PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Random schedule best-of show

Intro

Welcome to this week's edition of Rustbelt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news from the grassroots, news overlooked by the corporate media. The show airs every Monday from 6-7pm on WRCT 88.3FM in Pittsburgh, PA and every Saturday from 5-6pm on WVJW Benwood, 94.1 FM in the Wheeling, West Virginia area. And we're also available on the internet, both on W-R-C-T's live webstream at W-R-C-T dot ORG and archived at radio dot I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot org.

This week's show falls during WRCT's random schedule, as the radio station takes a holiday. We're using this opportunity to present our listeners with some highlights from the spring season of Rustbelt Radio that you may have missed. On Today's show we will hear from Appalachian activists fighting mountaintop removal, pennyslvanians protesting the war and marching for Mumia Abu Jamal, Pittsburghers converting an ambulance to run on vegetable oil and harm reduction activists speaking about the organization Prevention Point.

[13:00] Mountain Justice Summer

On Thursday, March 31, groups and individuals from throughout Appalachia gathered at the West Virginia Capitol building in Charleston for the Mountain Justice Summer Kickoff. Mountain Justice Summer is a campaign to bring regional, national, and internationl attention to the human rights abuses and environmental devastation caused by Mountain Top Removal mining. The rally included speakers and musicians from around the Appalachias. The Mountain Justice Summer Rally followed the Friends of Coal annual rally in support of the coal industry. Here are a few speakers and musicians from throughout the day.

(audio 11:48)

You can learn more about Mountain Justice Summer at www.mountainjusticesummer.org If you would like to get involved with the local pittsburgh group involved with these issues: Canaries in the Coalfields. They will be hosting a fundraising vegan bake-off dance party this friday May 13th at 4815 Kincaid St. in Garfield. Contact canariespgh@riseupSTOPSPAM.net for more info.

[10:30]Veggie Oil

With the ever increasing economic, military, and environmental costs of gasoline, people are turning to a more sustainable fuel - vegetable oil. This is a growing movement of people who are either fed up with wars being fought over their gas tank, annoyed by toxic emissions or simply can not afford the rising gas prices. Any diesel engine can be made to run on biodiesel or straight vegetable oil with some minor conversions. On January 15th and 16th a group of Pittsburghers met at Red Star Ironworks to convert a Ford Ambulance to run on vegetable oil. On our first show of the year, January 24th we spoke with Babz De Azul about this conversion and also with Colin of Fossilfreefuel, a buffalo based veggie oil conversion business.

[ audio track - 10:00 ]

That was just music by Fear is the Mindkiller, the band who will be using the veggie oil ambulance for touring. For more information about veggie oil you can check out the book from the Fryer to the Fuel Tank and also go to the following websites greasel.com fossilfreefuel.com. Biodiesel is also available for sale at Baum Boulevard Auto in North Oakland.

You're listening to Rustbelt Radio's best-of spring 2005 show.

[4:30]Mumia

On our February 14th show, Rustbelt corespondant Etta Cetera brought us this report Philadelphia.

Mumia [4:22]

That was Ramona Africa. To find out more information on the status of Mumia's Case check out WWW.Mumia.Org.

[11:00] Prevention Point

This season we introduced a new segment on rustbelt radio- "the light at the end of the fort pitt tunnel" -our weekly highlight of a local grassroots organization. We first highlighted Prevention Point Pittsburgh, who run a needle exchange program and also provide overdose prevention education. The first needle exchange program in Pittsburgh began in 1995 when two AIDS activists setup a sterile needle program in the Hill District. In 1998, after pressure from an individual, the police officially closed down the needle exchange. But 3 years later the Allegheny County Board of Health declared the high levels of HIV and Hepatitis C infection among Intervenous Drug Users a public health emergency, allowing Prevention Point to become a center for legalized needle exchange in Allegheny County. Rustbelt spoke with Renee Cox, the executive director of prevention point and with Alice Bell the overdose project prevention coordinator.

[ ppoint 8:55 ]

The needle exchange takes place in Oakland in the back of the Health Department at 3333 Forbes ave every sunday from 12:30 to 2PM. if you would like to contact prevention point you can call them at (412) 247 3404 and for info about the exchange call 491 0916 and their website is http://www.pppgh.org/

[15:00]March 19th

More than 750 communities around the world held protests this weekend to mark the second anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War. In Pittsburgh, almost 3,000 protestors marched from Squirrel Hill to the University of Pittsburgh's William Pitt Union in Oakland. On March 21st we brought you some of their voices

[ Clip 1 - 7:20 ]

Diane Santoriello (San tor ELL oh), mother of a solider who was killed by an improvised explosive device was among the speakers at the rally following the march.

[ Clip - 2:00 ]

Her daughter Amy also spoke.

[ amy_santoriello.ogg: 1:00 ]

Vanessa German, Pittsburgh-based hip hop artist, recently won an award for her poem "Thank You, George Mother F-ing Bush." We have an excerpt from her performance of it at Saturday's rally.

[ Clip - 1:47 ]

The final speaker was Tim Vining of the Thomas Merton Center.

[Clip - 2:17 ]

Outro

Thanks for tuning in to Rust Belt Radio here on WRCT Pittsburgh and WVJW Benwood.

Our hosts this week are Andalusia Knoll and Carlin Christie. This show featured previously-aired segments from Rustbelt Radio, including the work of:

• Jessie Buckner
• Etta Cetera
• Andalusia Knoll
• Quinten Steeinhaus

Rustbelt radio welcomes story submissions! To get involved with Rust Belt Radio, or to send us your comments, email RADIO at I-N-D-Y-P-G-H dot ORG. All of our shows are available for download on our website at RADIO dot INDY-P-G-H dot ORG

Tune in in two weeks at this time for a new edition of Rust Belt Radio, the Pittsburgh Independent Media Center's weekly review of the news overlooked by the corporate media. Next week there will be a special edition of Head's Up about the mayoral election at this time.