LifeLong Learning at PebbleCreek

Vision for a World Without Plastic Pollution

Bill Nee

Plastic is an incredible substance for humankind and the worst substance possible for the environment, says entrepreneur Andrew Forrest. Plastic is now in our communities and oceans. It is in our water, air, rain, and snow, as well as in our bodies. Plastic pollution, Forrest says, is one of the biggest, most urgent threats facing our planet and our health.

Forrest discusses an ambitious plan to convince the world’s biggest companies to fund an environmental revolution to transition industry toward acquiring all its plastic from recycled materials, instead of from fossil fuels. He considers that goal attainable, because only 100 polymer producers produce 90% of global plastic waste, making implementation easier and more streamlined. Forrest states that, if new single-use plastic, now made 98% from fossil fuels, were priced higher, it would become economically desirable to recycle existing plastic, currently filling our dumps and polluting our oceans. He shares how we can make a difference to impact that change. Such a market-led pricing change could fund cleanup efforts and incentivize recycled plastic production, while utilizing an existing resource.

To view this thought-provoking 14.5-minute TED Talk, go to TED.com, click “watch” in the header, then “TED Talks,” then in “Search talks” input “A radical plan to end plastic waste,” scroll a little lower, and click on the talk you selected.

Classes Start in November

Tim Pisarski

The PebbleCreek community organization, LifeLong Learning (LLL), begins its 2022-23 season of classes by opening online registration Oct. 1 for all of its classes, which are scheduled through March. The first class meets Nov. 9.

Experts living right here in PebbleCreek teach LLL’s classes, embodying the core values of LLL’s volunteer organization. Most classes are held in the LifeLong Learning Center. Full information and online class registration take place at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org. Class sizes are limited and may sell out quickly! Classes coming up in November are:

Nov. 9: Electrifying Our Future—Electric Vehicles. Are they really as green as advertised?

Nov. 9: The Art of Art Appreciation

Nov. 10 and 17: Intro to Genealogy—Who do you think you are?

Nov. 11: Artisan Bread—You can be a baker, too! (Held in the instructor’s home)

Nov. 15: Brewing Beer at Home—A fun pastime to share with friends (Held in the instructor’s home)

Nov. 16: Car Buying—Negotiating in Today’s Market. Buying a car does not need to be stressful.

Nov. 30: How to Design a Photo Book in Shutterfly

Three Trips Sell Out; First Premier Lectures Ahead

Tim Pisarski

Intense interest in the new season of Lifelong Learning activities resulted in the first trip—to local NPR-KJZZ and PBS broadcast facilities Oct. 11—selling out in eight days. Soon after, two trips to Arizona Culinary Institute, Oct. 10 and Nov. 2, also filled all openings. Continuing the season, a great assortment of trips awaits, including two more in November:

* Nov. 16: Martin Auto Museum and Flite Goodyear operations at Goodyear airport

* Nov. 30: An exploration of two different religions through a visit to a Sikh temple, followed by a visit to Arizona Jewish Historical Society at Phoenix’s original synagogue, which has been restored.

Registration for all November trips opened Sept. 1 on our website at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org, where full details, including each trip’s lunch stop, are provided.

Premier Lectures kick off Nov. 5 with Andrew Friedenberg’s fascinating exploration of movie making behind the scenes. Planners anticipate so much interest in this program that they’re offering a matinee, as well as an evening program. Registration for both lectures opened Sept. 1.

After a holiday break, Premier Lectures will resume Jan. 5, 2023, with an opportunity to meet Theodore Roosevelt (or at least his live portrayer, Joe Wigand), followed by a review Jan. 27 of the United States healthcare system. Does the U.S. really have the best healthcare system in the world? Healthcare experts Natalie Landman, Ph.D., and Robert Smoldt, MBA, will explore that and related issues. Registration for January Premier Lectures opens Nov. 1 at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org.

Monday Morning Lectures Resume

Tim Pisarski

Now is the time to plan ahead to attend LifeLong Learning’s upcoming Monday Morning Lectures (MMLs), which run October through April. Detailed descriptions, dates, and times recently went live on LLL’s website at www.lifelonglearningatpc.org.

There’s no need to register for MMLs. Just pay $5 at the door the morning of each lecture, which begins at 10 a.m. in Tuscany Falls Renaissance Theater.

Here’s a summary of October’s MMLs:

Oct. 17: Understanding Origins of the War in Ukraine. Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine surprised most experts and scholars. Others considered it a foregone conclusion. Yan Mann, Ph.D., clinical assistant professor at Arizona State University, will discuss whether the invasion is a continuation of the conflict frozen in Eastern Ukraine since 2014 or due to something else.

Oct. 24: Immigration and the American Dream. Thomas J. Davis, Ph.D., ASU professor emeritus and lawyer, will discuss the basic questions of what it means to be an American and how immigrants fit into the American Dream.

Oct. 31: Día de Los Muertos Through Storytelling. Zarco Guerrero, a sculptor, mask maker, and performance artist, will share the meaning of Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) through storytelling, using his unique masked characters. His storytelling puts life into perspective in a delightful, engaging way, helping audiences to accept and even to laugh at their most primal fears about death.

All PebbleCreekers are invited to come join in. There will be a lot to learn and enjoy!