As I write, the conference on global warming or climate change has just ended in Montreal. This conference was the first gathering of nations to decide what to do beyond the steps outlined in the Kyoto agreements to reduce emissions of greenhouse gasses. From press reports it's clear it was a difficult two week meeting, with both the United States and major developing nations refusing to commit to much.
In the meantime, we Homo sapiens continue to emit increasing amounts of gases that trap more heat in our atmosphere.
Those of us who are frustrated with the intransigence of the United States government can do more than just rant and rave. Amherst, like many other communities, has chosen to "act locally" while "thinking globally." The Town has adopted an official Climate Action Plan, with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated within the town's border by 35% (from the 1997 levels) by the year 2009. That means eliminating 110,316 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).
The Plan, developed by Amherst's Energy Task Force over the course of several years, includes several aspects. One thing we as individuals can do right now is make a $50 tax-deductible contribution to the Amherst Renewable Energy Campaign. Our contributions directly fund wind power in Massachusetts. In addition, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MTC), to encourage participation, will contribute money to renewable energy projects in public buildings in Amherst. As an incentive, if enough Amherst residents - only 3%, or 280 households - send their $50 by the end of March 2006, the MTC will double the funding to the town. Northampton has already earned $50,000 through this program; surely we can follow their example!
At the same time, the Hitchcock Center for the Environment is working on plans to become an energy-neutral building, which would be a wonderful example, and has gotten a commitment from the Select Board to commit at least a portion of any funds from the Mass Technology Collaborative to help "green" the Hitchcock Center with solar panels (the Hitchcock Center is in a town-owned building).
I realize that all of us get far more appeals for contributions at this time of year than we can respond to, but this is certainly one to give serious consideration to. It is currently the easiest practical way to "vote" with our dollars for alternative sources of energy. To see more, or to contribute, go to the Hitchcock Center website, at http://www.hitchcockcenter.org/
The major savings of CO2 emissions identified by the Plan are from major institutions: the colleges, University, and Town. Measures already undertaken by these institutions between 1997 and the greenhouse gas assessment in 2001 have already saved over 43,000 tons of CO2. Some examples of those projects already underway or completed include: changing to low-watt lighting in and around many buildings, using heat pumps at the wastewater treatment plant to replace three electric heaters, using motion detectors on outside lights so they only go on when needed, converting traffic signals from incandescent bulbs to light-emitting diodes, replacing old motors with new high-efficiency motors, adopting the newest most energy-efficient technologies, windows, insulation etc. for new construction, using air-to-air heat exchangers in newly-renovated dormitories at Amherst College and academic building at Hampshire College to capture heat from exhausted air to assist with heating fresh air, centralized energy-efficient air conditioning instead of individual inefficient window units, converting Hampshire buildings from electric heat to gas space and water heating, a massive energy conservation project at UMass, use of a heat exchanger in cold weather to chill water previously cooled by an electric chiller, and construction of a gas/oil fired central heating plant at UMass to replace the ancient coal-fired plant.
The Task Force's report also notes that an "unusually high percentage of residents É walk and bicycle to work. However, we own a lot of cars: nine percent of Amherst residents don't own a car (nationally 11% don't), and 14% of Amherst households own three or more! The Plan has adopted a "Town Green Fleet Strategy" that includes substituting biodiesel for oil-based diesel wherever possible, improving the gas mileage of municipal vehicles, enforcing the state law against idling vehicles for more than five minutes, improving vehicle maintenance and developing an incentive program to encourage Town employees to carpool. The Task Force also suggests allowing Town employees to work at home occasionally, but I imagine that could lead to problems of accountability to tax payers, who expect to see people at work.
This summary can't do the full report justice. You too can read it by downloading it from the website. Go to http://www.amherstma.gov/departments/Conservation/energy_conservati on.asp and click on the link at Milestone 3.