FogHorn Nov. 30, 2017  -  CLIMATE CHANGE - Craig Mead

He told us that within the next 10 years we can expect 40 to 50 foot sea level increases. He made these assertions without significant scientific citation. He also told us that the good news was that since we were all business people we could make trillions of dollars from turning Half Moon Bay into an energy free zone. He suggested that we could use something he called geo-engineering (not yet invented) to counter the effects of global warming. He also asserted that at one point the San Joaquin Valley produced 80% of the world's food. Other salient "facts" include the fact that Greenland is melting 600 times faster than 5 years ago, that big cities are heat engines and the Arctic is our radiator, that nuclear power plants are all at sea level and therefore pose great risk as sea levels rise, that all of our cars should be driven on ammonia which does not produce greenhouse gases. He also referenced the release of methane gases as the permafrost thaws in Siberia.

 

Almost all of Mr. Mead's assertions have some merit. Global warming exists. Sea levels are rising (mean sea levels have increased at Santa Cruz by 4 inches according to a report in the news this week). Greenland is melting at what seems to be an exponential rate. Warming seas are affecting global weather patterns as is evidenced by the 4 category 5 hurricanes that struck the United States this year. Something does need to be done to reverse the climate change. The Paris Accords were a step in the right direction. Certainly, on these issues, Donald Trump constitutes a step in the wrong direction. That is not a political statement, it is a factual statement.

 

While Mr. Mead's opinions were somewhat entertaining, his unrealistic solutions, his self-promotion and his exaggerations made him less than credible.

                                        

Pledge of Allegiance  Charise McHugh lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

 

Guests and Visitors There were several guests present. Our speaker of the day, Craig Mead, brought along an engineer friend, Kurt Lund, Ayn Johnston, Bill's wife. Steve Wilson was accompanied by his better half, Kathy, and Charise McHugh invited Kate Kastrava. 

                      

 

President Warren shared a Rotary video with us on the inspiring para-olympic athlete Dennis Ogbe. Born in Nigeria, he contracted polio while in hospital being treated for malaria and finished up with pretty severe paralysis. He seriously rehabilitated to become a very successful para olympic athlete and has 35 competition medals. He is now living in the US, has citizenship and will almost certainly represent us at the next para Olympic games. An inspiring story!

 

A variety of people gave Happy/Crappy news, but there was an underlying commonality - first, were the recent get-togethers of family and friends over Thanksgiving (or as someone commented maybe we should say Thanksliving, we are all still here!):  secondly, numerous mentions of the animated movie Coco which was enjoyed by adults and kids alike. One reason for the interest in Coco was local involvement! The “irrepressible” Kevin O'Brien is justifiably proud of his son who was production manager for this PIxar film and came up third in the rolling credits at the end (his highest placing yet!); go to see it!

        

Brian Lee reported on good Rotarian participation in the Abundant Grace community breakfast for the homeless (given on Wednesday and Thursdays and held at the Lutheran Coastside Community Church), and encouraged members to attend to help out. The van that provides free showers for homeless people was in the parking lot so people could clean up and then come in and have breakfast if they so chose. 

Rosi Fontana related her fantastic visit to southern California over the holiday and the gatherings she hosted for her long-time friends and colleagues from there.  She had a wonderful time!  She couldn't make our morning at the free community breakfast, so she went to help on Thursday morning. 

 

Ginger Minoletti reported on a happy trip to Jakarta Indonesia over Thanksgiving where the signal event was her son’s proposal to his now fiancée in front of the entire assembled multitude of her family (fortunately she said yes!).

Our peripatetic photographer  EJ Dieterle, has just returned from Germany. His mother of 89 years is going to visit HMB in the near future.

Bill Johnston told an amusing tale of his wife’s aging Honda Element (170 K on the odometer) which was stolen from his driveway (still missing!). He was about to upgrade it anyway, but this certainly accelerated the process, and she now has a small electric Fiat which Bill informs us was at a steal of a price!

 

       

 

Renee Lewis and Linda Crose-Anderson reminded everyone of the Night of Lights event on Friday evening downtown.  We will have a booth and they need more people to sign up to be there to pass out candy canes and information about Rotary.  Mary Rogren mentioned that our Interact Club will have their booth next to ours, and they will be having games for people to play.

                                                             

 

                               
Youth Exchange Update

Our exchange student from Belgium, Louise, sadly reported that she didn’t make the dance team, but she is still enjoying shopping! She illustrated her increasing command of idiomatic English with a story about her teacher’s comment to her: “That’s a piece of cake” by which she was completely befuddled! That’s “as American as apple pie’ you might well say!