While parts of this country experience record heat waves, nations throughout the world are beset by dangerously soaring temperatures, and President Biden is struggling to advance his environmental agenda, an organization on the Island has been working on solutions that can be implemented locally to fight climate change.
The Climate Action Task Force (CATF) has emerged as an arm of the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) to respond to the challenges of climate change on our Island. Two years ago, the MVC hired Liz Durkee as its first climate change planner. As a result of her work and that of others, the state granted the MVC and CATF $173,834 to create a Climate Action Plan (CAP). (See Bluedot’s conversation with Liz Durkee about the CAP.) More than 100 Islanders worked on the CAP to identify goals and actions needed to address the impacts that climate change is having or is projected to have on our Island.
The Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation (formerly known as the Permanent Endowment) agreed to support a new Climate Action Fund under its nonprofit 501c3 status. Individuals and businesses can now donate tax-sheltered funds via the MVCF that they want to earmark for climate research projects that the CAP has slated; funds could even be used for climate emergencies.
The Climate Action Fund has already joined forces with the Woodwell Climate Research Center to help raise funds to identify the relationship between climate change and carbon sequestration. The joint venture has raised $400,000 of the $600,000 needed to complete the project.
A second project, to be done in concert with Nantucket, is a study of carrying capacity by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The study will look at our water supply, septic and waste challenges, traffic issues, the health of our water bodies, and other indicators that speak to the health and future of our islands and our ability to absorb impacts from people, cars, and development.
“Going forward there will be times the Vineyard will need to add matching funds in order to secure grants,” Kathy Newman, the Aquinnah representative to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission’s Climate Action Network, said. “Hopefully there will be infrastructure and climate change money for remedying fragile areas before they reach emergency status. We want to be ready and able to act when the need arises.
“This Island has so much energy, such good values, and such pride in its beauty and community. If there is a place that can bring it all together and work proactively on climate issues, Martha’s Vineyard is the place.”
