Rally for the Lake
No joke, the Great Salt Lake may be the Great Salt Pond before long as it dries up amid climate change and poor public policies. And if that isn't enough, "As it does, decades' worth of industrial waste and pesticides—along with the arsenic naturally found in Utah soil—blows across the Wasatch Front, exposing millions to a toxic, irritating dust," scientists say. There's more to it, too. We depend on the lake as an ecosystem that supports our very lives. Sure, the governor has said he's going to focus on the lake and try to stem the water diversions. But we've seen how ineffective he is in the face of the Legislature. Join those who care in a Rally to Save Our Great Salt Lake before the legislative session begins. Wear a mask. Utah State Capitol, 350 N. State, Saturday, Jan. 15, noon, free. https://bit.ly/32Sxcnu
MLK Legacy
As we remember the life of Martin Luther King Jr., take time to make positive choices and show the world that he mattered. You can choose from a menu of events during a week of celebrations that includes an MLK Saturday Service Project and ends with the MLK Day Rally & March. The University of Utah's Bennion Center has some 500 volunteer spots, including self-directed projects for community-identified needs. In a single day, you can make a difference. Then, on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, march to Kingsbury Hall in the legacy of his footsteps toward a shared goal of equity. Service Project/various venues, Saturday, Jan. 15, 9 a.m., free. https://bit.ly/3q04UAg
March/East High School, 840 S. 1300 East, Monday, Jan. 17, 2 p.m., free. https://bit.ly/32UhRTy
Changing Demos
By the time our teenagers are 30 years old, Utah and the United States will be dramatically different places. To answer the question, "What are we doing today to shape and make room for a more diverse and beloved community tomorrow?" the Hinckley Institute of Politics is offering Reframing the Conversation: 2045: Toward a More Diverse Future, an event that's part of Martin Luther King Jr. week. We're already seeing the changes, but by 2045, "there will be more people of color than people who identify as white, more old people than children and more people practicing Islam than Judaism. ... In 2045, we are striving for a beloved community, a community that is not a lofty utopian goal but realistic, achievable and mutual." Hinckley Institute of Politics or virtual, 260 S. Campus Drive, Wednesday, Jan. 19, noon, free. https://bit.ly/3JJFLSt
