Sustainable Tucson

With the advent of smart phones and other such devices – from bluetooth speakers to refrigerators – not to mention social media, internet browsing, video downloading, and an unending stream of apps, the demand for connectivity keeps growing.  So, too, does our exposure to RF’s – radio frequencies that carry all of the messages and information that we send and seek.  Like so many things of consequence in modern society, these RF’s are invisible, have no taste or smell, nor any tangible presence that we can easily perceive.  Does this mean that they have no effect on our bodies or the body of the Earth?   A major study released in 2017 by the U.S. National Toxicology Program of the National Institutes of Health found increased incidences of brain cancer, malignant tumors of the heart, and DNA damage in laboratory animals from microwave exposure levels below FCC guidelines. Ron Melnick, PhD, the National Institutes of Health scientist who led the design of the study, cautioned: “There is an urgent need to evaluate 5G health effects now before millions are exposed.”  Yet the City of Tucson has already allowed for the installation of over 300 “small cell” wireless facilities across the city, including many in residential zones within 20 feet of bedroom windows, with permits for hundreds of more. Join us on June 15 to hear Russell Witte, PhD, Professor of Medical Imaging, Optical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery, who will describe well-documented hazards from microwave radiation at relatively low exposures, suggesting a more cautionary approach to the rollout of 5G. He will explain why thousands of scientists around the world have signed an emergency appeal for a moratorium on the rollout of 5G technology.

Tuesday, May 11, 6:00 – 7:30 pm. Watch recording on Youtube
 
Many of us remember all too well the Bighorn Fire last summer: the sight of flames that kept coming ever closer, and the plumes of smoke that clouded the skies and filled our lungs. And here we are again. Last Sunday’s AZ Daily Star included the headline “Experts expect busy wildfire season again.” With the Mulberry Fire in February and the Margo Fire in early April, we are already well into this year’s fire season for Southern Arizona, making this month’s topic even more timely than expected.
 
Our May monthly meeting will examine “Climate, Forests, and Fire in Southern Arizona.” We’re pleased to present two local experts on these topics, University of Arizona Professors Donald Falk and Luke McGuire, who will help us understand the changing landscape we are already beginning to see in our region and the impacts — past and expected — from what seems to be an intensifying fire regime. Their work has addressed issues including forest and fire ecology, post-fire impacts on soil and flooding, risks of erosion, and possibilities for restoration.
 
We all play an integral role in the regional landscape, and our lives are impacted by the natural phenomena around us. Any consideration of fire in our surroundings will have implications — both risks and opportunities — for issues like where housing is developed, where transmission lines are located, and more broadly, whether there are prevention, mitigation, or adaptation measures we should be looking at and acting on.
 
Please join us on Tuesday, May 11, at 6:00 pm, for the virtual meeting on this important topic.

A recording of the April 13 is at Youtube

Join us for a very special April Earth Month meeting, on April 13 at 6:00 pm. The meeting will take place on Zoom:

A roundtable panel of youthful voices in sustainability will answer questions and talk about current issues, needs to be addressed, and future planning. This will be followed by an open Q&A session.

Panelists to date come from Changemaker High School, High Schoolers 4 Climate Justice, Sunrise Tucson, and UArizona Students For Sustainability.

Listen to the future and find out how you can help.

Recording of the April 13 meeting is at Youtube

Extreme weather and Worsening Air Quality

Throughout this past year, while COVID-19 has kept us laser-focused on health — our own and that of friends, family, and everyone around us — at the same time we have seen and experienced dramatic weather extremes. Locally and around the country, we’ve had everything from devastating forest fires to snowstorms, from record-setting heat to record-setting hurricanes, drought and floods. Our local Bighorn Fire may not have been the worst, but the heavy smoke from the Bighorn was amplified by “imported” smoke coming from the fires in Southern California. Our triple-digit temperatures stretched into the fall, challenging flora and fauna alike. The consensus is that the intensity of these phenomena is heightened by climate change, with still more extremes in coming years.

So what kinds of effects can we expect to face, and how will we need to respond? Our February Monthly Meeting will explore these issues, focusing on “Climate Change Impacts on Health.”

Our two presenters are Charles Geoffrion, currently the vice president of the Pima Country Board of Health, and Karen Wilhelmsen, with Pima County Department of Environmental Quality’s Clean Air Program. Charles previously served as Associate Vice President for Research and Research Integrity Officer at UArizona. He also served as a board director for Allied BioScience, Inc. and helped develop a surface coating that reduces secondary infections in hospitals and is now EPA-approved for use in preventing the spread of SARS-CoV-2. He has lectured on climate issues and in particular the effects of global and regional warming on human and environmental health. Karen joined PDEQ in 1999 to provide environmental outreach and education. She is Community Education Manager for the department’s Clean Air Program, providing your and adult education programs on air quality, alternate modes of transportation, and related environmental topics.

Join us for a timely discussion Tuesday, February 9, from 6:00-7:30 pm, at this Zoom link.

The world has just passed the 5th anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement (and we in the US await rejoining that Agreement). Locally the City of Tucson’s Climate Emergency Declaration has provided a clear recognition of what we face and suggests many of the actions needed in response.
 
Join us on January 12, 6:00 pm, online, for an update on where we are in Arizona in the face of the climate crisis, and where we need to go, both in action and policy.
 
At this first monthly meeting of 2021, UA Professor Gregg Garfin will present an overview of the current climate picture and prospects for the future in Arizona, with particular focus on Southern Arizona. Then UA Professor and State Senator-elect Kirsten Engel will look at what’s needed in the way of policy for our region and state, and what impacts national policies can have on our region. This will include what’s likely to come up in our State Legislature and what policy directions we – as an organization and as individuals – can and should advocate for.
 
Join us for this important start to the Year of Change – 2021, to energize our ST community for action. Then, consider becoming an Ambassador for Sustainability and participating in the Climate Communication Workshop.

Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at 6:00pm MST
Link to recording of meeting

Join us for a fun-filled virtual party full of games and family-friendly performances. There is so much good work being done in our desert community. What better way to celebrate it than by showcasing our artists for sustainability?

• Enjoy the musical stylings of songwriter and modern-day bard Bryce J Rogers, Connie Brannock of Little House of Funk, and alternative fusion band Method to the Madness.
• Dance along with clogger Katie Popiel.
• Be entranced by storytellers Marc Severson, Jeremy Segal, and Jana Segal-Stormont! 
• Get inspired by the short documentary What about the Saguaro? and an excerpt from Patagonia Treasure Trail.
• Join A Desert Feast author Carolyn Niethammer in the kitchen for a tasty cooking demo. 
• Sneak a peek at the new play about a sustainable future in Tucson, Regeneration.
• And other surprises!

Tuesday, December 8, 2020 at 6pm MST
https://meet.google.com/izw-crbr-utr

Join us at our November Topical Issue Meeting for an exploration into living with zero waste intentions in Tucson. Your hosts for this evening’s discussion will be the Co-Chairs of our Zero Plastics Waste Committee, Sharia Des Jardins and Kevin Greene.

We will start with an exploration of what is zero waste and how to bring more of those ideals into your daily life here in Tucson. This will be followed by a sharing of what our Zero Plastics Waste Committee is actively doing and how you can get involved!

After all the ideas shared at this meeting, we hope you are inspired to act by participating in Tucson For the World, beginning Monday, November 16, 2020 at 2:00 pm. You can present a bold idea for achieving zero waste, form a team to create a plan, and finish the event ready to act on your idea!

Tuesday, November 10, 2020 at 6pm MST
https://meet.google.com/vbd-topb-mqb

On 9 September 2020, the Mayor and City Council of Tucson unanimously approved a resolution declaring a climate emergency, which begins with:

The Mayor and Council of the City of Tucson declare that a climate and ecological emergency threatens our city, region, state, nation, civilization, humanity, and the natural world, and recognize the need for bold action to combat climate change, so that it meets or exceeds the current recommendations of the foremost climate scientists working around the world…

What does this resolution mean for the future of Tucson?

We discussed the climate crisis that motivated our city leadership to act, the affect this resolution will have on city plans and actions, and – most important – what we as Tucsonans can do to realize this “bold action to combat climate change”.

Finally, we hope you are inspired to act by participating in Tucson For the World beginning on Monday, October 26th. You can share a bold idea for addressing the climate crisis, form or join a team, create a plan, and finish the event ready to act on your idea!

View the meeting

This event supported Sustainable Development Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

Climate change is a big problem.  All the solutions we need to avert climate disaster already exist and are actionable.  Yet decision makers are falling far short on implementation.  How can we motivate them to respond in time?  How do we empower ourselves and each other as community members and constituents?  Where do we begin when there are so many large issues facing us at this time?  This workshop can help.  

After a brief review of climate challenges, we will explore key communication skills recommended by social psychologists for catalyzing real change.  Our primary reference will be The Psychology of Climate Change Communication published by Columbia University. Then we will discuss the intersection of climate change with systemic inequity and racism, and offer you avenues for effective action that you can develop further at Tucson For the World on September 21st!

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 starting at 6pm MST.
Event recording:
https://youtu.be/m98sKuPw2dE

This session supports Sustainable Development Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.