Page 32 - Sonoma County Gazette Juy 2019

Sonoma Climate Challenge
By Tish Levee
A Challenge for All of Us
Daily Acts has sponsored the Community Resilience Challenge for ten years; now they’re partnering with the Regional Climate Protection Agency (RCPA) to launch the Sonoma Climate Challenge.
Let’s Have Fun! Take a break from discussing politics, civic concerns and potholes. Just have some summer fun.
The Challenge has ACTIONS varying in cost and difficulty
Rated from easy to challenging, each action has information about how to do it, upfront cost in dollars, time commitment to take action, savings in resources, dollar cost of the action, and more information on resources to help you. Individuals earn points by taking 67 different actions, many of them very easy—see them all at the dashboard at when you sign up at sonomaclimatechallenge.org.
that save water and energy and reduce pollution.
A childhood friend visits this month, and I hope to show her everything I love about our region: an overnight at Marin headlands hostel, see Mama Mia at SRJC’s Summer Rep, a tour of downtown Petaluma of course, redwoods, ocean and ...maybe hit more restaurants than Houston Porter does.
Daily Acts began with a goal of planting 350 gardens in one weekend— greatly exceeded with 628 gardens. Since then over 81,000 individual actions have been taken, and the Challenge has spread to other cities and states. Currently 23 communities— including ones in Hawaii, Virginia, Oregon, Utah, and Montana, as well as Northern California and the Central Coast—are taking part in the Challenge, which began in early May in Sonoma County.
Rivertown Revival, July 20. Zany, fun, full of music and costumes. All day at the Seam Landing Park, Copeland Street and East D. St. in PTown. And, it benefits Friends of the Petaluma River.
As the website is a tool for many communities, some things are a bit generic. For instance, instead of having an action to join Evergreen—Sonoma Clean Power’s 100% Renewable Energy Program—there’s an action “Choose Green Energy,” with directions for signing up through your local power company.
Penngrove Celebration, July 6 -7. Rancho Adobe Fire Department Pancake Breakfast on Sat., July 6, from 7-11 am and the Penngrove “Biggest Little Parade” on Sun., July 7 at 11 am. Secret tip: Parade parking is available at Penngrove Elementary School, so come early enough to walk the block.
Penngrove Market Fun: The Market is family friendly, and next to the Penngrove Park. Our gathering spot is full of good food and vibes! Friday evenings, there’s music on the patio from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. Order up a wood fired pizza and a beverage to enjoy the summer sounds. There’s often complimentary beer or wine tastings. And remember, the 4th Sunday of each month is Cars & Coffee at 9—11am on July 28. All years and models are welcome to show up. The Penngrove Reading Series happens on the second Sunday of the month, July 14, at 8pm. Host Nicki Orser presents 1-2 local authors and speakers, plus an open mic for song, stories, and poetry. See more on Facebook or www. penngrovereadingseries.com
Village Network of Petaluma hosts a series of free Salons with local author Carol Flinders titled Hope at the Intersection of Feminism
& Nonviolence on Mondays, July 22 and
29; August 5 and 12 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm at Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Drive, Petaluma.
Local author Carol Lee Flinders begins with
a discussion of Barbara Deming, an activist/
journalist who declared “a commitment
to nonviolence requires a commitment to
feminism.” Subsequent salons explore the
nexus of global nonviolence and women’s
movements. All are sure to elicit a lively
exchange of ideas. The first two salons will focus on Deming’s place in the broader story of American nonviolence and the reasons why she is still all
but left out of that story. The third will go back in time to look at the ways in which India’s Independence Movement had actually been strengthened by a pre-existing women’s movement. The fourth will return to the U.S. and look at some of the contemporary writer/activists who are picking up where Deming left off —whose commitments to feminism and nonviolence are of a piece with their passionate environmentalism. We are honored to have Carol share her research with us.
The Sonoma Climate Challenge goal is to have 500
Currently 183 households have signed up. It’s also possible for households to join with up to 10 others to form a team or with an unlimited number
of people to form a community which can compete with other teams
or communities. You can access links for joining or forming a team or a community on your dashboard when you sign up.
So why join? If you’ve been reading my column—“For the Planet”—in the Gazette, you know that we have reached a climate crisis, and that we
need to act now to avert a complete climate breakdown. Daily Acts Program Manager Kerry Fugett told me that “we really need a culture change” to tackle the climate crisis. “If we truly want to be role models for next generation, we need to look at each of our daily actions—because our individual actions truly matter—and see where we can live in more alignment with our values; each of our actions shift us towards this needed culture change.”
households taking part by December.
These are a few of my favorite things:
Initially I felt I wouldn’t get many points, having already taken many actions. However, checking with RCPA’s Brant Arthur I found I could get points for ongoing actions such as “Recycling” or “Eating Lower on the Food Chain,” by marking them completed as of the current date. For one-time actions that I completed before the Challenge, such as “Installing LED bulbs”or “Choose Green Energy,” I could click the blue link, “Already Completed this Action,” but I’d get no points for them.
Salons with Carol Flinders:
This is what the Challenge is designed to do. It’s not taking action in isolation, it’s talking about it and getting friends onboard and creating the culture change we have to have. (Talking to friends about the climate crisis is one of the actions as is holding a house meeting about climate change.)
Sonoma County is a leader in climate action and sustainability, but, as Mark Landman, the Chair of RCPA, says, “when it comes to meeting our next critical goals, there has never been a time when your daily actions mattered more.”
Trathen Heckman, Daily Act’s founder, invites us to “join in a shared commitment to climate action that enriches our lives and protects our future. By acting together, and making it fun and inspiring, Sonoma County can unleash the power of community and rise to this historic moment of crisis and opportunity.”
Carol Lee Flinders, PhD, is a national speaker, author of seven books. She lives in Tomales at the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation with her husband Tim.
We need to be the change we want to see in the world.
Denman Ranch Events: Denman Ranch Wineries will host a grand opening on July 24 from 4 – 6 pm, with a ribbon cutting and no host food
and beverage available. A new line of products includes honey wines / mead. They are one of just three producers in the county. Another event on July 27th is a chance to meet artist, Robert Barros, at the debut of his latest artwork, The Caterina Series, for the Day of the Dead. Wine and light hors d’oeuvres will be served, with food and beverage available for purchase, 4pm to 7pm. The exhibit runs through August 25.The ranch is open every Saturday from noon to 4pm for walk-in tastings and by appointment. 111 Goodwin Ave., across Old Redwood Hwy. from Palace of Fruit. See denmanranch.com
The Sonoma Climate Challenge can empower us at a time when it seems all the news about the climate is very dismal—and it’s fun, too!
Thanks to Daily Acts’ Kerry Fugett and RCPA’s Brant Arthur for their input and help. Tish Levee writes the column “For the Planet” monthly in the Gazette, which appears online this month. © Tish Levee, 2019
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Open to the public. To ensure a seat, please RSVP by July 15 to info@ VillageNetworkofPetaluma.org or 707-776-6055.