Meeting Minutes

Guests

Speaker, Kathleen, Founder and President of C Change Conversations.

Invocation

[Not reported]

Pledge

Everyone.

4-Way Test

Everyone.

International Theme

Create Lasting Impact.

Paul Harris Awards

None this week.

Announcements

Community announcements, volunteer recognition, Happy Bucks, and the weekly raffle. The club celebrated selling over 900 raffle tickets for this year's Links and Libations. It was also noted for the record that President Ryan looked especially handsome today.

New Member Induction      

None this week.

Rotary Minute

None this week.

Raffle

[None noted.]

Foundation Award Checks or Thank Yous

None this week.

Happy Bucks

[See above.]

Program  

Guest Speaker: Kathleen, Founder and President of C Change Conversations

Kathleen, a former journalist and advertising professional, founded C Change Conversations in 2014 to take the politics out of climate change and help people understand how it affects them personally. She has presented in 36 states to about 25,000 people and recently launched the podcast Simmer Down: A Cool-Headed Look at Hot Topics.

The Science

Greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere. CO₂ has climbed from a historical range of 150–300 ppm to 426 ppm today and could near 900 ppm by 2100. Global temperatures are up about 1.5°C (2.7°F) since the Industrial Revolution, with the last ten years the hottest on record. Ice core and atmospheric data confirm human activity as the primary driver.

Impacts

Economy and daily life: Lower outdoor worker productivity, heat-damaged infrastructure, shipping disruptions from low rivers, and declining crop yields. By 2060, Minneapolis summers should resemble Omaha's today; by 2100, Tulsa's.

Public health: Heat illness, more premature births, longer tick and mosquito seasons, dehydration-related kidney disease, and higher violent crime in hot periods.

Food: Major crop losses projected in key growing regions at 3°C of warming. Coffee, chocolate, and olive oil prices are already rising, and migration pressure from Central and South America is expected to grow.

Homes and coastlines: Insurers are leaving high-risk markets or raising premiums sharply. Sea levels are up 9 inches since 1900, with another foot expected by mid-century. Billion-dollar disasters now occur about every 16 days, versus two per year historically.

Personal Notes

Kathleen's son was arriving home the day of the meeting, and she leaves next Tuesday for two weeks in the French Riviera and Barcelona.

The club thanked Kathleen for a nonpartisan, science-based look at climate risk.

Adjournment

Submitted by Mike S.

Member Submissions

From Mark Marlin and the Grief Club:

From Frank B. -