Our speaker on May 13th was Gerald Hasspacher, co-chair of the Sierra Club of Southeast Michigan
Mr. Hasspacher described the stark reality of climate change and how greenhouse gases can exponentially reach a level that will impact our ability to grow food. These exponential loops include worldwide forest fires, the warming of the ocean, snow melting in the arctic, and the accumulation of calcium carbonate on the ocean floor.
Warnings indicate that there needs to be a 40% worldwide reduction of emissions by 2030. Ironically, Covid 19, causing the shutting down of factories and keeping people in their homes, has momentarily created a trend toward that goal.
Mr. Hasspacher offered a litany of ways to help reduce the emission of greenhouse gases, both large and small. On the larger end, this includes installing wind turbines, purchasing electric cars, and putting solar panels on our homes. On the smaller end, this includes not using fertilizer, replacing your grass with native plants, and not using waxed dental floss.
Our speaker’s hope is that those in charge will treat climate change as seriously as they have Covid 19.