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by Martha Shaw

OAK BLUFFS, MA — (MARKET WIRE) — August 14, 2006 — Dr. Jane Goodall spent time on the Island last week with environmental scientists, planners, local businesses, and teachers to talk about how to face challenges on the Vineyard. At a historical gathering at the home of Martha Shaw on Farm Pond in Oak Bluffs, Dr. Goodall gave local leaders from the MV Commission, Vineyard Conservation Society, Water Alliance, Sheriffs Meadow, Land Bank, Great Pond, OB Shellfish, Farm Institute, Wampanoag Tribe, Friends of Farm Pond, Felix Neck Sanctuary, Mass Audubon, grocers, and farmers — plenty of reasons for hope by finding common ground.

On a small island that is still building over 200 new houses a year and has long passed its capacity to sustain its inhabitants, including the fish and foul, hope is the catalyst that gets those people who are trying to manage the resources excited about going to work every day. The group sat around a small campfire and passed a talking stick while sharing stories with the woman who has won most every accolade on the planet as an ambassador of hope for an environmentally sustainable future.

“How can we pull the community together when the interests on the Island are so diverse, and where many of the people don’t stay long enough to understand the issues?” asked one participant who held the talking stick. “Keep finding new ways to communicate,” she responded. “What about egos?” asked another. “I like some chimps better than certain people, and some people better than certain chimps,” said Goodall. “But there is usually a way to reach everybody if you take the time to think about it. People like to save face.”

Most striking about Dr. Goodall is her peaceful approach to confrontation and the messages embedded in the countless stories she tells about her experiences around the world. Many of these tales deal with communities not unlike the Island, places where enormous wealth and meager subsistence intertwine seasonally and where the natural resources are in peril.

On this Island, the population explodes with day trippers, vacationers and seasonal residents, many of whom never see or feel things like the electric bill or the trash removal, much less the disappearance of a species. “If you can get people to want less, not more,” she said. “To think about what they need rather than pressuring the resources with excess.” see more…..

by Martha Shaw

OAK BLUFFS, MA — (MARKET WIRE) — August 14, 2006 — Dr. Jane Goodall spent time on the Island last week with environmental scientists, planners, local businesses, and teachers to talk about how to face challenges on the Vineyard. At a historical gathering at the home of Martha Shaw on Farm Pond in Oak Bluffs, Dr. Goodall gave local leaders from the MV Commission, Vineyard Conservation Society, Water Alliance, Sheriffs Meadow, Land Bank, Great Pond, OB Shellfish, Farm Institute, Wampanoag Tribe, Friends of Farm Pond, Felix Neck Sanctuary, Mass Audubon, grocers, and farmers — plenty of reasons for hope by finding common ground.

On a small island that is still building over 200 new houses a year and has long passed its capacity to sustain its inhabitants, including the fish and foul, hope is the catalyst that gets those people who are trying to manage the resources excited about going to work every day. The group sat around a small campfire and passed a talking stick while sharing stories with the woman who has won most every accolade on the planet as an ambassador of hope for an environmentally sustainable future.

“How can we pull the community together when the interests on the Island are so diverse, and where many of the people don’t stay long enough to understand the issues?” asked one participant who held the talking stick. “Keep finding new ways to communicate,” she responded. “What about egos?” asked another. “I like some chimps better than certain people, and some people better than certain chimps,” said Goodall. “But there is usually a way to reach everybody if you take the time to think about it. People like to save face.”

Most striking about Dr. Goodall is her peaceful approach to confrontation and the messages embedded in the countless stories she tells about her experiences around the world. Many of these tales deal with communities not unlike the Island, places where enormous wealth and meager subsistence intertwine seasonally and where the natural resources are in peril.

On this Island, the population explodes with day trippers, vacationers and seasonal residents, many of whom never see or feel things like the electric bill or the trash removal, much less the disappearance of a species. “If you can get people to want less, not more,” she said. “To think about what they need rather than pressuring the resources with excess.” see more…..

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By Martha Shaw
August 10, 2006

Just in time for the Agricultural Fair, a new solar electric system on the roof of the Ag Society’s main barn is now providing the building with free energy from the sun. Installing the solar panels and hooking them up was a community project involving four of the Island’s electrical companies, which volunteered to help out while getting free training on the job.

Matt Larsen of MV Electricians led the effort, which included their own and local electricians from Berube Electric, Powers Electric, and Ronald Pine Electric, with help from Larry Schubert, who installed the mounting racks for the solar panels.

“Being on one job, hand in hand, was fun,” said Matt. “It would have taken a day and a half with two people, but we had it up and running in 5 hours, joking around the whole time. The meter was spinning and we were making electricity.”

“It was nice to see all the different electricians pull together,” said Eleanor Neubert, who is the Agricultural Fair Manager, Secretary to the Board of Trustees, and the one who books the events at the Ag Hall.

The idea of solar energy on the building has been percolating for years, but the Board of Trustees was waiting for the time to be right, according to Bill Haynes, the chairman of the Ag Society’s Building Committee. When they were offered the solar electric system from the Edgartown School, which was being replaced by a larger and more accessible one, they rose to the occasion. A Renewable Energy Trust grant created a perfect opportunity to move ahead in time for the fair. “It’s a big building that takes a lot of lighting and heating,” said Mr. Haynes. “We should be doing more of this.”

Mr. Haynes is also among the many folks on the Island who are now heating their swimming pools with solar collectors and claim that hot water feels better when it has been heated for free by the sun. “I believe in it,” he said. “Solar energy can’t do any harm.”

Many other projects

The Agricultural Society project is one of the 87 solar electric installations and 69 solar hot water systems that are part of the goal of 500 Vineyard Solar Roofs by 2010, under the U.S. Department of Energy’s Million Solar Roofs program. The program funded much of the Vineyard’s energy education and outreach over the last four years and was led by Kate Warner, Director of the Vineyard Energy Project (VEP). With the federal decision to close all but two U.S. Department of Energy regional offices, the Million Solar Roofs program has ended. “It seems a fitting end to the formal Million Solar Roofs program, that Island electricians would collaborate to install a system on a community building, working together on the Island’s energy future,” said Kate Warner.

Despite the conclusion of Million Solar Roofs, subsidies from the Renewable Energy Trust and a federal income tax credit for 2006 and 2007 will continue. VEP’s energy education and outreach also remain full speed ahead, with a focus on helping to move the Island towards greater energy independence from fossil fuels and the electrical umbilical cord to the mainland.

Hope for a renewable energy future, as well as a more environmentally sustainable Island, can also be found in Edgartown’s Atria Restaurant. The Atria recently started up its new solar hot water system, which should provide enough hot water heating for its entire three-season operation, including hot water for dishwashing, food preparation, and washrooms.

According to Atria owner and chef, Christian Thornton, the new solar panels have an immediate payback and could spare the atmosphere of more than four tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year. “I was aware of how much energy it takes to run a restaurant,” said Christian. “So, when they came to me with a plan, it was an easy sell. This was not some pie in the sky. At today’s prices, the payback is around $2000 per year, which could go up considerably with a rise in fuel prices.”

Brian Nelson and David Sprague of Nelson Mechanical use a clean energy analysis software tool called RETScreen, developed by NASA, to take the guesswork out and evaluate the energy production and savings, life-cycle costs, financial viability and emission reductions. “All of us have kids, and we want to provide a better world for them,” said Brian Nelson. “When we use up the earth’s resources, we’re taking it from them.”

Christian Thornton agreed, “It’s important to know where your food comes from and the impact that has. Knowing where your energy comes from is just as important.”

The Million Solar Roofs program has paved the way for the Island to embrace solar energy and other renewable resources by proving that affordable technology exists and is readily available to reduce the last century’s precarious dependence on fossil fuels. Its lasting effect will be a community that is more educated about energy and more self-reliant – in keeping with the Island’s history of independence and ingenuity.

The public can view the solar electric system on the Ag Hall at the Agricultural Fair and read all about it. Look for a sign on the Main Barn and in the Hall. For more information on energy, solar electric, hot water or pool heating systems for your home or business, visit www.vineyardenergyproject.org.

To find out more about energy efficiency and renewable energy projects on the Island, visit www.vineyardenergyproject.org. This article is sponsored by the Vineyard Energy Project through a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Vineyard Energy Project promotes sustainable energy choices through education, outreach, and renewable energy projects. The author, Martha Shaw, is a member of the Vineyard Energy Project’s advisory board. The Times publishes these columns as a service to its readers.