2024 Past Events

Click on the quick links below to learn more about a few of our PECA events for 2024:

Sustain Auburn

On December 1, 2024 Glen Kramer, Auburn Resident Member At-Large, brought us up to date on the doings of the Auburn Sustainability Committee (ASC). The mission of the ASC is to assist the Auburn City Council regarding sustainability and environmental stewardship through research, recommendations, leadership, collaboration, and community engagement.  

Click here for a pdf of Glen's Presentation

Quick Links to ideas mentioned in Glen’s presentation:

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Home Electrification

On November 3, 2024 Dinyah Rein, a professional consultant dedicated to social and environmental impact, shared how to lower your carbon footprint and your home energy costs by electrifying a few key systems within your home. From the less expensive options, like an induction hotplate, to the more comprehensive home heat pump, the technology continues to improve, and the government provides financial support!  This makes switching away from fossil fuels in our homes ever more accessible.

Enjoy Dinyah Rein’s presentation from November 3, 2024

Helpful Web Resources:

California State Incentives:

 Financing:

Dinyah Rein’s Newsletter

  • Minerva’s View (intended as fuel for climate changemakers: what’s happening, what’s working, what’s needed, what you can do).

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Placer Plug-In Day

In conjunction with California Clean Air Day and National Drive Electric Week, the First Congregational Church hosted a daylong festival on September 28, 2024.

The main attenders were EV enthusiasts who brought their cars to display--a nice variety, trucks and sports cars and sedans and a hybrid passenger van. It was a great opportunity to check out new Electric Vehicles and get helpful information from EV owners.

A local heat pump and solar contractor had a pop-up, along with Pioneer Community Energy and Citizens Climate Lobby. PECA Board member, Ginny Kesler-Day provided a demonstration in solar cooking for this event as well.

The keynote speaker, Dana Nuccitelli, spoke on the benefits of home electrification and the savings available through the Inflation Reduction Act.  He covered a LOT of factual information on tax incentives and rebates for various home improvements and EV purchases, including heat pumps (water, air, clothes dryer--new to me) and induction stove/cook-tops. 

Click here for a pdf of Dana Nuccitelli's Presentation
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Beavers and Climate Resilience: Bring Back the Beaver Campaign

On July 7, 2024 Kate Lundquist of the Occidental Arts and Ecology Center spoke about the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign to educate citizens about the importance of beaver. North American beaver (Castor canadensis) are considered a “keystone species” because the habitat that they create benefits many other species. Their dams improve water quantity and quality, increase late season flow and reduce the impacts of flooding. In addition, beaver bank burrows and food caches provide critical habitat for many native and endangered California species. In order to improve water supply for humans and the environment and increase resilience to drought and climate change, beaver management needs to be integrated into California policy and regulation. 

Kate collaborates with landowners, communities, tribes, conservation organizations and resource agencies across California to uncover obstacles, identify strategic solutions, and implement beaver and process-based restoration to conserve watersheds, recover listed species, increase water security and build resilience to climate change (www.oaec.org/beaver). Kate is a co-founder and member of the California Beaver Policy Working Group and the California Process-Based Restoration Network (www.calpbr.org) and serves as a member of the Beaver Institute’s Advisory Board (www.beaverinstitute.org).       

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EVs // High Tech

Did you miss climate movie night on June 24th? You can view it here!

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Finding Hope in a Time of Climate Change

On June 2, 2024, Allen Edwards presented his journey toward creating hope in a time of climate change. Allen is a retired energy economist and climate change policy analyst. He worked for six decades, part-time and full-time, practicing sustainable silviculture and forest farming, and served as an agricultural educator with UC extension.  For the past two years, Allen has been working with a small group of volunteers on what has evolved into the Community Regeneration Project. Allen’s journey took him to finding hope in building a climate resilient future for his local community. Rather than trying to convince others to act, we can act for ourselves on ecological regeneration – in soil, croplands, and forests. Ultimately, we can build connections between the land and our community, and in the process build a local a sustainable future.

Companion video by Bill Jackson detailing Allen’s forest management activity and philosophy:

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Wildfire and Forest Resilience in California

On February 6, 2024 PECA Presents attendees heard Jessica Morse’s (candidate for Congress) vision for dealing with the wildfire threat in California.  Having served as Deputy Secretary for Forest and Wildland Resilience at the California Natural Resources Agency, Jessica shared her deep experience with this issue. As Deputy Secretary she worked on the frontline of California’s wildfire crisis, fast-tracking wildfire prevention efforts. Last year, she was appointed to the U.S. Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, helping develop recommendations and strategies to reshape national wildfire policies.

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Solving the Wildfire Threat

Prior to Jessica Morse’s presentation during PECa Presents (Feb 6, 2024), Dr. Ken Moore provided an overview of the wildfire problem and of the more recent legislation related to the ameliorating the problem.

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EV Extravaganza - 2024

On March 3, 2024 we learned more about electric vehicles, including

  • a brief overview of the history of electric cars

  • the myths surrounding EVS

  • a preview of the 2024 EV’s

  • firsthand information from a panel of local EV owners.

  • a visit to the parking to get a close look at a variety of electric vehicles and talk to their respective owners

Click here for a pdf of Dr. Ken Moore's 2024 EV presentation

This video provides a brief history of the the electric car in America.

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