NOTES From meeting 26th JULY 2022

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NOTES From meeting 26th JULY 2022

The Rotary Club of Reading
Published by Bob C in News · 31 July 2022
NOTES READING ROTARY CLUB ZOOM MEETING 26th JULY 2022

1. FAMILY OFFICER – FRANK PARKINSON  
Welcomed Graham back after a long period of recovery.

2. PRESIDENT’S ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Jubilee bench has been transferred to YMCA for a make-over
2. A representative is still needed to liaise with Pepe Sale
3. All are asked to advise if they will attend the meeting at Mapledurham on 30 August as the golf club wants an early deposit
4. Nick Harborne will be sworn in during our next meeting at Pepe Sale
5. Vicky Metcalfe could possibly be sworn in at the same meeting

3. MEMBERS’ ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Jack Holt reminded all of the golf event on behalf of Simon
2. Eric Moyse will send a 7-day notice letter about David soon
3. John Osborne: Reading Rotary will have a page in the next Reading Chronicle
4. Tim Metcalfe: Please advise if you wish to attend the shoebox party on 31 July
5. Tim: the Rotary Chair items have been put back together with some centenary pictures + coin.  All agreed that the chair can be opened again in 25 years.

4. SECRETARY’S ANNOUNCEMENTS  
1. Next meeting: 2nd August, Pepe Sale at 12.30 for 13.00; Speaker: Joy Jarvis, Thames Valley Police; Subject:  A Day in the Life of a Roads Police Officer Welcome: David Barrett; Vote of Thanks: Matt Andrews
2. Next Zoom Meeting: 9th August, Business Meeting  

5. Gert-Jan van Dommelen of PlasticSoup: Plastic in the Air and Oceans
The worldwide initiative was conceived in Amsterdam to raise awareness and take action to reduce the magnitude of the amount of plastic.  The first presentation was in Oxford on 10 October 2021 with Rotary representatives from Henley and Marlow unable to attend today.

Pictures were showing how plastic gets smaller but never goes away: it becomes micro plastic and ends up in the food chain.   Each of us eats at least 2kg plastic per annum.  Plakton is an important element of the ecosystem.  One of the results is that oceans have lost 40% of their capability to eliminate CO2.  Another feature is 20% fertility reduction during the last 40 years.  Despite all this plastic production is expected to double in the next 10 years.  This will result in 45kg plastic waste per person per annum.
PlasticSoup is aiming to stop plastic pollution by 2050 by reducing, reusing and recycling plastic.  It has prepared action packages for schools, sport clubs, events, shops, restaurants.

Clear up initiatives have been taken
• along the River Drina where a power station was stopped by waste
• in Egypt where recycling initiatives are in progress,
• in Russia where the Black Sea is being cleaned
• in Ghana / Sierra Leone where recycling factories are operational at the Limes Bubble Barrier and
• along the Oude Rijn in The Netherlands where plastic is being burnt to provide heating for most dwellings in Amsterdam.
3 June is the Global End Plastic Soup Action Day.  Details can be found on the Beat the Micro Beat App.  Its young ambassadors are telling us that we need a plastic treaty now.  The United Nations signed the agreement in March 2022.
Plastic helps to bind and work with people.  

During the Q&A session it was stressed that it is better to recycle than to burn plastic.  65% of plastic has recycling potential whilst only 1% is being recycled at present.  Best of all is to use different material.  Single use plastic constitutes 50% of all plastic – a huge problem.
During his vote of thanks Tim Metcalfe highlighted that, with particles of plastic in sewage, farmers are effectively contaminating the land when applying waste to fields and that Greta Thunberg’s generation has to be involved with solving the problem of plastic in the air and oceans.

Read more about Gert's presetation and watch the videos here>



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