Sierra Watch
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The electronic newsletter of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Group of the Sierra Club
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Visit our website at www.pennsylvania.sierraclub.org/southeastern
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Today's Headlines:
SPG Executive Committee News
Executive Committee meetings are now held on the first Wednesday of the month from 6 - 8 pm at a Center City location to be determined. All members are invited to attend. Next scheduled meeting is Wednesday, April 4, 6 pm at Whole Foods Market on Callowhill St. in Phila. In the event of a change, always confirm date and location in advance by contacting Chair Mat Himmelein at mathew.himmelein@gmail.com.
Free Library Program - Monday, April 9, 6:45 pm
The Free Library of Philadelphia, 19th & Vine Sts., 4th Floor
Speaker TBA
Contact wbrainerd3@gmail.com
Sierra Club Chester County Events
Wednesday, March 28, 6 pm: "Green Fire," the story of Aldo Leopold and his Land Ethic at the Chester County Library - Exton Branch, in the Burke Room on the first floor. Reservations are required and can be made by going to the website www.ccls.org and clicking "Find an Event" or by calling 610-280-2642.
Tuesday, April 3, 7 pm: Monthly meetings will be held the first Tuesday of the month. On April 3, we will host a volunteer steward from the Natural Lands Trust, a non-profit land conservation organization dedicated to protecting the forests, fields, streams, and wetlands that are essential to the sustainability of life in eastern Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey. The meeting will be held at the West Chester Borough building, in West Chester, PA in Room #240. All are welcome. This meeting is the first part of a two-part event; the second part will be a field visit and hike to one of Chester County's NLT preserves on Saturday, May 5th. Destination TBA at the April 3 meeting.
For more information, contact Mary Ciarrocchi (italiangrden@comcast.net)
Leslie Siebert (siebertles@gmail.com), co-chairs of the Chester County Committee of Sierra Club SPG.
For more information, contact Mary Ciarrocchi (italiangrden@comcast.net)
Leslie Siebert (siebertles@gmail.com), co-chairs of the Chester County Committee of Sierra Club SPG.
Sunday, April 22, 2012, 12 noon - 2pm -- Chester County Annual Earth Day Road Clean-up
•Our Adopted Road - Lincoln Highway (Rt. 30) from Rt. 100 West to Lowe's in Downingtown
•Meet at the Festival at Exton Shopping Center (in front of Bonefish Grill & FedEx), S. Whitford Rd and W. Lincoln Hwy.
For more information, contact Meryle Rothman, at mgrothman@verizon.net
Clean Energy and Energy Efficiency Forum - Sunday, March 18, 1-3 pm
Come hear how you can get clean energy into your apartment, house or condo---and what policies we all need to support and strengthen the industry to create good jobs in PA.
Speakers include:
Mark Bortman, Exact Solar
Tom Wells, Certified Sustainable Business Advisor, Certified Green Remodeler
William Kramer, Sierra Club
Jeffrey A. Smith, J.A. Smith Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.
"Upgrading Your HVAC Equipment? Some things to think about for optimum energy efficiency
Please RSVP to William Kramer at william.kramer@sierraclub.org or 732-589-8024.
Join Sierra Club Philadelphia's Clean Air Campaign
If you care about clean air and climate issues, join our activist campaign to raise visibility and demand action from Congress and the EPA. Contact William Kramer at william.kramer@sierraclub.org or 732-589-8024. Sign up for our google group at http://groups.google.com/group/air-action-team.
On Wednesday, March 21, we will be calling activists using our automated phone system. We will start with gourmet pizza or salads and BYOB from 5:30-7. Then we will hit the phones from 7:00 pm -9:00 pm using our autodialer system which gets though to people and skips all the answering machines. Most people are quite friendly because they are used to getting these calls, and it is fairly easy to find people willing to be transfered to their Senator. We will be patching people through to Senator Casey's office to ask him to vote no on a Congressional Review Act (CRA) put forward by Senator Inhofe which would role back the big victory we just had on the mercury rule.
We will be using our automatic dialing system and you can either call from the Clean Air Council office at 135 S.19th Street Suite 300 or from home. If you have never used the system before I highly recommend you get trained at the office first.
For those new to the system I can train people via conference call at 6:45 (dial in 866-501-6174, 37008521892#) or later if needed.
RSVP please! I need at least 7 people to make the system work efficiently. Contact William Kramer, Sierra Club Organizing Representative, at william.kramer@sierraclub.org or 732-589-8024.
Free Screening: "Revenge of the Electric Car"
Tuesday, March 20, 6:30 pm at WHYY Hamilton Public Media Commons, 150 N. 6th St., Philadelphia. ITVS Community Cinema and WHYY, in partnership with the Philadelphia EVX Team, present a free screening of Revenge of the Electric Car, followed by a demonstration of the basics of electric cars by Philadelphia high school students on the EVX Team. RSVP required. You can register on the WHYY website.
Penn Environment is organizing training workshops with a goal of educating 10,000 citizens who can effectively advocate against hydrofracking in Pennsylvania. Sierra Club is a co-sponsor. We recommend that our members take advantage of this opportunity. We've listed a few of upcoming trainings below. However, there will be more. To check it out, go to www.pennenvironment.org and click on "Action." Be sure to RSVP. You will also find directions to each site as they are posted on Penn Environment's website.
Jenkintown Public Library, Wednesday 3/21, 6-9 pm
Bryn Mawr College, Wednesday 3/28, 6-9 pm
Good Jobs/Green Jobs Regional Conference East
Philadelphia on April 3 & 4, 2012
Join Us in Philadelphia April 3 & 4, 2012
How do we ensure that clean energy technologies are manufactured here in the United States? How do we prevent chemical disasters in the workplace while creating jobs? Does recycling create good jobs? At Good Jobs, Green Jobs East — April 3 and 4 in Philadelphia, PA at the Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown Hotel — we will explore the unique challenges and opportunities to creating good, green jobs in the Eastern United States.
While in the past we have held one national conference, this year we are bringing the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference to four cities throughout the country in order to allow more individuals to participate in this important discussion of how we will build a green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming and preserves America's environmental and economic security.
While in the past we have held one national conference, this year we are bringing the Good Jobs, Green Jobs Conference to four cities throughout the country in order to allow more individuals to participate in this important discussion of how we will build a green economy that creates good jobs, reduces global warming and preserves America's environmental and economic security.
- Business, Investments and New Markets
- Clean Energy Manufacturing
- Emerging Green Sectors
- Infrastructure and Cleaner, More Efficient Transportation
- Regional, State and Local Initiatives and Partnerships
- Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
- Responsible Investment and Workers' Capital
- Workforce and Economic Development
- Youth, Education and Green Schools - Building a Clean Energy Movement
Volunteers for the Sierra Club who work 6 hours at our conference table can receive free admission to the workshops. Contact William Kramer at william.kramer@sierraclub.org or mathew.himmelein@gmail.com.
8th Annual Delaware Valley Smart Growth Symposium
"Smart Growth: Why is it so hard here?"
Friday, March 30, 2012, 8:00 to 11:15 am
PECO Building, 2301 Market Street, Philadelphia
Please join the Delaware Valley Smart Growth Alliance for a lively panel presentation and discussion on the
trials, tribulations, and opportunities for smart growth in our region. As popular as Smart Growth is among the
public, planners, developers, and government leaders, all too often specific development proposals run into
opposition. The panel will focus on three actual smart growth projects—Chestnut Hill, Franklin Mint, and
Willow Grove—to understand "Why is it so hard to get these projects done?"
8:00 am
8:30 am
Confirmed speakers include:
• Russell A. Archambault, Vice President and Principal, RKG Associates
• Thomas J. Comitta, AICP, CNU, RLA, ASLA, President, Thomas Comitta Associates, Inc.
• Seth Shapiro, President, Nauset Group & Development Consultant, 8200 Germantown Avenue
• Jason Duckworth, President, Arcadia Land Company, Moderator
Fees:
Registration closes Wednesday, March 28. There will be a $15 surcharge for walk-in registration.
Individuals: $35
Breakfast, registration and networking
Program begins
To register, visit www.delawarevalleysmartgrowth.org.
