One of the first conversations I had, when I was brought on board to help edit Bluedot Magazine, was with Noli Taylor, our “Bluedot Living Local Hero” for this issue. My co-editor Jamie thought, rightfully, that Noli might help us shape our vision of Bluedot and connect us with many Islanders already hard at work in the climate space. I was struck, not only with Noli’s sense of calm despite her understanding of the stakes of climate change, but by the incredible work she does alongside others at Island Grown Initiative. Noli and the folks at IGI are guided by a sense of community, a recognition that we’re all in this together.
And if there’s anything we’ve learned this pandemic year, it’s that what affects one of us affects all of us.
We see this at work in Kelsey Perrett’s profile of our Island citizen scientists, who have learned that getting out and collecting valuable data about the impacts of climate not only helps restore our threatened species and ecosystems, it restores hope. Sam Moore expands on that with his story on the M.V. Atlas of Life, Matt Pelikan’s latest project. What affects one affects all.
Laurie David tells Geoff Currier that she was motivated to get involved in climate action when she was pregnant, and increasingly aware of how her food was grown. She took that concern for her baby into the world, and her work has motivated millions of us to create change.
Geoff also takes us back to the Vineyard of the ’70s, populated, perhaps like today, with idealists who saw a threat to the world they loved. Just a few — among them John Abrams — who refused to accept the risks of nukes organized a concert so that like-minded others might join forces.
The Martino brothers saw opportunity in an ocean forest plant that is being recognized as a powerful climate change combatant. Kelp absorbs up to 20 times more carbon than trees on land, and what’s more, Cathy Walthers shares with us just how delicious it can taste on our plates.
We hope this issue of Bluedot Living inspires you to take action to protect what you love. What affects one affects all.
–Leslie Garrett (and Jamie Kageleiry)
