Due to the dedication and passion of Island climate advocates, the community is starting to shift toward more environmentally responsible ways of planning, operating businesses, and living from day to day.
The Island Climate Action Network compiled a climate update which shows some sustainability successes of 2020, and the upcoming events and initiatives the Vineyard will see this year.
On Jan. 14 and Feb. 4, the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) will hold public hearings on the proposed Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School athletic complex — a highly debated project that includes plans for a synthetic turf field.
Hundreds of correspondences from various community members and groups are catalogued on the MVC website, some illustrating their staunch support for the project, and others vehemently opposing it.
Leading up to the commission hearings, members of the public are encouraged to be active in the conversation and send correspondence to elvin@mvcommission.org.
The MVC Climate Action Task Force (CATF) has also wrapped up its first year in operation, with Liz Durkee at the helm as lead climate change planner. Made up of commissioners and staff, along with Island leaders and professionals, the CATF is working to develop an Island-wide climate resilience plan, with strategies for adapting to climate change impacts in the coming years.
Following in the footsteps of West Tisbury, Aquinnah became the second Island town to formalize its commitment to climate action by voting for the 100 percent renewable resolution — a nonbinding resolution that aims at becoming a 100 percent renewable energy Island by 2040.
Also along the lines of climate planning, the MVC is proposing to add an energy policy to the development of regional impact (DRI) checklist. According to the MVC website, the policy aims to reduce or eliminate the consumption of fossil fuels and the emission of greenhouse gases, maximize the energy efficiency of buildings, parking lots, and other structures reviewed as DRIs, and improve energy resilience on the Island.
On Jan. 12 at 9 am, the Center for Coastal Studies is hosting a virtual public meeting about a new project that will map the inundation paths of stormwater in light of sea level rise.
This mapping may serve as a useful planning tool for the Island’s flood zones and other susceptible areas along the coastline.
Do the cattle farmers here know about adding a small amount of seaweed to the diet of a bovine reduces methane emissions from their burping by up to 95 % ?
https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/feeding-seaweed-to-cows-could-curb-their-methane-laden-burps
Also, the easiest was to reduce energy usage is to conserve.
Turn lights and tvs off when not in use, don’t leave your vehicle running when you are not in it, and other common sense stuff.