Patricia DeMarco Ph.D.

"Live in harmony with nature."

Author Archives: patriciademarco


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From WWII Victory Gardens to Climate Victory Gardens

We commemorate Memorial Day on the last Monday in May, honoring all of those fallen in wars from the Civil War until now. It is a solemn occasion to mark the service of those who have given their lives in the name of our country. The causes and outcomes have varied over the years, with some more strikingly clear than others. But as a constant lies the dedication and support of the families of soldiers; the solidarity of those who share the experience of combat in arms; and the grief of loved ones for the loss of youth and promise.

The “war of choice” in Iran engaging us now has disrupted commerce and challenged the concept of trust in our leaders to weigh the value of lives carefully.[i] We mere citizens have little influence over the powers that wage wars, but we do experience the personal losses of family and friends; and communities see the impact as resources shift from domestic to military support. As military disruptions affect the international flow of petrochemicals, we see clearly how dependent we have become on this resource in all aspects of our lives. Especially in the food system.

The Straits of Hormuz closing has restricted movement for critical materials disrupting the flow of about 20% of global oil supply.[ii] Fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and packaging in the food industry all come from petrochemical industry. So does the fuel that runs the machinery and processing equipment for cultivating and harvesting, and fuel for transporting food from the growing areas to stores and homes. As with many other systems, the use of petrochemicals (oil and natural gas) has been a driver in their growth and development to major international industries.[iii]Now the war in Iran has put a spotlight on what it means to move away from the fossil fuel base for our basic needs for energy, food and transportation. This wartime experience has sharpened the points of need for alternatives based on non-fossil fueled, sustainable systems. It took decades for the industrial revolution to create the conditions of dependence on extractive resources we experience today, but it need not take decades to shift to a more sustainable system. The building blocks are in place already.

The Victory Garden and Domestic food initiatives of the WWII era have many parallels with the sustainable food initiatives of today.[iv] Even though the motivation for the gardens differs somewhat, using local foods, and how we prepare and acquire food for economy, health and public purpose have strong parallels. Rachel Carson compiled recipes for using domestic fishes in all regions of the United States as part of this effort.[v] Efforts to compensate for such things as sugar and butter rationing suggest approaches that can help with healthier eating habits today. Likewise, processes for preserving food for Winter have seen major advances in technology, with dehydration for example.[vi] But the concept of putting food by for year – round use stands as a long tradition to the oldest recorded history of human civilization.

This year, we face food supply constraints not only from war blockades of supply chains but also from the side effects of climate events. In Georgia wildfires have delayed planting times.[vii] In the Midwest, drought lingers, and in the agricultural areas served by the Colorado River, water restrictions loom.[viii] [ix] Conflicting demands between industrial uses and domestic and agricultural needs are growing. The erratic swings in climate conditions makes reliable agricultural production even more of a challenge than it has been traditionally.

Acquiring local foods, preserving seasonal foods and practicing economy and health in what we eat are standards of food culture available to everyone. The women of WWII tended Victory Gardens as part of a war effort, displacing commercial food so production could feed the Armed Forces and Allies. An estimated 8 to 10 billion pounds of food were grown in victory gardens and from other domestic food sources, releasing commercial production for military use.[x]

Modern Home -Grown initiatives look toward reducing the carbon footprint of the food chain by using locally sourced food and using regenerative agriculture practices for healthier eating.[xi] The Rodale Institute has documented that global adoption of regenerative practices across both grasslands and arable acreage could sequester more than 100% of current anthropogenic emissions of CO2 and that stable soil carbon can be built quickly enough to result in a rapid drawdown of atmospheric carbon dioxide.[xii] Restoring fertile ground through regenerative agriculture is an effective tool for capturing carbon dioxide from the air and binding it in soils. That means growing food with natural fertilizers like compost that stores carbon and increases soil fertility. It means having food produced without pesticides and herbicides that can leave residues in food. It means less petrochemicals used for transportation fuel, packaging, and refrigeration. Even displacing a little food purchased can save much in energy use and food waste.

The Climate Victory Garden is a new initiative that contributes to the resilience and sustainability of our food supplies in uncertain times. You can see all the Climate Victory Gardens and register yours here https://greenamerica.org/climate-victory-gardens

You can also support your community farmers by buying fresh produce at local Farmers Markets or participating in Community Supported Agriculture in your area. Summertime is planting time. Harvesting foods as they are ready and appreciating seasonal fruits and vegetables fresh from local gardens and farms is a pleasure forgotten in the inundation of year-round hybrid strawberries, raspberries and apples. Gone are the regional specialties anticipated for a year and enjoyed as a rare delight- like fresh-picked peaches in August. Discover the joy of growing some of your own food and herbs. Share the experience with your children. Live closer to the force of Nature that supports our life on Earth.

Kitchen herb pots- P.DeMarco Spring 2026.

References and Citations:

[i]  Anton Troianovski. “Trump wants to call the shots but in Iran he keeps hitting his limits.” New York Times. June 8, 2026. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/08/us/politics/trump-iran-war-middle-east.html  Accessed June 9, 2026. 

[ii] Samantha Gross and Ryan Beane. “From chokepoint to crisis: The Strait of Hormuz and global oil markets.” Brookings Institute. June 8, 2026.  https://www.brookings.edu/articles/from-chokepoint-to-crisis-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-global-oil-markets/   Accessed June 9, 2026.

[iii]  American Fuel and Petrochemical Manfacturers. “From Farm to table: The Role of Petrochemicals in Agriculture.” March 15, 2016.  https://www.afpm.org/newsroom/blog/farm-table-role-petrochemicals-agriculture  Accessed June 10, 2026.

[iv] Megan Springate. Victory Gardens on the World War II Home Front. National Park Service.   https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/victory-gardens-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm  Accessed June 9, 2026.

[v] Rachel Carson. Food From the Sea: Fish and Shellfish of New England. Conservation Bulletin 33. United States Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service. Washington DC. 1943. National Archive accessed in person May 12, 2025.

[vi]  USDA. Complete Guide to Home Canning, 2015 Revision. National Agricultural Library Digital Exhibit.  https://www.nal.usda.gov/exhibits/ipd/canning/items/show/101   Accessed June 9, 2026.

[vii]  Southern Georgia Wildfires. Satellite Imagery. Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. NOAA. April 18, 2026 https://satlib.cira.colostate.edu/event/southern-georgia-wildfires/  Accessed June 9, 2026.

[viii] Natalina Sents Bausch. Five Corn States Enter 2026 with Extreme or Exceptional Drought. Successful Farming. January 9, 2026. https://www.agriculture.com/5-corn-states-enter-2026-with-extreme-or-exceptional-drought-11882929  Accessed June 9, 2026.

[ix]  John Frank. Colorado River ranked as “most endangered” in the nation. Axios News. April 19, 2022. https://www.axios.com/local/denver/2022/04/19/colorado-river-ranked-most-endangered    Accessed June 9, 2026.

[x] Sundin, Sarah (2022) “Victory Gardens in World War II. Today in World War II History, August 15, 2022. https://www.sarahsundin.com/victory-gardens-in-world-war-ii/    Accessed June 10, 2026.

[xi]  Hilary McClafferty. Benefits of Eating Locally Sourced Foods. American Board of Physician Specialties. https://www.abpsus.org/eating-local-foods/  Accessed June 10, 2026.

[xii]  Jeff Moyer, Andrew Smith, Yichao Rui,and Jennifer Hayden.  Regenerative Agriculture and the Soil Carbon Solution. Rodale Institute. September 2020.   https://rodaleinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/Rodale-Soil-Carbon-White-Paper_v11-compressed.pdf


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The Dark Side of Recycling Electronic Waste

by Patricia M. DeMarco, Ph.D.
Mayor, Borough of Forest Hills, PA

     Black plastic is commonly used in kitchen utensils, takeout containers, food trays, and children’s toys. But they hide a dark secret- most are made from material recovered from electronic waste plastic. Many of these products are made from recycled electronic waste, which can contain harmful chemicals like brominated flame retardants and heavy metals.[i] Flame retardants (often called “Forever Chemicals”) are found in 85% of black plastic consumer products.[ii]
     Why is this a problem? Electronic products uniquely contain potential fire ignition sources within the components – circuit boards, batteries, transformers, connectors and other essential parts. To prevent and control the severity of fires, manufacturers coat electronics like computers, smart phones, televisions, gaming systems and tablets with a variety of flame-retardant compounds.[iii] 
     According to the Green Sciences Institute, flammability standards for electronics were developed in the 1970s in an attempt to limit the risk of a small open flame igniting plastic materials. High levels of flame-retardant chemicals–as much as 25% of the weight of the plastic–are used to meet these standards.[iv]  When these products are recycled to recover the plastic, contaminants can transfer to food through consumer products.[v]

     However, the chemicals so widely used to prevent the small fire risk are well-documented and potent endocrine disruptors. As a class of chemicals, organohalogens are highly persistent, bioaccumulative, and cause health harms, especially endocrine disruption, in wildlife and humans.[vi] These compounds can migrate from the plastic cases into dust particles which can be inhaled or ingested. And, when recycled into materials in contact with food, especially hot items, they can be absorbed into the food itself.[vii] Repeated petitions to the Consumer Products Safety Commission resulted in a Guidance Notice in 2017 to be in place pending the development of final regulations:
            “Commission recommends that manufacturers of children’s products, upholstered   furniture sold for use in residences, mattresses (and mattress pads), and plastic casings surrounding electronics refrain from intentionally adding non-polymeric, organohalogen flame retardants (‘‘OFRs’’) to their products. Further, theCommission recommends that, before purchasing such products for resale, importers, distributors, and retailers obtain assurances from manufacturers that such products do not contain OFRs. Finally, the Commission recommends that consumers, especially those who are pregnant or with young children, inquire and obtain assurances from retailers that such products do not contain OFRs.”[viii]

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has ceased rulemaking to implement this guidance, and has declared that the Commission does not have any rule prohibiting the use of flame retardants in children’s products, upholstered furniture, mattresses and mattress pads, and in plastic casings surrounding electronics.[ix]

Consumers are now without the protection of a regulatory limitation on products readily available and in common use. Why should we be concerned?

Human hormones produced by the endocrine system control essential functions.
Hormone Disrupting Compounds act at very low doses of exposure.
Endocrine glands and the hormones they produce enable the body to adapt to environmental change; they allow metabolic adjustments to occur in response to different nutritional demands (e.g. hunger, starvation, obesity, etc.); they are critical to reproductive function; and they are essential to normal development of the body and brain through their effects on growth and maturation of organs.[x]

EDCs disrupt normal hormone functions.
EDCs can block normal hormones by binding to specific receptors.[xi] They can mimic normal hormones, like estrogen, for example, interfering with normal hormone functions. Some can cause stimulation of a normal hormone function resulting in an unintended response. Because normal hormones are receptor-specific and act at very low concentrations in the body, small amounts of EDCs can have a larger unintended effect.[xii]

Chronic exposure has been shown to cause diseases.
EDCs in plastics include: bisphenols, phthalates, alkylphenol ethoxylates, nonylphenols, brominated flame retardants, perfluorinated substances, benzotriazole UV stabilizers, and toxic metals. Infertility, reduced sperm count, pregnancy loss, and low birth weight of infants have been caused by EDCs. Some EDCs have been shown to cause cancers or chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity. Some of these EDCs are persistent and bioaccumulative (i.e., build up over time in body tissues). When humans are tested for the presence of EDCs in their blood, fat, urine, and other tissues, the results consistently demonstrate a variety of EDCs in all individuals worldwide.[xiii]

In conclusion: Please examine your daily exposure to plastics. They can enter the body from absorption to food from plastic packaging or wraps, from ingestion of small particles from coated cooking pans or plastic cutting boards, or from using personal care or cleaning products. The Environmental Working Group provides a good source for guidance and brand based lists of exposure as well as Safe Products and sources.[xiv]

Choose durable materials for food preparation, serving and storage. Many things like spatulas and cooking goods made from aluminum, stainless steel, and wood are inexpensive and readily available. Secondhand goods stores are often a very inexpensive source for amazing products from the days of handmade homemade foods and materials.  Cast iron pans well-seasoned from regular use last for generations.

P. DeMarco photo

     While recycling is an essential feature for a circular materials economy, it is more important than ever to design products to ensure that toxic substances do not proliferate through the process. Recycling, without the necessary transparency and restrictions to ensure safety, is resulting in unexpected exposure to toxic flame retardants in household items.[xv] The chemical industry persistently repels attempts to regulate these and other forever chemicals, and has successfully prevented requirements to produce products that are non-toxic by design.[xvi]

     We are inundated with a stew of synthetic chemicals. Our bodies do not experience one chemical at a time but rather a complex mixture of contaminants now spread worldwide through air and water and soil, even to uninhabited areas like Antarctica. The effects of this complex mixture have never been studied systematically. However, the epidemiology evidence documents the fact that we have been conducting an uncontrolled experiment upon ourselves and all other living things on Earth. Rachel Carson’s early urging of precaution in the proliferation of synthetic materials into the biosphere was ignored, even despised and disparaged by the chemical industry and especially the petrochemical industry. We learn to our sorrow that she was right to urge precaution. Once released, this proliferation of “Forever Chemicals” cannot be retrieved. We have poisoned our world forever.

Citations and Resources

[i] Katrina Korfmacher and Jane VanDis. “Is the Plastic in Your Kitchen Harmful?”  Healthy Living. University of Rochester Medicine. May 30, 2025. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/news/publications/health-matters/is-the-plastic-in-your-kitchen-harmful  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[ii]  Liu M, Brandsma SH, Schreder E. From e-waste to living space: Flame retardants contaminating household items add to concern about plastic recycling. Chemosphere. 2024 Oct;365:143319. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143319. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39271080/

[iii] https://www.americanchemistry.com/industry-groups/north-american-flame-retardant-alliance-nafra/electronics-and-flame-retardants   Accessed May 28, 2026.

[iv] Hall, J.R. Fires Involving Appliance Housings— Is There a Clear and Present Danger?. Fire Technology 38, 179–198 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014463317848  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[v]  Liu M, Brandsma SH, Schreder E. From e-waste to living space: Flame retardants contaminating household items add to concern about plastic recycling. Chemosphere. 2024 Oct;365:143319. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143319. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39271080/

[vi] .       Prasada Rao S. Kodavanti, Margarita C. Curras-Collazo,Neuroendocrine actions of organohalogens: Thyroid hormones, arginine vasopressin, and neuroplasticity, Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, Volume 31, Issue 4, 2010, Pages 479-496, ISSN 0091-3022, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.06.005. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091302210000397)

[vii] Arlene Blum et.al. Electronics. Green Science Policy Institute. https://greensciencepolicy.org/our-work/electronics/  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[viii]  CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION [CPSC Docket No. CPSC–2015–0022] Guidance Document on Hazardous Additive, Non-Polymeric Organohalogen Flame Retardants in Certain Consumer Products Federal Register / Vol. 82, No. 187 / Thursday, September 28, 2017 / Notices https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2017-09-28/pdf/2017-20733.pdf   Accessed May 29, 2026.

[ix]  United States Consumer Products Safety Commission. Flame Retardants: Frequently Asked Questions on Organohalogen Flame Retardants. https://www.cpsc.gov/Business–Manufacturing/Business-Education/Business-Guidance/flame-retardants  Accessed May 29,2026.

[x] Jodi Flows, Pauline Dandimopoulou, Heather B. Potisoul, Andrew Gore, Lori Roetzman, Laura Vandenberg. Plastics, EDCs and Health: A Guide for Public Interest organizations and Policy-makers on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Plastics. Endocrine Society. December 2020. https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/topics/edc_guide_2020_v1_6chqennew-version.pdf

[xi]  Andrea C. Gore, Michele A. LaMerrill, Heather Patisaul,and Robert M. Sargis. Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals: Threats to Human Health. Endocrine Society. February 2024.  https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/advocacy/edc-report2024finalcompressed.pdf  and FAQ Sheet  https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/patient-engagement/hormones-and-series/hormones_and_edcs_what_you_need_to_know.pdf  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[xii] Heather Pautisal. Patient Resource Guide: Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals. Endocrine Society. January 24, 2022. https://www.endocrine.org/patient-engagement/endocrine-library/edcs  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[xiii] Jodi Flows, Pauline Dandimopoulou, Heather B. Potisoul, Andrew Gore, Lori Roetzman, Laura Vandenberg. Plastics, EDCs and Health: A Guide for Public Interest organizations and Policy-makers on Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Plastics. Endocrine Society. December 2020.  https://www.endocrine.org/-/media/endocrine/files/topics/edc_guide_2020_v1_6chqennew-version.pdf  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[xiv] Environmental Working Group. Toxic chemicals,  https://www.ewg.org/areas-focus/toxic-chemicals  Accessed May 29, 2026.

[xv] Liu M, Brandsma SH, Schreder E. From e-waste to living space: Flame retardants contaminating household items add to concern about plastic recycling. Chemosphere. 2024 Oct;365:143319. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2024.143319.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39271080/  Accessed May 28, 2026.

[xvi]  Tom Perkins. “US Chemical Industry Likely Spent $110m Trying to Thwart PFAS Legislation, Study Finds.” November 7, 2023. The Guardian.  https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/nov/07/us-chemical-industry-110-million-thwart-pfas-legislation    Accessed May 29, 2026.


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Women of Steel – A Legacy of Solidarity and Power

by Patricia M. DeMarco

This Mother’s Day holds deep memories, and current powerful examples of the force of women on our society. I had the pleasure to attend the Battle of Homestead Foundation tribute to the Women of Steel celebrated in music, film and remembrance at the historic Pump House, the last original structure remaining from the Homestead Steel Works. Steffi Domike and Connie Portis organized the screening of Pauline Greenlick’s film set to Mike Stout’s song “Women of Steel.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gORURSBGge4 Betty Esper’s stories from the early days of running as a messenger from one end of the 5-mile mill complex to the other shared a time when every advance was hard-won. Sandra Gould Ford’s tales of her time in the chem lab of J&L, with her photographs becoming the base for her amazing work as a photographic artist ,gave powerful evidence of survival in the face of monstrous adversity. And Rose Bezey ‘s and Kelly Vereb’s tales of hardships persisting to this day raised the value and importance of the Union in combatting injustice and discrimination. We need the power of unions again today, more than ever.

I was thinking about my Mother, Marcella DeMarco, all evening as I sat absorbing the solidarity and the power of so many strong union women, so many friends in the movement. My Mother organized teachers for better wages, promotion opportunities equivalent to men; for equal sports opportunities for girls, before Title IX, and for better classroom materials.  She went on, after earning her Doctorate in Public Administration, to organize the Pittsburgh Administrators Association for the same needs – women’s rights, students’ rights and fair wages and opportunities to advance. Her passion for her students pervaded our lives. I remember carrying her emergency supply bag (lemons, smelling salts, water, blister salve and bandages etc.) as she coached the South Hills High School Drill Team for Memorial Day parade. I watched in awe as she coached the Women’s Gymnastics team, including my blue-ribbon sister Linda who defied gravity flying off the uneven parallel bars, or leaping to unimagined heights in floor exercises she performed to music she recorded on her flute. My Mother always had a passion for excellence and seeing that her students were able to pursue their highest ambitions.

So many of the Women of Steel, and the workers who made the steel industry the heart of our economy for nearly 100 years, came to Pittsburgh as immigrants fleeing strife and poverty. They infused America with passion for a better life, a hard-working ethic and a tight sense of community. These values still stand, even in communities disinvested for the last 50 years, especially among the immigrants here among us today. But how different their reception now compared to those many years ago! My parents and grandparents preserved the cultural richness from Italy, Poland and Croatia even as they settled into the culture of American life. Today we treat immigrants as “aliens” ignoring the richness added to our life experience in the diversity of foods, customs, music and joy they bring to our communities.

It is the women who preserve culture, who hold the community together when times get tough, and who stand in solidarity when the rules need to change. This strong spirit of solidarity and resilience holds even today. Rose Beazy spoke of the rising need for unions to protect workers rights for health and safety in the face of entrenched corporate greed. Our challenges increase as federal policies erode environmental protections, social services, education and health protections.

Hard-won rights for voting and fair representation loom as battles needed again. Freedom of religion, free speech and of the press erode daily through back-door executive powers backed by a corrupt Supreme Court. It is time for all of us to take the lessons of the Women of Steel. It is time to defend our Constitution:

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.” https://www.senate.gov/about/origins-foundations/senate-and-constitution/constitution.htm

We must organize, mobilize and protest this administration’s usurpation of our country by greed, avarice and corrupt self-dealing at the highest levels of government. We who stand in solidarity with the people who actually do the work that builds wealth need to level the profit field so the workers benefit more fairly from their labor. The functions of government must return to serving the people, not just private corporate interests, especially of multi-national corporations.

I return to the amazing words and work of Eleanore Roosevelt in her time as Chair of the Commission on Human Rights in forming the United Nations. Her words spoken in the wake of the horrors of World War II ring as a caution to us today:

“We must not be confused about what freedom is. Basic human rights are simple and easily understood: freedom of speech and a free press; freedom of religion and worship; freedom of assembly and the right of petition; the right of men to be secure in their homes and free from unreasonable search and seizure and from arbitrary arrest and punishment.We must not be deluded by the efforts of the forces of reaction to prostitute the great words of our free tradition and thereby to confuse the struggle. Democracy, freedom, human rights have come to have a definite meaning to the people of the world which we must not allow any nation to so change that they are made synonymous with suppression and dictatorship.“https://erpapers.columbian.gwu.edu/struggle-human-rights-1948

We live in perilous times, embroiled in a “war of choice” amid the deliberate destruction of many institutions of science, education, arts, and humanity. We must renew our dedication to standing up for what we value. We must hold true to the sacrifices of so many before us who fought and died for true government “…of the People, by the People and for the People.” It is time to step into our power as engaged citizens. 

Live in harmony with Nature!


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Mayoral Proclamation for Earth day in Forest Hills Borough 2026

Mayoral Proclamation Commemorating the 56th Earth Day

Whereas April 22 has been designated as the annual celebration of the founding of the environmental movement in 1970 and is now celebrated in the United States and in 141 countries worldwide.

Global warming, global pollution of air, water, and land and global loss of biodiversity from the continued combustion of fossil fuels, the proliferation of plastics, and the advance of environmentally stressful technologies like data centers and fracking are causing disruption of traditionally stable environmental conditions.

Climate warming and pollution cause local increased number and severity of storms with flooding and power outages in both summer and winter, drought conditions, and increases in disease-vectors such as ticks, threatening the well-being and livelihoods of many people.

Pollution, environmental degradation and the climate crisis are generational justice issues that disproportionately affect young individuals and future generations, who will face difficulties accessing clean water and clean air.

The theme for Earth Day 2026 is “Our Power, Our Planet” recognizes the collective ability of individuals, communities, and organizations to drive climate action and environmental protection.

Whereas We recognize that the collective actions of many people contribute significantly to advancing environmental progress through sustained individual actions, civic engagement and grassroots organizing.

The Borough of Forest Hills values the quality of our environment by maintaining our standing as a Tree City since 1974, by participating as a Bird Town, by hosting two active garden clubs- The Forest Hills Garden Club and the Late Bloomers Garden Club.

The Borough of Forest Hills has incorporated environmental values through its Comprehensive Plan, Climate Action Plan and Active Transportation plan, with the participation of hundreds of residents, the Environmental Advisory Council, the Tree and Shrub Committee, and Members of Borough Council.

Forest Hills supports ecosystem restoration and watershed protection in Borough Parks and properties and encourages residents to plant and cultivate native flowers, shrubs and trees to support healthy ecosystems and clean water in our community.

Forest Hills supports the reduction of plastic waste by encouraging all citizens to first Refuse plastic when biodegradable alternatives are available, to Reduce the use of plastic by choosing alternative materials, to Reuse materials that can be adapted to other purposes, and to Recycle as much material as possible.

The Borough of Forest Hills continues its implementation of the Climate Action Goals to reduce dependence on fossil fuel resources by using renewable energy sources in Borough operations and to support citizens in their efforts to use renewable energy and consume energy more efficiently.

Now Therefore Be It Resolved that the Borough of Forest Hills recognizes the gifts of the living Earth that provide our life support system of renewable energy, fresh water, clean air, fertile ground and the wide array of species that constitute the web of life and shall celebrate Earth Day 2026 throughout the month of April with special events:

on Arbor Day on Friday April 24, 2026 at 10:00 am in Forest Hills Park with students from Trinity School to recognize the value mature tree canopies and native PA shrubs bring to our environment and our quality of life; and

on Saturday April 25, 2026 from 9:00 AM to noon Forest Hills will engage the residents of the community in a day of service to clean up accumulated litter and debris from the Parks and streets of the Borough of Forest Hills.

Adopted this 15th Day of April 2026.

Patricia M. DeMarco

Mayor


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Mayoral Proclamation for Forest Hills Arbor Day 2026

 OFFICIAL PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS in 1872, the Nebraska Board of Agriculture established a special day to be set aside for the planting of trees, and

WHEREAS this holiday, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska, and

WHEREAS Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world, and

WHEREAS trees can be a solution to combating climate change by reducing the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water, cutting heating and cooling costs, moderating the temperature, cleaning the air, producing life-giving oxygen, and providing habitat for wildlife, and

WHEREAS trees are a renewable resource giving us paper, wood for our homes, fuel for our fires, and countless other wood products, and

WHEREAS trees in our city increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of business areas, and beautify our community, and

WHEREAS trees — wherever they are planted — are a source of joy and spiritual renewal.

 NOW, THEREFORE, I,Patricia M. DeMarco, Mayor of the Borough of Forest Hills, PA, do hereby proclaim April 24, 2026 as ARBOR DAY in the Borough of Forest Hills, and I urge

all citizens to celebrate Arbor Day and to support efforts to protect our trees and woodlands, and

FURTHER, I urge all citizens to plant trees to gladden the heart and promote the well-being of this and future generations.

DATED THIS 24th day of , April 2026.

Patricia M. DeMarco

Mayor


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Our Moral Obligation to Preserve the Living Earth

Here in Pittsburgh in the first weeks of April, though the air is chilly now, this week follows five days of temperatures above 65 degrees. Blossoms not usually emergent until May are in full flower- violets, redbud trees, magnolia trees…and the daffodills and hyacinths have wilted from being so warm. As I had opened the windows a bit, i woke early to listen for the dawn chorus of birdsong I have always associated with the coming of Spring. There were several distinct songbirds- a few robins, a cardinal or two, a flicker, and American song sparrow, a Carolina wren. But the joyous chorus of many many birds greeting the dawn together is no more.

The harbingers of our fate call out in silences once filled with music. The unseen wonders lost. I take the occasion of this Earth Day theme “Our Power, Our Planet” to emphasize again the fact of our existence: we depend on the gifts of the living Earth. Our survival, our life support system comes from the solar power and ecosystem services of the interconnected web of life. The interactions between the living and mineral and inanimate parts of the planet shape our existence, and as humans we have developed the power to shape, re-shape and even destroy the living systems we depend on.

I reflected on our moral obligation to preserve these gifts of the living Earth for our children and those who follow.

Thanks to Jim Lenkner for the video recording and editing.

As you consider your own obligation to our living Earth and to the children among us and of the future, seek to live lightly on this earth, being judicious in how much of the world’s resources we use daily.

Uee your voice to advocate for preserving natural places and pulcic parks, refuges and oceans.

Engage in your own community to keep the green spaces, provide access to nature, and plant food and flowers instead of chemically supported lawn.

Remember to celebrate the joy of the natural world. We are more alike as human creatures than different in culture, religion, gender, or political persuasion. Find the common humanity across these barriers. Live in harmony with Nature.

Happy Earth Day!

Patricia DeMarco

8 April 2026


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Rebuilding Environmental Protection: Lessons from Rachel Carson

Click to access 3-6-2026-rebuilding-environmental-protection.pdf

In consideration of Women’s History Month, I am reflecting on Rachel Carson and her message of precaution in protecting the living earth.

Rachel Carson’s challenge. Rachel Carson lived and wrote in a time before pollution was regulated at the federal level. Her work at the Bureau of Fisheries and in the Fish and Wildlife service documented the value of preserving natural places, enshrined in the National Wildlife Refuges and in the Endangered Species Act. Rachel Carson advocated for preserving all the parts of natural ecosystems and using the tools of natural systems for pest control and resource management. She wrote often of the need to take precaution in the broadscale dispersion of man-made chemicals. She wrote, in the formal language of the 1950s, of the trend of our society towards destruction:

Mankind has gone very far into an artificial world of his own creation. He has sought to insulate himself, in his cities of steel and concrete, from the realities of earth and water and the growing seed. Intoxicated with his own power, he seems to be going farther and farther into more experiments for the destruction of himself and his world.               Rachel Carson. Speech on receiving the John Burrows Medal. April 1952.[i]

This describes the condition we face today. We see all around us the cumulative effects of pollution from burning fossil fuels to plastic waste, and forever chemicals created to control pests or for enhancements like “no-stick” pans. Rachel Carson raised concerns about the chemical stew resulting from the accumulation of materials from multiple sources and through concentration up the food chain. She documented how materials introduced into the environment migrate to unintended locations through the action of wind and water. Silent Springwas all about taking caution.[ii]

But we have not taken caution. We have conducted a massive experiment upon ourselves and our children with no controls, and no anticipation of how to redress the harm. Rachel Carson perceived this potential for harm long before the voluminous scientific documentation of health harms of pollution mounted in evidence.[iii] She wrote from a deep knowledge of the delicate intricacies of the interconnected web of life. She knew in her bones of the absolute dependence of humankind upon the smooth functioning of the ecosystems that provide fresh water, oxygen-rich air and fertile ground. Our life support system depends on these natural systems, evolved over millennia, and stable for thousands of years. But that stability also depends on respecting the laws of nature and preserving the living systems that sustain us.[iv]

The regulatory approach to controlling pollution has rested on the concept of mitigating risk to
the public and protecting the quality of air water and land from contamination. The level of total
risk is defined as the combination of inherent hazard, or how toxic a substance is to living plants,
animals and humans, and the amount of exposure.

RISK = {HAZARD X EXPOSURE}

Consequences: total toxic emissions and health harms. In spite of the voluminous regulations, pollution is increasing not only in the US but globally. Because dispersion by wind and water makes it impossible to isolate contaminants to a specific location, contamination crosses all political boundaries. Even as Rachel Carson pointed out so many years ago, we now see contamination worldwide. The public health implications of this proliferation of toxic contaminants are impossible to escape. (See full article for details.)

Although environmental regulation has improved the quality of air and water overall since before enacting the regulations under the EPA, the results have not kept up with the challenges of modern industrial chemical contamination, nor have they prevented the effects of accumulation of man-made chemicals in the environment. The expectation and complaints from industry that environmental regulation hurts the economy has not been documented. In fact, economic growth has continued even as environmental controls have been enacted and enforced.

De-construction of environmental protections. Today we see the unravelling of the complex tapestry of regulatory controls on pollution, from Executive Orders granting absolution to 41 industries from emission constraints to laws rescinding critical portions of the Clean Air Act.[ii] The EPA under the Trump Administration has rescinded 31 regulations that protect water, air and land from industrial pollution and chemical contamination, challenging Safe Drinking Water and Clean Water Act requirements, and curtailing enforcement actions. Rulemaking to control forever chemicals (PFAS) has been delayed or abandoned. The Supreme Court has removed the science-based expert authority of regulatory agencies requiring a strict and narrow interpretation of authorizations stated in the enabling legislation. The EPA revoked the Endangerment Finding of 2009 which put greenhouse gas emissions control under the Clean Air Act, effectively eliminating climate action controls. The EPA has also declared that costs of health harms and deaths from pollution will no longer be calculated in the analysis of regulatory action on air emissions. Challenges to these actions have had some success in federal courts, including the declaration that rescinding congressionally approved grants for renewable energy are illegal.

Rebuild Environmental Protection with Regenerative Thinking. The long-term implications of these policy changes alarm environmental organizations and people concerned with the health of communities who are looking toward a change of administration to correct the harms. But, at this point, simply reversing the actions taken so far will not address the underlying issues. Of all the environmental regulations adopted to date, only the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 addresses the concept of designing to prevent pollution and encouraging recycling. We can take lessons from the regulatory approach of the last 56 years and improve the outcome going forward. This is the opportunity to move our system of laws and regulations through a transformation from an extractive fossil-based economy to a regenerative renewable resourced economy. There are at least five elements to this process.

1. REACH: The first lesson would be to adopt the precautionary principle as the basis for evaluating the introduction of new man-made materials into large scale production.

2. Green Chemistry: Second, adopt a regulatory framework that emphasizes reduction or elimination of the inherent hazard, rather than computing the “safe” amount of toxicity for individual contaminants. 

3. Empower Renewable Resources. Third, adopt the regulatory infrastructure to empower distributed renewable energy systems.

4. Heal damaged lands. Beyond preventing future pollution and damage, lies the responsibility to repair the scars and harms of legacy industries. 

5. Remove fossil industry subsidies. The federal subsidies currently lavished on the fossil extractive industries can be shifted directly to fund the sustainable energy system.

A shared prosperity. It is time for bold action. It is time to recognize that the laws of nature are not negotiable, nor can they be rescinded by executive order or wishful thinking. The condition of our life support system requires both reduction in the levels and types of pollution as well as strong support for the known and available technical solutions. Burning fossil resources as the base for the economy drives the global warming that will make the planet uninhabitable to life as we know it.[i] By creating a new regulatory framework based on regenerative thinking and protection for our life support system, we can establish the conditions for a shared prosperity and sustainable growth within the constraints of our living earth.Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth shall find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. Rachel Carson.

See the full analysis, with citations, of our way forward here: Rebuilding Environmental Protection PDF

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Endangered but Not Yet Doomed

12.Feb.2026

By Patricia M. DeMarco

This year has seen so many long days of cold harsh reality crashing through the optimism and hope of the last two years. From the vision from ReImagine Appalachia to the many responses to the Community Change grants and the burst of enthusiasm for what was supposed to be a stable ten -year commitment to renewable energy support all had the rug pulled out from under them. The Trump flurry of Executive Orders, rescissions and retractions of approved funds, even grants under contract has sent shock waves through one community after another.  The deliberate cruelty with which federal assistance for disasters has been withheld or retracted, sometimes based on partisan vindictiveness, stands with little challenge. Now comes the gleeful revoking of the Endangerment Finding that supported EPA regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, and point source pollution from power plants, factories and fossil extractive industries.[1]We are numb. Stunned into a shocked silence.

Well, the time for stunned inaction is over.  The America built on immigrant blood, sweat and tears, the America striving toward shared prosperity and a more just, equitable and inclusive future, the America of hope, compassion and joy must rise up again. We who believe in a government of the People, by the People and FOR THE PEOPLE must stand up and take back what is good and right as our responsibility and our duty.  We know that the science supporting the need to control greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels gives a short and closing window of timing for effective action. 

This graph, based on the comparison of atmospheric samples contained in ice cores and more recent direct measurements, provides evidence that atmospheric CO2 has increased since the Industrial Revolution.

Luthi, D., et al.. 2008; Etheridge, D.M., et al. 2010; Vostok ice core data/J.R. Petit et al.; NOAA Mauna Loa CO2 record. Find out more about ice cores (external site).

We dare to believe that excellent education for all makes stronger citizens and a stronger economy.  We insist that the health and well-being of all people depend on access to health care for everyone. We know that to have healthy people we depend on clean water, fresh air and fertile ground as well as the vast number of species that provide our life support system. It is our duty to protect and strengthen the laws and regulations that control and prevent the massive pollution that has become the hallmark of modern civilization. It is time for an effective national law on Climate Change.

No longer can we tolerate sweeping the climate issue to the side, whispering about it in closed enclaves. We must no longer tallow climate action to be disparaged as “woke” or succumbing to the “Climate is a hoax” dogma issuing from Trump and his minions.  The fossil industries who bought this President are bringing down our entire civilization.[2]These multi-national corporations have allegiance to no country, and certainly see no value in preserving humanity or any part of the natural world.  Next quarter profits are their only metric.  And if we look to the fate of our grandchildren, twenty years hence, the corporations do not care.  They have no children. They do not breathe air or drink fresh water. They do not bleed in war. They do not get illnesses from their filthy enterprises. The stock market is soaring.  The GDP is fine, what is our problem?

We need to focus on the fundamental systems that support a better future for all of us. That means we must address the unjust and skewed wealth distribution in our country. It is not a viable situation for the top 1% of people to control 86% of the wealth while the lowest 50% control less than 15%.[3]  The frozen federal minimum wage at $7.25/hour combined with a systematic attack on unions and worker organizing has killed the middle class.[4] The Tax Reform Act of 1986 under Ronald Regan and the “Big Beautiful Budget Bill” of Trump have combined to increase the disparity in wealth distribution.  Money is the heart of this evil. Unfettered capitalism feeds greed. And greed kills. Policies that demonize equity, inclusion, immigrants, and dignity to any outside the cult of wealth are destroying the best of what made America a great country. Now ripping away the Endangerment Finding assures the destruction of our life support system:clean air, safe drinking water, fertile ground and the millions of species that constitute the great Web of Life, of which humans are but one part. 

Climate must be on the agenda for the Mid-term Elections.  Rescinding the Endangerment Finding does not rescind the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on the climate. It just cuts out the ability of our government to move in a more positive and healthy direction. We can thrive without fossil fuels. But we cannot even survive in a planet warmed above the range of viability for all living things…including humans. We cannot have healthy, thriving people without a healthy thriving environment. We are facing our own extinction.  It is time to ACT!

Adopt a National Energy Act for Climate Resilience. We must recognize that the energy system is in the midst of a critically necessary transformation away from a fossil resource -based system that moves from extraction to production to trash. The renewable resource based, circular materials and energy management system is emerging worldwide, in spite of all U.S. efforts to stifle its progress.  We must boldly examine the regulatory infrastructure that can support a distributed energy system and a circular materials management system.  The laws and regulations governing utilities are designed for one way flow of power from central power stations to customers distant and connected by wires.  The emerging energy system is based on renewable resources. A distributed energy system accommodates multiple sources of electricity generation from net zero buildings that sometimes produce more energy than they need to microgrids linked with long duration battery storage systems and interconnected with load management software that balances loads and resources.  Customers generate some or all of their own power, from solar PV on their roofs and car batteries in their garages, and utilities struggle to accommodate two-way flows. Many large customers can also generate all of their own power with dedicated systems linked to their unique demands, and drop out of the grid altogether.  We need to examine an update to the laws and regulations governing the production and exchange of power to address the reality of a shifting energy system. A distributed energy system powered by renewable resources can sustain a better future. We need a regulatory infrastructure that enables this transformation in law.

The laws of nature are not negotiable.  As we increase the concentration of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, the planet will continue to warm. That is just physics. Trump may try to erase Black History. He has reversed decades of policy supporting immigration as America the melting pot. He has re-aligned alliances and trade agreements. He can eliminate public education and limit health care and benefits.  BUT he has no power to change the laws of atmospheric physics and chemistry. He has no power to control the response of living systems, including humans, to changes in the environment.  He has no power to re-write the laws of Nature. We ignore these at our peril.

It is time to put our life support system on the agenda. It is time to protect our world for our children.  We can live without luxury cars. We can live without plastics.  We can live without gilded buildings. We cannot live without oxygen-rich fresh air, or clean water, or fertile ground that provides food. We cannot live without compassion and empathy for each other in communities of caring people. We cannot live without the ecosystems that support life on earth.

Endnotes and Resources:

[1] Environmental Protection Agency. President Trump and Administrator Zeldin Deliver Single Largest Deregulatory Action in U.S. History:Trump Admin Eliminates Obama-Era Endangerment Finding, off-cycle credits, start-stop feature. Feb 12, 2026.  https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/president-trump-and-administrator-zeldin-deliver-single-largest-deregulatory-action-us  Accessed Feb 12, 2026.

[2] Dharna Noor. “Big oil spent $445m in last election cycle to influence Trump and Congress, report says.” The Guardian. 23 Jan 2025.https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/23/big-oil-445m-trump-congress   Accessed Feb 12, 2026.

[3]   Urban Institute calculations from the Survey of Financial Characteristics of Consumers 1962, the Survey of Changes in Family Finances 1963, and the Survey of Consumer Finances 1983–2022.  Urban Institute. April 25, 2024.  https://apps.urban.org/features/wealth-inequality-charts/

[4] Mills Rodrigo. “America’s Wealthiest Are Getting Even Richer.” Inequality.org. January 31, 2026.     https://inequality.org/facts/wealth-inequality/   Accessed Feb. 12, 2026.


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A Dream of America with Justice, Equity and Inclusion: in Honor of Rev. Martin Luther King

On this day commemorating the life of Rev. Martin Luther King, I reflect on his dream of a better America, where the country would be “…true to what you said on paper in the Constitution…honoring the Freedom of Assembly, Freedom of Speech and Freedom of the Press. All assuring the Constitutional right to protest for what is right!”[1] His words ring true for us today in so many ways. “When people get caught up with that which is right and are willing to sacrifice for it, there is no stopping the outcome short of victory.”[2]  In the depths of the civil rights movement in 1962, he described the days of challenge to make America a better nation. His words and his passion for justice roused the conscience of our nation, and the world because he spoke to what is universally recognized. We are more alike as humans than different in race, religion, culture or even political persuasion. 

            Rev. Martin Luther King lifted up  the need for strengthening the moral fiber of society to recognize and act on the racial injustice and  poverty as a policy choice and war as an instrument of oppression. 

            There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific      and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have          become morally and spiritually. We have learned to fly the air like birds and swim the sea             like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together as brothers.[3]   

[1] Martin Luther King  speech to the Memphis Refuse Workers. April 3, 1968. https://www.npr.org/2024/02/07/1228320048/black-history-mlk-speeches-martin-luther-king

[2] ibid

[3] Martin Luther King. Nobel Prize Lecture. Netherlands. December 11, 1964.  https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/peace/1964/king/lecture/

See the full essay here:

1-19-2026 A Dream of America with JusticeDownload


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The Special Power of Women in Shaping Good Governance

Presented to Three Rivers Democratic Women, Pittsburgh
November 20, 2025.

We close 2025 in the waves of disruption and distress from the re-alingment of the federal government under President Trump. Maintaining focus in the face of the Trump administration retrenchment on climate, environmental protections, civil liberties and common decency has been a challenge for most of us in the battle for a sustainable future.  I take hope from the continued advance of regenerative practice at the level of state and local governments across the country and around the world.

Women have the power to bring compassion, balance, dignity and joy to processes of governance too often mired in petty politics and power struggles over ego. It is time for women to stand together and call for a return to a government of compassion and caring; a government of shared prosperity and improved quality of life for all citizens; a government of moral alignment with basic human rights and dignity. It is time for women to step forward and lead from the heart of our nation.

     As we face this New Year, I find hope and sustenance from the many bonds of friendship and community around me.  People need each other, most especially in times of tribulation.  The greatness of our nation is not measured by the number and notoriety of its billionaires but by the wellbeing of the least among us- the children, the elderly, the infirm. We do not yield to hatred and anger but rather embrace the many opportunities to care for each other and for our Mother Earth. Extending dignity and respect to each person we meet reflects joy back and amplifies the sense of belonging to a common purpose.  We build toward a shared prosperity based on regenerative systems for food, energy, and infrastructure. We preserve and strengthen our life support system: clean air, fresh water, fertile ground and the vast diversity of species that constitute the great Web of Life. We are stronger together and together we rise.

     I wish the blessings of this Season of Hope and Joy for you and your families.

Buon Natalé!

11-20-2025 The Special Power of Women in Good GovernanceDownload