On Oct. 2, Mark Goldfarb talks about how climate change has become a global crisis and what changes we can make on small and large scales.Goldfarb took Al Gore’s Climate Reality training, a three-day intensive filled with panel discussions, breakout sessions and several presentations by experts including Gore, who happened to be a neighbor with when Goldfarb lived in Nashville.“Serving as a true role model, he inspired me to be more aware, and I subsequently built a LEED-certified home,” Goldfarb said, adding that he rides an e-bike and has put nearly 600 miles on it commuting to local activities and running errands just this summer.Goldfarb was a cardiologist for 33 years in Nashville before moving to Park City, and as a physician, he sees climate change as public health crisis, which he said affects marginalized populations the most.“I also have new identical twin granddaughters, and I am committed to doing what I can to leave them a better and healthier world,” he said.He will discuss simple and inexpensive actions people can take to address the problem. These include taking public transportation, slightly adjusting thermostats in winter and summer, using the speed cycle on washing machines and dishwashers and using only cold water when washing clothes, installing smart thermostats, avoiding single-use plastics, recycling, bringing cloth shopping bags to stores, retrofitting homes with LED lights and landscaping with drought-tolerant plants. He also recommends requesting a home energy audit with Dominion Energy and Rocky Mountain Power.“On another level, but clearly more expensive, would be purchasing an electric vehicle, installing a heat pump and/or solar panels and switching to Energy Star appliances,” he said. “On a local level, we should be proud that Park City Municipal, as well as Deer Valley and Park City Mountain Resort, will benefit from the recently operational Elektron Solar Project in obtaining the vast majority of their energy needs going forward. We should also be comforted that our city’s leaders are aware of the issues and have a forward-thinking sustainability program with very smart and committed individuals.”Though he understands how the data can be ominous and even depressing, given that the climate crisis is “here and now, not in the future,” he emphasizes hope.“Taking positive action is empowering and most definitely can make a difference. We, indeed, have all the tools and technology to make the appropriate changes. It does, however, require our individual and collective willpower to get involved,” he said, adding that that the primary effects of global warming are a result of manmade burning of fossil fuels — natural gas, petroleum and coal. “And the problem is not only local but worldwide, affecting virtually every country in the world, as well as our oceans, lakes and forests.”He will also address greenwashing in his talk.“That is where some of the major culprits, the major polluters like the oil and gas industry, engage in false narratives about their carbon footprint, basically spreading disinformation and often seriously exaggerating their environmentally friendly actions. It is intended to mislead consumers who desire buying from environmentally conscious brands,” he said.The talk supports Park City Library’s Sustainability Resource Center, launched in 2022 to bring awareness and action for a sustainable community.“When we learned that Mark Goldfarb attended Al Gore’s Climate Reality Training, we knew we had to have him speak because of his dedication to Park City and the world’s sustainable future,” said Becca Lael, senior community engagement librarian of Park City Library. “We are excited to have him share what he has learned from the training and his personal take on climate solutions for us locally and what is needed on a larger scale.”Climate Change: The New RealityWhen: 5:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2Where: Park City Library, Community Room Cost: Free, no need for advanced reservations More info: parkcitylibrary.org or 435-615-5600The post Climate Change: The New Reality appeared first on Park Record.