Graduates seek to find out how Lopez can be more sustainable

by Chom and Chris Greacen

What resources are required to sustain the economy and residents of Lopez Island and what would the future of Lopez look like if we were to continue “the business as usual” vs. to become more sustainable? These are the questions that a group of eleven graduate students from the Monterey Institute of International Studies in California is seeking to help our community find answers to.

A few Islands around the world have been in the forefront of humanity’s push for sustainability and lower resource consumption.  Islands offer unique opportunities as “petri dishes” for global resource sustainability because boundaries are particularly easy to draw (they’re surrounded by water, after all) and because energy and other resources are typically higher in cost than on the mainland, increasing the relative attractiveness of energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other home-grown options. While the Danish island Samso provides an amazing precedent on the energy front –  from heavy dependence on imported coal electricty to 100% local renewable energy – there are as yet no populated islands in the USA that have achieved a zero-net energy goal. As Samso discovered, the switch to sustainability created a huge boon to the local economy, as the island is now a mecca for tourists interested in the environment. (We don’t mean to imply that Samso should be model for Lopez, but this example does illustrate some of the potential for sustainability working hand-in-hand with a thriving local economy).

The graduate students, taking a class taught by Lopez residents Chris and Chom Greacen, are working together on a hands-on class project focusing on Lopez Island. They will document baseline energy and resource consumption, and explore plausible scenarios for the future. The class has been meeting since early February with classes convened via internet video. Students are split into three groups, with the first focusing on electricity & heating, the second group on transportation, and the third on agriculture, food, water and waste. Their final report, to be completed in June, will be posted online on the Islands Energy Coalition website (http://islandsenergy.wordpress.com/).

The students will be on Lopez from 17 to 22 March gathering data, learning from Lopezians, and discussing initial findings. The class trip will culminate in a “Lopez Sustainability Collaborative and Potluck/pizza Fest”  event at the Lopez Center for Community and the Arts on Thursday 22 March from 5:30pm to 8pm.

The event will be family-friendly and interactive with multiple media and opportunities for all to participate in different ways. All are welcome. - those interested in or curious about our island’s future (or specific issues such as transportation, energy, food/agriculture, waste and materials) -- those who simply enjoy good food and good company.

Please bring a dish to share and your own table settings. We will provide Donna Hasbrouck’s famous cob-oven pizza.

Check out the evolving blog by the students: http://blogs.miis.edu/resilientcommunities/ or contact Chom or Chris (468-3189) for further information.

Energy Matters

We used to live in a simpler world. It was a world in which we were blessed by an abundance of cheap hydropower and fossil fuels. It was a world in which our pursuit of low-cost electricity and fuel was not complicated by our mounting impact on the environment, natural resources and habitat-- a world of seemingly endless economic growth and opportunities.

Now that world is not so simple.

What we face today is a world of unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. Our islands currently depend on hydroelectricity for 80% of our power. What will happen if climate change affects rainfall patterns and power generation from hydroelectric dams in the Pacific Northwest? Fuel prices are unpredictable and the environmental risks of extracting petroleum has never been more apparent than with the massive BP spill in the gulf. How can we prepare ourselves and our economy for the time when fossil fuels are no longer as affordable? Is there a way we can maintain and improve our quality of life without compromising the environment and natural resources that we leave our children and their children? And finally, can we move forward in a way that is creative, responsible, affordable and even fun?

We believe the answer to the last question is yes! Innovations in technology, policy, and collaboration open up opportunities that are more than sufficient to address our challenges. We want to explore energy questions and engage our community of readers in an important discussion of our county's energy future. In this space you will find exciting energy facts, ideas and initiatives from our neighbors and around the world. We will offer information on incentives, services, resources and technology that will save energy and money. As we explore our use of energy in the San Juan Islands, we will discuss where we are now, where we want to be in the future, and how to get there.

We envision a thriving local energy economy that is based upon the principals of ecology, peace, and social justice. This column will be a regular feature and because we believe the discussion of our energy future belong to the community, we welcome any questions, comments or inspirations our readers may have. Please write us at islandenergymatters@googlegroups.com.

Who are "we", you may ask? Spearheaded by Lopez Community Land Trust, the taskforce is a small group of energy enthusiasts and professionals as well as members of a group called "Islands Energy Coalition" whose interest is to promote community discussions, solutions and empowerment towards a happy, resilient energy future for the San Juan Islands. Specifically, this column is initiated by Chom Greacen (energy researcher), Chris Greacen (energy consultant), Doug Poole (building performance contractor) and Jeff Dyer (renewable energy contractor), all residents of Lopez Island. We and other IEC members will contribute to future articles. Doug is the groups contact at 468-4047.

(Written by Chom Greacen and Lopez Island Energy Taskforce, this article first appeared in Islands Weekly in May 2010)