Submitted by Nagwa Abou El-Naga, District 7080 Rotaract Director
 
DG Michael Lawrie recently launched a new District Committee to help our clubs tackle environmental issues and support Rotary’s newest Area of Focus. Our Environment Committee is currently planning a series of webinars to inform Rotarians about ways our clubs, and club members, can work to protect the environment.
The first Environmental webinar will be on March 18th at 7:00 pm. It will be presented by Professor Herbert Sinnock, the Director of Sustainability at Sheridan Institute of Technology. Professor Sinnock will share his insights and speak to “Sheridan College's Environmental Journey: From Campus to Community".  As Director of Sustainability, Professor Sinnock is responsible for all aspects of corporate sustainability, including implementation of “Mission Zero”, the institution's plan to aggressively reduce all greenhouse gas emissions.  
 
Governments and organizations recognize the many benefits of embracing a green transition. That said, most are moving slowly despite the urgency of our global climate crisis. Technology is not the issue – modern, highly-efficient systems have been successfully deployed throughout the world for decades. Instead, the issues appear to be a lack of political will, a reluctance to truly quantify the cost of greenhouse gas emissions, and a lack of knowledge about clean energy technologies.
 
Sheridan has demonstrated that major institutional stakeholders, such as hospitals and universities, can play a pivotal role in advancing community energy strategies and projects. Professor Sinnock’s talk will follow Sheridan’s journey as they moved beyond their campus and partnered with municipal and public sector partners to implement “Mission Zero”. 
 
 
Rotaract Clubs and Interact Clubs members are welcome to attend the webinars.