Climate Crisis Forum: Local Risks, Local Action
Presented by the Menlo Park Green Ribbon Citizen’s Committee
Join us on Saturday May 10th for a lively discussion on climate action with Stanford climate scientist Dr. Michael Mastrandrea and technology inventor and local climate action leader Dr. Armand Neukermans. These experts will share their thoughts on how climate change will affect us locally and effective steps we can take to work together to reduce our community’s carbon footprint.
In addition, the Menlo Park Green Ribbon Citizens’ Committee (GRCC) will highlight its upcoming efforts within Menlo Park to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and invite community participation focused on five key sectors: schools, businesses, communities of faith, residents/homeowners, and building professionals. Whether you can attend or not, your participation this year is vital (see below for details on how to get involved).
We hope you will join us for this exciting event.
- Saturday, May 10, 2008, 4:30pm-6:30pm
- Menlo Park Recreation Center, Room 112 (aka the Fireside Room)
- 701 Laurel Street, Menlo Park, CA (Civic Center)
Michael Mastrandrea, PhD
- Research Associate, Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University
- Lecturer, Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Environment and Resources (IPER), Stanford University
- Widely published in academic journals, including Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
How will global climate change affect life locally in the Bay Area? Even more importantly, how do we know? What can we do to avoid projected impacts? Will local efforts to reduce carbon emissions really have an impact on global climate change? Michael Mastrandrea, a scholar at the Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University, will join us to discuss these issues of critical importance to assessing the vulnerability of California to climate change. As a co-author to the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the group recently awarded the Nobel Prize with former Vice-President Al Gore, Dr. Mastrandrea is well situated to provide perspective on current state-of-the-art research on climate change. As his research focuses on the interactions between science and policy, especially for risk management of climate change, this is a wonderful opportunity to ask your questions about climate science and the dual challenges California and the Bay Area face in mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Armand Neukermans, PhD
- Member, Portola Valley Ranch Homeowners’ association
- BS in ME and EE, MS in EE, PhD in Applied Physics
- Silicon Valley Inventor of the Year, 2001
Portola Valley Ranch and its member, Armand Neukermans, illustrate how An Inconvenient Truth inspired a community to action. After viewing Al Gore’s movie in 2006, Portola Valley Ranch residents discussed what steps they could take to reduce their carbon footprint, and the seeds of the Collective Power Program were planted. Contracting with local solar power provider, SolarCity, residents negotiated a bulk discount by pledging to purchase at least 175 kW, the threshold to make the discount economically feasible. Participation exceeded expectations with 78 homes installing 343 kW – enough to offset 6,860,000 lbs of CO2 over the next 30 years. The campaign was so successful, that SolarCity has continued the Collective Power Program and offered discounted group purchases to 13 communities, including Menlo Park and Atherton in spring, 2007, when 42 homes installed 221kW, which will reduce carbon emissions by 4,420,000 lbs over 30 years.
Local Action Opportunities
After discussion with our speakers, the GRCC’s Action Teams will describe initiatives being launched in Menlo Park schools, businesses, communities of faith, residents/ homeowners, and with building professionals. We invite one and all to get involved with our 2008 initiatives and help us plan longer-term outreach and research efforts as well.
To learn more about the GRCC email us at mpgrcc@gmail.com, or call 650-618-1468.
The GRCC’s Climate Action Report and Recommendations can be reviewed at:
http://www.menlopark.org/council/mpgrcc.php
