation.   If you believe our food supply and quality of life is more important than money and gas, come on out!

A rally will be held at the well pad on Marburger Property, Mars-Evans City Rd.,  approximately 1 mile out of Evans City.  Come early,  park in Evans City, and join us at EDCO Park in Evans City between 10:00 and 10:30am to march or be carpooled to the site for a protest rally from 11:30-12:30.  Note that no water or restrooms will be available, and if you come directly to the dairy be sure to leave roadsides in front of the well site clear for rally.  Following the rally at the well site, we will return to EDCO Park for a follow-up rally from 1 to 3 p.m. (pack a picnic lunch!).  Speakers and educational sessions TBA.