President Chris Joyce called the Zoom meeting to order with a reading of “Why We Are Rotarians.” Fran Caan gave Thoughts of the Day from Eleanor Roosevelt: “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously.” “Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, and small minds discuss people.” “Do what you feel in your heart to be right, for you’ll be criticized anyway.”
Announcements
District Governor Lyle Staab reported that our Zone Institute took place on Zoom, and there were many terrific speakers. Please see the virtual calendar within his email for links.
TechTalk by Marv Edelstein – If you send a private message in chat, no one but you and the recipient will see it, with one exception. If you record that meeting and share it with someone else, they will also see any private chats you were part of. Likewise, if the host is part of a private chat and records the meetings, those chats will be part of the recording.
Bill Glader gave the Virtual Taste of Evanston update with good news. Thanks to Dale Bradley’s final week match, Byline entering as a sponsor thanks to Randy Usen, and everyone in the club that participated and invited friends to donate, we met our $25,000 goal!
Katherine Peterson invited everyone to the next Club Service Committee meeting, which happened last Wednesday. But all club members are welcome to every Club Service Committee meeting.
Roasts & Boasts
Bruce Baumberger boasted Lesley Peters for hosting a fun “Sunday in the Park” fellowship.
Kathy Tate-Bradish boasted Bill Glader for his great leadership and unrelenting work on the virtual fundraiser, with a boost from Dale Bradley and Randy Usen.
Jean Saunders boasted her son Gavin, and all who have needed to quarantine for 2 weeks. Gavin transferred to the University of British Colombia, Canada. Hats off to everyone for keeping us safe.
Harold Bauer – Thanks to Dale Bradley’s match for kicking us into action for the last week of the fundraiser.
New Member Installation
Linc Janus introduced his son Alex Janus for induction into the club today. Alex is an ETHS grad and Eagle Scout, went to Carleton College, got his masters in sociology from the University of Wisconsin, and his PhD from Berkeley. Most recently he and his family spent seven years in Edinburgh, where he was a professor. He is currently in Evanston on sabbatical.
President Chris inducted Alex, who was greeted with enthusiastic virtual applause. Kathy will get the new member packet and pin to him as soon as we can get our materials from where they are locked inside the Rotary International building.
Program
Topic: Environmental Sustainability
Speaker: Steve Goranson, club member, past president, and nearly 40-year veteran of the US EPA.
Steve kicked off by explaining that the new club ad hoc environmental committee, which everyone is urged to join, will look for opportunities for the club and individual members to be involved in environmental efforts, especially now that the environment is the 7th Area of Focus. Those include the areas of energy, wildlife habitat, waste, food, water, transportation, and climate action writ large. There are many environmental opportunities for partnership, and Steve will keep us apprised as they arise. We will be working toward environmental justice, to foster awareness and promote action to equalize environmental assets and burdens across Evanston communities.
Steve then showed a video from Dr. Jonathan Foley, an environmental scientist and the Executive Director of Project Drawdown. “Drawdown” is the point in the future where levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere stop climbing and start to steadily decline. The mission of Project Drawdown is to achieve drawdown as quickly, safely, and equitably as possible.
Project Drawdown and Rotary have entered in partnership to reach drawdown and devise climate solutions for the new decade. Increases in population growth, urbanization, and the global economy have changed more in the last 50 years than during all of human history combined. This has disrupted the entire planet, and climate change is the main issue as carbon dioxide warms the planet. Dr. Foley assures us that the situation is not hopeless.
The current sources of emissions are electricity; food, agriculture, and land use; industry; transportation; buildings; and other. The good news is that 40% of that is captured by nature in land sinks and coastal and ocean sinks that absorb CO2.
What can we do? Try to bring sources to zero, and at the same time maintain and even add to the natural sinks. The three principles of the solution are 1. To reduce sources, 2. To support sinks, and 3. To improve society by fostering equity for all. One example is giving girls and women more opportunities, which leads to healthier children and smaller families.
As Dr. Foley puts it, we have enough solutions to do the job. We can’t afford to waste time. There may be great technology just around the bend, but NOW is more important than NEW.
See more at drawdown.org.
Steve sent detailed answers to chat questions in an email dated September 11.
Guests and Milestones
Visiting Rotarians
Bill Kmiecik, Rotary Club of Arlington Heights; D6440 District Governor Nominee (DGN)
Lyle Staab, Rotary Club of Long Grove, Kildeer, and Hawthorne Woods; District Governor D6440
Mark Gibson, Barrington Breakfast Rotary Club; D6440 Environmental Committee Chair
Other Guest
Sally Piepmeyer, guest of Steve Goranson
Club Anniversary
Gary Peterson, 14 years
