Showing posts with label plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plants. Show all posts

Monday, December 31, 2018

Sustainable Monroeville on January 7, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the MPL and more!

Hello and Happy New Year!

Mark your calendar for the next meeting of Sustainable Monroeville on Monday evening, January 7, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library. We'll hear Sudha Krishnasamy speak about her company that makes plates from plants! From Sudha Krishnasamy:

Title: Leafware products eco friendly alternative 
   Sudha Krishnasamy, Chief Executive Officer, Leaf2Go LLC https://www.leaf2gollc.com  will discuss the growing need for organizations and customers to go an extra mile in being sustainable using disposable leafware products. 
About Leaf2go:
Leaf2Go products are elegant and designed by nature, made of fallen palm leaves, sturdy, hold hot and cold liquids well, and can be easily composted in a garden or standard compost bin, unlike typical compostable products.
Leaf2go is a locally-owned, socially and environmentally responsible small business. Leaf2Go gives part of its proceeds to charities and is a proud partner of Life's Work of Western PA!
Leaf2go is a proud winner of 2017 Zerowaste award by Pennsylvania Resources Council (
http://prc.org/zerowastehonorees2018/
) and 2018 Silver award by Sustainable Pittsburgh(.http://c4spgh.org/participating-businesses-communities/)
Together we can save our planet!

About Sudha Krishnasamy:
Sudha Krishnasamy:
Sudha is a Program management and Software professional with about 25 years of experience. Sudha is the founder and chief Executive Officer of Leaf2go LLC.
Sudha recently graduated from MBA, Duquesne University and has Master of  Engineering from Anna University.
She is  passionate about social and Environmental sustainability to save the planet using sustainable products eliminating plastic and foam to give back to underprivileged children and adults of Pittsburgh and India. She has partnered with Schools in India and organizations in Pittsburgh to donate part of sales from Leaf2go LLC.

As usual during the meeting on Monday January 21, 2019 at 7:00 PM at the MPL, we'll introduce ourselves at the start of the meeting and talk briefly about what we've done since the last meeting that has to do with our regenerative future. We'll save a few minutes at the end of the meeting to commit to any action at all, large or small. Sign a petition perhaps? Commit to making some phone calls for Clean Air? See some details below. Keep reading!

We've become aware that part of one of the newly proposed developments in Monroeville will be built on top of an abandoned coal mine. Is this ok with you? We've become aware that hydraulic fracturing waste has been dumped in the Monroeville land fill and other Waste Management land fills, including the Valley land fill in Penn Township since 2009. We learn about a lot of news that has not been shared widely in the mainstream media or not shared at all. 
How will you get involved to speak out about issues that concern you this year? Will you call the office of Mr. Fitzpatrick and express your concern? Will you contact your councilperson? Will you facilitate other actions around this Western PA region? Everyone is needed to do their part! Here's an idea for you:

Dave Smith of the Clean Air Council is facilitating a Health Survey in Clairton, PA. Dave wrote to Sustainable Monroeville to ask members of the group to make calls "as there are close to 6,000." Dave "...will set up some conference calls to brief folks and then we can send out list for folks to make calls. Those assisting can make calls from home over a given period of a week so you can make calls when you have time to do so."
He is "looking at setting up conference calls to train volunteers the week of January 6th and calls will be made the week of January 13th. Contact Mr. Dave Smith directly if you are able to assist by making calls: Dave Smith, B. David Smith (he/him)"
Outreach Coordinator SWPA
Clean Air Council | 200 First Avenue, Suite 200 | Pittsburgh, PA 15222 412.954.8494 | @CleanAirCouncil  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
What more can we do?
Check out the #noplasticsplease campaign. Begin by NOT using singe use plastics. As we the people take responsibility for our own actions, there will be no need for plastics and hence no need for the petrochemical plant Royal Dutch Shell is in the process of constructing 30 miles north of Pittsburgh and in the same airshed as most of SWPA. Then stop using all plastics. The recently passed farm bill legalizes the growing of industrial hemp. Yippee! Industrial hemp will replace plastic. This CAN be done immediately. 
Sign the petition regarding Article 1 Section 27 of  the PA constitution that guarantees citizens of the state of PA clean air and fresh water: Go to the Better Path Coalition on-line to sign or sign the paper petition we'll have at the meeting at the MPL on January 7. Travel to Harrisburg at the end of January, 2019 to take this message to the Governor of PA!


May we all be blessed by standing up for our amazingly beautiful and Regenerative, beyond Sustainable future NOW!
Thank you,
Elisa Beck :)

Thursday, January 17, 2013

The Power of Food To Heal: Bethany's Story with Janet McKee and Raw Vegan Pot Luck!

"Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine." ~Hippocrates

Sustainable Monroeville is proud that the Monroeville Food Garden, that sprouted from Sustainable Monroeville, produced 500 pounds of fresh vegetables for five local food banks for the past two summers. Lois Drumheller, Third Ward Councilwoman in Monroeville is the one leading the way with many local helpers from Sustainable Monroeville and beyond.

Things are changing! We are honored and excited to screen the newly released film Bethany's Story at our Fourth Anniversary Meeting of Sustainable Monroeville in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library on Monday evening, February 4, 2013. The Executive Producer of the film and local Pittsburgh region Holistic Health Counselor and Food Educator, Janet McKee, will join us to discuss the film. How exciting!

At 6 PM on Monday evening, February 4, 2013, we will have a mostly Raw Vegan, locally sourced, if possible, pot luck dinner. Please bring your place setting as this will be a zero waste event. We will screen the film from 7:00 to 8:15 PM. 



The film is about the power of food to heal. Bravo to our local celebrity Janet McKee, her dedication and her great work! This meeting will be in partnership with the Monroeville Public Library to support the film and facilitate Sustainable Monroeville bringing the film to Monroeville and the library. Thanks so much Monroeville Public Library! Payment is not required, but donations of $5.00/person are suggested. Nobody will be turned away.

Paraphrased quotes from the movie trailer:
“Diet and Lifestyle induced dis-ease has never been reversed by surgery.” “Doctors are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States!” “You can actually reverse the aging process. It is the foundation for all healing. “

“Doctors are never taught this information. What the doctor is telling them, is killing them. Food plays a large role, and not just a small role…What is more basic than eating food?"

We are in the worse shape we’ve ever been in. Now, a number of people that are saying, ‘Wait a Minute.’

The body wants to heal itself. Is this diet for everybody? No! Why? Because you have to want to heal yourself. And does everybody want to do this? To love themselves enough to heal themselves? The answer is no.”

We look forward to seeing you on Monday evening, February 4, 2013 at the Monroeville Public library. 
 Join Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Genetic Roulette and Pot Luck Dinner on October 1, 2012 at the Monroeville Public Library

On Monday evening, October 1, 2012, we will have a vegetarian, non-GMO pot luck dinner at 6:00 PM followed by the movie Genetic Roulette at 7:00 PM. Remember to pack your plates and utensils as this will be a zero waste event.

 Join Us! All meetings of Sustainable Monroeville are free and open to the public. They take place in the Monroeville Public Library. See you on October 1! Elisa Beck :)

Genetic Roulette Movie Trailer - YouTube

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv96D_ZURzsUploaded by GeneticRoulette
This seminal documentary provides compelling evidence to help explain the deteriorating health of Americans ...

Friday, March 30, 2012

Eating a Plant Based Whole Foods Diet




Recently I spent three weeks at the Hippocrates Health Institute in West Palm Beach, Florida, and participated in the Life Transformation Program. What an amazing experience! I am convinced that this place is a valid potential model of the hospital of the future where people really heal, and medications are not used to mask symptoms that are speaking to us to tell us what is out of balance in our inner ecosystems. Through their educational programming, serving delicious raw vegan food, and exercise and therapeutic opportunities, they teach each individual how to take charge of their own health and move forward in their lives as joyful, fulfilled spirits. It is a wonderful journey to be on, this life!

Come join us this coming Monday, April 2, 2012, in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library to see the film Forks Over Knives and learn about the advantages of eating a plant based whole foods diet. Elisa Beck for Sustainable Monroeville-- Join us on Facebook!

"Join the conversation that's changing the way America Eats." "The film features leading experts on health and tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years."
                                                                                                                          from the film jacket

"A film that can save your life," Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times; "Great Movie." Mark Bittman, New York Times Columnist; "Convincing, Radical and Politically Volatile," John Anderson, Variety

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Forks Over Knives

The Sustainable Monroeville meeting on April 2, 2012 at 7:00 PM at the Monroeville Public Library will feature the movie Forks Over Knives, a 96 minute film by Monica Beach Media. Discussion will follow the film.

 "The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. The storyline traces the personal journeys of Dr. T. Colin Campbell, a nutritional biochemist from Cornell University, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a former top surgeon at the world renowed Cleveland Clinic. Their seperate research led them to the same conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented- and in many cases reversed-by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet."

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Tomer Nature Reserve in Murrysville, PA


Pia, of the Friends of Murrysville Parks, led a wonderful walk through the seventeen - acre Tomer Nature Reserve of the Westmoreland Conservancy this fine Saturday morning. Pia is a naturalist and has been facilitating an appreciation of all plants that are native to Western PA and the removal of exotic invasive species at Duff Park in Murrysville for ten years. Pia pointed out many beautiful plants that we want to keep in our wooded and prairie areas of our landscapes including Joe Pye Weed and Milkweed for butterflies and bees, Mayapple, Native Dogwood, Oak saplings, Blackberries and many more species.
Pia also pointed out and pulled out many exotic invasive plants. According to the colorful flyer Pia handed me following the hike, titled, "Help Murry the Squirrel Stomp Out Invasive Plants in Murrysville Parks," these invasives include Garlic Mustard, Bush Honeysuckle, Japanese and Giant Knotweed, Japenese Stilt Grass, Burning Bush, Barberry, Japanese Honeysuckle Vine, Multiflora Rose, and Tree of Heaven. We learned to identify almost all of these species and learned even in a nature reserve it is fine to remove these species from the reserve because they do not belong there.
Exotic invasive species choke out the native species by competing with them for basic soil nutrients, sunlight and water. Pia described how Japanese Stilt Grass uses a huge amount of water and grows so dense that native saplings are unable to germinate.
I enjoyed this hike with several others who reside in and around Murrysville and look forward to Pia's visit to Monroeville to educate us too! Thanks so much Pia, Buck the trailblazer, and the others too... Elisa Beck