Noyo center hosts talk on climate
Adam Ratner, the guest experience manager for The Marine Mammal Center in Marin, delighted and encouraged a large audience at the downtown Noyo Center on Friday evening. While most news about climate change focuses on the negative impacts it will have on our planet and on us, he takes a different approach.
According to Ratner, people don’t respond well to doom and gloom. He spent the hour-long lecture talking about the positive steps that world leaders and individuals are taking. While the current U.S. administration has pulled out of the Paris Climate Accord, we are still the third largest organization that is in it because 17 states, 340 higher education institutions, 540 cities and more than 2,000 businesses and cultural organizations have committed to the goals of the accord.
Financially, renewable energy has overtaken fossil fuels. According to Ratner, 77 percent to 83 percent of solar and wind energy costs less than fossil fuels in most parts of the world. Developing countries are starting out with clean energy infrastructure and the developed world has divested over $11 trillion from fossil fuels.
Ratner focused on encouraging those in attendance to get out and talk about it and share information.
“We’re a social society, we are programmed to not stick our neck out,” Ratner said.
Yet statistically 70 percent of the public not only believes in climate change, but they also support 100 percent renewable energy by 2050. He also pointed out that that 70 percent don’t know what to do to get there.
Ratner talked a lot about climate change messengers and gave some statistics on rating their efficacy. Politicians did not fare well, but neither did the media.
The best messengers were teachers, public institutions like aquariums, zoos and parks, and youth. In fact, he said the number one messenger is middle school and high school girls. He pointed to Greta Thunberg’s achievement in getting the message out, showing a photo of her sitting alone in front of parliament on her first day of protest and standing in front of over 60,000 protesters in New York City just 18 months later.
The overall message was that we are not alone and that the world is moving in the right direction but it is up to us to keep it moving and the best way to do that is one person at a time.
Here are five ideas Ratner proposed to help with reaching the goal of 100 percent renewable energy by 2050.
• Meatless Mondays — going meatless just one day a week is equal to not driving 1,200 miles per year per person.
• Shop wisely — 30 to 40 percent of all food is wasted, which is bad for your personal economy and everyone’s resources.
• Compost uneaten food — Composting produces zero heat-trapping gasses.
• Consider switching to renewable energy — Not everyone can have a solar panel or windmill but there are other options. For example, Sonoma Clean Power provides renewable energy to our area through PG&E.
• Talk to your community, your friends and family about climate change and how individuals can make a difference.
More information about the Noyo Center Science Talk series and The Marine Mammal Center is online. Both organizations are accepting volunteers.
A mammal rescue program for new volunteers is scheduled for April. A new volunteer training is scheduled at the Noyo Center on Monday, Feb. 10.