Rotary International’s Seventh Area of Focus

Amy Steward

Rotary International’s Seventh Area of Focus — Protecting the Environment — has deep and meaningful roots in Coronado.

In 2007, Coronado Rotarian Marshall Saunders founded the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), which has since grown to more than 550 chapters worldwide, including 450 in the United States. Saunders and fellow Rotarians soon became involved with the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG), one of Rotary’s 25 Action Groups, representing more than 37,500 members in 150 countries.

Through persistent advocacy, ESRAG successfully championed the creation of a new Rotary Area of Focus, and Rotary International’s Seventh Area of Focus was born, creating a formal pathway for funding, volunteer engagement, and global collaboration in support of environmental stewardship.

“Coronado Rotary has led the charge in Coronado and throughout the San Diego region to protect the environment,” said Ivan Dunn, who has been involved with the club’s environmental efforts since tits inception. “In 2020, the club formally established the Committee to Protect the Environment to focus and expand this work.”

During the challenges of the COVID pandemic, Zayanne Thompson became the committee’s first chair. Under her leadership, the committee organized weekly cleanups around the bay and on the Silver Strand. In the first 6 months the Committee to protect the Environment hosted 27 clean-ups, logged almost 300 volunteer hours, and removed 268 five-gallon buckets of trash that otherwise would have ended up in the bay. Rotary’s commitment to hands-on service was unwavering even during uncertain times.

“It was fun to work with our members to create our statement of purpose and decide how to get things going,” said Thompson. We planned educational moments on our weekly Zoom meetings with members presenting information on a range of topics. We also created Rotary Green Guidelines for club activities.”

Today, Coronado’s Committee to Protect the Environment is at the forefront of one of Rotary International’s most ambitious environmental initiatives — the Million Solar Panel Challenge. This global effort encourages Rotary clubs to document installed solar panels, encourage new solar installations, educate their communities about renewable energy, and commit to solar projects.

The Rotary Club of Coronado currently leads the world in the number of logged solar panels, placing Rotary District 5340 first among more than 530 Rotary districts globally.

Solar energy not only reduces electric bills, but also significantly lowers carbon emissions. Aggressive, intentional, and rapid transition to renewable energy is essential to addressing the global climate crisis — and Coronado Rotarians have accepted the challenge to lead the way.

If every one of the 1.3 million Rotarian worldwide installed just one solar panel, the impact would be extraordinary:

  • Equivalent to planting 14 million mature trees
  • Saving more than $5 billion annually in electricity costs
  • Preventing 10 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere each year

Looking ahead, the Committee to Protect the Environment is exploring a solar panel project for the Imperial Beach Neighborhood Center and Food Pantry (IBNCFP). The Rotary Club of Coronado intends to complement its current support of IBNCFP efforts to reduce food insecurity — twice-monthly food collection, purchases, and donations — with donation of solar panels. A true “two-fer” initiative.

“We contribute enough food to stock the shelves for one full week, serving seniors, unhoused individuals, military families, and others in need,” said Ginger Cox, co-chair of the Food Pantry Committee. “The need has grown exponentially, nearly doubling the number of households we serve in just one year.”

Reducing rising electricity costs through solar power will help the food pantry keep the lights on, expand services, and redirect resources to feeding those in need — all while reducing its environmental footprint.

Additionally, the Committee to Protect the Environment is reintroducing the Sustainability Spotlight — a monthly, one-minute environmental education feature and call to action during Rotary meetings. These brief educational interludes reinforce concepts of sustainability and recommend small steps that everyone can take to collectively yield big impacts.

As the Rotary Club of Coronado celebrates its 100th anniversary, the Committee to Protect the Environment proudly reflects and engenders the club’s enduring commitment to service, leadership, and stewardship.

Protecting the environment is tantamount to ensuring our grandchildren and future generations inherit a safe, bountiful, and beautiful world. As Rotarians and citizens of the world, there is nothing more important.