Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Alert about SIGG bottles
For those of us who have been working to eliminate BPA from our water bottles and bought SIGG bottles it is dismaying to read that SIGG produced and sold bottles with trace amount of BPA in the liners. In today's Huffington Post there is an apology by the SIGG CEO. He gives details on how to return your bottle. Also on the SIGG site there is a link to returning the bottles.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Come to our program: How to create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat
How to create a Backyard Wildlife Habitat (part of our Be Green series)
September 19, 1-3pm
October 3, 1-3pm
November 7, 1-3pm
Join us for a workshop on creating your Backyard Wildlife Habitat. The Gardeners of Gardenalia are dedicated to building sustainable systems in our natural environment and community. They are trained gardeners and designers specializing in developing, restoring and renovating gardens and landscapes. September 19 is the first of three in our series on creating a wildlife habitat in your backyard. Topics included in the workshop are: soils and prepping the site; how to use plants that work in harmony with wildlife and the conditions of the space; how to create an ecosystem in the backyard that will be self-sustainable; sustainable practices and organic pest management.
September 19, 1-3pm
October 3, 1-3pm
November 7, 1-3pm
Join us for a workshop on creating your Backyard Wildlife Habitat. The Gardeners of Gardenalia are dedicated to building sustainable systems in our natural environment and community. They are trained gardeners and designers specializing in developing, restoring and renovating gardens and landscapes. September 19 is the first of three in our series on creating a wildlife habitat in your backyard. Topics included in the workshop are: soils and prepping the site; how to use plants that work in harmony with wildlife and the conditions of the space; how to create an ecosystem in the backyard that will be self-sustainable; sustainable practices and organic pest management.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
The Wonderful World of Water Day Camp
The 2009 Wonderful World of Water Camp
offers young residents, ages 7-11, of Pittsburgh’s South Hills area, two fun-filled days of environmental learning.
Day campers attending this free camp will:
o Explore watershed basics
o Learn how human activity on the land affects the quality of water in rivers and streams
o Learn what we can do to help protect and preserve our watersheds
o Hike the park’s nature trails
o Conduct water experiments
o Make related crafts
The South Hills Wonderful World of Water Camp will take place at The Regional Environmental Education Center (REEC) August 11-12. REEC is located on Mayview Rd. in Upper St. Clair.
The program will begin each day at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.
For more information and registration materials please contact Nancy at 412-431-4449, ext. 247 or nancym@ccicenter.org
offers young residents, ages 7-11, of Pittsburgh’s South Hills area, two fun-filled days of environmental learning.
Day campers attending this free camp will:
o Explore watershed basics
o Learn how human activity on the land affects the quality of water in rivers and streams
o Learn what we can do to help protect and preserve our watersheds
o Hike the park’s nature trails
o Conduct water experiments
o Make related crafts
The South Hills Wonderful World of Water Camp will take place at The Regional Environmental Education Center (REEC) August 11-12. REEC is located on Mayview Rd. in Upper St. Clair.
The program will begin each day at 9:00 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m.
For more information and registration materials please contact Nancy at 412-431-4449, ext. 247 or nancym@ccicenter.org
Monday, June 22, 2009
Pennsylvania Sunshine Grant Program
Michael Merck, President of West Penn Energy Solutions came to the library to share information regarding the State and Federal incentives for energy savings applications to our homes. The start date for the programs was May 18 for Photovoltaics, Solar Thermal (heating and water) has not yet been released. However, you can do the paperwork while you wait for the release.
SOLAR:
State Incentives:
Residential: 1kW minimum and limited to 10kW. The cost is around $700-800 per panel, with 5-6 panels (panels have a 20 year warranty) which require at least 100-150 sq. ft. The maximum incentive allowable is less than $22,500 or 35% of the installed cost. The equipment must be new, be listed as eligible under the California Solar Initiative (CSI), include a utility grade meter, have a SRCC OG-100 certification required for solar thermal collectors.
The work must be performed by a program-approved installer, PV systems must generally be grid-connected, shade and system performance analysis must indicate system output at least 80% of optimum, newly constructed homes must be Energy Star certified.
Contact information for the state:
Public Information - PA Sunshine
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Energy and Technology Deployment
PO Box 8772
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772
(717) 783-8411
pasunshine@state.pa.us
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energy
Federal Incentives:
The tax credit is available until 2011. Up to 30% tax credit (off the balance after using the state incentive) of the installed cost of a PV or Thermal system. At least half of the energy generated by the "qualifying property" must come from the sun. Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household.
Renewable Energy Credits (REC)
When 1,000Kwh have been generated, the owner has the right to sell their credit. The going market rate in PA is $350 per REC. Learn more from the Penn State Extension Service.
KEYSTONE HELP
The Keystone HELP Energy Efficiency Loan & Rebate Program is designed to help homeowners improve energy efficiency with special financing and rebates for high-efficiency heating, AC, insulation, windows, door, geothermal and "whole house" improvements. Look at their web site for more application information and how to qualify.
REBATES
Energy Star Rebates are for the installation of qualifying Energy Star improvements or other improvements that meet program standards. The rebate is equal to 10% of the cost of purchase and installation, with a maximum rebate of $250.
ADVANCED PERFORMANCE ENERGY STAR REBATES
These rebates are for the installation of qualifying improvements that exceed Energy Star standards. The rebate is equal to 10% of the cost of purchase and installation, with a maximum rebate of $500.
Web sites for more information
www.dsire.org
www.energystar.gov
SOLAR:
State Incentives:
Residential: 1kW minimum and limited to 10kW. The cost is around $700-800 per panel, with 5-6 panels (panels have a 20 year warranty) which require at least 100-150 sq. ft. The maximum incentive allowable is less than $22,500 or 35% of the installed cost. The equipment must be new, be listed as eligible under the California Solar Initiative (CSI), include a utility grade meter, have a SRCC OG-100 certification required for solar thermal collectors.
The work must be performed by a program-approved installer, PV systems must generally be grid-connected, shade and system performance analysis must indicate system output at least 80% of optimum, newly constructed homes must be Energy Star certified.
Contact information for the state:
Public Information - PA Sunshine
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Office of Energy and Technology Deployment
PO Box 8772
Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772
(717) 783-8411
pasunshine@state.pa.us
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/energy
Federal Incentives:
The tax credit is available until 2011. Up to 30% tax credit (off the balance after using the state incentive) of the installed cost of a PV or Thermal system. At least half of the energy generated by the "qualifying property" must come from the sun. Homeowners may only claim spending on the solar water heating system property, not the entire water heating system of the household.
Renewable Energy Credits (REC)
When 1,000Kwh have been generated, the owner has the right to sell their credit. The going market rate in PA is $350 per REC. Learn more from the Penn State Extension Service.
KEYSTONE HELP
The Keystone HELP Energy Efficiency Loan & Rebate Program is designed to help homeowners improve energy efficiency with special financing and rebates for high-efficiency heating, AC, insulation, windows, door, geothermal and "whole house" improvements. Look at their web site for more application information and how to qualify.
REBATES
Energy Star Rebates are for the installation of qualifying Energy Star improvements or other improvements that meet program standards. The rebate is equal to 10% of the cost of purchase and installation, with a maximum rebate of $250.
ADVANCED PERFORMANCE ENERGY STAR REBATES
These rebates are for the installation of qualifying improvements that exceed Energy Star standards. The rebate is equal to 10% of the cost of purchase and installation, with a maximum rebate of $500.
Web sites for more information
www.dsire.org
www.energystar.gov
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
Art and the Environment: Furoshiki
Saturday May 23 at 1pm
Furoshiki: Art, Tradition and History of Folding Cloth and Wrapping Gifts or Treasures.
Wrapping an object is like dressing it in a costume. It is a language that speaks without words at the center. Like skin. Even in Japanese prints you see men and women carrying their food and clothing and belongings in cloth-wrapped parcels. The Japanese for many centuries have used squares of cloth called furoshiki which have a life of their own dating back to the Nara period when the (big) cloths were used to tie up and identify the possessions of the nobles attending the baths--thus (furo--bath and shiki --mat) Not just a scarf, napkin or wall-hanging you can wrap just about anything of any size or shape in a these cloths. Furoshiki (thinking) inspired me to write a series of poems that evolved into a collaborative piece with composer (D Berlin) and dance company (H Boda) performed six times this year and which before an Arts Institute in Valley Forge, PA.
Only when wrapped around something does the square take on a three-dimensional form. You take the inspiration from the item itself--watermelon, bottle, stone, book. computer--even a baby or kimono-ed lady can be folded in a square. How to present a present? How to wrap your belongings? How to wrap yourself? How to wrap an idea? Recently there has been a flurry of interest worldwide in this practical and aesthetic alternative to the ubiquitous non-recyclable plastic bag.
Furoshiki have traditionally been associated with certain occasions and have never gone out of style. You can design your own square of cloth and easily carry with you to use over and over again or present as part of a gift. You can create your own crests or ways of identifying the cloths--a furoshiki can be a comment on what's inside or on the person who receives what you are giving.
We will review the background and history of furoshiki thinking (listen to a bit of Roffman's collaboration) and examine some traditional and modern furoshiki. Bring a treasure to wrap, a bottle, and/or a box if you can (reasonable sizes) and square(s) of cloth (light and silky in texture) if you can. We will have some samples you can practice with if necessary and we will learn to fold and tie square pieces of cloth and create environmentally friendly containers for carrying different objects.
Registration is required. For more information call the Reference Desk. 412-531-1912.
The presentation will be given by Rosaly Roffman, poet and Professor Emeritus (Indiana University of PA). Rosaly has lived in Hawaii and Japan and remembers seeing even heavy machinery wrapped in furoshiki. In Japan she taught at Aoyama Gakuin and Gakushuin Universities and traveled to Hokkaido with Peggy Guggenheim and John Cage. She founded a myth and folklore studies center at Indiana University of PA and helped develop an Asian Studies Program that included Japanese and Chinese Literature in Translation and a Japanese film course. Her sixteenth collaborative piece "Furoshiki" represents her fascination with the subtle connections between content and container in Japanese culture
Furoshiki: Art, Tradition and History of Folding Cloth and Wrapping Gifts or Treasures.
Wrapping an object is like dressing it in a costume. It is a language that speaks without words at the center. Like skin. Even in Japanese prints you see men and women carrying their food and clothing and belongings in cloth-wrapped parcels. The Japanese for many centuries have used squares of cloth called furoshiki which have a life of their own dating back to the Nara period when the (big) cloths were used to tie up and identify the possessions of the nobles attending the baths--thus (furo--bath and shiki --mat) Not just a scarf, napkin or wall-hanging you can wrap just about anything of any size or shape in a these cloths. Furoshiki (thinking) inspired me to write a series of poems that evolved into a collaborative piece with composer (D Berlin) and dance company (H Boda) performed six times this year and which before an Arts Institute in Valley Forge, PA.
Only when wrapped around something does the square take on a three-dimensional form. You take the inspiration from the item itself--watermelon, bottle, stone, book. computer--even a baby or kimono-ed lady can be folded in a square. How to present a present? How to wrap your belongings? How to wrap yourself? How to wrap an idea? Recently there has been a flurry of interest worldwide in this practical and aesthetic alternative to the ubiquitous non-recyclable plastic bag.
Furoshiki have traditionally been associated with certain occasions and have never gone out of style. You can design your own square of cloth and easily carry with you to use over and over again or present as part of a gift. You can create your own crests or ways of identifying the cloths--a furoshiki can be a comment on what's inside or on the person who receives what you are giving.
We will review the background and history of furoshiki thinking (listen to a bit of Roffman's collaboration) and examine some traditional and modern furoshiki. Bring a treasure to wrap, a bottle, and/or a box if you can (reasonable sizes) and square(s) of cloth (light and silky in texture) if you can. We will have some samples you can practice with if necessary and we will learn to fold and tie square pieces of cloth and create environmentally friendly containers for carrying different objects.
Registration is required. For more information call the Reference Desk. 412-531-1912.
The presentation will be given by Rosaly Roffman, poet and Professor Emeritus (Indiana University of PA). Rosaly has lived in Hawaii and Japan and remembers seeing even heavy machinery wrapped in furoshiki. In Japan she taught at Aoyama Gakuin and Gakushuin Universities and traveled to Hokkaido with Peggy Guggenheim and John Cage. She founded a myth and folklore studies center at Indiana University of PA and helped develop an Asian Studies Program that included Japanese and Chinese Literature in Translation and a Japanese film course. Her sixteenth collaborative piece "Furoshiki" represents her fascination with the subtle connections between content and container in Japanese culture
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Effects of Global Warming on Pennsylvania's Fish and Wildlife.
May 21, 7-8:45pm in Room A
Climate scientists have called global warming the greatest threat to our planet that we have ever faced. Already, every natural system is being affected, from the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, to the breakup of shelf ice in Antarctica, to the northward migration of plants and animals as the planet continues to heat up. Although scientists are sounding the alarm, most of our fellow citizens remain unconcerned, and are unaware of the urgency. Scientists say we have only a few years left to begin reducing our carbon emissions, so it is crucial that we begin acting now. Fortunately, each one of us can take some action that will reduce our carbon foot print.
Ed Perry is an aquatic biologist who retired in 2002 after a 30-year career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service where he supervised the section responsible for stream and wetland protection in Pennsylvania. He now works with the National Wildlife Federation, educating hunters, anglers and conservationists about the impacts of climate change and what actions they can take to reduce this threat to our way of life.
Presenter:
Ed Perry of the National Wildlife Federation Global Warming Campaign
Climate scientists have called global warming the greatest threat to our planet that we have ever faced. Already, every natural system is being affected, from the loss of sea ice in the Arctic, to the breakup of shelf ice in Antarctica, to the northward migration of plants and animals as the planet continues to heat up. Although scientists are sounding the alarm, most of our fellow citizens remain unconcerned, and are unaware of the urgency. Scientists say we have only a few years left to begin reducing our carbon emissions, so it is crucial that we begin acting now. Fortunately, each one of us can take some action that will reduce our carbon foot print.
Ed Perry is an aquatic biologist who retired in 2002 after a 30-year career with the US Fish and Wildlife Service where he supervised the section responsible for stream and wetland protection in Pennsylvania. He now works with the National Wildlife Federation, educating hunters, anglers and conservationists about the impacts of climate change and what actions they can take to reduce this threat to our way of life.
Presenter:
Ed Perry of the National Wildlife Federation Global Warming Campaign
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