September 13, 2024, Community Happenings

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Category: News

Created on Friday, 13 September 2024 13:17

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Climate Connection: Climate Action Successes
The Rocky Mountain Institute examined all 45 state climate action plans required for competing for the federal Climate Pollution Reduction Grants funded by the Inflation Reduction Act. The Alaska state plan would lower climate pollution by 4% by 2030, hardly an aggressive goal, when the U.S. needs to halve its emissions by 50% by 2030. However, our own Southeast Alaska Conference was awarded an Implementation Grant Award of $38.6 million to help Alaska Heat Smart subsidize 6100 electric heat pumps to replace fossil fuel heating in 50 Southeast coastal communities from Ketchikan to Kodiak using clean hydropower.
Our own efforts to electrify building heating reflect that all 45 state climate action plans addressed buildings as an important and remediable source of greenhouse gas emissions. There are outstanding examples of success in other places. Maine’s 2019 legislation resulted in 100,000 heat pumps in homes by 2023, two years before the state target. Maine’s governor set a new target of 175,000 more heat pumps by 2027, now underway. In France, homeowners joining MaPrimeRenov resulted in 670,000 homes being renovated in 2022, including 156,000 air source heat pumps; 70% of whole-house retrofits were for the lowest income households.
Several countries have climate successes other than building modifications. Uruguay now has 90% of its power from renewables, with wind power increasing from 1% to 36% in 10 years. India installed 370 million LED lightbulbs in less than 10 years, saving as much CO2 emissions as the United Kingdom’s (UK) entire annual emissions. Spain has decreased coal production and use by 80% and will eliminate coal by 2025, while insuring a just transition by creating 1,200 new jobs in mining communities and funding early retirement of coal workers. Denmark ended all new oil and gas leases in 2020, as has the UK’s new government. Denmark will also tax methane emissions from cattle starting in 2030 and has launched a national action plan for plant-based food. In South Korea, city residents weigh food waste and are charged accordingly, which reduced food waste immediately. Food waste generates methane in landfills and reflects wasted land, water, fertilizer, transport, and packaging. Brazil’s Curitiba has developed a rapid bus system to stem rising car use, and China’s Shenzhen has implemented a zero-emission zone for trucks.
These successes show what is possible in addressing greenhouse gas emissions and energy savings.
The means of weaning ourselves off of fossil fuels and other sources of greenhouse gases exist. What we lack is political will.  Our country has contributed the greatest amount of cumulative historical emissions that have warmed the earth and acidified our oceans. We could use our wealth to aid poor countries around the world to transition to green energy in order to decrease global emissions. The earth depends on this to remain habitable and to preserve much of what we value. We can act locally in Sitka and in Alaska, as well as choosing federal candidates who acknowledge the challenge of global warming. 
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Kay Kreiss, Transition Sitka

Indigenous Peoples’
Day Celebration On
All are invited to Sheet’ka’s Indigenous Peoples’ Day celebration on Oct. 14 at Harrigan Centennial Hall.
This year’s theme is ‘‘Linking Generations: Our Ancestors, Us, and Our Future.’’
The program begins with a dinner at 4 p.m., followed by dance and music performances, a special presentation, a panel discussion, and breakout sessions. There is no charge to attend. For information, call 907 738-4323 or check their Facebook page.

Unitarians Meet
Bruce Gazaway will discuss the changes to the Unitarian principles that were finalized at this summer’s national General Assembly of Unitarian Universalists, at the 10:30 a.m. Sunday meeting of the Sitka UU Fellowship.
The program begins at 10:45 a.m., with coffee available at 10:30. Soup and bread follow the program at noon. The Fellowship Hall is located at 408 Marine Street, with parking behind off Spruce Street.

Sitka F&G Panel
To Meet Oct. 2
The Sitka Fish and Game Advisory Committee will meet 6 p.m. Oct. 2 to prepare recommendations for the Board of Fisheries regarding the king salmon management plan.
The AC also will discuss a proposal to regulate unguided charter boats. The meeting will be held at the office for Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture at 1308 Sawmill Creek Road.

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