For more info and to register for this course, visit http://www.brownflynnlearning.com/training.asp  

BrownFlynn Learning's signature course, The GRI Process, provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of:

• Reporting an organization's environmental, social and economic policies - often establishing or enhancing a company's sustainability strategy.
• The synergies between the "3Ps" (people, planet and profit) and how to identify an organization's major impacts in each category
• How those synergies can inform daily behavior and decision-making for sustainability
• How to establish meaningful and measurable sustainability goals consistent with global best practice
• How to collect data in order to measure progress, creating a repository of information affecting future goal-setting and sustainability reporting
• How to create a transparent and effective sustainability report according to GRI standards
• How to develop a report following both GRI Guidelines and the United Nations Global Compact's (UNGC) Communication on Progress requirement

The GRI Certified Training Program is aimed to prepare participants to know and coordinate the GRI-G3 Process, and is best suited to those new to the GRI Framework. This program will not prepare participants to become experts on the GRI-G3 technical content.

Participants are required to complete 16 hours of training, and will receive the certificate of completion from GRI and BrownFlynn Learning after sucessfully finishing the course.

RTA Board of Trustees committee meetings

Board Room
Root-McBride Building
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

9am until 11am

More information:
http://www.riderta.com/ar_organization-board.asp

Lube Stop, Inc. President, Thomas Morley will speak at Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C) Western Campus, located at 11000 Pleasant Valley Road, on Tuesday, February 9 at 12 p.m. in the North End of the Student Services Building. His presentation, “Sustainable Innovation,” will last for approximately 45 minutes.

Conservation experts will be available to talk to farmers and others interested in preserving their property at a free program on Feb. 9 at Hiram College. "Protect Your Farmland" will be presented at 6 p.m. at the college's second-floor Kennedy Center Ballroom, 11730 Garfield Road, Hiram.

You can learn if you are eligible for one of the programs available to preserve, protect and enhance your farmland. Topics to be discussed include Agricultural Security Areas, the Agricultural Easement Purchase Program, donating easements and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Refreshments will be served starting at 5:30 p.m.

The program is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Agriculture, The Countryside Conservancy, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Western Reserve Resource Conservation and Development Council, Portage County Regional Planning Commission, and Hiram College. For more information, call Scott Hill at (440) 773-5582.

Chuck Bohl, director of the Graduate Program in Real Estate Development and Urbanism (MRED+U) at the University of Miami’s School of Architecture, speaking about “Place Making: Developing Town Centers, Main Streets and Urban Villages.” Part of the Urban Innovators speaker series presented by the University Park Alliance in Akron.

Free an open to the public. To reserve a seat, call 330-972-8859 or email julie2@uakron.edu.

For more info and to register for this course, visit http://www.brownflynnlearning.com/training.asp  

BrownFlynn Learning's signature course, The GRI Process, provides attendees with a comprehensive overview of:

• Reporting an organization's environmental, social and economic policies - often establishing or enhancing a company's sustainability strategy.
• The synergies between the "3Ps" (people, planet and profit) and how to identify an organization's major impacts in each category
• How those synergies can inform daily behavior and decision-making for sustainability
• How to establish meaningful and measurable sustainability goals consistent with global best practice
• How to collect data in order to measure progress, creating a repository of information affecting future goal-setting and sustainability reporting
• How to create a transparent and effective sustainability report according to GRI standards
• How to develop a report following both GRI Guidelines and the United Nations Global Compact's (UNGC) Communication on Progress requirement

The GRI Certified Training Program is aimed to prepare participants to know and coordinate the GRI-G3 Process, and is best suited to those new to the GRI Framework. This program will not prepare participants to become experts on the GRI-G3 technical content.

Participants are required to complete 16 hours of training, and will receive the certificate of completion from GRI and BrownFlynn Learning after sucessfully finishing the course.

Statewide meeting to strategize on how alternative transportatin advocates can work together to advance safety education efforts and encourage mode shifts statewide. This meeting will also be an opportunity to share with others the ongoing efforts each group is advancing.

Organized by:
Heather Bowden
Bike and Pedestrian Planner
Ohio Department of Transportation
Phone: 614 387 0602
Email: heather.bowden@dot.state.oh.us

Join us for a special evening of extended hours at GLSC! Explore hundreds of exhibits and enjoy demonstrations by Science Center staff as you experience the museum after dark. Add on the OMNIMAX film, "Mysteries of the Great Lakes," to the end of your evening. Includes admission to the traveling exhibition, "Water: H20 = Life." $12 per person. To make your reservation, call (216) 621-2400, Mon. - Fri. 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Cleveland councilman Matt Zone will report on his trip to the recent global climate talks in Copenhagen.

For more information about this course and to register, visit  http://www.brownflynnlearning.com/training.asp 

GRI Environmental Performance (EN) Indicators: Overview and Practical Application for Tracking and Measurement

Description: Much of the business case for sustainability depends on an entity’s ability to produce the same services or products with less energy, materials, and biosphere impact. Having an in-depth understanding of the correct protocols and methodologies for tracking environmental performance and how management disclosures are key for when goals are not met, is a critical element for reporting the GRI environmental (EN) indicators. This 6-hour workshop, taught by environmental engineers, provides an overview of the 30 GRI EN indicators allowing time to address problems facing the participants. Instructors will further delve into how the environmental indicators relate to goal setting, benchmarking, reporting GHG inventories, and life cycle analysis.

RTA Citizen Advisory Board meeting

RTA Board Room
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

8:30am until 10am, scheduled for the second Thursday of each month

Areas of focus:
- Ease of Use. The CAB will focus on ways to make RTA easy to use for all riders, including participating in implementation of transit waiting environment projects.
- Safety and Security. The CAB will focus on ensuring that RTA is a safe and secure system.
- Advocacy and Partnerships. The CAB will focus on advocating and partnering with organizations to increase transit funding and promote public transit use.

More information: http://www.riderta.com/CAB/

Ohio's First Suburbs play a leading role in "The New Metropolis," a groundbreaking two-part documentary on the rise, fall and revitalization of America's first suburbs, produced by award-winning filmmaker Andrea Torrice. Plan to join us for the Cleveland premier of Episode One, "A Crack in the Pavement, Rebuilding America's First Suburbs." Narrated by actor Peter Coyote, this episode follows the story of two Cincinnati area public officials and their efforts to keep their towns stable and healthy despite difficult times to repair and improve infrastructure and lure businesses.

Film
Director Andrea Torrice will introduce the film.

Panel Discussion
Moderator
Tom Bier, Executive in Residence, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University
Panelists
Bill Cervenik, Mayor, City of Euclid
Michael K. Lyons, Mayor, The Village of Richfield
Joanna Pinkerton, Transportation System Development Office, Ohio Department of Transportation
Joyce Braverman, Director, Planning Department, City of Shaker Heights
William A. Sanderson, Vice President of Joint Ventures, Forest City Land Group

Free and open to the public.

Three years ago, Linda Butler left a 25-year career as a black-and-white photographer to create videos that advocate for living more gently on our planet. Butler's photographs have been featured in exhibitions around the world in Italy, Japan, and Canada as well as at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. She has published books on the Shakers, rural Japan, Italy, and China. In 1999 she won the Cleveland Arts Prize. Her photographs and book on the Yangtze River and the Three Gorges Dam were featured in an exhibition at Cleveland Museum of Natural History that traveled to UCLA and Cornell. In her short films, Linda seeks to make the science of global warming comprehensible and to feature people who are transforming their lives to live more sustainably.

 Free and open to the public, registration recommended.  Visit www.case.edu/humanities for more information and to register.

This plan is needed as a strategic tool to guide the future course of the Towpath Trail management and development in Ohio’s only National Park. The park’s original 1985 plan is outdated and largely implemented. Regional trail networks have blossomed across Northeastern Ohio, increasing demands for additional trail connections, new trail uses and expanded recreational opportunities. The broad purpose of the TMP is to identify management objectives and strategies to guide the development, protection, management, operations and use of the trail system within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park over the next 15 years to meet new challenges and opportunities.

Regular meeting of corporate sustainability leaders from Northeast Ohio. Speakers include Ann Yan and Jim Crowcroft of Technical Consumer Products (TCP), the country's leading manufacturer of energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps, and Joseph Fiksel, executive director of the Center for Resilience at The Ohio State University and principal and co-founder of the consulting firm Eco-Nomics LLC.

More information.

http://www.case.edu/origins

Lunch on Fri- only $2-Order by 2/8: lmr5@case.edu

Ohio Grantmakers Forum (OGF) is hosting a discussion for funders and nonprofits to explore "Cleveland 2010: What You Expect, Need and Plan To Do" February 12 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Minter Conference Center, 1422 Euclid Avenue. George Espy, OGF president, and John Begala, executive director of the Center for Community Solutions, will present the grantmaking outlook for 2010, provide a snapshot of community needs and lead an interactive discussion on how both grantmakers and nonprofits are adjusting to and coping with the economic downturn.

The program is free to Greater Cleveland nonprofits, but to ensure a diversity of nonprofits, registration is open to only one representative from each organization. To register, call Gail Anderson at 216-861-6223.

NOACA Governing Board meeting

1299 Superior Avenue, 3d floor conference room
Cleveland, OH

Agendas are usually posted 1 week prior and can be found here:
http://cf.noaca.org/calendar/links1.cfm

Please confirm meeting date by calling NOACA offices: 216.241.2414

http://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/Home/Legislation/tabid/61/Default.aspx#7

“Studying Insects and Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes” a talk by Dr. Mary Gardiner, Department of Entomology, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, The Ohio State University. Part of a seminar series sponsored by Cleveland State University Department of Biologica, Geological and Environmental Sciences.

Annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association, with speakers, workshops, and trade show.

More information.

http://www.case.edu/origins

All Events Free & Open to the Public!

Limited space Sat
RSVP: michael.benard@case.edu

ZeroLandfill Akron

Every Saturday in February

Feb 6 :: Feb 13 :: Feb 20 :: Feb 27

Architects, interior designers and graphic designers pollinate by dropping off your specification materials. Artist and educators come to harvest creative supply items including fabric, carpet, ceramic tile, glass and wallcovering samples, three ring binders and papers.

info@zerolandfill.net

The Audubon Society of Greater Cleveland presents a Saturday Backyard Naturalist presentation on bluebirds by Ric Mattmuller, District 3 Representative and Portage County Coordinator for the Ohio Bluebird Society.

Free and open to the public.

Annual conference of the Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association, with speakers, workshops, and trade show.

More information.

Come early and get your pick of winter veggies and greenhouse grown produce including cherry tomatoes, lettuce, bunching onions, snow peas, chard, red and white potatoes, acorn squash and green beans.

Plus, farm fresh products including meat, poultry, eggs, cow and goat cheese, bread, honey, bakery, salsa, hot sauce, jam, jelly, maple syrup, pickles, olive oil, vinegar, tea, coffee, prepared Greek food, candles, personal care products, soap, lotion, shampoo, essential oils, herbal salves and more! See below for vendor specifics.

Jewelry artist, Laurie will be showing her wares including themed items all priced under $15! Treat yourself or pick up something for your valentine.

Symposium exploring Jewish land-based initiatives in Northeast Ohio, presented by scholar and author Ellen Bernstein and GreenFaith fellow and Hadran organizer Amalia Haas.

Free and open to the public.

Register here.

Do you live in a suburb of the city of Cleveland?

Are you interested in starting a community garden in your community?

Ohio State University Extension is now accepting applications for its 2010 Suburban Community Gardening Program

We are partnering with interested residents to build community gardens in suburbs bordering the City of Cleveland.

To learn more about the Suburban Community Gardening Program, come to an information session:

Monday, February 15
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Heights Libraries - Lee Road Branch
2345 Lee Road, Cleveland Hts.

Monday, February 22
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Garfield Heights Civic Center
5407 Turney Road, Garfield Heights

Please RSVP by calling Michelle at 216-429-8224 or e-mailing key.46@osu.edu

RTA Board of Trustees Meeting

Board Room
Root-McBride Building
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

9am until 11am

More information:
http://www.riderta.com/ar_organization-board.asp

Join the E4S Network in February to learn how Northeast Ohio universities are implementing sustainable business practices in their buildings, operations, research, and curriculum. From innovative energy efficiency projects, to green buildings, to cafeteria's filled with local food, universities in the region are leading the way towards a sustainable economy.

Register here.

Cleveland Peace Action Annual Membership Meeting, with Congressman Dennis Kucinich speaking on "The Path to Peace".  There is a potluck meal at 6:30, and the progam starts at 7:30.

These workshops are offered in tandem with the Local Food Ecology Course, a project-based training that equips people to produce and sell food sustainably. 

Dr. Matthew Kleinhenz, Horticulture and Crop Science Professor from OSU/OARDC Wooster, will cover “The Production – Marketing Continuum” and discuss season extension opportunities with growers. A $15 donation is requested at the door.

Mor info at: www.goodnessgrows.net

"Connecting Research and Land Management," the conference of the Ohio Invasive Plants Council.

For details and registration information, go here.

The focus of ethical decision-making should fall on building communities because the importance of any choice we make lies in the relationships that give our choices context. Food is an especially rich intersection of relations that provides many opportunities to connect and imagine more democratic communities. Recognizing these opportunities leads us to see ourselves not as food consumers but as food citizens who seek to enact and transform our relations through not only our purchasing and eating choices but also through our collective work in organizations that promote healthy, just, fair, safe, and delicious food systems for all people.  This lecture is by Lisa Heldke, Professor of Philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College.

 Free and open to the public, registration recommended.  Visit www.case.edu/humanities for more information or to register for the event.

NOACA Transportation Advisory Committee meeting

1299 Superior Avenue, 3d floor conference room
Cleveland, OH

Agendas are usually posted 1 week prior and can be found here:
http://cf.noaca.org/calendar/links1.cfm

Please confirm meeting date by calling NOACA offices: 216.241.2414

The 6th annual Ohio Natural History Conference, sponsored by the Ohio Biological Survey & the Ohio Division of Wildlife.

Registration information.

Interested in growing fruit trees in your community garden or urban farm?  This workshop will give you the information you need to plant, prune, and cultivate fruit trees.

Registration is required, so please call 216-429-8224, or e-mail key.46@osu.edu.Additional details will be provided on our website, cuyahoga.osu.edu, as they become available.

ZeroLandfill Akron

Every Saturday in February

Feb 6 :: Feb 13 :: Feb 20 :: Feb 27

Architects, interior designers and graphic designers pollinate by dropping off your specification materials. Artist and educators come to harvest creative supply items including fabric, carpet, ceramic tile, glass and wallcovering samples, three ring binders and papers.

info@zerolandfill.net

Celebrate National Engineers Week by listening to local prosthetist David Garcia, LP, Lped, Manuel Garcia Prosthetic and Orthotic Centers, as part of Great Lakes Science Center's BioMedTech Speaker Speaker Series on Saturday, February 20, 2010 at 1:30 pm.

Discover how science, technology and art integrate to improve people’s quality of life, and see the award-winning Touch Bionics i-LIMB hand in action.

Presentation is free with paid admission to Great Lakes Science Center. Space is limited. No registration required.

Members and friends gathering of the Buckeye Forest Council, Ohio's nonprofit forest protection group.

Call 1-866-OH-TREES or email david@buckeyeforestcouncil.org for more information.

These workshops are offered in tandem with the Local Food Ecology Course, a project-based training that equips people to produce and sell food sustainably.

 --"Successful Direct Marketing" Mr. Mick Prochko, Covered Bridge Garden, Ashtabula County Mick will highlight strategies to improve: Restaurant Sales, Diverse & Value Added Products, Farmers Markets, and Transportation.  Lunch available by reservation. 

A $25 donation at the door is requested.

More info at: www.goodnessgrows.net

Greater Ohio Policy Center and the Brookings Institution Metropolitan Policy Program invite you to attend a program for the official release of the "Restoring Prosperity to Ohio Action Agenda." RSVP to Katherine Buckingham at Greater Ohio, 614-258-6200, or kbuckingham@greaterohio.org.

Do you live in a suburb of the city of Cleveland?

Are you interested in starting a community garden in your community?

Ohio State University Extension is now accepting applications for its 2010 Suburban Community Gardening Program

We are partnering with interested residents to build community gardens in suburbs bordering the City of Cleveland.

To learn more about the Suburban Community Gardening Program, come to an information session:

Monday, February 15
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Heights Libraries - Lee Road Branch
2345 Lee Road, Cleveland Hts.

Monday, February 22
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Garfield Heights Civic Center
5407 Turney Road, Garfield Heights

Please RSVP by calling Michelle at 216-429-8224 or e-mailing key.46@osu.edu

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA), in cooperation with Shaker Heights and surrounding communities, will hold a public meeting on Monday, Feb. 22, regarding the Blue Line extension analysis.The meeting will be held from 6-8 p.m. in Room B of the Cuyahoga County Public Library, 22035 Clarkwood Parkway, Warrensville Heights.

LEED v3 Energy & Atmosphere 

Description
Two hour evening program will highlight changes in LEED v3 from professionals currently working on projects registered under LEED v3. Energy and atmosphere may be one of the hottest topics in green building right now, due to the cost savings associated with reduction of dependence on fossil fuels and the media’s glamorization of solar voltaic panels and windmills. Regional Priority Credit for Energy and Atmosphere credit 2 – On Site Renewable Energy will be discussed thoroughly

Corporate College East - http://www.corporatecollege.com/

Click here to register

A public meeting is scheduled for the West Shoreway project at 5 p.m. at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, locatated in the neighborhood of Detroit-Shoreway. For more information on the project, click here.

EcoTuesday is a structured networking event for sustainable business leaders that takes place on the fourth Tuesday of each month in cities across the country.

Guest speaker: Brad Masi, Executive Director of the New Agrarian Center

EcoTuesday is free with your online registration and costs $10 at the door.
Online registration ends two hours before the event begins. For information and registration: www.ecotuesday.com 

February Green Drinks will be at Great Lakes Brewing Company!

2516 Market Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44113
216.771.4404
info@greatlakesbrewing.com

Cleveland Green Drinks is a social event where emerging and established community leaders network and link ideas to create a concentrated effort of positive change in our region. Lyndy Rutkowski founded Cleveland Green Drinks in 2004 to create an event where her "green-minded" friends and colleagues could socialize and network. Lyndy and North Union Farmers Market are proud to collaborate on Cleveland Green Drinks going forward.

Green Drinks meets at hip & locally owned restaurants/bars in and around Cleveland. Our gathering is an opportunity to socialize with other interesting and involved individuals while enjoying fantastic food & drink. Sharing of ideas, networking, and plans for collaboration naturally occur - but is not forced - this is more of a laid back, relaxed social affair. In addition, our events support the local economy because we solely meet at locally owned establishments; cycling cash back into the pockets of local restaurateurs, farmers, brewers, vintners, etc. Get involved with Cleveland's Green Drinks group and you will soon find yourself amongst insightful, well connected, and fun loving professionals that can't help but integrate their passion for their work in every aspect of their lives.

A celebration of Northeast Ohio’s latest achievements in world-class technology and the remarkable minds behind them who are setting new standards of advancement and innovation.

Tickets and more information.

Reduce, re-use, recycle – how does this mantra apply to the development, building, and construction industries? This program will explore the themes of landfill diversion, green demolition, and building material recycling. Is this a ‘green’ fad or an emerging industry where Northeast Ohio can be a leader? Moderator--Paul R. Beegan, AIA Panelists Bill Hadden Kurtz Bros., Inc. Chris Kious A Piece of Cleveland Please Register by Thursday, February 19th 2010 ULI Members: $25 – YL & Public ULI Members: $15 Non-Members of ULI add $15 to your registration fee. Please note: Registrations made after Feb 19th 2010 are considered “at the door”.There is an additional $20 Fee for “at the door” registration.

You may have heard about Building Information Modeling (BIM) but never knew there were so many more benefits than just a pretty picture.

The key to any successful project is clear, concise understanding between architects, engineers, construction professionals, facility managers, and building owners. BIM allows for this integrative process and establishes incorporation of the most efficient and healthy buildings early on in new construction or as built environments.

Did you know that Building Information Modeling can help you:

Deliver CD’s quicker, help reduce change orders, provide cost estimating , create energy analysis / tax savings, prepare computer aided facility management (CAFM) information, produce 3D models and more.

This event is FREE to attend. Registration required at www.caddfx.com.  Space is limited to the first 150 built environment professionals.

Explore how the energy used to heat and power our homes and businesses is generated, transported, and measured. We will discuss hidden production costs, the importance of reducing base load needs, and how that calculates into our global, regional and local carbon footprint.  An emphasis will be placed on the justification for each of us to pursue a low-carbon diet by implementing affordable practices to lower electricity usage in homes.  Understanding your electricity usage is critical, so attendees are encouraged to bring a monthly bill to the meeting.  

Featured speaker is Stefanie Spear, Founder and Executive Director of EcoWatch and President of Expedite Renewable Energy.  Stefanie has been actively involved in environmental issues for more than 20 years, and tirelessly works on creating policy that will help transition Ohio into a clean energy economy.  

The program will also include updates on federal and state clean energy news.  Each family will receive a free compact fluorescent light bulb.  Please RSVP by February 24th to Athan@GreenEnergyOhio.org

ZeroLandfill Akron

Every Saturday in February

Feb 6 :: Feb 13 :: Feb 20 :: Feb 27

Architects, interior designers and graphic designers pollinate by dropping off your specification materials. Artist and educators come to harvest creative supply items including fabric, carpet, ceramic tile, glass and wallcovering samples, three ring binders and papers.

info@zerolandfill.net

DON’T HIBERNATE, CELEBRATE WITH BRITE WINTER IN THE FLATS Winter festival offers free entertainment and activities at Hart Crane Memorial Park in Collision Bend on Saturday, February 27

For more information visit here or call Emily Hornack at (216) 470-5872

Windermere Renaissance is sponsoring the East Cleveland Theater's production of August Wilson's "King Hedley II" to support building a green, sustainable home in East Cleveland.

 "King Hedley II" is the 8th work in Wilson's 10-play cycle chronicling the history of the African-American experience in each decade of the 20th century. It's set in 1985 and tells the story of an ex-con in post-Reagan Pittsburgh trying to rebuild his life. Many critics have hailed the work as a haunting and challenging tragedy of Shakespearean proportions.

August Wilson is arguably the most influential and successful modern African-American playwright. He is the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fences, The Piano Lesson, King Hedley II, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, and Radio Golf.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $100 for VIP.

VIP reception at 2:00 p.m.

Show at 3:00 p.m.

On Sunday, February 28th, Windermere Renaissance is sponsoring the East Cleveland Theater's production of August Wilson's "King Hedley II" to support building a green, sustainable home in East Cleveland.

August Wilson is the most influential and successful African-American playwright writing today. He is the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Fences, The Piano Lesson, King Hedley II, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Seven Guitars, Two Trains Running, and Radio Golf.

Tickets are $25 for general admission and $100 for VIP.
Please contact Dr. Patricia Blochowiak at 216-229-9125 for tickets.

Sen. Sherrod Brown speaking at Baldwin-Wallace College about his vision for a clean energy economy in Northeast Ohio and beyond.

Part of the college's two-day 2010 Sustainability Symposium: Carbon Footprints – How can we Transform our Tomorrow?

Scientists, policy analysts and many corporate leaders believe our global society needs to reduce overall carbon emissions by 80-90% by 2050 in order to mitigate the worst future impacts of climate change. This daunting task will challenge governments, corporations, municipalities, and ordinary citizens around the world to engage in a process of technological and social transformation…the likes of which we have never seen before in human history. This dynamic two-day symposium brings together world-renowned leaders, prominent local government representatives, members of the private sector, and experts who will discuss present and future issues relating to energy, climate and carbon as they impact our health and economic vitality of regional businesses and municipalities.

What might be possible if our culture appreciated local farmers as much as we do sports heroes, movie stars and celebrity chefs? 

It's a question worth asking because while the idea of local food has recently taken root in popular culture, we have yet to see a corresponding increase in the status, admiration, and appreciation of those who make the idea of local food into a reality: local farmers.

Join the Local Food Cleveland Network on March 1st - and on the First Monday of each month - as we celebrate and learn from the superstar farmers of Northeast Ohio. At this event we'll hear brief introductions from 8 to 10 farmers - who represent only a small fraction of the superstars in our region - and learn how they are moving local food forward as well as their advice for those who think farming might be in their future.

Speakers currently include:

• Larry Klco - Rainbow Farms
•  Aaron Miller - Miller Livestock
•  Abbe Turner - Lucky Penny Farm and Creamery
•  Lucy Wellhausen - Ohio Honey Company
•  Floyd Davis - Red Basket Farm
•  with more to come!

Click Here to Register
Phone: (216) 451-7755

Susan Solomon is a senior scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Earth System Research Laboratory and was the lead U.S. scientist for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the UN body that provides international leading scientific and policy analysis on climate change. Dr. Solomon will address global carbon reduction and the 2009 Copenhagen Conference that unites governments from across the world to craft the next round of Kyoto Protocol-style international agreements and strategies for reductions. Her presentation will discuss the impact of the conference as it relates to us nationally and regionally.

Part of the Baldwin Wallace College's two-day 2010 Sustainability Symposium: Carbon Footprints – How can we Transform our Tomorrow?

Scientists, policy analysts and many corporate leaders believe our global society needs to reduce overall carbon emissions by 80-90% by 2050 in order to mitigate the worst future impacts of climate change. This daunting task will challenge governments, corporations, municipalities, and ordinary citizens around the world to engage in a process of technological and social transformation…the likes of which we have never seen before in human history. This dynamic two-day symposium brings together world-renowned leaders, prominent local government representatives, members of the private sector, and experts who will discuss present and future issues relating to energy, climate and carbon as they impact our health and economic vitality of regional businesses and municipalities.

A series of concurrent panel sessions will take place in the morning and afternoon (times to be announced), including:

• Environmental and Carbon Footprinting: How Northeast Ohio's Leading Corporations Are Doing It
• Prospects for a Wind Energy Industry in Northeast Ohio
• What Will Federal Carbon Regulation Mean for Our Region?
• Small Businesses: How to Get Started  

Sherwin-Williams CEO Chris Connor will also speak. 

Part of the Baldwin Wallace College's two-day 2010 Sustainability Symposium: Carbon Footprints – How can we Transform our Tomorrow?

Scientists, policy analysts and many corporate leaders believe our global society needs to reduce overall carbon emissions by 80-90% by 2050 in order to mitigate the worst future impacts of climate change. This daunting task will challenge governments, corporations, municipalities, and ordinary citizens around the world to engage in a process of technological and social transformation…the likes of which we have never seen before in human history. This dynamic two-day symposium brings together world-renowned leaders, prominent local government representatives, members of the private sector, and experts who will discuss present and future issues relating to energy, climate and carbon as they impact our health and economic vitality of regional businesses and municipalities.

RTA Board of Trustees committee meetings

Board Room
Root-McBride Building
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

9am until 11am

More information:
http://www.riderta.com/ar_organization-board.asp

The Ohio & Erie Canalway scenic byway is getting a new identity and signage along its 110-mile route. At this ceremony, local Canalway leaders will post to post the first of 300 new signs.

The Ohio & Erie Canalway is a National Heritage Area - designated by Congress - to help preserve and celebrate the rails, trails, landscapes, towns and sites that grew up along the first 110 miles of the canal that helped Ohio and our nation grow.

“Solving Global Climate Change Can Help Ensure America's Security”

Former Sen. John Warner (R-VA) and the Pew Project on National Security, Energy and Climate will convene a public forum on March 3rd at the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI), home to some of Ohio’s and the nation's premier researchers for advanced energy, power, and aeronautics systems. Sen. Warner will speak to the critical links between national security, energy and global warming and to new strategies for combating climate change, protecting our national security, increasing our energy independence, and preserving our nation’s natural resources.

Clean energy research conducted by OAI and nearby NASA Glenn Research Center is simultaneously critical to energy independence, reducing carbon emissions, and stimulating
technology-driven industries in Ohio. Leading Ohio research and business experts will join Sen. Warner at the forum to describe Ohio’s role in reducing climate threats and to identify our opportunities for growing clean energy industries.

WHAT:     Public forum with former Senator John Warner (R-VA)
WHERE:   Ohio Aerospace Institute, 22800 Cedar Point Road, Cleveland
WHEN:     March 3, 2010, Noon: Complimentary lunch & networking,
12:30 – 2 p.m.: Forum
WHO:       Free and open to the public
RSVP:      RSVP by March 1 to tom.bullock.ohio@gmail.com

Ohio's Senate Bill 221, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and other government programs have opened the door for cost effective development of distributed, renewable and advanced energy systems for large-scale industrial and manufacturing companies operating in northeast Ohio. This forum will explore the general outlook for the future of Ohio's energy-intensive businesses and how these companies can actually lower their energy costs by taking advantage of the various provisions of Senate Bill 221. Join us for this forum to learn what local companies and businesses can do to cut energy costs and reduce their carbon foot print.

Keynote Presentation: Developing Renewable Energy on Industrial Sites

Dr. Charles Reith, Affiliate Professor, Environmental Science and Policy, George Mason University and Vice President, Projects, Remote Energy Solutions. Dr. Reith is a lecturer and consultant in carbon management and renewable energy. He has assisted major industrial users throughout the United States in characterizing their resource usage and in identifying opportunities to reduce energy costs, improve energy efficiency, increase supply reliability, and enhance environmental performance. Panel Discussion: Strategies and Resources to Help Reduce Industrial Energy Costs

Moderator:
Andrew R. Thomas, Executive in Residence, Center for Energy Policy, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University.

Panelists:

RTA Transit Improvement Advisory Committee meeting

RTA Board Room
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

8:30am until 10am

Areas of focus:
- Ease of Use. The CAB will focus on ways to make RTA easy to use for all riders, including participating in implementation of transit waiting environment projects.
- Safety and Security. The CAB will focus on ensuring that RTA is a safe and secure system.
- Advocacy and Partnerships. The CAB will focus on advocating and partnering with organizations to increase transit funding and promote public transit use.

More information: http://www.riderta.com/CAB/

The Cleveland Coalition is a civic organization of Clevelanders working to create and sustain a more vibrant, healthy and connected community by building civic imagination, community participation and leadership capacity. They host this conversation with a panel of speakers from legal, economic, civic and planning backgrounds discussing various elements of the casino.

Event Partners:
Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative, Kent State University
The City Club New Leaders
The Levin College Forum, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University

Ohio's vernal pools are critical to our environment.  Join the Ohio Environmental Council and the Ohio Vernal Pool Partnership for a hands-on workshop where you will:

• learn the threats to protecting important seasonal wetlands
• learn how and why to collect vernal pool data
• enjoy a field trip to a vernal pool
• learn to spot salamanders and identify different frog calls

For more info go to: www.theOEC.org/VP2010.htm

Exploring Sustainable Biochar Production:

Potential Benefits for Energy, Climate, and Agriculture

Sat. March 6th, 7:30pm
First Unitarian Fellowship of Cleveland
21600 Shaker Blvd, Shaker Heights

Biochar is a carbon rich compound created through the incomplete combustion of biomass. Many scientists believe that it may play an important role in mitigating climate shange, alleviating food insecurity and increasing renewable energy alternatives.

Could an ancient technology developed by Ameri-Indians help solve some of the most pressing challenges facing humanity, or will its costs outweigh its benefits?

Ryan D. Hottle: is a PhD student at The Ohio State University studying biochar at the Carbon Management and Sequestration Center. He is also the founder of BiocharFarms.org, a website with information on the sustainable use of biochar.
www.biocharfarms.org

This presentation is brought to you by the 2010 NE Ohio Permaculture Design Course, www.neohiopdc.wordpress.com

Join Cleveland's nonprofits for NON-PROFITS COUNT! –a rally to get the word out about the importance of the 2010 Census count to Cleveland’s social service agencies, community-based nonprofits and hunger centers.

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown will speak and Anne Campbell Goodman, President and CEO of the Cleveland Foodbank will host this inspiring and informative event.

Rally with your fellow nonprofits to promote the 2010 United States Census because a Complete Count is vitally important to the people of Cleveland. A Complete Count will help to ensure that critical services will continue to be available for Cleveland residents and for area nonprofit organizations, social service agencies, and hunger centers.

Initiatives affected by census data include:

• Head Start
• Child and Adult Food Programs
• Public Housing for Older Adults and People with Disabilities
• Community Development Block Grants
• Public Transportation
• Mental Health Services

The rally will be on Monday, March 8th from10am-11am at the Cleveland Foodbank. Please see the attached flier for more information.

It is time for Cleveland’s nonprofits to take a stand in support of the 2010 Census. We look forward to seeing your organization represented at NON-PROFITS COUNT!

Questions? Contact You Can Count on Me Coordinator, Jenita McGowan at jmcgowan@neighborhoodgrants.org

This is a reminder about March’s Science Café Cleveland, which will take place on Monday, March 8th at Great Lakes Brewing Company. This month’s topic is: "Canadian Imports: How Expanding Ice Sheets Influenced Ohio’s Settlement, Economy, and Recreation" Our featured expert will be Dr. John Szabo of the Department of Geology & Environmental Science at the University of Akron.

You can get more details of this and other science cafés: http://www.case.edu/affil/sigmaxi/

As usual, Science Café Cleveland will take place in the Tasting Room on the second floor of the Brewery (2701 Carroll Ave., across from Dave's Market); drinks will begin around 6:30 pm and discussion will begin around 7:00 pm.

Science Café Cleveland is sponsored by the CWRU chapter of Sigma Xi, WCPN ideastream, Great Lakes Brewing Company, Case Western Reserve University, and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. 

NEXT MONTH'S TOPIC: Cosmic Rays, featuring Dr. Corbin Covault and Ms. Yvette Cendes (Dept. of Physics and Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics, CWRU).

Monthly Working Group Meeting

Please join the Towpath Trail Partnership for phase 3 design and engineering for our second public Towpath Trail open house. Please RSVP to Amilyn at acadergee@mbakercorp.com

Joint meeting of the Brooklyn Centre Naturalists & Friends of Big Creek

A healthy watershed is important to our quality of life but human
activity has degraded the natural landscape in our heavily developed
area. How can an individual have a positive impact and become a steward
of our precious resources? Join us for a discussion of simple measures
that add up!

Please register by e-mail to bcnaturalists@gmail.com
or by phoning Gloria at 216-351-0254.

Presenters:

The Use of Native Plants in Public and Private Landscapes - Joe
Mestnik, Partner, Firefly
Architecture.
Overview of the ReImagining Cleveland Grant Program, designed to create sustainable land
reuses of vacant city-owned land bank lots, including the grant recently awarded to Brooklyn Centre Naturalists.

Big or Small: Backyard Habitats Are Everywhere - Terry Duncan,
National Wildlife Federation
Habitat Steward.
A certified wildlife habitat can be found in an area as small as a patio, in urban as well as
suburban settings. All you need is the right combination of food, shelter, water, and a place for wildlife to raise their young. NWF ideas on how to build it so some of your favorite wild
friends will visit.

Trickle Down Methods of Storm Water Management - John Rakauskas,
Rakauskas Architecture.
John will look at some permeable paving practices that, along with rain gardens and other measures, can help slow down and reduce volume and improve the quality of the stormwater entering our streams. 

Big Or Small: How to Make a Rain Garden - Lisa Warner, Naturalist,
City of Fairlawn.
The basics of how to create a rain garden in a residential setting.

Jason Schrieber, principal with Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates in Boston, speaking about  “Mode Shift: Moving From Driving To Biking and Walking.” Part of the Urban Innovators speaker series presented by the University Park Alliance in Akron.

Free an open to the public. To reserve a seat, call 330-972-8859 or email julie2@uakron.edu.

Cleveland Engineering Society Conference Revitalizing our Region: Innovating our Industry, Envisioning our Future

Breakout Session Tracks: Infrastructure & Public Works Architecture, Construction & Engineering Opportunities Through Emerging Technology

Keynote Speakers: Morning: Northeast Ohio: A Destination for Businesses from Around the World Thomas A. Waltermire, Chief Executive Officer,

Team NEO Lunch: Ohio Construction Reform Panel: Implications for Public Construction in Ohio Jeffrey R. Appelbaum, Facilitator, Ohio Construction Reform Panel; Partner/Chairman, Construction Law Group, Thompson, Hine, LLP

Closing Panel: Impact of Federal Funding for Design & Construction by Public Sector Agencies with: CMHA, NASA, ODOT, U.S. Dept. of Veteran's Affairs Moderated by: Brian Tucker, Publisher & Editorial Director, Crain’s Cleveland Business

The $100 million federal Sustainable Communities Program seeks to reward regions that coordinate land-use, transportation and fair housing and tie plans to meaningful metrics, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. EPA, HUD and DOT are hosting a series of listening sessions – Cleveland is one of only six cities on the national tour– to establish criteria for funding regional sustainable development plans.

NorTech's Advanced Energy Speaker Series presents a discussion on "Smart Grid Technology: Save Energy, Improve Efficiency and Increase Reliability" at FirstEnergy Corporation.

FirstEnergy, the nation's fifth largest electric utility and critical member of the advanced energy cluster in Northeast Ohio, will discuss how smart grid technology plays into their overall business strategy and how it impacts its customers.Dr. Kenneth A. Loparo, with the Great Lakes Energy Institute at Case Western Reserve University, will discuss new developments in research and future objectives of smart grid technology. The Great Lakes Energy Institute is a major asset for the growing advanced energy industry through coordinated research, development and education.

Time will be available for both groups to address your interests, questions and concerns during an open Q&A session.

Agenda
5:30 - 6:30 p.m. Networking and Registration
6:30 - 6:45 p.m. Welcome and Opening Remarks
6:45 - 7:45 p.m. Presentations by FirstEnergy and Case Western Reserve University
7:45 - 8:00 p.m. Q&A Session and Conclusion of Event

The event is free and open to the public; however, registration is required.
REGISTER NOW

Questions? Please contact Beth Lawson at blawson@nortech.org or 216.363.6889.

This event is presented in partnership with NorTech, FirstEnergy and Case Western Reserve University Great Lakes Energy Institute.

RTA Citizen Advisory Board meeting

RTA Board Room
1240 West 6th Street
Cleveland, OH

8:30am until 10am, scheduled for the second Thursday of each month

Areas of focus:
- Ease of Use. The CAB will focus on ways to make RTA easy to use for all riders, including participating in implementation of transit waiting environment projects.
- Safety and Security. The CAB will focus on ensuring that RTA is a safe and secure system.
- Advocacy and Partnerships. The CAB will focus on advocating and partnering with organizations to increase transit funding and promote public transit use.

More information: http://www.riderta.com/CAB/

A steering committe meeting is scheduled for March 11th at the Kiramu House in Cleveland. Click here for more information.

Cleveland Bridge Builders Open House Happy Hour 

This will be a great opportunity to network with prospective CBB applicants, CBB alums, and CBB staff and to learn about the program. Register here.

Cleveland Bridge Builders develops rising leaders for our community’s future by providing leadership training, serving as a leadership resource for the community, embracing inclusive and connective leadership, and encouraging communication between emerging leaders and established leaders in our community. The 10-month, tuition-based program begins with a day and a half opening retreat in September and includes five, full-day sessions and one morning of Leadership Action Project (LAP) team presentations. The program concludes in June with a graduation ceremony. The Cleveland Bridge Builders program empowers participants with the knowledge, skills, and connections to carry out both their personal and civic visions.

Turner Construction Company will be hosting the Corporate Roundtable presentation on "Sustainability in Construction" at the Hanna Theatre on Friday, March 12, 2010.

As the largest construction management firm in the United States and the number one green builder (Engineering News Record, 2009), Turner has been involved in the sustainable design and construction community from its onset by promoting and implementing environmentally sensitive design and construction practices. Ed Paparone, Business Manager at Turner, will describe how sustainability can be incorporated into every stage of construction from design to close-out. He will also highlight local projects that are pursuing LEED Certification and will feature the renovation of the Hanna Theatre and explain the sustainable construction techniques used to restore the building.

RSVP here by March 10.

NOACA Governing Board meeting

1299 Superior Avenue, 3d floor conference room
Cleveland, OH

Agendas are usually posted 1 week prior and can be found here:
http://cf.noaca.org/calendar/links1.cfm

Please confirm meeting date by calling NOACA offices: 216.241.2414

Dr. Parwinder Grewal of the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) and Urban Landscape Ecology Program, The Ohio State University, speaking on “The Self-Reliance Principle and Sustainable Urban Ecosystems.” Part of the Ecology, Evolution, & Environmental Science Spring 2010 Seminar Series at Cleveland State University.

Lake Erie Lakewide Management Plan public forum organized by the Ohio Environmental Council.

Registration information.

Want to have a good time AND support the Tremont Farmers’ Market?

Julie Zickefoose, natural history artist and writer, speaking as part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History's Explorer Lecture Series.  

Reading prose and poetry, showing her paintings and photography, naturalist and National Public Radio commentator Julie Zickefoose reveals the deep connection with nature that keeps her walking her 80-acre Appalachian sanctuary outside Whipple, Ohio, where she has come to know wild creatures as individuals and neighbors. Her book Letters from Eden struck a powerful chord with readers nationwide, evoking the rhythms of the seasons and an awareness of natural events that many people long for in the age of "nature deficit disorder."

More information and tickets.