August Newsletter (Aug 01, 2020)

Solana Beach Eco Rotary Club

Newsletter of the Month
August 2020

Our Mission

Dear Members and Friends of the Eco-Rotary,

Our club is successful because we know our why, our mission. We know why we meet and what we stand for. Even during these challenging times, we can move forward and help our community.

Our mission is to educate ourselves and our communities about environmental challenges and engage in implementing their solutions.

Here is a link to Simon Sinek’s Ted Talk “Start with Why.” This was recommended to me at the Club President training by Steve Weitzen, our district governor.

Watch it here, it lasts only 19 minutes.

Enjoy!

Yours in Rotary,

Carter Stafford

Club President 2020-21

Due to the ongoing health crisis we are experiencing, we have moved our club meetings to an online format. We are extremely happy to be able to continue our mission to educate our members and our community despite the challenges!

All guests are welcome. Please RSVP for each meeting you would like to attend.

Virtually Discover Ecuador Tropical Dry Forest

We are very pleased to host Matthew Clark, from Nature & Culture International, on August 4, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Matthew will lead a virtual journey through Ecuador's tropical dry forests. Considered the country's most endangered habitat type, the tropical dry forests of southern Ecuador are home to a great number of plant and animal species found nowhere else on Earth, including 55 species of birds. Matt will share how conservationists are partnering with local communities to save the largest remaining tropical dry forest on the pacific coast of South America.

RSVP to attend the Zoom meeting

Citizen Science - Climate Reality Projects Slide-Shares & Toolkits

We are pleased to host Jay Klopfenstein, Adjunct Professor at UCSD, on August 11, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Join our conversation on "Promoting and Placing Citizen Science - Climate Reality Projects in Our Public Libraries and Schools."

RSVP here

Trends in Residential Solar

We are pleased to host Seth Tilley, from San Diego County Solar, on August 18, 2020 at 6:30 p.m.

Join us to learn more on major business model innovations that have transformed the industry, on the evolution of customer acquisition, and on how the solar industry has adjusted to the pandemic. Lastly Seth will share some forward-looking thoughts based on upcoming technological and regulatory changes.

RSVP here!

Events in North County San Diego

Many groups in the San Diego region are very active in promoting efforts and action taken to address environmental challenges.

Due to the ongoing physical distancing requirements, many organizations have adopted new gathering formats. Check out your favorite organization's website regularly as they may have transitioned to an online platform. Most of them are continuing taking action to protect our environment!

Eco-Rotarians are leaders and key players of other various groups in our community. Because it is critical to collaborate and share events and information as much as possible to support each other, I encourage everyone to follow San Diego Climate Action Network, which provides a great calendar of events happening in the region. If your organization has transitioned to an online format, contact SDCAN to promote your online events!

Clean Earth 4 Kids

CleanEarth4Kids.org holds a weekly virtual webinar on Thursdays, at 5:30 p.m. to discuss important updates on environmental policies and regulations. The youth board provides updates on regulation and roll backs related to climate change, wildlife and ecosystem protection, clean air, clean water, toxic free neighborhoods and zero waste.

Visit their website to register and attend their meetings.

Sierra Club North County Coastal Group

Quarterly Meeting
Wednesday, July 29th
7:00 - 8:15 p.m.

Please join the group for their Quarterly Meeting and a Special Presentation on Electrification

Feature Presentation:
Building Electrification: Why We Need it and Current Challenges
Karl Aldinger – Sierra Club San Diego Conservation Organizer

Electrify A Conventional Home to Reduce GHG Emissions
Roger and Cindy Davenport will discuss the practical issues of electrification for
homeowners and their own personal journey of moving off the grid.

You must register for this virtual event. Please register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Join the Executive Committee - Call for Nominations

The Sierra Club San Diego North County Coastal Group Nominating Committee is seeking Chapter members to run for the NCCG Executive Committee in the 2020 Election. The committee seeks a diverse pool of candidates, balanced in terms of gender, ethnicity, age, and geography. The Sierra Club North County Coastal Group membership will elect Executive Committee members in 2020 for three-year terms. Nominations are due August 10, 2020. Please contact Amelie Catheline to submit your application: amelie.catheline@gmail.com.

North County Climate Change Alliance

August 13, 2020, 5:30 p.m. PST

Please join NCCCA s for this special online event featuring Dr. Mark Z. Jacobson who is a professor of civil and environmental engineering, and the director of the Atmosphere and Energy Program at Stanford University.

Dr. Jacobson will present his groundbreaking work on the scientific basis of the energy portion of the Green New Deal. He will also lay out the pathway to the use of 100% renewable energy to power cities, states, and countries worldwide. Following the presentation, there will be a Q&A session. Questions can be submitted in advance by emailing Karl Aldinger at karlealdinger@yahoo.com. They can also be posted in the chat room during the meeting.

There is no charge for this online event but you must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. Please click here to register.

What Happened Last Month?

Green Buildings in San Diego

This first month of the Rotary year 2020-21 was dedicated to Green Buildings, a perfect fit for our new Club President, Carter Stafford, passionate about green building efficiency and performances.

We were pleased to receive Josh Dean, Executive Director of San Diego Green Building Council. The Council is very active in creating a network of professionals passionate about reducing the carbon and ecological footprint of the urban environment. Additionally they offer many volunteer opportunities to get hands-on experience and provide resources to help professionals be certified and educated in this growing industry. Visit their website to join their events and become a member.

Then we hosted Tina Angeles, architect at the Miller Hull Partnership who discussed a very innovative certification provided by the International Living Future Institute: the Living Building Petal Certification. More holistic and based on actual yearly performances, this certification goes beyond sustainability by aiming at certifying regenerative buildings; buildings that will enhance the environment rather than simply avoiding damages. The Miller Hull Partnership was successful in getting their building located in Point Loma certified by ILFI this year.