Pittsburgh Green New Deal (PGND)is committed to building a mass movement – locally, nationally and globally – to secure implementation a Green New Deal.  This must involve ending and reversing the damage to our environment, while at the same time ensuring union scale jobs with a special focus on Black and Brown people and displaced fossil fuel industry workers, racial justice, health care, housing, mass transit systems, education, and cultural opportunities – in short mutual respect and quality of life for all people. We will work with organizations and individuals who share this commitment. We envision these areas of activity:

(1) educational activity (starting with the summer reading group, then reaching out with broader popular education efforts in community groups, churches, unions, etc.), spreading knowledge and consciousness to advance the Green New Deal;

(2) immediate environmental activity — tree planting and other practical work that can immediately benefit the environment;

(3) building a local coalition, linking up with national forces, to mobilize vigorous on-the-ground campaigns on behalf of the Green New Deal, most immediately seeking to build popular support and momentum for the THRIVE Act.

The structure of PGND is very simple.  It is open to those in agreement with this statement of purpose.  It operates on the democratic principle of one-person-one-vote, with regular membership meetings being the highest decision-making body of our organization, to which all committees or sub-committees established by the organization shall be answerable.

Adopted May 25, 2021

Summer Reading Group: There were three discussions with author Jonathan Neale based on his book “Fight the Fire: Green New Deals and Global Climate Jobs.” available here  https://theecologist.org/fight-the-fire. Recordings of the completed sessions are below:

1st Session, June 6 — Parts I and II (pages 7-92)https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/5UzaJdf35fChj683F-Dt447WacpXk09V_wSK6AvEqcC6zGT1yQcdRAPwyBb7DtAz.v1PVDvnsMPrGHREc
Access Passcode: Y2gixt%p

2nd Session, June 13 — Parts III and IV (pages 9-201)https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/n0ti0ILEWSr4j819w4V9qARopCebNCQJFQPyY2UtWgJUIY17HbIB1HqxzT2q1W9X.H75FKfG2tCmyfbWi
Access Passcode: RZ!B9fs?

In the month of July and August, The Green New Deal- Pittsburgh group will be discussing Pathways to Our Sustainable Future as a way to evaluate actions in the Green New Deal for implementation. We are looking at both the substantive changes necessary and the social and institutional infrastructure for driving change.

order here: Pathways to Our Sustainable Future: A Global Perspective from Pittsburgh. with author Patricia M. DeMarco available from University of Pittsburgh Press or order here https://patriciademarco.com
https://upittpress.org/books/?s=Pathways+to+Our+Sustainable+Future&submit=

Sunday July 11, 2021 at 4:00 to 5:30 PM Part I Connecting to the Living Earth – This discussion centers on the moral and ethical dimensions of transforming the economic and political systems to address climate change and social justice.

See the recorded session I here: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/RZ0MsittrNb8UssGTLoZjGUmYhsMgVEBTukerLRPAqd31jBP0xUSNspwxY5iLSZM.8NQyiqRJYba1F4I1?startTime=1626305570000 

Sunday, July 25, 2021 at 4:00 to 5:30 PM Part II Choosing Sustainable Pathways – This discussion covers transformation of major systems: energy, agriculture and materials management. There are contrasting approaches to those taken in Fight the Fire, and there are specific ties to pending legislative initiatives in the U.S. Congress.

See the recorded Session II here https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/AbR_3TWBzg9E3QT04j4KZmFkQddjLeBpGqe1JaiP3a1H5RnlklhGsUpZKgnnyUSA.FcgFw9G7FlavmT-C?startTime=1627243338000

Sunday, August 8, 2021 at 4:00 to 5:30 PM. Part III Empowering Change – This discussion will evaluate the role of leadership in driving change; what are the critical components for success? What are the pitfalls and impediments? Discussion based on evaluating the effectiveness of activists in driving change.

Listen to the recorded session here https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/voC6aV9VJlZPN8Vg-sJwf-CulwvAhbM9RbzarzU2L-zviYAf22d-6BlwGLAo8mX0.kpyzApZE5qzbQQls?startTime=1628453275000

To Participate in this discussion series, CONTACT: Paul LeBlanc <Paul.LeBlanc@laroche.edu>

Join the discussion for our consideration of Mike Stout’s book “Homestead Steel Mill: The Final Ten Years- USWA Local 1397 and the fight for union democracy”