As we have been working to respond to all of the comments (THANK YOU ALL!) on the Climate Action Plan, some people have told us that it's "Draconian," because it proposes that we eventually eliminate all natural gas from all buildings, and all fossil-fueled vehicles. This feels like it will be too hard.
First, thank you for providing this feedback! Believe me, the CAC needs to hear from the people of this town, so we can all work together to find common solutions. The CAC understands these concerns, respects them, and share them (I am currently replacing my fireplace with an electric one, and I can't afford to do more right now, so I get it!).
Second, and maybe most important from the big picture, we really have no choice. The science is very clear; we must get our emissions to zero sooner than later, and that means we must convert our buildings and our transportation to electric. The alternative to this is going to be far more draconian than anything we might contemplate in terms of upgrading an electrical service. Indeed, in many ways we can see this now, as we suffer through the worst heat and drought in more than a thousand years. (MORE HERE). And, unless we act quickly, it is only going to get worse (and more costly).
Third, and more hopefully, technology is going to be our ally here. The cost of most green technologies have fallen steadily over the years, and the projections are that this will continue. This is one big reason that we want to phase the needed changes in over time - what seems too expensive today should be more affordable as time goes on. But, we cannot wait to get started; that is the dilemma. This is why we do not want to take our proverbial foot off the "gas" pedal; we need to all be aware of what is going on, be aware of what we need to do to confront the problem, and be determined that none of us will ever again buy another appliance or car powered by fossil fuels. There is simply no other rational choice.
Fourth, and most hopeful of all, is that we are not alone in this fight. The Climate Action Committee are well aware of the challenge we all face. More, we are determined to find every dollar we possibly can to help the people of this town to make the needed changes. We will only succeed if we can help everyone, and we are determined to do what needs to be done to make that happen.
It has been a while since I have written on this blog. My wife's daughter just had her first child, so now, I am a grandfather. As I looked at this hours old new human being for the first time, I thought about what kind of a world I was leaving him. I tried to think about what he is going to live through, as the heat and the drought we are experiencing now intensifies. And my determination to do whatever I can to give him, and all of the children everywhere, a chance for a better life, has only hardened.
We are fighting a dragon, to change our ways and to get off the cheap and easy high represented by fossil fuels. But this is a friendly little dragon, compared to the one our children will face, if we do not choose to take this one on.
It is within our power to come together and to do what needs to be done. I assure you that we understand and we share your concerns. I assure you that we will do whatever we can to help all of the people of this Town through the years to come. And, maybe most of all, I encourage you to join the effort. We need partners in making the needed change. We are a small band of volunteers doing the very best we can to help us all in this critical issue. We are on your side, and we would invite you - WARMLY (pardon the pun) to join us.
Together, we can do this. No dragon is too big for the people of Fairfax!
First, thank you for providing this feedback! Believe me, the CAC needs to hear from the people of this town, so we can all work together to find common solutions. The CAC understands these concerns, respects them, and share them (I am currently replacing my fireplace with an electric one, and I can't afford to do more right now, so I get it!).
Second, and maybe most important from the big picture, we really have no choice. The science is very clear; we must get our emissions to zero sooner than later, and that means we must convert our buildings and our transportation to electric. The alternative to this is going to be far more draconian than anything we might contemplate in terms of upgrading an electrical service. Indeed, in many ways we can see this now, as we suffer through the worst heat and drought in more than a thousand years. (MORE HERE). And, unless we act quickly, it is only going to get worse (and more costly).
Third, and more hopefully, technology is going to be our ally here. The cost of most green technologies have fallen steadily over the years, and the projections are that this will continue. This is one big reason that we want to phase the needed changes in over time - what seems too expensive today should be more affordable as time goes on. But, we cannot wait to get started; that is the dilemma. This is why we do not want to take our proverbial foot off the "gas" pedal; we need to all be aware of what is going on, be aware of what we need to do to confront the problem, and be determined that none of us will ever again buy another appliance or car powered by fossil fuels. There is simply no other rational choice.
Fourth, and most hopeful of all, is that we are not alone in this fight. The Climate Action Committee are well aware of the challenge we all face. More, we are determined to find every dollar we possibly can to help the people of this town to make the needed changes. We will only succeed if we can help everyone, and we are determined to do what needs to be done to make that happen.
It has been a while since I have written on this blog. My wife's daughter just had her first child, so now, I am a grandfather. As I looked at this hours old new human being for the first time, I thought about what kind of a world I was leaving him. I tried to think about what he is going to live through, as the heat and the drought we are experiencing now intensifies. And my determination to do whatever I can to give him, and all of the children everywhere, a chance for a better life, has only hardened.
We are fighting a dragon, to change our ways and to get off the cheap and easy high represented by fossil fuels. But this is a friendly little dragon, compared to the one our children will face, if we do not choose to take this one on.
It is within our power to come together and to do what needs to be done. I assure you that we understand and we share your concerns. I assure you that we will do whatever we can to help all of the people of this Town through the years to come. And, maybe most of all, I encourage you to join the effort. We need partners in making the needed change. We are a small band of volunteers doing the very best we can to help us all in this critical issue. We are on your side, and we would invite you - WARMLY (pardon the pun) to join us.
Together, we can do this. No dragon is too big for the people of Fairfax!
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