John Dapcevich,
Former Mayor,
Dies at Age 95
Six-term Sitka mayor John Evan Dapcevich died Thursday evening at Bartlett Regional Hospital in Juneau. He was 95.
John lived in Sitka from 1960 until 1995 when he retired from Dapcevich Accounting Service and returned to Juneau.
An obituary will be published in a later edition of the Sentinel.
Climate Connection:
By Barb Bingham
Finally, real progress in climate solutions!
There’s a lot to like in the Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law by President Biden August 16, the biggest climate bill ever passed by the U.S.! Tax credits for EVs? Yes! Tax credits for heat pumps? Yes! Tax credits for home efficiency upgrades? Yes! How about roof top solar? Yes, yes! Great, how do we get those tax credits?
Here are two resources to help you navigate the possibilities based on your own situation: visit Rewiring America, a pro-electrification non-profit, and try their online calculator to determine which of the incentives you’ll likely qualify for. (Rewiringamerica.org/app/ira-calculator). If you’d like more guidance, Canary Media (canarymedia.com) currently has an online article, “Could You Get Home Energy and EV Incentives Under the Climate Law?” that will walk you through Rewiring’s calculator.
Why is it called The Inflation Reduction Act if it’s a climate bill? The Inflation Reduction Act curbs inflation by raising more revenue through tax reform and other measures than it spends on clean energy and other policies. By transitioning away from fossil fuels and volatile prices, better economic stability is achieved.
Now let’s talk about its climate benefits. First of all, there are too many to include in this column, but here’s an overview, $386 billion overall will be applied toward: the EV and other tax credits mentioned above; electric production and investment tax credits – which will jump-start lagging renewable energy deployment; forestry programs; electrification; green bank and environmental justice programs; clean energy and domestic manufacturing and innovation; and much more including carbon sequestration, biofuels production and nuclear power. The provisions in the bill are also projected to save almost 200K lives from death by pollution, as well as help increase corn, wheat and soybean production by millions of barrels worth billions of dollars, and create 1.5 million new jobs by 2030. There’s also a first-ever methane pollution fee (methane is 25 times more potent than CO2 for trapping heat in the atmosphere)!
What will it save us in emissions? Although new oil and gas leases are permitted in the legislation, it has been estimated that we’ll save 24 tons of emissions for every ton generated by oil and gas provisions. From a starting point of 6.6 gt (gigatons) of emissions in 2005, our target is 3.3 gt by 2030, a 50% cut, to meet our Paris agreement goal. We’re already reducing emissions, and were at 5. 6 gt in 2021. Based on current policies then, we could expect to have reached a 27% cut over 2005 levels (4.9 gt) by 2030; with the IRA we expect to reduce emissions 900 mt (million tons) a year bringing us to a 40% reduction or 4.0 gt, by 2030, a bit shy of our 3.3 gt goal.
We still have work to do, and we’re a long way from 0 emissions in 2050, but this is a BIG step in the right direction! For a clear and detailed explanation of the bill, see Dana Nuccitelli’s article at: https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2022/08/experts-senate-passed-bill-will-yield-myriad-climate-benefits/. Dana is an environmental scientist, climate journalist and Citizens Climate Lobby Research Coordinator.
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Barb Bingham is a member of Citizens Climate Lobby and Transition Sitka, and very glad the IRA is now law.
Volunteers at
Sitka Lutheran
To Add Variety
Sheila Parocai and Paul Richard, who have served in volunteer roles worldwide throughout their lifetimes, will volunteer this month at Sitka Lutheran Church.
After serving as volunteers in 2015 they were both eager to return to Sitka.
Parocai has a rich variety of volunteer service on her resume. She worked at an RV park in Louisiana, the National Park Service in Virginia, at Pocahantas Resort in Minnesota, the Red Cross, and as a lector in St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Alexandria, Virginia.
Her professional work experience includes the NCUA (insuring agent for federal credit unions), which included work in Bogota, Colombia. Now retired, she makes her home at a small ski resort in Pennsylvania.
Kansas resident Richard has 20 years of military service (U.S. Army medical branch), which gave him the opportunity to share his training in psychology and counseling.
Serving at inpatient drug and alcohol treatment centers in Germany, along with his other duties, Richard retired as a master sergeant in 1990. Two more career paths gave him opportunities to share his skills as a counselor for MCC Insurance Co. and for Disabled American Veterans. More recently he has focused on photography, working in a food pantry and with homeless veterans.
Both will run the popcorn machine, greet visitors and preach the Gospel at Sitka Lutheran.
Regular Sunday morning worship services are held at 10:30 am. For information call the church office at 747-3338 or visit the church’s web site at: http://www.sitkalutheranchurch.org/ or e-mail the office at slc.admin@acsalaska.net.
Emblem Club
Meets Sept. 8
Sitka Emblem Club 142 will hold a business meeting 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 8, at Sitka Elks Lodge 1662. All members are invited and welcome.
Benefit Dinner for
Cancer Society
The Elks Lodge will host a spaghetti feed fundraiser and auction for the Sitka Cancer Survivor Society 5-7 p.m. Sept. 18.
The auction will include desserts. The raffle drawing will be for quilts and a gift certificate.
The event is sponsored by Sitka Emblem Club 142. Those with questions can call Carolyn Fredrickson at 907-623-7028.
