Hello and happy end of quite the month of April 2020: This month will be one to remember for sure!
Join ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus (TCWAC+) on Monday evening, May 4, 2020 at 6:30 pm for a few hours as we continue to envision sustainable economic development initiatives for our communities.
Speakers for this month's webinar include Denele Hughson from Grow Pittsburgh and Rhea Homa. Denele Hughson is the Director of Farm Education at Grow Pittsburgh and a resident of Turtle Creek. She will discuss how Grow Pittsburgh grew from a mere idea to a successful and influential nonprofit benefiting the greater Pittsburgh area; how they acquired funding and people-power; what obstacles they overcame; and valuable lessons that they learned for building a local non-profit. Rhea Homa is a Verona resident who will speak to low-waste living practices that have helped her and her husband survive the pandemic.
We will also have ample time to breakout into our project groups and continue moving forward with our ideas. If you haven't attended a meeting before or are not yet involved with a project group, this will be a great opportunity for you to learn about the projects and become engaged.
Please register on this google form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf6NzbhPKVJt4J-y2JbuICh5KtkSyKgrW2SQDdY6ZFe5Ux9UQ/viewform. We will email all registered participants a Zoom link prior to the webinar.
Contact Kelly at kelly.yagatich@climatereality.com with questions.
Showing posts with label Resilience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Resilience. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 29, 2020
Monday, March 30, 2020
Moving Gracefully, Organizing, and Thriving in Viral Times; Monday April 6, 2020 6:30 - 8:00 PM on-line
From Kelly Yagatich of the Climate Reality Project:
I hope this finds you well. Like every other group, our top priority is ensuring the health and safety of all of the people who are engaged in the Reimagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus initiative during this uncertainty, while also making sure that we don’t lose our sense of community and purpose in the panic. The regularly scheduled Monday, April 6, 2020 will be a Zoom meeting from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. We want to provide you with the resources that you need to keep your families healthy while also providing you with tools to continue organizing around the projects we’ve started. The topic of this event will be “moving gracefully, organizing, & thriving in viral times.” Here is the description of what we will cover in the meeting:
With travel, events, and in-person meetings canceled, you might be wondering how to stay connected to your community and continue advocating for positive change. Reimagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus invites you to a virtual meeting to learn more about how to practice mindfulness and meditation at home, how to put together simple, inexpensive meals using plant-based ingredients, and how to use online tools to connect with other community members and organize. With these tools, you can continue planning campaigns to promote health and wellness and sustainability in your communities. Together, we can overcome the obstacles posed by COVID-19 and work to impact our communities in a positive way to bring safety, equity and sustainability to our region. From 6:30 to 7:30, we will provide you with the skills that you need to maintain a healthy mind and body in this time and resources to continue organizing virtually from your home. From 7:30 to 8:00, we will provide an optional virtual space for people to meet in their project groups from the last meeting and continue collectively organizing.
With travel, events, and in-person meetings canceled, you might be wondering how to stay connected to your community and continue advocating for positive change. Reimagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus invites you to a virtual meeting to learn more about how to practice mindfulness and meditation at home, how to put together simple, inexpensive meals using plant-based ingredients, and how to use online tools to connect with other community members and organize. With these tools, you can continue planning campaigns to promote health and wellness and sustainability in your communities. Together, we can overcome the obstacles posed by COVID-19 and work to impact our communities in a positive way to bring safety, equity and sustainability to our region. From 6:30 to 7:30, we will provide you with the skills that you need to maintain a healthy mind and body in this time and resources to continue organizing virtually from your home. From 7:30 to 8:00, we will provide an optional virtual space for people to meet in their project groups from the last meeting and continue collectively organizing.
In order to attend, you must register in advance via this Zoom link. Once you register, you will be provided with a link for the meeting on April 6th in your email inbox. You can also find all of this info (and share it with your friends) through the Facebook event. We hope that you will be able to join us and that you will invite your friends to join us as well.
Again, we understand that this is a difficult time for many people, so please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or other members of the ReImagine TCWAC+ planning team if there is anything we can assist you with, if you have ideas for future topics that we should cover, or if you have any questions or concerns.
All the best,
Kelly
Kelly Yagatich | Regional Organizer - PA
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
Reimagine Turtle Creek Watershed and Airshed on February 21, 2020 -Visioning Session 2
Join community members from the Turtle Creek Watershed, Airshed, and beyond as they come together for the second ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus (TCWAC+) visioning session. During the first visioning session held in December of 2019, community members had the opportunity to brainstorm sustainable, regenerative solutions that they want to see implemented in their communities. At this second meeting, after reviewing the data collected from the first visioning session, we will hear from Brandon Dennison of Coalfield Development and Patricia DeMarco, and following their presentations, community members will have the opportunity to participate in the next round of visioning.
Join us to Reimagine and Act:
Friday, January 21, 2020 at the Forest Hills Borough Building, 4400 Greensburg Pike 15221, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
EventBrite Registration Link: bit.ly/2RWOzdF for Visioning 2: A Sustainable Economic Transition on Facebook
This event is free and open to the public. A plant-based lunch will be provided. Plates and cutlery will be provided, but if able, attendees are encouraged to bring their own. Pre-registration through Eventbrite is encouraged, though not required. Questions can be directed to sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there!
ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus (TCWAC+) is an initiative to vision sustainable community development in the Turtle Creek Watershed, PA Congressional District 18, and Allegheny Council District 8.
More Information about our speakers:
Brandon Dennison:
Brandon is Ashley Dennison’s husband and father to their boys: Owen and Will. Born and raised in West Virginia, he is Founder and CEO of Coalfield Development, coalfield-development.org which incubates social enterprises designed to diversify Appalachia’s coal-based economy and cultivate opportunity for people facing barriers to employment. Dennison graduated from Shepherd University with a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Political Science. He holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University. In 2017, Brandon was named West Virginian of the Year by WV Living Magazine. In 2016, he was named one of “40 Under 40: Young Leaders Who Are Solving the Problems of Today” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is winner of the JMK Social Innovation Prize, is a DRK Entrepreneur, and is an Ashoka Fellow.
As a college student, Brandon Dennison volunteered with his church to repair homes in West Virginia’s coal country. He never forgot seeing people his own age desperate for paying work. In 2010, Brandon founded Coalfield Development Corporation as a community-based non-profit organization providing affordable homes, creating quality jobs, and generating opportunities for full life for low- income families in southern West Virginia. The Coalfield Development Corporation offers on-the-job-training, education, and mentoring to people in the southern coalfields. Brandon was quoted in the Bill Moyers “Making Change” series, saying, “Our responsibility is to create opportunity, then to provide encouragement and build the self-confidence necessary for pursuing opportunity.” Coalfield Development has created more than 200 new jobs, over 50 new businesses, and more than 800 professional certification opportunities for unemployed people, many of whom were laid-off coalminers.
Patricia DeMarco:
Patricia M. DeMarco is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. with a doctorate in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has spent a thirty -year career in energy and environmental policy in both private and public sector positions. She is a Rachel Carson Scholar and served as Executive Director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association and Director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University. She holds the office of Vice President of the Forest Hills Borough Council. She sits as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Her book, titled “Pathways to Our Sustainable Future – A Global Perspective from Pittsburgh” explores positive pathways toward sustainability, based on 28 case studies in Pittsburgh. Inspired by Rachel Carson’s environmental ethic, the book was funded by the W. Clyde and Ida Mae Thurman Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation. It was published by The University of Pittsburgh Press in 2017. Order the book and find a book signing event here https://patriciademarco.com/book/
She is the Executive Producer of a documentary film with Mark E. Dixon, “The Power of One Voice- A 50 Year Perspective on the Life of Rachel Carson” and has served as technical advisor for a video series with Kirsi Jansa titled “Sustainability Pioneers” https://patriciademarco.com/film-video/
Join us to Reimagine and Act:
Friday, January 21, 2020 at the Forest Hills Borough Building, 4400 Greensburg Pike 15221, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
EventBrite Registration Link: bit.ly/2RWOzdF for Visioning 2: A Sustainable Economic Transition on Facebook
This event is free and open to the public. A plant-based lunch will be provided. Plates and cutlery will be provided, but if able, attendees are encouraged to bring their own. Pre-registration through Eventbrite is encouraged, though not required. Questions can be directed to sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you there!
ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed & Airshed Communities Plus (TCWAC+) is an initiative to vision sustainable community development in the Turtle Creek Watershed, PA Congressional District 18, and Allegheny Council District 8.
More Information about our speakers:
Brandon Dennison:
Brandon is Ashley Dennison’s husband and father to their boys: Owen and Will. Born and raised in West Virginia, he is Founder and CEO of Coalfield Development, coalfield-development.org which incubates social enterprises designed to diversify Appalachia’s coal-based economy and cultivate opportunity for people facing barriers to employment. Dennison graduated from Shepherd University with a B.A. in History and a B.S. in Political Science. He holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from Indiana University. In 2017, Brandon was named West Virginian of the Year by WV Living Magazine. In 2016, he was named one of “40 Under 40: Young Leaders Who Are Solving the Problems of Today” by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. He is winner of the JMK Social Innovation Prize, is a DRK Entrepreneur, and is an Ashoka Fellow.
As a college student, Brandon Dennison volunteered with his church to repair homes in West Virginia’s coal country. He never forgot seeing people his own age desperate for paying work. In 2010, Brandon founded Coalfield Development Corporation as a community-based non-profit organization providing affordable homes, creating quality jobs, and generating opportunities for full life for low- income families in southern West Virginia. The Coalfield Development Corporation offers on-the-job-training, education, and mentoring to people in the southern coalfields. Brandon was quoted in the Bill Moyers “Making Change” series, saying, “Our responsibility is to create opportunity, then to provide encouragement and build the self-confidence necessary for pursuing opportunity.” Coalfield Development has created more than 200 new jobs, over 50 new businesses, and more than 800 professional certification opportunities for unemployed people, many of whom were laid-off coalminers.
Patricia DeMarco:
Patricia M. DeMarco is a native of Pittsburgh, PA. with a doctorate in Biology from the University of Pittsburgh. She has spent a thirty -year career in energy and environmental policy in both private and public sector positions. She is a Rachel Carson Scholar and served as Executive Director of the Rachel Carson Homestead Association and Director of the Rachel Carson Institute at Chatham University. She holds the office of Vice President of the Forest Hills Borough Council. She sits as Secretary on the Board of Trustees for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens.
Her book, titled “Pathways to Our Sustainable Future – A Global Perspective from Pittsburgh” explores positive pathways toward sustainability, based on 28 case studies in Pittsburgh. Inspired by Rachel Carson’s environmental ethic, the book was funded by the W. Clyde and Ida Mae Thurman Fund of The Pittsburgh Foundation. It was published by The University of Pittsburgh Press in 2017. Order the book and find a book signing event here https://patriciademarco.com/book/
She is the Executive Producer of a documentary film with Mark E. Dixon, “The Power of One Voice- A 50 Year Perspective on the Life of Rachel Carson” and has served as technical advisor for a video series with Kirsi Jansa titled “Sustainability Pioneers” https://patriciademarco.com/film-video/
Thursday, November 14, 2019
You are INvited! Free to ReImagine! Wednesday, December 11, at 5:00 pm
Join us to Reimagine the heart and soul of Southwestern Pennsylvania: Free and open to the public!
The ReImagine initiative began in the spring of 2017 in Beaver County. Led by the League of Women Voters and local residents, a group of community members met for three visioning sessions, where they discussed sustainable economic and community development projects that they wanted to see completed in their county. In May of 2019, ReImagine Beaver County released a report with the community's visions, and now they are actively working to implement positive change in their communities. Similar initiatives have also taken place in Butler and Indiana Counties.
And now this:
The League of Women Voters and local community partners are now launching an initiative to Reimagine the Turtle Creek Watershed, which encompasses the eastern part of Allegheny County including the city of Pittsburgh, and western Westmoreland County. To make this event as inclusive as possible, we are expanding it beyond the watershed into the "airshed" to include District 8 of Allegheny County Council and PA congressional District 18 - because the positive and negative externalities of economic and community development don't know municipal boundaries. This initiative will begin with a series of brainstorming sessions about the things that the people of these communities would like to see in their area.
The League of Women Voters and local community partners are now launching an initiative to Reimagine the Turtle Creek Watershed, which encompasses the eastern part of Allegheny County including the city of Pittsburgh, and western Westmoreland County. To make this event as inclusive as possible, we are expanding it beyond the watershed into the "airshed" to include District 8 of Allegheny County Council and PA congressional District 18 - because the positive and negative externalities of economic and community development don't know municipal boundaries. This initiative will begin with a series of brainstorming sessions about the things that the people of these communities would like to see in their area.
Join us on Wednesday, December 11th at 5:00 pm at the Braddock Carnegie Library to learn about the initiative and to begin the visioning process.
The main agenda for the evening is as follows:
5:00 to 6:00pm: Free, plant-based dinner will be served courtesy of the League of Women Voters; organizations will also have tables set up for people to browse.
6:00 to 6:30pm: Introductions, Introductions to visioning, and short presentations by Ujamaa Collective, Epic Metals, and Coalfield Development
6:30 to 7:30pm: Small group brainstorming / visioning activity
7:30 to 8:00pm: Large group discussion and next steps
For those interested, prior to the main event, starting at 2:30pm, there will also be yoga led by Dr. Moni Wesner and a free screening of the documentary The Need to Grow.
This initiative only works if there is representation from many communities. We hope that you will be able to join us and share your visions. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed on Facebook or sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com.
The main agenda for the evening is as follows:
5:00 to 6:00pm: Free, plant-based dinner will be served courtesy of the League of Women Voters; organizations will also have tables set up for people to browse.
6:00 to 6:30pm: Introductions, Introductions to visioning, and short presentations by Ujamaa Collective, Epic Metals, and Coalfield Development
6:30 to 7:30pm: Small group brainstorming / visioning activity
7:30 to 8:00pm: Large group discussion and next steps
For those interested, prior to the main event, starting at 2:30pm, there will also be yoga led by Dr. Moni Wesner and a free screening of the documentary The Need to Grow.
This initiative only works if there is representation from many communities. We hope that you will be able to join us and share your visions. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to ReImagine the Turtle Creek Watershed on Facebook or sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com.
Sunday, November 3, 2019
The Need to Grow, Vegan Expo, and Re-Imagine!
Happy November, and a December SAVE the DATE!
We hope to see you this week at the Monroeville Public Library 11/4/19, and at the Monroeville Convention Center, 11/9/19 as well. Mark your calendar for December 11, 2019 at the Braddock Carnegie Public Library too for our exciting Re-Imagining Turtle Creek Watershed and Airshed Communities Visioning session! Some details below with more to come. Stay tuned!
1) FREE: The Need to Grow documentary at the Monroeville Public Library:
Monday evening, November 4, 2019 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Monroeville Public Library including discussion following the film screening of The Need to Grow. Feel free to bring healthy whole food, plant based snacks to share:
FREE!
Save the Soil. Save the World: The Need To Grow documentary narrated & produced by Rosario Dawson. A film by Rob Herring & Ryan Wirick tomorrow evening, November 4 at the Monroeville Public Library starting at 6:30 pm.
The Need to Grow is an incredibly wonderful & uplifting documentary offering a view into the hearts of activists and innovators in the food movement. Join us!
The Need to Grow is an incredibly wonderful & uplifting documentary offering a view into the hearts of activists and innovators in the food movement. Join us!
2) The Pittsburgh Vegan Expo, Saturday, November 9, 2019, 10 am to 4 pm at the Monroeville Convention Center:
Food, products, wellness room, demonstrations, movies, speakers, vegan trick or treat for kids, gingerbread house competition, breakdance, beatboxer, bellydance, live music, DJ, Re-model gala (recycled dance fashion contest), Vegan Spirituality-Southwest PA, Re-Imagine! TCWAC+ and many, many, more tabling, and much more!
3) FREE: Inaugural Re-Imagine! Turtle Creek Watershed and Airshed Communities Plus, Re-Imagine! TCWAC+ Visioning Session at the Braddock Carnegie Public Library, 5 pm to 8:30 pm (with 3:00 to 5:00 pm session too), Facebook page & EventBrite Registration available soon with more details!
Thursday, July 25, 2019
ReImagine! Turtle Creek Watershed Communities. Yay!
Monroeville CommUNITY Day, ReImagine! Turtle Creek Watershed Communities, and more:
Please join us at our booth on Monroeville CommUnity Day on
Saturday, July 27, 2019 in Monroeville Park from 11:00 AM to 6:30 PM!
Our next meeting of Sustainable Monroeville is on Monday evening, August 5, 2019
at 7:00 PM in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library. Come learn about our newest collaborative initiative. This amazing vision, ReImagine! Turtle Creek Watershed Communities is inspired by ReImagine! Beaver, ReImagine! Butler, and the League
of Women Voters. We'll also review the work of Sustainable Monroeville since
its inception ten years ago.
Save the Dates:
- Turtle Creek
Watershed Association Board Meeting on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at 5:30 PM-Murrysville, PA
- Sustainable Monroeville on Monday evening, August 5, 2019 at the Monroeville Public Library in the downstairs program room
- Monroeville Citizens' Night on Thursday evening, August 8, 2019 at 7:00 PM-Monroeville Municipal building
- Monroeville Council
meeting on Tuesday evening, August 13, 2019 at the Monroeville Municipal building
We have been asking at each Monroeville Citizens' Night and
Monroeville Council meeting who owns the mineral rights under the municipal
pool property. We continue to wait for an answer from our municipal attorney,
Mr. Wratcher.
Sustainable Monroeville has also been asking why Monroeville
Council is not concerned about putting a protective of the citizens of
Monroeville detailed oil and gas ordinance in place just like has been done in
Churchill, Forest Hills, South Fayette, Oakmont, and the City of Pittsburgh.
In collaboration with the League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania
(LWV), we'll begin the process to ReImagine! the Communities in the Turtle
Creek Watershed. We have reached out to a few other organizations and are
waiting to hear back from them to let us know if they'd love to collaborate
with us. If you have ideas about which individuals and organizations
throughout the Turtle Creek Watershed would love to join in this amazing
process, please let us know by messaging the Sustainable Monroeville Facebook
page or to sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com. Sustainable Monroeville will be a
participant in this process. There will be many leaders. How about you?! :)
To see which communities we're referring to, go the the Turtle
Creek Watershed Association website and look at the map of the many
communities that are part of the Turtle Creek Watershed.
It will be wonderful when we can all feel comfortable to swim
again in Turtle Creek and know that we are doing all we can to promote the
health and wellness of ourselves and of our wonderful region by promoting healthy businesses,
healthy economic development and so much more! This day will happen when acid
mine drainage from sixty years ago or more is addressed with mindfullness and
full responsibility is taken by all of us to clean up this mess instead of
building on top of it and pretending it's not there! The Turtle Creek Watershed
Association (TCWA) is doing well addressing the issue of Acid Mine Drainage in
Irwin, PA. They just had a wonderful event a few weeks ago to raise awareness
and raise funds for both their organization and for the city of Irwin. Support
the Turtle Creek Watershed Association! There's also a newly formed Chalfont Watershed Association that is in the process of raising
It is important for us to be proactive and not allow further
pollution to our airshed and watershed with upcoming proposals for further
extractive industries such as the Marcellus Shale/Natural gas industry. The
natural gas industry is not required to comply with the environmental standards of even the
coal industry. And look what mess we are in sixty years later with acid mine
drainage!!! We must be sure we have protective of the citizens oil and gas
ordinances in place in our populated regions. Minimally, we must insist that industry complies with existing environmental standards and not simply pay fines when they do not follow the rules. If you're not familiar with the
oil and gas issues in Southwest PA, here's a few wonderful resources to begin
with:
- The book Amity and Prosperity by Eliza
Griswald
- The League of Women
Voters of Pennsylvania Shale Gas Extraction and Public Health, A Resource
Guide
- The Environmental
Health Project: www.environmentalhealthproject.org
- The Climate Reality
Project: www.climaterealtiyproject.org
Thank you all for your belief in truth and your work in moving us into the more beautiful world we all know in our hearts is possible.
Blessings to us all,
Elisa Beck, on behalf of over 125 individuals who have been
engaged with Sustainable Monroeville for a decade.
Sunday, May 12, 2019
Happy Mothers of the Earth Day!
Happy Mother Earth Day!
Feeling compelled as a Mother today to post about Mother Earth, as our voice is her voice. Let's tell the new story of our regenerative future. Stand up and speak your truth in the midst of all of this madness. Let's tell the new story, and let's begin this new era today!
If you live in Monroeville, call and e-mail your councilperson to show your support to put a protective of the citizens detailed and updated gas and oil ordinance in place right away following the lead of Oakmont. Ask your council member why he or she has not yet acted on the recommendations of Sustainable Monroeville. Then please let us know if their answer to you is satisfactory. Ask your councilperson what regenerative future ideas are being implemented into the consent decree stormwater management plans for the Municipality of Monroeville. Will residents be educated and required to attach rain barrels on each of their downspouts at the expense of the municipality through the fee we are paying yearly? Will the community be educated about installing rain gardens and bio-swales in their landscapes? Will we work together as citizens to create Food, not Lawns laden with chemicals? Will we put ordinances in place to grow pesticide-free food everywhere?
If you are not already planning to vote, put May 21, 2019 on your calendar. If you live in Allegheny County, be sure to vote for Jenkins for District Attorney and if you live in East Pittsburgh, be sure to vote for Jonathan Reyes for East Pittsburgh Council at Large. Vote for Patricia DeMarco in Forest Hills!
Get involved in your local community to the best of your ability. Learn all you can and then ACT!
Join Protect PT! PT stands for Penn Township and Trafford, our neighboring communities who are dealing with many potential fracking wells and infrastructure in their community several of which are less than a mile from our community of Monroeville. Attend Sustainable Monroeville events with your family, friends and neighbors to keep up to date.
If you know anyone in the state of Colorado, or if you have $5.00 or much more to spare, please support dianaforcolorado.com. Diana Bray is my childhood friend and is the ONLY environmental candidate who states her opposition to fracking running for U.S. Senate from the state of Colorado. The competition is fierce, so if you feel called, PLEASE support her campaign!
Here's a few interesting excerpts from David Korten's 2015 book titled Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth.
From Chapter 5 titled Children of a Living Earth, pp. 74-75:
"Acting as a community in concert with Earth's physical structures and forces, Earth's diverse species filtered excess carbon and a vast variety of toxins from earth's air, waters, and soils and sequestered them deep underground. In so doing- whether by luck or deep cosmic intention-they created environmental conditions necessary for the birth of a species with a capacity for conscious, creative, self-reflective choice far beyond any other."
"In a collective trance induced by the idolatrous Sacred Money and Markets story, we of that species now devote our best minds and technologies to extracting and releasing those sequestered carbons and toxins back into Earth's atmosphere, waters and soils as money-seeking corporate robots exploit and suppress Earth's natural processes to make a quick buck, Our acceptance of this insanity is the ultimate demonstration of the potentially fatal consequence of living by a fabricated Sacred Money and Markets story."
from page 76:
"Hope lies in the evidence that we are reawakening in what I believe to be a fundamental truth of our existence. We humans, like all other beings, are both product and instrument of creation, not its purpose. We belong to Earth, and our health and well-being are inseparable from her health and well-being."
David Korten goes on to elaborate about Living Communities and moving from Abuser to Healer. There is hope. So let's get busy changing ourselves and therefore lovely, amazing, nurturing Mother Earth!
Many blessings for a wonderful day and lots of brand new beginnings! Hey, if you're not already eating a plant-based diet, try it out for one or two meals a week and gradually reduce your consumption of dairy, red meat, chicken and fish. Both your body and Mother Earth will thank you!
Join the Plant Based Eating Hub on June 30 at Temple David for a Pop-Up Plant-based eating event. It will be educational and delicious. Go to PlantBasedEatingHub.com for details!
And if you're feeling especially excited about our Regenerative Future NOW, attend Phipps' Conservatory's Big Green Block Party on Thursday May 16, 2019!
Namasté,
Elisa Beck on behalf of Panchamama, Mother Earth :)
Feeling compelled as a Mother today to post about Mother Earth, as our voice is her voice. Let's tell the new story of our regenerative future. Stand up and speak your truth in the midst of all of this madness. Let's tell the new story, and let's begin this new era today!
If you live in Monroeville, call and e-mail your councilperson to show your support to put a protective of the citizens detailed and updated gas and oil ordinance in place right away following the lead of Oakmont. Ask your council member why he or she has not yet acted on the recommendations of Sustainable Monroeville. Then please let us know if their answer to you is satisfactory. Ask your councilperson what regenerative future ideas are being implemented into the consent decree stormwater management plans for the Municipality of Monroeville. Will residents be educated and required to attach rain barrels on each of their downspouts at the expense of the municipality through the fee we are paying yearly? Will the community be educated about installing rain gardens and bio-swales in their landscapes? Will we work together as citizens to create Food, not Lawns laden with chemicals? Will we put ordinances in place to grow pesticide-free food everywhere?
If you are not already planning to vote, put May 21, 2019 on your calendar. If you live in Allegheny County, be sure to vote for Jenkins for District Attorney and if you live in East Pittsburgh, be sure to vote for Jonathan Reyes for East Pittsburgh Council at Large. Vote for Patricia DeMarco in Forest Hills!
Get involved in your local community to the best of your ability. Learn all you can and then ACT!
Join Protect PT! PT stands for Penn Township and Trafford, our neighboring communities who are dealing with many potential fracking wells and infrastructure in their community several of which are less than a mile from our community of Monroeville. Attend Sustainable Monroeville events with your family, friends and neighbors to keep up to date.
If you know anyone in the state of Colorado, or if you have $5.00 or much more to spare, please support dianaforcolorado.com. Diana Bray is my childhood friend and is the ONLY environmental candidate who states her opposition to fracking running for U.S. Senate from the state of Colorado. The competition is fierce, so if you feel called, PLEASE support her campaign!
Here's a few interesting excerpts from David Korten's 2015 book titled Change the Story, Change the Future: A Living Economy for a Living Earth.
From Chapter 5 titled Children of a Living Earth, pp. 74-75:
"Acting as a community in concert with Earth's physical structures and forces, Earth's diverse species filtered excess carbon and a vast variety of toxins from earth's air, waters, and soils and sequestered them deep underground. In so doing- whether by luck or deep cosmic intention-they created environmental conditions necessary for the birth of a species with a capacity for conscious, creative, self-reflective choice far beyond any other."
"In a collective trance induced by the idolatrous Sacred Money and Markets story, we of that species now devote our best minds and technologies to extracting and releasing those sequestered carbons and toxins back into Earth's atmosphere, waters and soils as money-seeking corporate robots exploit and suppress Earth's natural processes to make a quick buck, Our acceptance of this insanity is the ultimate demonstration of the potentially fatal consequence of living by a fabricated Sacred Money and Markets story."
from page 76:
"Hope lies in the evidence that we are reawakening in what I believe to be a fundamental truth of our existence. We humans, like all other beings, are both product and instrument of creation, not its purpose. We belong to Earth, and our health and well-being are inseparable from her health and well-being."
David Korten goes on to elaborate about Living Communities and moving from Abuser to Healer. There is hope. So let's get busy changing ourselves and therefore lovely, amazing, nurturing Mother Earth!
Many blessings for a wonderful day and lots of brand new beginnings! Hey, if you're not already eating a plant-based diet, try it out for one or two meals a week and gradually reduce your consumption of dairy, red meat, chicken and fish. Both your body and Mother Earth will thank you!
Join the Plant Based Eating Hub on June 30 at Temple David for a Pop-Up Plant-based eating event. It will be educational and delicious. Go to PlantBasedEatingHub.com for details!
And if you're feeling especially excited about our Regenerative Future NOW, attend Phipps' Conservatory's Big Green Block Party on Thursday May 16, 2019!
Namasté,
Elisa Beck on behalf of Panchamama, Mother Earth :)
Sunday, November 4, 2018
Preserve Monroeville's Home Rule Charter. Vote NO on all five ballot questions and One More thing!
Hello, and Happy November,
Preserve Monroeville's Home Rule Charter.
Vote NO on all five ballot questions on Tuesday, November 6. 2018! Why?
Our understanding is that there has been a committee in Monroeville working on the Home Rule Charter. For now, Sustainable Monroeville endorses leaving the Home Rule Charter intact so the citizens of Monroeville are able to stand up for protecting its citizens.
From Lois Drumheller: "The bottom line is this... If we don't pay attention to the subtle changes in local government, it won't be easy to locally get the government we want - especially when it comes to public input, fair elections... you know what I mean. So.... anyone to comment at this point? Thanks for listening. I intend to show the ballot questions, and compare/contrast them with the current HRC.
One more thing y'all:
Subject: Uphold PA's Environmental Rights Amendment & Act on Climate
Hi,
I signed a petition to Gubernatorial and Legislative Winners of 2018 PA Midterm Election.
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/uphold-pas-environmental-1?source=s.em.cp&r_hash=JDTRJIEU
Thanks!
Like Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!
Preserve Monroeville's Home Rule Charter.
Vote NO on all five ballot questions on Tuesday, November 6. 2018! Why?
Our understanding is that there has been a committee in Monroeville working on the Home Rule Charter. For now, Sustainable Monroeville endorses leaving the Home Rule Charter intact so the citizens of Monroeville are able to stand up for protecting its citizens.
Join us tomorrow evening, Monday, November 5, 2018 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Monroeville Public Library in the downstairs program room to discuss what's written below and to get an update on what's going on with fracking IN and AROUND Monroeville, PA right NOW!
Feel free to share widely to those who will ACT on Tuesday! If you know anyone who lives in the state of PA, encourage them to spend a few hours at the polls Tuesday to get folks to sign petitions from the Better Path Coalition to preserve Article 1 Section 27 of the state of PA's Constitution which assures us citizens of PA clean air and fresh water. Note: Details for this initiative are at the BOTTOM of this e-mail including a link to the petition!
Even if you've never done work with petitions, please step out of your comfort zone, take a clip board and a stack of petitions with you Tuesday to the polls and for the rest of your day Tuesday. You will be happy you did!
This has been a wild week in Pittsburgh, PA. From the darkness emerges the light. Yet, it's important to get involved in order to watch the positive unfolding. Here's a few simple ways to get involved this Tuesday and it goes just a bit beyond voting if you have the courage to step just a tad outside of your comfort zone. If you need courage to do this and a bit of healing of your spirit, let us know *sustainablemonroeville@gmail.
The bottom line from our perspective is vote NO on all five ballot questions at the polls on Tuesday. We MUST keep Monroeville's Home Rule Charter intact at this time! Another bottom line is to read what's way down at the bottom of this e-mail, print out and take some petitions and a clip board for people to sign the petition to preserve Article 1 Section 27 of the Pennsylvania Constitution which ensures clean air and fresh water for the citizens of the Commonwealth of PA. We've GOT this!
Blessings, Peace, and Namasté to all of my friends and relations! Elisa Beck :)
Question 1, according to Monroeville's municipal website is recommended to be "yes" vote, which contradicts the "no" recommendation we heard at the last council meeting from at least 2 members of council. When you examine what an elected tax collector's duties are, it's clear that they shall NOT include collection of what's known as "511 taxes" (business privilege, mercantile, local service taxes). The way it's already set by HRC, the tax office employees are continue their work on 511 taxes. Those employees report directly to the municipal manager, who should be responsible for how those are collected. It makes sense to leave the HRC alone and allow the manager to administrate, which is in line with what that position does with the financial manager in budget planning and implementation.
Question 2, is also recommended on Mrv's website to be "yes", but if you read the HRC, all contracts or purchases > $4,000 may be increased by Council to the extend of the maximum permitted from time to time. Why change something that has method to be adjusted under current rules? Every provision currently allows the bidding process to be fair.
Question 3 is also recommended to be Y, which is another reason to ask, "why?" Council has power to investigate hearings and subpoena power. Why is it necessary to change for the sake of being able to do it out of state, as each state has it own provisions. Give us a reason. I see none, and I don't take it for granted to fix something that is not broken.
Question 4 is also recommend to be Y, but uses no reasoning to remove a section that aligns with the state constitution as defined by the Local Government Commission, which DOES allow under the PA Constitution the exclusive grounds for removal of an official. So, why strike down the paragraph that aligns with this and just refer to section 2109 of the HRC, which is nebulous in what is intended for removal from or forfeiture of office of elected officials. The municipality's explanation of this in my view is disingenuous. "Infamous crimes" are those that include forgery, perjury, embezzlement of public monies. That makes me more than suspicious.
Question 5 on Recall is another one recommended for Y, but I ask again, "Why?" When officials commit malfeasance, misfeasance or violation of the oath of office, they should be called out on it. True, it's almost impossible to recall an elected official, but it is legal. It takes 2/3 of the state legislature under the Senate to follow through, and true, people have to be pretty pissed off to even coordinate a petition to start this process off. But, IT'S OUR PROCESS. I say this, as surely many other people say this. We need to take note of Home Rule seriously! Why take a process away that may account for these violations? Why shouldn't we remind locally officials to act in accordance to the law? They should operate in accordance to law. It's time we all took our own little civics course, got a copy of the Home Rule Charter (it used to cost $3.00) and bring it to every meeting we attend. Yes, the public has a right to refer to this document, which means, READ IT. Remember... An elected group of citizens studied the conditions we should be governed by locally. They were elected by referendum, not by the closed door process we saw a few years ago. In 1974, this was a decision by everyone in Monroeville to study the conditions to open up government, not restrict it! Before then, things were a little too restricted under borough code. They went through an OPEN process that resulted in the HRC being developed. It's time we remembered that, and WHY this group of people, some who are still alive (thank you, Mary Lou Span) and they did us all a favor of having the vision to determine what was right LOCALLY, BY LAW. It's our constitution! Realize this.... Since last year, we are looking at referendums that haven't even seen a ray of sunshine in the process of their development. Never let something become MORE restrictive. ALWAYS keep the public aware of how the people we elect are using the rules. NEVER make the implementation of those rules restrictive by introducing legislation to limit our ability to hold them responsible."
Please vote NO on all five ballot questions! Thanks Lois Drumheller for letting us know why!
On another note, The Better Path Coalition is planning to kick off 2019 with a HUGE event celebrating Article 1, Section 27 of the PA Constitution. As a founding member of the coalition, we're working with our partners to plan an amazing day of action on Sunday, 1/27 and a delivery of this petition to every office in the capitol on Monday, 1/28 (with some very special help). We want whoever wins the election in November and whoever returns to Harrisburg to uphold the amendment, which happens to be the strongest of its kind in the country. We want elected officials who will lead on climate, take aggressive action against pollution, and prevent new sources of pollution from entering PA.
We'll be at the polls on November 6th with paper copies of this petition we'll be asking voters to sign as they leave. We're looking for volunteers across the state to spend an hour or two (or more) gathering signatures. If you'd like to take part, please register here! http://bit. ly/petitionatthepolls
That's why I signed a petition to Gubernatorial and Legislative Winners of 2018 PA Midterm Election, which says:
"You will serve during the period climate scientists agree is the last chance we have to act if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. You will also be charged with taking on threats to our water, air, and environment that have harmed our communities and natural resources, in some cases, for years.
Pennsylvania’s constitution contains the strongest environmental rights amendment in the country. Article 1, Section 27 says “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
We call on every newly-elected official and every elected official who returns to Harrisburg in 2019 to fulfill their Constitutional obligation to uphold Article 1, Section 27 by taking aggressive action to address the urgent environmental and climate challenges that confront us and establishing policies that prevent new sources of pollution from entering the Commonwealth.
Will you sign the petition, too? Click here to add your name:
https://petitions.moveon.org/
Thanks!
We'll be at the polls on November 6th with paper copies of this petition we'll be asking voters to sign as they leave. We're looking for volunteers across the state to spend an hour or two (or more) gathering signatures. If you'd like to take part, please register here! http://bit. ly/petitionatthepolls
That's why I signed a petition to Gubernatorial and Legislative Winners of 2018 PA Midterm Election, which says:
"You will serve during the period climate scientists agree is the last chance we have to act if we are to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. You will also be charged with taking on threats to our water, air, and environment that have harmed our communities and natural resources, in some cases, for years.
Pennsylvania’s constitution contains the strongest environmental rights amendment in the country. Article 1, Section 27 says “The people have a right to clean air, pure water, and to the preservation of the natural, scenic, historic and esthetic values of the environment. Pennsylvania’s public natural resources are the common property of all the people, including generations yet to come. As trustee of these resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and maintain them for the benefit of all the people.”
We call on every newly-elected official and every elected official who returns to Harrisburg in 2019 to fulfill their Constitutional obligation to uphold Article 1, Section 27 by taking aggressive action to address the urgent environmental and climate challenges that confront us and establishing policies that prevent new sources of pollution from entering the Commonwealth.
Will you sign the petition, too? Click here to add your name:
https://petitions.moveon.org/
Thanks!
One more thing y'all:
Subject: Uphold PA's Environmental Rights Amendment & Act on Climate
Hi,
I signed a petition to Gubernatorial and Legislative Winners of 2018 PA Midterm Election.
Will you sign this petition? Click here:
https://petitions.moveon.org/sign/uphold-pas-environmental-1?source=s.em.cp&r_hash=JDTRJIEU
Thanks!
Like Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!
Wednesday, May 30, 2018
Quality Air and Water Monitoring with Sustainable Monroeville on Monday, June 4, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library
Hello, Everyone!
June’s meeting of Sustainable Monroeville is just around the corner, this next Monday, June 4th at 7:00 pm, at the Monroeville Public Library (Program Room). As a continuation of educating the public on air and water quality monitoring, we will present the basics of current monitoring, as well as how to participate in monitoring Plum Creek, which connects our communities. It’s what we can do and what we should do here. Lois Drumheller will cover that information. We will essentially join efforts with our friends in Oakmont, PA. We’ll have specific dates for this proposed training. Also, Theresa Wright will update us on PA-DEP seismic testing conducted in areas we may not have known about in Monroeville.
Looking forward to seeing you then!
Thank You, Lois
Like Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!
June 4, 2018
June 4, 2018
I credit the very excellent LAWPA Google E-mail Group for this information, which has held discussion after the majority and dissenting opinions of the PA Supreme Court decided toreversethe decisions of the lower courts (that’s good) on Gorsline -v- Fairfield Twp. Thanks goes to Debbie Borowiec for continuing to manage the LAWPA group.
LAWPA folks are awaiting more expert legal opinions as to how to interpret this Gorsline decision. However from what was read and discussed, there are a few reasons that we Pennsylvanians should NOT get excited about, as we are not out of the water unless we have well-written ordinances as to where and how to conduct oil and gas operations.
The REAL question begged to be addressed by the Supremes was how PA recognize and apply rulings on oil and gas operations,based on the PA Constitution, Article I, Section 27, also know as the Environmental Rights Amendment. Instead, the Supreme Court seemed to base their decision to reverse the lower courts in keeping oil and gas operations in industrial zones BY ACCORDANCE OF LOCAL ZONING ORDINANCES.
Also mentioned are a “large number of Amici" filedin support of the industrybelow. We need to remember that people like Rich Fitzgerald tried to push the scale on behalf of the O&G industry. These people who filed amici are either out of touch like the Allegheny County Executive, Rich Fitzgerald, or they are somehow convinced by leaders of their union (I feel not members, so much) that this damnable industry is GOOD for job security. Debbie's question - “Did this influence the judges’ decision?” is a good one.
By the way, as a member of Council in 2012, I got Monroeville to join an amicus brief (friend of the court) insupportof the landmark decision on Robinson Township! Then, Monroeville was supportive of the challenge to portions of HR 1950, what would become Act 13, the law that allowed this industry to ruin our state!
I say to you, the ONLY way we can assure the safety and welfare of fracking for Monroeville is for Monroeville to enact a proper Oil and Gas Zoning Ordinance. We have the template of a half-way decent ordinance, and supplemental components from other Borough Govt that would enable easy passage of a zoning ordinance oil in the M-2 Industrial Zoning District.
IT’S TIME TO PUSH THIS FORWARD!
Thank you,
Hope has two daughters, anger and courage; anger at the way things are, and courage to see that they do not remain the way they are. St. Augustine
(from Debbie Borowiec, who manages the LAWPA e-mail group, here is what stands out:1) The PA SC (unfortunately) didNOTrule more broadly on the PA Constitution and the Environmental Rights Amendment as we had hoped. They stuck to a very narrow ruling.Page 12:We address the final three issues raised by Objectors, which are interrelated and, we conclude, dispositive of this case. Because we may decide this case on non- constitutional grounds, we decline to decide Objectors’ first issue, relating to this Court’s decision in Robinson I based on a claimed violation of substantive due process rights and the Environmental Rights Amendment of the Pennsylvania Constitution (Article I, Section 27). See Blake v. State Civil Serv. Comm’n, 166 A.3d 292, 297 (Pa. 2017)(recognizing that constitutional questions should not be decided if the case can be resolved on alternative, non-constitutional grounds).2) There were a large number of Amici filed in support of the industry. (Did this influence the judges' decision?)Page 14:Amicus briefs in support of the Board and Inflection were filed by: (1) Robinson Township, Washington Township, and Mount Pleasant Township; (2) the County of Beaver, the County of Allegheny, and Rich Fitzgerald; (3) Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors; (4) the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce, and the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry, (5) the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 66 and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Locals 5, 81, 163, 712 and 812 (“Union Amici”); (6) Laborers’ District Council of Western Pennsylvania; (7) the Marcellus Shale Coalition; (8) the Pennsylvania Independent Oil & Gas Association; and (9) the American Petroleum Institute.3) The decision seems to say that fracking can be allowed in ALL zones, IF the local zoning ordinance has been amended PRIOR to the fracking being approved, and if local requirements are met.Pages 23-24:Applying our standard of review, we hold that the Board’s conclusion that Inflection satisfied its burden of proving that its proposed use was similar to a permitted use in an R-A district is not supported by the record. In so ruling, this decision should not be misconstrued as an indication that oil and gas development is never permitted in residential/agricultural districts, or that it is fundamentally incompatible with residential or agricultural uses. As the Dissent fairly acknowledges, in Robinson I a plurality of this Court recognized that the protection of environmental values is a “quintessential local issue that must be tailored to local conditions.”Dissenting Op. at 10 n.6 (quoting Robinson I, 83 A.3d at 979).To this end,the Municipalities Planning Code permits the governing body of a municipality to amend its zoning ordinances to permit oil and gas development in any or all of its zoning districts. 53 P.S. § 10601. The governing body must, however, actually amend its zoning ordinances to permit drilling in designated areas, setting forth whatever limitations and conditions it decides are appropriate for the protection of its citizenry. What a governing body may not do, however, and what the Fairfield Township Board of Supervisors did in this case, is to permit oil and gas development in residential/agricultural districts without first enacting the necessary amendments, based upon a clearly inadequate evidentiary record and no meaningful interpretative analysis of the language of its existing zoning laws.The opinions are linked below and also attached.
Wednesday, April 18, 2018
Groups of 10, what's in a lawn, and meeting dates for the rest of April and May, 2018
What is the history of Air Pollution in Western PA? Tonight, Wednesday, April 18, 2018 is the inaugural meeting of Groups of 10 at the Monroeville Public Library. Groups of 10 is a project of the Clean Air Council. For details contact Madeline Havrilla, maddiehav247@gmail.com
What's in a lawn? Or rather, why is it sooooo very important to understand why the answers to our civilizational woes are in the soil?
Civilizations rise and fall based on the quality and fertility of their soil. Soil is a living civilization under our feet! Or it ought to be...In the past 10 years in the state of PA, we've not been paying much attention to the state of our soil. Did I say the past ten years? Hmmmm, it's really more like the past 100+ years! With the industrial revolution in the U.S. and around the world, and the rise of the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, on our lawns, on our food and other crops, and the rise of post WWII Agribusiness with a huge influx of genetically modified (GMO) crops, our soil and our physical health has gone to #@^&....Well, you get the idea!
Most recently deep Marcellus Shale exploration to force natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations thousands of feet, miles below us, (aka Fracking) using millions of gallons of our river water....specifically at the moment being planned for right here in Monroeville, PA, and occurring already in the surrounding communities of Penn Township, Murrysville, Upper and Lower Burrell, and elsewhere, we have not been respecting Mother Earth one bit...And with that, our once fertile Western PA soils are not so fertile anymore...Neither are the people for that matter. Studies have shown due to the agrochemicals from industrial farming and the chemicals used, produced and poured into our environment through the air and water in coal, nuclear, and gas exploitation, men's sperm counts are down and women are having trouble conceiving children. It's the issue of hormone disruption. Sexual confusion. Boys being born with undescended testicles or no prostate, and women's sex organs confused...No wonder our youth and young adults are so mixed up! Literally...physically mixed up due to the effects of hormone disrupting chemicals being ingested by mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers...Read the works of Theo Colburn and the Environmental Working Group for more information on this topic (EWG.org)
It's time to go back to no-till farming methods. It's time to do organic farming our front yards, our back yards and our side yards. It's time to vote people in that understand Life on this planet. It's time to reconnect with our Mother. Mother Earth, Panchamama! How? Scroll back to 2009 and 2010 up to the present on this very blog, sustainablemonroeville.blogspot.com, and Extra Extra, Read all about Permaculture and the culture of LIFE rather than us continuing on with the extractive industries and the Culture of DEATH. Our lives as human beings on Planet Earth depend on it!
It's time to wake up and smell the roses...if you can through some of the most polluted air in the world, here in these beautiful hills and valleys of Western PA...where the industrial revolution began and is in the process of ending as we have known it!
Be strong, be empowered, speak up and out whenever you can. Write, call, text, e-mail to your councilperson, your Mayor, your Municipal Manager...And then do it again! Your voice and most of all your VOTE matters!
Meeting Dates for April and May, 2018:
The next meeting of Sustainable Monroeville is on Monday evening, May 7, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library.
The next Monroeville Citizen's Night is Thursday evening, May 10 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Municipal building.
The next council meeting is on May 15, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Municipal building.
All municipal officials, the municipal manager and the Mayor are always invited to Sustainable Monroeville meetings. We're hoping they join us for the month of May and then plan a Town Meeting in council chambers. The citizens of Monroeville sure have a LOT of unanswered questions about how the Seismic Testing was conducted by Geokinetics and what plans Huntley and Huntley has for the development of Marcellus and Utica Shale exploration in our town...
Onward we Go!
Many Blessings for a wonderful springtime and remember to shine your light bright!
The truth will prevail,
Elisa Beck on behalf of
Sustainable Monroeville
Like Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!
SustainableMonroeville@gmail.com
Share this blog address with your friends and remember to report stinky air on the SMELLPGH App. Remind your friends to do the same!
What's in a lawn? Or rather, why is it sooooo very important to understand why the answers to our civilizational woes are in the soil?
Civilizations rise and fall based on the quality and fertility of their soil. Soil is a living civilization under our feet! Or it ought to be...In the past 10 years in the state of PA, we've not been paying much attention to the state of our soil. Did I say the past ten years? Hmmmm, it's really more like the past 100+ years! With the industrial revolution in the U.S. and around the world, and the rise of the use of herbicides, pesticides, fungicides, on our lawns, on our food and other crops, and the rise of post WWII Agribusiness with a huge influx of genetically modified (GMO) crops, our soil and our physical health has gone to #@^&....Well, you get the idea!
Most recently deep Marcellus Shale exploration to force natural gas from the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations thousands of feet, miles below us, (aka Fracking) using millions of gallons of our river water....specifically at the moment being planned for right here in Monroeville, PA, and occurring already in the surrounding communities of Penn Township, Murrysville, Upper and Lower Burrell, and elsewhere, we have not been respecting Mother Earth one bit...And with that, our once fertile Western PA soils are not so fertile anymore...Neither are the people for that matter. Studies have shown due to the agrochemicals from industrial farming and the chemicals used, produced and poured into our environment through the air and water in coal, nuclear, and gas exploitation, men's sperm counts are down and women are having trouble conceiving children. It's the issue of hormone disruption. Sexual confusion. Boys being born with undescended testicles or no prostate, and women's sex organs confused...No wonder our youth and young adults are so mixed up! Literally...physically mixed up due to the effects of hormone disrupting chemicals being ingested by mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers...Read the works of Theo Colburn and the Environmental Working Group for more information on this topic (EWG.org)
It's time to go back to no-till farming methods. It's time to do organic farming our front yards, our back yards and our side yards. It's time to vote people in that understand Life on this planet. It's time to reconnect with our Mother. Mother Earth, Panchamama! How? Scroll back to 2009 and 2010 up to the present on this very blog, sustainablemonroeville.blogspot.com, and Extra Extra, Read all about Permaculture and the culture of LIFE rather than us continuing on with the extractive industries and the Culture of DEATH. Our lives as human beings on Planet Earth depend on it!
It's time to wake up and smell the roses...if you can through some of the most polluted air in the world, here in these beautiful hills and valleys of Western PA...where the industrial revolution began and is in the process of ending as we have known it!
Be strong, be empowered, speak up and out whenever you can. Write, call, text, e-mail to your councilperson, your Mayor, your Municipal Manager...And then do it again! Your voice and most of all your VOTE matters!
Meeting Dates for April and May, 2018:
The next meeting of Sustainable Monroeville is on Monday evening, May 7, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library.
The next Monroeville Citizen's Night is Thursday evening, May 10 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Municipal building.
The next council meeting is on May 15, 2018 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Municipal building.
All municipal officials, the municipal manager and the Mayor are always invited to Sustainable Monroeville meetings. We're hoping they join us for the month of May and then plan a Town Meeting in council chambers. The citizens of Monroeville sure have a LOT of unanswered questions about how the Seismic Testing was conducted by Geokinetics and what plans Huntley and Huntley has for the development of Marcellus and Utica Shale exploration in our town...
Onward we Go!
Many Blessings for a wonderful springtime and remember to shine your light bright!
The truth will prevail,
Elisa Beck on behalf of
Sustainable Monroeville
Like Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!
SustainableMonroeville@gmail.com
Share this blog address with your friends and remember to report stinky air on the SMELLPGH App. Remind your friends to do the same!
Friday, October 20, 2017
Super We, the Earth, and Me Essay, and SAVE the DATES!
Hello Sustainable Monroeville and way beyond,
Please, let's continue to be supportive of one another as we move into our Regenerative Future NOW without the extractive culture of Western, Pennsylvania's past. First, we must be sure to protect our health, wellness and property values through the enforcement of Protective Seismic Testing and Oil and Gas Ordinances, and next we must start to grow our own food, support the solar and wind revolution in our suburban community and well, come to our meetings to learn more, and get involved in our Transition Town Community!
Please, let's continue to be supportive of one another as we move into our Regenerative Future NOW without the extractive culture of Western, Pennsylvania's past. First, we must be sure to protect our health, wellness and property values through the enforcement of Protective Seismic Testing and Oil and Gas Ordinances, and next we must start to grow our own food, support the solar and wind revolution in our suburban community and well, come to our meetings to learn more, and get involved in our Transition Town Community!
SAVE the DATES:
Thursday, November 2, 2017 at 7:00 PM Budget meeting at the Monroeville Municipal building.
Monday, November 6, 2017, at 7:00 PM, for the next Sustainable Monroeville meeting with Heather Harr of the League of Women Voters, Debbie Larson of the Environmental Health Project & Doug Shields of Food and Water Watch followed by open discussion at the Monroeville Public Library.
Thursday, November 9, 2017, at 6:30 PM for the Budget Meeting and 7:00 PM (ish) for Monroeville Citizen's Night at the Municipal Building
Tuesday, November 14, 2017, at 7:00 PM for Council Meeting at the Municipal Building
Monday, November 13, 2017, for the FREE Shale and Public Health Education Day in Pittsburgh, PA, sponsored by the League of Women Voters. Registration is open! https://shalepalwv.org/2017-shale-public-health-conference/
Pediatrician Ned Ketyer, http://www.thepediablog.com/.../pittsburghs-climate.../ will be one of the speakers at the Shale and Public Health Conference!
Pediatrician Ned Ketyer, http://www.thepediablog.com/.../pittsburghs-climate.../ will be one of the speakers at the Shale and Public Health Conference!
This incredible essay was posted by Sybil Azur, a new graduate of The Climate Reality Project that just trained 1400 people, including me, at the David Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, PA, from October 17-October 19, 2017. My estimate is that about 400 to 500 people in the training were from the Western, PA, region. Halleluyah! Enjoy this essay, so appropriate for the Halloween season, and let us know how you love the essay, and how it resonated with you. Send responses, questions, inquiries and to learn about volunteer opportunities to us at sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com Have a blessed day! Elisa Beck, Sustainable Monroeville :)😍
Super We, the Earth, and Me, by Sybil Azur
When my son was two-years-old, he entered a typical toddler phase- the superhero obsession. He had never seen Batman on TV or in the movies, nor had my husband or I spoken to him about Superman’s super-human skill set. Yet somehow, the moment he laid eyes on the big black bat emblazoned on the eight dollar cape and shirt set at Target, he knew that there was something inherently magical on that hanger that he needed to be a part of. More than three years and three shirt sizes later, he has matured from zealot to enthusiast, but his dedication to these icons still burns strong. Scared of getting a flu shot? Fearful of the the whir of the dentist’s tools? He tucked a twelve-inch plastic Falcon action figure under his arm to give him courage. His Batman costume (which he wore two years in a row and many days in between) made him feel invincible, and he, along with his partners in trick-or-treating, Batgirl and Supergirl, ran down the dark streets of our California suburb, unafraid of the ghouls and goblins, committed to their search for candy. These characters make him and every kid like him feel brave, capable, and poised to come to the rescue. So now, it’s my turn.
It’s been eleven years since I first saw An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore’s harrowingly brilliant documentary about climate change. I was petrified, heart broken, and horrified about the dismal fate that was barreling our way. At the same time, I was energized and inspired to step in the ring and join the fight. I was ready to go beyond energy-efficient lightbulbs, recycling, and a plant-based diet, so I went back to school in my thirties and earned my degree in International Development and Environmental Studies. After giving up weekends, summers, and sunlight for years in exchange for empowerment, I graduated with honors, and was ready to activate my newfound powers. I was confident that with commitment, a well-crafted plan, and grit, we could nudge the world in the right direction.
But then life happened. I went through an amicable turned spiteful divorce, changed careers, and got a job that had me working fifteen-hour days, six days a week for close to minimum wage. The following year, the tides turned, and I moved in with my boyfriend and started planning for a family. Nearly six years and two kids later, I’ve done virtually nothing for our planet. I have chronic mommy brain (yes, it is a real thing); it has emptied the contents of my cerebral matter, sapped my energy, and made it impossible to focus on anything when the children are around (which up to late has been ALWAYS). But finally, yes finally, my babies are getting older (they’re five and three now), and they spend most of their days learning, playing, and snacking at their respective elementary and preschools. It’s time for me to get back to another noble mission, defeating the most insidious and fast-moving nemesis of our time.
On August 19th of this year, my now husband and I dedicated our date night to seeing An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. Just when I thought that by not looking, the problem may have disappeared, retreated back into the genie’s bottle, leaving little more than a trace of smog as a memento, I discovered that I was wrong. Ignorance is not bliss, it merely compounds the problem, eventually rendering it impossible to ignore. In this jarring follow up to Mr. Gore’s first film, the audience is given an insider’s view into the Paris Climate Accord negotiations. In addition, it showcases various training sessions (the first one took place in a barn on his property in 2006, and was attended by a handful of ardent and resolute participants), in which Mr. Gore and his team educate everyday people to sound the alarm about climate change and work as a collective to advocate for the planet. I saw these trainings and a light went on. I searched online and discovered that the next coaching session was around the corner. It was time to step up to the plate, so with the support of my husband, I applied for the training. Exactly two months later, to the day, I sit here typing, flying home with a certificate of completion tucked in my folder, and a green circle pinned to my sweater, signaling that I’ve been inducted into the ranks of Climate Reality Leaders. Today, I, along with 1,400 other new trainees from thirty countries (the largest graduating class to date), join forces with a league of courageous warriors fighting for truth, environmental justice, and a sustainable prosperity. What an honor.
We are armed with ingenuity and technology, empirical evidence and tenacity, fellowship and heart, and most importantly, hope. These are the supernatural tools we will employ to win the war against climate change. Our mission is clear: build consensus among our peers and work fervently yet thoughtfully to reverse course on a path that will otherwise undoubtedly lead to our destruction. Denial is not an option, just as ignoring a cancer will not make it go away. Our enemy is cunning. This villain is sinister and has weapons in its arsenal that kill at will, without discrimination (although it often targets the most vulnerable first), and without regard to whether or not you believe in its existence. With each passing year, we are experiencing weather events that are more extreme, more frequent, and more relentless in their punishment. Hurricanes yield more destruction, rising waters drown out cries for help, fires burn brighter, droughts last longer, and temperatures continue to hit new highs.
If your child was suffering from a chronic disease, wouldn’t you comfort them, seek a diagnosis, and do everything in your power to find a cure? Shouldn’t we do the very same when our home, the only home of our children and every life force that sustains us, is pleading, warning us that catastrophe is near? The command is irrefutable. It can be overwhelming, complex, and depressing. But like any other sleep-deprived, shell-shocked new parent, I know that WE can dedicate ourselves to this most worthy and necessary duty with focus, straightforwardness, optimism, and above all, teamwork. Because we are the creators of this ailment, we must also be the ones to save the Earth from its tragic fate. It is time to put on our capes and be brave, capable, and poised to come to the rescue. Our little superheroes are depending on us. ~ Sybil Azur
Thanks Sybil, for sharing your amazing and inspiring essay with us. As we move into this amazing new world, we need everyone to be a participant in the shift that we see happening before our very eyes! Life is so much fun! Blessings and thanks to all of you for all you are and all you do...
Elisa Beck :)
Like Sustainable Monroeville in Facebook!
It’s been eleven years since I first saw An Inconvenient Truth, former Vice President Al Gore’s harrowingly brilliant documentary about climate change. I was petrified, heart broken, and horrified about the dismal fate that was barreling our way. At the same time, I was energized and inspired to step in the ring and join the fight. I was ready to go beyond energy-efficient lightbulbs, recycling, and a plant-based diet, so I went back to school in my thirties and earned my degree in International Development and Environmental Studies. After giving up weekends, summers, and sunlight for years in exchange for empowerment, I graduated with honors, and was ready to activate my newfound powers. I was confident that with commitment, a well-crafted plan, and grit, we could nudge the world in the right direction.
But then life happened. I went through an amicable turned spiteful divorce, changed careers, and got a job that had me working fifteen-hour days, six days a week for close to minimum wage. The following year, the tides turned, and I moved in with my boyfriend and started planning for a family. Nearly six years and two kids later, I’ve done virtually nothing for our planet. I have chronic mommy brain (yes, it is a real thing); it has emptied the contents of my cerebral matter, sapped my energy, and made it impossible to focus on anything when the children are around (which up to late has been ALWAYS). But finally, yes finally, my babies are getting older (they’re five and three now), and they spend most of their days learning, playing, and snacking at their respective elementary and preschools. It’s time for me to get back to another noble mission, defeating the most insidious and fast-moving nemesis of our time.
On August 19th of this year, my now husband and I dedicated our date night to seeing An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. Just when I thought that by not looking, the problem may have disappeared, retreated back into the genie’s bottle, leaving little more than a trace of smog as a memento, I discovered that I was wrong. Ignorance is not bliss, it merely compounds the problem, eventually rendering it impossible to ignore. In this jarring follow up to Mr. Gore’s first film, the audience is given an insider’s view into the Paris Climate Accord negotiations. In addition, it showcases various training sessions (the first one took place in a barn on his property in 2006, and was attended by a handful of ardent and resolute participants), in which Mr. Gore and his team educate everyday people to sound the alarm about climate change and work as a collective to advocate for the planet. I saw these trainings and a light went on. I searched online and discovered that the next coaching session was around the corner. It was time to step up to the plate, so with the support of my husband, I applied for the training. Exactly two months later, to the day, I sit here typing, flying home with a certificate of completion tucked in my folder, and a green circle pinned to my sweater, signaling that I’ve been inducted into the ranks of Climate Reality Leaders. Today, I, along with 1,400 other new trainees from thirty countries (the largest graduating class to date), join forces with a league of courageous warriors fighting for truth, environmental justice, and a sustainable prosperity. What an honor.
We are armed with ingenuity and technology, empirical evidence and tenacity, fellowship and heart, and most importantly, hope. These are the supernatural tools we will employ to win the war against climate change. Our mission is clear: build consensus among our peers and work fervently yet thoughtfully to reverse course on a path that will otherwise undoubtedly lead to our destruction. Denial is not an option, just as ignoring a cancer will not make it go away. Our enemy is cunning. This villain is sinister and has weapons in its arsenal that kill at will, without discrimination (although it often targets the most vulnerable first), and without regard to whether or not you believe in its existence. With each passing year, we are experiencing weather events that are more extreme, more frequent, and more relentless in their punishment. Hurricanes yield more destruction, rising waters drown out cries for help, fires burn brighter, droughts last longer, and temperatures continue to hit new highs.
If your child was suffering from a chronic disease, wouldn’t you comfort them, seek a diagnosis, and do everything in your power to find a cure? Shouldn’t we do the very same when our home, the only home of our children and every life force that sustains us, is pleading, warning us that catastrophe is near? The command is irrefutable. It can be overwhelming, complex, and depressing. But like any other sleep-deprived, shell-shocked new parent, I know that WE can dedicate ourselves to this most worthy and necessary duty with focus, straightforwardness, optimism, and above all, teamwork. Because we are the creators of this ailment, we must also be the ones to save the Earth from its tragic fate. It is time to put on our capes and be brave, capable, and poised to come to the rescue. Our little superheroes are depending on us. ~ Sybil Azur
Thanks Sybil, for sharing your amazing and inspiring essay with us. As we move into this amazing new world, we need everyone to be a participant in the shift that we see happening before our very eyes! Life is so much fun! Blessings and thanks to all of you for all you are and all you do...
Elisa Beck :)
Like Sustainable Monroeville in Facebook!
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