With a deft flick of his wrist, President John Moffat rang the bell to open the meeting. He continued the saga of Paul Harris, explaining how he managed to migrate to the middle of the country and become a lawyer person.
Guests:
George Halsell introduced his wife Melanie, speaker John Bosch, and his friend Sandy Lawrence. Visiting Rotarians: Don Seitz from the Rotary Club of Cabarrus County, Concord, North Carolina; Bryan Hennessy from the Rotary Club of Ferndale; Joseph Garcia, formerly from the Rotary Club of Ellensburg; and John Bosch from Bellingham Bay Rotary Club, our speaker and also a member of the Rotary Brass
Members on Zoom: Sue Parsons, Loch Trimingham, Monty McAllister, Doug Cole and Bill Day
Club Events and Committee Announcements
Announcements:
There will be a Board of Directors meeting on zoom at 4:00, August 14th. Let Sandee know if you would like to join us.
Meeting Updates:
August 18 Light House Mission Tour
1312 F Street
11:45 (lunch) 12:15 (tour)
Please register if you want a Great Harvest Sandwich for $16.00. Bring your own beverage. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
August 25 Evening Potluck at Bookers'
Monday evening 5:30-8:00pm (no daytime meeting)
2612 Park St.
Aaron & Kelly will provide pulled pork from Aaron's smoker as well as grilled chicken. Everything else is potluck.
We are planning for live music from Bellingham High School Musicians and some BHS Show Stopper choir members.
This will again be a salmon BBQ, courtesy of our incoming president and mystery griller, with all members contributing dishes to a potluck and BYOB. Spouses invited.
John admitted that the title, is really off-putting. But he encourages reading the book, originally published in 2020, if you have interest in history. This book recounts the almost mass hysteria at the end of WW2 in Germany. The Nazi propaganda machine was so effective at portraying the Russian foes as less than human that at the prospect of invasion of the homeland by Russia, many Germans chose suicide. Admittedly, there were many instances of rape and killing, so the prospect was not remote.
The author notes there were three waves of suicide in Germany. The first occurred after the defeat at Stalingrad, in 1943. Thousands of soldiers chose to end their lives rather than deal with capture. The second happened after the Allies' invasion of Europe. And the third, the largest, occurred as the Russian and allied forces pressed in on the homeland. Methods of suicide included weapons, hanging and drowning. There apparently is no accurate count of the suicide victims.
Fear was not the sole reason for such action. The collapse of the Nazi regime initiated the response. For more than a decade, the Third Reich was built up in people’s minds as a superior regime. Now it was falling. There was nothing to look forward to. John recommends the book to even those who do not put history at the top of the list.
Weekly Payment Reminder
VENMO:
@RCOB- Bellingham.
Give Sandee a call if you need help. 360-734-5532.
CASH / CHECK:
Yes, we still take these and saving on fees is appreciated.
George Halsell introduced the speaker with a short bio, which will not be related here. John began with a brief overview of his involvement in the renewable energy field. He admitted that the talk will be at a high level- not getting into details. After all, he had only 20 minutes or so to tell the story.
With a degree in mechanical engineering, he was at loose ends. He didn’t want to be an engineer. For a short while, he attended seminary. He literally stumbled into clean energy. First steps were inot vertical axis wind turbines in Palm Springs, CA. John remarked that wind power, like solar, has no emissions and is and will be a large part of the solution to slowing climate change. And it is inexhaustible as long as the sun is shining (approx. 4.3 billion more years). It reduces dependence on foreign sources of energy.
While electric vehicles are foremost in the minds of the public, they are not the major source of demand now or in the future. The huge data farms that have sprung up nationwide will be the largest customers for the future. They are huge power drains. So, the question becomes “why renewables?” Well, the first reason is that they’re carbon-free, helping to slow climate change. Other reasons are an inexhaustible supply, not reliant on foreign sources, and can be built in a short time frame, modularly, as they are needed.
Renewables include: wind, solar, wave and tidal action, hydro, geothermal and storage. John showed the growth of wind turbine power. Turbines now being built and used are in the range of 70 times more productive than when he entered the field. They have become much larger, impacting the economics. In the 35 years John has been involved, the cost of wind generation has decreased by 80% to approximately 5 cents/kWh. Unsubsidized. Wind looks to overtake solar in renewable power.
John shared five ways to support renewables: direct grants (subsidies), ensure a market for renewables, loan guarantees, tax incentives, and R&D support. Stable policies encourage firms to invest in renewable sources. He used the example of Denmark which did not subsidize firms but ensured a market for wind source. Therefore, farmers placed one or two turbines in their fields – resulting in tractor firms building wind turbines. In the U. S., we directly invested in companies resulting in highly technical solutions, with no demand for the power. This has left only GE as a wind turbine producer.
Costs – he shared a slide that showed the cost of wind power dropping 70% in the past 10 years. Solar has dropped 76% and battery storage 79%. Break’s law says that for every doubling of capacity, prices drop 20%. So, the more we rely on renewables, the cheaper they become. (It’s magic!) The price of commodities like oil, when adjusted for inflation, has remained constant. Right now, there are nine states with more than 60% renewable sources of power. South Dakota is the leader with more than 100%.
John displayed a slide that showed that renewables and batteries can now supply more than the demand for at least 10 hours of the day. The batteries store any excess. It’s estimated that in less than a decade, California will be 100% powered by renewables and storage. Fifty-three countries have more than 60% of their energy from renewables. Renewables provide energy security. Every country has them and they are 100 times bigger than fossil fuels. This is the wave of the future…
There were numerous questions, too many to mention here.
Closing:
The Prez wasted no time in thanking those responsible for the meeting, swung the hammer, and closed with only a few seconds to spare.
Steve Gray - Invocation
Rotary Brass - John Bosche, John Dunne, George Halsell, Del VandeKerk, Pete Kirkman
RCOB apparel, including polo shirts, dress shirts, vests and hats is now available. These are items that every Club member simply must have in his/her wardrobe! Besides looking great, Club members will be contributing to branding for the RCOB as well as supporting our Club's Foundation, which will receive part of the proceeds.
Click on the button below for the the clothing catalogue, with the Order Form on the last page. Fill out the order form, turn it into Vinson Latimore at a meeting or email a scanned copy to embroidery@choicesscrubs.com.
