April 12 - Leadership & the Environment Conference, SW PA.

[Divernan]

Saw a picture of an old friend protesting Marcellus Shale, and got this link from him.
http://www.marcellusprotest.org/groups

That link took me to a conference at California University of PA on April 11, which I hope to attend.
If anyone is interested, here's the info & link.
(Free admission/free parking - map available at the link)

http://calu.edu/business-community/serene-institute/index.htm

Civic Responsibility: People, Policy and Politics

Author, syndicated columnist and TV political commentator Donna Brazile will visit California University of Pennsylvania to headline a conference focusing on environmental responsibility and civic engagement.

A veteran Democratic political strategist and a native of New Orleans, Brazile is passionate about two issues: encouraging young people to participate in the political process and promoting the economic and environmental recovery of her storm-ravaged hometown.

Her keynote address at the conference, Civic Responsibility: People, Policy and Politics, is scheduled for 7 p.m. April 12 in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre, on the Cal U campus.

Brazile will hold a book signing after her talk. Her best-selling memoir is Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics.

http://www.calu.edu/news/press-releases/2011/04/civic-responsibility/index.htm

The conference opens with a lecture by Terry Collins, a founder of the “green chemistry” field and director of the Institute for Green Science at Carnegie Mellon University.

Collins will discuss “Green Chemistry: On the Responsibility of Chemists to Advance Science with Human Health and the Environment Clearly in Mind” at 11 a.m., also in Steele Hall Mainstage Theatre.

Rounding out the conference are two panel discussions, both in Room 110 of the Eberly Science and Technology Center:

* At 2 p.m., Carla Suszkowski, regulatory and environmental manager at Range Resources, will join Cal U professors to address “Civic Responsibility: Where Is the Leadership?”

* At 3:30 p.m., David Marks, energy consultant to Allegheny County Council, joins a panel to examine “Environmental Challenges: Louisiana and Pennsylvania.”

The conference is organized by Cal U’s chapter of the American Democracy Project, a multi-campus initiative focused on higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens. Sponsors for the panel discussions include the Linda and Harry Serene Leadership Institute and the Leadership Studies program at Cal U.

All events are free and open to the public. Parking is available in the Vulcan Garage, off Third Street near the campus entrance.
Schedule of Events

[Divernan]

1. Film Gasland showing, Carnegie Library of Oakland, 7pm April 21st.

I haven't seen this yet and am really looking forward to it.

[Divernan]

2. Sportsmen Marcellus Shale Summit - June 4, Pitt-Johnstown

SPORTSMEN MARCELLUS SHALE SUMMIT - Johnstown

* Conference

Date:
June 4, 2011 (All day)
University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Campus Johnstown , PA
United States
See map: Google Maps

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE SPORTSMEN ALLIANCE FOR MARCELLUS CONSERVATION.
To learn more about the program and how to register, see:
www.sportsmenalliance.org

In the Eastern United States, energy companies are targeting the largest known shale
gas formation in the nation, one that underlies 54,000 square miles in parts of
several states. Gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale region is occurring or is being
planned at a very fast pace. Over time, thousands of wells are expected to be drilled
in New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia and Ohio.

Marcellus Shale gas deposits are accessed using a combination of horizontal drilling
and hydraulic fracturing. Hydraulic fracturing (also known as hydrofracking) is a
process used to create fractures that extend from the well bore into a tight rock
formation, allowing gas to travel readily from the rock pores to the production well.
A mixture of water, sand and chemicals is pumped in high volumes under high
pressure into the shale to create the fractures.

States in the Marcellus Shale region are quickly trying to put regulations in place to
address the potential impacts from the use of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal
drilling in the Marcellus Shale. Even with the best environmental standards in place,
the immense number of wells projected to be drilled in the Marcellus Shale is likely
to have a cumulative impact on the region's wildlife and coldwater fisheries, that will
in turn affect hunters and anglers and the recreational economies built upon these
sporting traditions. For these reasons, sportsmen and women from across the
Marcellus Shale region are coming together to identify and propose solutions to
mitigate the impacts from gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing on hunting, fishing
and trapping experiences.

Learn more about how Marcellus Shale gas development may impact hunting, fishing
and trapping throughout the Appalachian region, and what state agencies and the gas
industry can do to protect fish and wildlife.

Get involved and join the Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation. In the heart of the Marcellus Shale region, sportsmen and women, and conservation groups are working together to identify and propose solutions to mitigate the impacts from gas drilling and hydraulic fracturing on hunting, fishing and trapping experiences.

[Divernan]

3. Thomas Merton Center Honors Marcellus Protestors/April 26, 6 pm

Marcellus Protest Honored by Thomas Merton Ctr. - Pittsburgh

* Fundraiser

Date:
April 26, 2011 - 6:00pm
E. Liberty Presbyterian Church
116 S. Highland
Pittsburgh, PA 15206
United States
See map: Google Maps

Info: Courtney Smith - [e-mail]

Tickets: $15

[blue neen]

4. It would be interesting to hear what Donna Brazile has to say.

...sounds like a good schedule of events!