Marcellus Protest on FlickrCrammed into a week already bloated with 4/20 references and Passover and Lenten sacrifices, Earth Day has come to mean little more than an inbox flooded with greenwashed consumer opportunities. Instead of buying ebooks or luxuriating in vegan tasting menus, hit the streets for the Anti-Hydrofracking March from Schuylkill to the Delaware, learn about the ecology of your backyard river at Shad Fest, and be inspired by the success of Washington, DC’s Capital Bikeshare program.
Sat., April 23: Anti-Hydrofracking March from the Schuylkill to the Delaware; Shad Fest
From 2-5 pm, citizens concerned about the dangers of hydrofracking will gather to demonstrate opposition to introducing this underregulated method of extracting natural gas to the Delaware River Basin. From the 2pm meeting at Schuylkill River Park (25th St. between Pine and Spruce), demonstrators will continue to a rally at Love Park (1500 Arch St., 3 pm), where speakers will address the dangers of hydrofracking to our groundwater and watershed. Expect street theater, music, a school marching band and a dramatized contamination incident at Love Park. The march will proceed to Penn Treaty Park (Delaware Ave. and Beach St.) to meet up with Shad Fest by 5 pm. (March is rain or shine).
Penn Treaty Park will host Shad Fest from 11am-6pm with a crazy-packed lineup of free live music (Black Landlord headlining), educational programming from environmental-and community-minded local nonprofits, veggie and omnivore treats of all types, a curated craft bazaar and live demos on breaking down and smoking the titular fish from Fest organizer/Johnny Brenda’s and Standard Tap co-owner Paul Kimport. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Penn Treaty Park. If the predicted thunderstorms materialize, the show will go on Saturday, April 30.
Mon., April 25: Capital Bikeshare, the Good, the Great and the Challenges: The Washington, DC Story
Bike Share Philadelphia and Alta Bicycle Share will sponsor a talk by Gabe Klein, newly appointed Commissioner of the Chicago DOT and ex-director of the District of Columbia DOT, on how DC became the first North American city to grow a small pilot program into the nation’s largest bikeshare system, with over 1,000 bikes. Find out how bicycles are viable forms of public transit by RSVPing here for a seat at this free event. 6:30pm, Free Library of Pennsylvania, Central Branch, 1901 Vine St., Room 108.
