Wendy Gerlach, of Pacific Forest Trust, discusses trees and their place in the environment. Trees provide us with wood, shade, water, recreation, and wildlife. Moreover, trees are an important part of the solution to climate change. Pacific Forest Trust’s work includes management of forests for climate resilience. Wendy also discusses how climate policies work, such as carbon offset credits. Wendy Gerlach is Senior Conservation Project Manager with Pacific Forest Trust. She is a graduate of Princeton University and of the University of Washington School of Law.
Dr. Melinda Hutson discusses the discovery of the Willamette meteorite and the controversies surrounding it in the context of meteorites in general and Oregon meteorites in particular.Melinda Hutson is the curator of the Cascadia Meteorite Laboratory at Portland State University. She is married to the lab’s director and together they have been doing research on meteorites since 1983.
Presentation by John Patterson. The case for solar powered electric transportation is compelling, cost effective, and doable. “Mr. Sun” tells us how to go about it. John Patterson has served as President of the Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association and Chair of the Citizens Utility Board. He has been instrumental in passing key renewable energy legislation on the state and federal level in America. He has recently built a solar powered electric bicycle.
Dr.Jeffrey Proulx explores how mindfulness can reduce the strain of uncontrollable events. The events of 2020 have made many people feel consumed by anxiety with little outlet for coping. This presentation also explores the role of mindfulness practice as part of a global consciousness promoting peace and compassion in response to the disruption, hate, and noise so common today. Jeffrey Proulxis a professor at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University. He earned his Ph.D. at Oregon State University and he has been a practitioner of mindfulness practices for over 30 years.