To the Editor:
The goal of a 100 percent renewable energy Island is a BHAG (a term I once learned in a business book, meaning Big Hairy-Assed Goal!) And a BHAG is just what we need right now. The climate crisis before us threatens to end life on this Island and Earth as we know it. Finding ways to adapt to the changes ahead and greatly lessen our contribution to the crisis we have all created is greatly needed if we want to keep on living on the planet, fishing its waters, farming its soils, and enjoying life in whatever ways we can in a changing world.
It is hard to imagine what an Island with sea level rise, greater flooding, storm surges, and more extreme and frequent weather events will be like — whether they are longer droughts and possible wildfire, or stronger hurricanes and nor’easters. We’ve had a bit of a taste of it with our first tornado warnings, some heavy rainfall, greater flooding, and strong winds this summer and fall. We have seen Five Corners and other areas flooded, but more of it and much more extreme is hard to fathom. What should we do to ensure that we can still access and use the Steamship Authority docks and other entities that we rely upon along Vineyard Haven Harbor? What should we do to ensure we can access the hospital in times of greater flooding and storm surge?
We are burying our heads in the sand if we don’t get moving on this: planning and instigating measures that will help us be resilient in the face of extreme climatic change, and doing our part to lessen its impact so that life for our children and grandchildren can continue on this Island and planet.
When you think about a 100 percent renewable energy Island, it does seem radically different from what we currently know the Vineyard to be. There would be electricity used for many aspects of our life here, and there would be jobs, but some would be different jobs from we currently have. Imagine us as an Island committed to being proactive and achieving what needs to be done to be resilient in the face of this change.
The Climate Solutions talks being offered each month, once in West Tisbury and once in Oak Bluffs, are designed to help us all imagine and understand what our future could be like as our Island and earth undergo the changes that the climate crisis will bring. Island individuals who are volunteering their time to think through what some possible scenarios could be are giving the talks. Come and learn what is possible, and how you can support our transition — as individuals and as members of this Island community. Be part of the BHAG!
Kate Warner
West Tisbury
I believe it would be instructive for our readers to research the problems and cost associated with renewable wind and solar for electricity generation. Research the land requirements for solar and wind: the disposable issues associated with turbines and solar panels: the rare earth minerals only mined in China needed for renewables. Finally it would be useful to read the IPCC reports on the frequency of storms and hurricanes and tornadoes and drought as a result of greenhouse gases. Read the reports of what people are unwilling to pay to reduce greenhouse gases. Educate yourselves and then come to a conclusion of what can and should be done and what will work. I do not think that a 16 year old telling us ”how dare you” is enough.