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by Mike Johnson
Massachusetts Governor Baker signed an ambitious state law last month that established new interim goals for reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, significantly increases protections for environmental justice communities, authorizes the implementation of a new, voluntary net-zero energy building code for municipalities, and allows the commonwealth to procure an additional 2,400 megawatts of clean, reliable offshore wind energy by 2027. This law builds upon previous commitments towards achieving net-zero emissions in the commonwealth by 2050.
On a national level, President Biden has issued numerous executive orders in the first weeks of his administration to aggressively address climate change and to help the country better adapt to the effects of a changing climate. We expect that new national climate policies and legislation will follow.
Ipswich is also at the forefront of combating climate change. In September of 2018, a town-appointed climate resiliency committee was formed, comprising municipal staff, town board and committee representatives, and citizens with expertise in climate change, renewable energy, and energy conservation.
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This committee helped the town become a “green community” — a state program that provides grants to towns for implementing energy efficiency in municipal buildings and transportation, adopt energy-efficiency policies, and site and construct renewable energy-generating facilities on town-owned property. As part of the green community program, the municipal government committed to reducing its energy use by 20% in five years.
The first-year grant is being used to make energy conservation and efficiency improvements in the schools and municipal buildings, saving the town money on utility bills and building upgrade costs.
In 2020, the committee initiated a climate resolution for the municipal government that sets goals for reaching zero-carbon emissions by 2040 (meaning 100% of the energy used is free of fossil fuels). The resolution stipulates that new municipal buildings should have all electric space and water heating with energy-efficient heat pumps.
By 2040, 100% of Ipswich’s electricity should be from non-carbon sources, such as wind and solar power. The resolution also requires the municipal government to evaluate the effects of climate change on new and existing buildings, roads, and utility infrastructure.
The resolution was unanimously supported by the select board and school committee in December 2020.
The next phase will be to develop an implementation plan that defines the strategy each department, board, and committee will adopt to meet the goals of the resolution.
This resolution is an acknowledgment that climate change is an existential threat to our community and is a commitment by the municipal government that we intend to be proactive in addressing solutions to it. Continuing to depend upon fossil fuels for our energy will result in greater economic, social, and environmental harm to our town that will become unsustainable over the next decades.
The consequences of a “business-as-usual” pathway will mean higher sea levels and more frequent and intense storms that will increase erosion of our coastline and damage properties and public infrastructure and bring more intense and prolonged droughts and more severe floods. Many of our iconic natural resources will be diminished, including sugar maple trees, soft-shell clams, and Atlantic cod. Some changes are inevitable due to past emissions and warming, but the worst scenarios can be avoided if we begin to aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions now.
Reducing our dependency on fossil fuels is also prudent fiscal policy. Energy conservation and efficiency and replacing fossil fuel electric generation with clean renewable energy can save the town money. For example, between 2009 and 2018, the cost of utility-scale solar photovoltaic and onshore wind generation in the U.S. has fallen nearly 90% and 70%, respectively. Solar and onshore wind power is projected to be the cheapest forms of new electricity generation by 2025.
Taking action on climate change is also important for public safety and health. Elevated heat, coastal storms, and floods threaten the lives and property of our community, especially those who are most vulnerable. Because we have responsibilities to our children and future citizens in Ipswich, climate action is a moral responsibility and obligation.
We are on the cusp of a new energy future — one that we can look forward to living in.
You can learn more about the climate resiliency committee on the town website at www.ipswichma.gov/848/Climate-Resiliency-Committee
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April 23, 2021 at 11:00PM
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Column: Ipswich making strides to correct climate change - The Local Ne.ws
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