2021-01-19 Andrew Gunther, PhD. – A Conversation on the Environment

President Bill rang the bell at 7:30, following some fun-filled conversation 

Pledge of Allegiance: was led by Tom Boylan 

Inspiration:Doug Williams   

  • “A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could because someone else thought they could.” – Zig Ziegler

Song: John How 

  • “America” great choice as we will witness our President & Vice President’s Inauguration tomorrow.  

At 7:35, we had   46  joining us!

Visiting Rotarians:

  • Francis McChesney: a member of the Davis Sunrise Rotary Club  
  • Philip Paskal: a member of the Petaluma Sunrise Rotary Club 

Guest of Rotarians:

  • Daniel Meyers introduced our Student of Month: Mikayla Mitzger, her Mother, Michelle Mitzger, and teacher, Paul Kinumen

ROTARIAN OF THE MONTH:  All members of the Rotary Club of Windsor, together the club completed FOUR projects in December.   

Amazon Smile:  A painless easy was to contribute to the:  “Windsor Rotary Club Foundation” Once you have registered with amazon smile and chosen the charity of your choice Amazon does the rest.  I just checked my account and was surprised by the total for my 2020 shopping, every little bit helps.   Go to  smile.amazon.com 

President Elect Nominee

Past President Steve Klick ask Past President Susan Nelson about her experience as Rotary President and if her experience created a bond with Rotary?

Past President Susan Nelson:   1993-94

Susan was nominated to be president in 1991 when everyone was new to Rotary; she had no idea what the duties of president would look like. At that time the club was meeting in the bar at the Windsor bowling alley.  The Club was putting on the Hot Air Balloon Classic, a major undertaking, and a pool table was placed in the middle of the bar.   Thanks to the great training, support & time from the District Susan met all the challenges, the club even made a profit from the Hot Air Balloon event that year.  Susan suggested; don’t miss the opportunity if you have any interest in leadership. The training & support will have you prepared.  The bond with Rotary and friendship developed with Rotarians has been strong for over 37 years.

Interested in Leadership?  Experience the Rewarding position as Rotary President. 

Contact Maureen Merrill:  Maureen@maureenmerrill.com; Steve Klick: slick2010@gmail.com   or past president Craig Curreri: Craig@CraigCurreri.com

District Matching Grant
BUILD Academy Tools Update

Tools are being purchased

  • Logistics meeting on Sat.
  • Next steps:
    • FEB – check out tools
    • FEB – toolbox project

Upcoming events:

Membership                                                                                                         

  • It is all about the US, Each One Bring One   

Clip Board Stuff 

UPCOMING CLUB STUFF:

  • Thursday, Jan 21, 4:00 PM – Climate Restoration:  Our Legacy for the Planet – Rotary Climate Action Committee
  • Tuesday, Jan 26 – Rotary Club of Windsor Fundraising Forum
  • Thursday, January 28th, 5:30 PM – SCARC, Petaluma – Effects of COVID-19 in Sonoma County
  • Tuesday, Feb 9 – Evian Gordon – “Boosting Your Memory

Paul Harris Fellow

President Bill ask Diane Brabetz to remind us what it means to be a “Paul Harris Fellow”

When an individual donates $1000.00 to the Rotary International Foundation, Rotary recognizes that person as a “Paul Harris Fellow”.  That person receives a certificate & a PHF Rotary Pin.  With each additional $1000.00 donated they will become a PHF+1, +2, etc.   Diane and other Rotarians have donated to a level of PHF+9, giving them the recognition of “Major Donor”.  

Rotary districts can receive matching grants from Rotary International to fulfill needed projects locally and internationally.  

The Rotary Foundation has earned a grade of A+ from the American Institute of Philanthropy & previously earned a top rating of four stars from Charity Navigator. It has earned full accreditation from the Wise Giving Alliance of the Better Business Bureau.

COVID-19 Vaccination Scorecard: Rotary Club of Windsor  

  • Glenn Sugden
  • Alison Huber
  • Chris Landwehr

And then we go back to Charlies!!!

Need Volunteer Presenters

Student of the Month: Mekayla Mitzger 

  • Daniel Meyers introduced student of the month Mekayla Mitzger, her Mother, Michelle Mitzger and one of her teachers Paul Kinumen. Mekayla was nominated by teacher Krista Raszler
  • Mekayla is a student of the Areté Media Academy at Windsor H.S

She thanked the Rotary Club of Windsor for this recognition and her teacher, Mr. Kinumen, that she comfortably addressed as “Mr. K”, Mekayla acknowledging her achievements in part were due to the support and relationship she established with several of her instructors in the digital media academy.  She has taken classes in graphic design, production, and digital art, she feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn Adobe Illustrator, a software program used in the real world.  Mekayla is able to use her media skills in other areas; she is involved in the Leadership Program, and is ASB Student Body Historian, taking photos and videos of school and student events for the newsletter and yearbook.  She is a member of the Committee for Change Club in charge of marketing & social media.  The Committee for Change Club is sponsored by the Soroptimist Club. 

Mekayla is planning to go to college in Southern California, majoring in sociology, with a minor in graphic design, & social media.  

Speaker:     Andrew Gunther, Ph.D.  Environmental Scientist “Climate Change: The Science and the Solutions.” Andy served as the Assistant Chief Scientist for the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Program from 1991 to 2002, and he was the first manager of the State of California’s program that monitors for toxic substances in San Francisco Bay.  In 2017, Andy won the Jean Auer Environmental Award from the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, which honors his “significant contribution toward improving environmental quality in the Bay-Delta Estuary.” He was recently appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. He also serves on the Bay Conservation and Development Commission and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Union of Concerned Scientists. Andrew has worked in the science field for 35 years but is not here to tell what is right & wrong, but to present facts of where we are today and the course we are on; he stated the carbon dioxide in the air acts like a blanket that warms the earth 

We’ve known about the physics driving climate change since the 19th century. It’s time to have a conversation about what a 21st-century response looks like.

U.S. Presidents back to President Kennedy have been informed of climate change & the effects of burning fossil fuels and gases, and the consequences of increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.   

Andrew had several charts & graphs showing the increase of carbon dioxide and the temperature of the earth, carbon dioxide is increasing 200 times faster than any other time on record, carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for a long time, (decades to centuries) the CO2 absorbs the energy and instead of releasing into the atmosphere, it radiates it back to earth warming the planet.  

Climate change is decided by emissions that we have already put in the atmosphere, the urgency is what action we are going to take now to decide what happens in the next 20-30 years.  

Climate disruption will affect:

  • Availability of Water  Productivity of farms, forests and fisheries  
  • Prevalence of oppressive heat and humidity
  • Concentration of air pollutants
  • Geography of disease
  • Damages from storms, droughts, and wildfires
  • Property loss from sea-level rise and coastal erosion
  • Distribution and abundance of species

 What can we Change?

  • US emission not one simple solution          
  • Energy efficiency: Appliances, new technology, LED lights        
  • Electrify transportation: buses, trucks, cost of vehicles & batteries decreasing 
  • Produce electricity without fossil fuels:  wind, solar, cost on solar decreasing     
  • Carbon Farming:  soil management, use working land to draw carbon into the soil, create credit to farmers using carbon sequestration technique.                           
  • Support Business using carbon-negative practices, 

The most expensive thing –        Do Nothing  

Can We Change?  Yes,   are we willing to Change??

Andrew is inspired to make the truth about climate change accessible to all.

I found a wealth of information on Andrew’s website; http://andrewgunther.com/climate-change/#talks  he is also willing to do a presentation to a group of 20 or more, information to book Andrew on the website.

JOIN THE PETALUMA SUNRISE ROTARY CLUB ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE for

“MOVIE NIGHT”     January 23, 2021  

“Chasing Ice”

 time for questions & answers afterward with

star of the film, James Balog

Saturday, 1/23/21, 7-9 pm PST

SHARE THIS INFORMATION WIDELY. bring your own popcorn!

Time: 07:00 – 9:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87829423445

Meeting ID: 878 2942 3445

President Bill thanked our student of the month Mekayla, her mother Michelle, & teacher Paul Kinumen and our speaker Andrew Gunther,

“Chance favors those in motion “  get moving and do something Rotarian.

James H. Austin

The meeting was adjourned @ 8:30 am

Respectfully submitted,

Pegi Ball