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/

You are INvited and more! Monday June 24: Protecting Allegheny County from Fracking! and Save the Dates: Tuesday, July 2 and Tuesday, July 9!

Dear everyone we all know who live in Allegheny County, (yes, please share FAR and WIDE)!

If you are able to attend the Food and Water Action event detailed below, a week from tomorrow, that's Monday, June 24, 2019 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm in Squirrel Hill at the home of Maren Cooke, please do! 

We will carpool from Monroeville to Maren Cook's home. Let us know if you'd like to join a carpool by messaging sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com or send us a private message through the Sustainble Monroeville Facebook page. At least one carpool will be leaving from Trotwood Drive in Monroeville. It's worth attending just to spend a bit of time in Maren's home which is amazing. Her home, everything about how she lives demonstrates Permaculture in Action. The roof is full of half vegetables and half solar panels. You can go up there to see it! Maren has been hosting monthly Sustainability Salons at her home for as long as Sustainable Monroeville has been around, and that's been 10 years.  

Whether or not you are able to attend a week from Tuesday, please consider donating to Food and Water Action. They are an incredible not- for- profit organization! Right now their work with Monroeville is centered around educating all of us and to support Monroeville in putting a protective of the citizens oil and gas ordinance in place Immediately. They are working in communities throughout Allegheny County.

Many of us Monroeville citizens have gone to Monroeville council meetings to request council put a protective ordinance in place as has been done in South Fayette, Oakmont, Forest Hills, Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh has banned fracking), and other boroughs. Mr. Wratcher, the Municipal Attorney for Monroeville, PA continues to say that council needs to ask him to draw up the ordinance. Our council members are refusing to make this request. Please contact your council person to ask that council ask Mr. Wratcher draw up this request. When council sees the level of concern among the people, the council will act! Sustainable Monroeville presented model ordinances to council over six months ago.

At the last council meeting this past week, both Ms. Gaydos and Mr. Poach said they are happy with the existing ordinance that states fracking is only allowed in industrial zones in Monroeville. This poses many issues. There are NO specifications as to allowable noise levels, light levels, setbacks and much, much more that needs to be specified to protect human health. Many in Sustainable Monroeville are completely opposed to continuing with the extractive industries. That said, we understand that we are not allowed to ban fracking in Monroeville. However, we are allowed to specify WHERE fracking (and infrastructure? who knows the answer to this?) can occur, and we are certainly allowed to put in place within our Monroeville borders rules for noise levels, light levels, setbacks, and more. 

Watch this past week's Monroeville council meeting (6-11-19) from the link on the Municipal web site. It's an important one!!!

Please share this invitation with everyone you know who lives in Monroeville and really anybody you know who will be interested! The time to ACT is NOW!

We're going to start to fill the council chamber in Monroeville to make sure we get a protective of the citizens ordinance in place that specifies light and noise levels for fracking well pads, and most importantly 2500 foot setbacks from homes, schools and businesses. Right now, one of the well pads that has been approved for just over the border of Allegheny County into Westmoreland County right by the amazing bike trail off of Saunders Station near the municipal pool is 0.4 of a mile from the municipal pool. That means it is WAY too close to the homes over there, Ramsey Elementary, several elementary schools in Level Green to say the least.  It is way too close to the Saunders Station and Haymaker residential sections of Monroeville as well, including Gateway High School, the Middle School and the Cleveland Steward Elementary School. Those of us who live in these areas are living in areas where there is a large threat to our human health. Let's correct this issue and do the right thing. We have that opportunity now!

Protect PT is also an outstanding organization that is doing a lot of the hard work around this issue. I highly recommend you join Protect PT. Go to their web site to learn more about what is going on right next door to Monroeville and how we can protect ourselves. Protect PT has brought many law suits against the gas companies to fight for our human health....They need our support. 

Please mark Tuesday July 2 (July 4 is that Thursday so meeting is on Tuesday rather than Thursday) on your calendar for the next Monroeville Citizens Night to express your views, and the following Tuesday, July 9 for the next council meeting. We MUST demand the current council acts Now!

It is time to come together as ONE! If you have any questions, let us know. 

Many blessings, 

Kelly, Dave, Lois, Elisa, and all of us here in Monroeville, PA!

sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com

Sustainable Monroeville on Facebook!

Protecting Allegheny County From Fracking Envisioning a Pennsylvania without fracking, even if it means going town by town Monday, June 24, 2019 (New Date) 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The home of Maren Cooke Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania New fracking wells and pipelines are being proposed in our communities.  The 2019 election is our time to elect champions who can put people over the profits of corporate polluters.  Learn about opportunities to stop fracking in places like Franklin Park Borough, Indiana Township, Elizabeth Township and throughout all of Allegheny County.  Light bites, wine and beer will be served. Host committee: Chris and Diane Abell, Nancy Bernstein, Maren Cooke, Nancy Reese Space is limited. RSVP by Thursday, June 20.  For more information, visit the event ticketing page. To join the host committee and get involved, please contact  Tamara Tripp at ttripp@fwwatch.org

Go Solar!

Join Sustainable Monroeville on Monday evening, May 6, 2019 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM in the downstairs program room of the Monroeville Public Library to learn about solar co-ops and how to:

GO SOLAR!

Erica Jackson of FracTracker to speak at the Monroeville Public Library. Monday, March 11, 2019 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM

Hello and Happy March, 2019!

In collaboration with the Monroeville Public Library and Sustainable Monroeville, Erica Jackson of FracTracker will talk about local and regional oil and gas issues, with time for Q&A and time to listen to the community's needs around the topic. She'll also talk about the FracTracker Alliance app, a citizen science tool you can use to support data transparency and fracking resistance.

Monday evening, March 11, 2019 from 7:00 to 8:30 PM with Erica Jackson of FracTracker. Free and open to the public!

Contact person: Erica Jackson, Community Outreach and Communications Specialist, FracTracker Alliance. Phone: 412-229-7514 Email: jackson@fractracker.org

See you on Monday, March 11, 2019 in the Yolanda Room at the Monroeville Public Library!

ReplyForward

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!

Why eat food that is vegan and organic? https://newspunch.com/erin-brockovich-poisoned-monsanto/?fbclid=IwAR0OeylbW579TZmt-11Pequ6ZFTVtjIVk2XekU_IHrXGRnicKHiQfnnjglk

May we all be blessed by standing up for our amazingly beautiful and Regenerative, beyond Sustainable future NOW!

Thank you,

Elisa Beck :)

(e): sustainablemonroeville@gmail.com
www.sustainablemonroeville.blogspot.com

Monday, November 5, 2018 7:00 to 8:30 PM at the Monroeville Public Library

Join us to discuss candidates views for the upcoming election, ballot questions, and more at our monthly meeting on Monday, November 5, 2018 from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. Also on the agenda is an important update about unconventional gas development surrounding Monroeville, PA.

Sustainable Monroeville meetings are free and open to the public and are held monthly the first Monday evening of each month at the Monroeville Public Library.

Blessings for peace, love and mutual understanding,

Shalom and Namasté.

☮️🌱🌎🌱🌏🌱🌍🐛🦋