Rising energy prices and connection to community seem to lurk below the surface of many conversations in Harvard these days. Although we can’t control any of the factors that make energy prices volatile, history shows that many people make wise lifestyles change in response to energy price increases. Therefore, my goals of writing this column include: Sharing ideas to help readers save money by reducing energy usage; helping local people meet other locals interested in local food production and projects that need assistance; and pointing out local resources that can help readers uncover energy “interdependence.”
Harvard Local, a group of Harvard area citizens concerned with energy usage and support for local agriculture, held their monthly meeting Tuesday, Nov. 14, in the Fellowship Building of the Harvard Unitarian Church on Elm Street. The guest speaker was Fred Schlicher, program director for Mass. Climate Action Network (MCAN). While Fred shared ideas on the benefits Harvard Local would get from MCAN membership, he spent much of the night telling 22 Harvard Local members his stories of how other communities are addressing global warming and jump-starting the use of renewable energy in their towns. Fred congratulated the town of Harvard on its large membership in National Grid’s GreenUp renewable energy program (almost 3 percent of households in town subscribe). Many members asked Fred to explain how ordinary residents can use renewable energy.
Fred told a great story of how, on Cape Ann, a few wealthier members of the community began using rather visible wind turbines, which soon lead to a few impressive photovoltaic projects, each one capturing more and more of the public’s attention. Before long, energy awareness around Cape Ann took off. In just the past few years, the base of residents pursuing energy-efficient building techniques has grown to the point that several Cape Ann building contractors are now being certified in low-energy building techniques just to meet local demand around Cape Ann. His point: Grassroots community awareness of energy usage usually requires a few locally run success stories that the community can relate to.
Harvard Local believes the same thing can happen in and around Harvard. Its next meeting, Tuesday, Dec. 12, at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Building of the Harvard Unitarian Church on Elm Street, is open to the public. For more information, visit their website harvardlocal.org For information about National Grid’s GreenUp program, search their website for Energy Choice/GreenUp Providers.
Tom Aciukewicz is a local writer interested in energy interdependence, who holds the view that our collective individual energy usage influences everyone—our families, communities, and politics.