The Importance of Collaboration

Our national elections seem to indicate increased skepticism across a large sector of our citizens with various federal executive agencies and regulations which may shift more decision making to the states. Regardless of what side of that issue you are on, “environmentalism” is on a new footing that needs to be reconsidered. To ensure the sustainability of our environment, we all need to foster and support increased levels of collaboration on a local level to ensure the sustainability of our communities is maintained. Whereas, we need to continue to think globally, it is even more important than ever that we now act locally.

How will Massachusetts and neighboring states potentially deal with the pending destructive path of global warming, climate change, and continually increasing natural stresses on the sustainability of our communities from greater environmental variability as our national leadership begins to step back?

Massachusetts and our surrounding states need to take more control over their own climate actions. We can play to our strengths and take advantage of the region’s resources, infrastructure, and political will. This focus will require us to reinforce the importance of collaboration in our New England region.

At ACES, we believe that Collaboration is how difficult things get done. We can work together to keep our rivers clean and cooperate with NH on addressing pollutants entering the Merrimack River. By using state funds and land use regulations, there is likely a quilted pattern of decisions that can improve water quality and enhance tourism with boating, fishing, and swimming. For example, ACES and several allies, the Merrimack River Watershed Council, the Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, and their NH counter parts, have been aided by the participation of MA Senators Tarr and Kennedy toward making progress to clean up the Merrimack together.

We can also work together to help foster offshore wind power for the future. With new deep-water leases in the Gulf of Maine, our New England coastal states can strive for more clean energy and maritime jobs to make it happen. Massachusetts has already invested in offshore wind, including the Vineyard Wind project, which will clean up our energy supply while at the same time perhaps supporting the expansion of AI data centers making us a global competitor in this field.

In solar energy, innovations in efficiency and incentives for rooftop solar could help Massachusetts and its neighbors further tap into solar power. Communities could incentivize community solar projects to ensure access across urban and rural areas. Setting utility “challenge goals” for clean energy adoption along with regulatory and tax incentives for all the grid upgrades that will be needed can be part of the work of our state legislators.

So far, we have only tinkered around the edges of using geothermal power but new technologies are emerging and we should support pilot programs for heating public buildings geothermally where the geology is right for such trials.

There is also the potential for “pumped storage” energy generation as done on the Connecticut River where water is pumped back up into reservoirs above the dams during low demand periods and then re-released during high demand periods. It creates a kind of natural battery where excess energy is stored until needed. That would require finding land that can become a pump-storage reservoir. Another example is the Quabbin Reservoir, built between 1930 and 1939 to provide Boston area drinking water.

States can work together to expand passenger rail. Maybe MBTA rail should extend itself northward beyond Haverhill with more than just occasional service to Exeter NH and up into Maine. 

Lastly, ACES has long been encouraging support of environmental and climate education in schools. We can expand climate science education in K-12 schools to build a climate-literate generation that understands the urgency of climate action. And there is no time like the present. Sustainability specialist jobs and careers will be enjoying an extremely rapid increase after those related to Artificial Intelligence 

By pursuing these initiatives, Massachusetts working collaboratively with greater New England can become leaders in state-led, collaborative-based climate and environmental solutions, potentially creating a model for other states to follow.

Please let ACES know what you think and let’s reset our expectations about the local leadership and collaboration that may be needed to ensure the sustainability of our communities in the face of increasing levels of climate adversity and that can and will be led by MA and our neighboring states.

ACES believes we can make a BIG difference together. Team members invite you to stay updated on environmental matters by subscribing to our monthly newsletter via the “Join Our List" link on this page. Please consider joining our community of stewards committed to Make Every Day Earth Day by contacting acesnewburyport@gmail.com.

This educational column first appeared in The Daily News of Newburyport on November 15, 2024.