Earth Month 2021 is the time to celebrate Earth and learn about how to protect our planet for the future.
Sustainable Rossmoor (SR) invites all Rossmoor residents to a series of Earth Month presentations. The 40- to 50-minute Zoom programs will focus on “climate resiliency.”
Renewable Energy – Separating Fact from Fiction
Misconceptions about renewable energy abound. Last February, the Governor of Texas attempted to blame his State’s power outage on wind and solar power. Unfortunately, the truth was the State’s natural gas pipes froze. Misinformation at the highest levels.
On Thursday, April 15, 3:00 p.m., Adrian Byram will moderate a discussion about Renewable Energy. Byram chairs SR’s Solar Committee. He will invite attendees to cite other examples of renewable energy misinformation and share psychologists’ suggestions for addressing them. The program will conclude by reframing the value of renewable energy in more compelling ways for people unconvinced of the urgent need to move past fossil fuels.
The Importance of Trees
On Thursday, April 22 (actual Earth Day), 3:00 p.m. SR’s Tree Planting and Preservation Committee (TPPC) will present a forum on improving the health of our local and global environment by promoting the planting and preservation of trees. Each of our committee members will lead a discussion on the following topics:
- The importance of tree planting; including preserving mature trees for improving air quality, sequestering carbon dioxide, lowering air temperature and reducing heat intensity. It will also cover the criteria for selecting and preserving trees. Large, mature trees maximize carbon sequestration. Additionally, drought-tolerant trees require less water, thus promoting water conservation.
- The Tree Tour Program: TPPC is also developing self-guided tours in Rossmoor. The project includes identifying trees, developing walking trail maps and creating ID plaques. The Committee also plans to develop an online tree guide on the tree tour.
- The Arbor Day Initiative, to partner with the Arbor Day Foundation. TPPC is encouraging residents to support planting and purchasing trees to honor others or as gift trees, and to purchase memorial and gift cards.
- The Acorn Gathering and Planting Project. This year, more than 60 future oak trees were planted in Rossmoor. Volunteers gathered and stored acorns, then located and marked appropriate planting sites. Additionally, they assembled protective wire enclosures, planted the acorns and continue watering them.
- The Eden Reforestation Project – a fundraising effort to hire indigenous workers to plant seedlings in equatorial countries at less than 10 cents per seedling. Thus, a $100 donation will result in over 1,000 trees planted and 2,000 metric tons of carbon sequestered.
Intergenerational Action
On Thursday, April 29, 1:00 PM Sustainable Rossmoor welcomes Andrew Kodama to co-host a dialogue about the intergenerational impacts of climate change. For example: What are your experiences talking about climate change with younger family members? Creating a sustainable planet is not only the work of our minds and hands, but also our hearts. Kodama has coordinated Climate Change/Climate Justice programs with high schools throughout the Diablo Valley. He is looking forward to this conversation with our community. Kodama is the director of the Mt. Diablo Peace and Justice Center.
Zoom Links
Please email Don MacGregor at dlmacgregor3@gmail.com to request the Zoom link to each and all of these Sustainable Rossmoor Earth Month programs.