Dear Respected Editor,
Climate change is real. The discussion of whether this is a natural or anthropogenic event is no longer pertinent to the discussion about how to combat it. For four years we heard a lot about a specific wall and less about the seawall barriers being constructed to protect coastal cities such as Boston at a projected cost of $6 – 12 billion. Unfortunately, this is the new reality we live in, particularly for coastal New Englanders, as research continues to show sea level rise increasing up to four times faster along the northeastern seaboard.
This is just one of the many reasons we need to put pressure on legislators to pass Massachusetts Bill 3288 a.k.a. 100% Clean Act that would commit Massachusetts to 100 -percent renewable energy by 2045. Since the bill was filed in 2019, at least six states, Puerto Rico, and Washington D.C. have passed similar legislation, joining California, Hawaii, and Colorado.
Originally from New Orleans, I returned home after Hurricane Katrina hit. The devastation, from the physical destruction to the emotional pain of families scavenging waterlogged belongings from the wreckage of what was once their homes, is something I never care to see again. Devastation that could have been avoided had the warnings of scientists and engineers been heeded.
We cannot afford to debate the issue any longer. Not only will renewable energy decrease the carbon dioxide output contributing to global warming, but cost efficiency is also estimated to surpass coal by 2025. Furthermore, the potential for jobs is substantial as the renewables industry is projected to be worth nearly $2 trillion globally by 2030.
For these reasons and many more, I’m asking legislators to turn those dollars into sense and commit Massachusetts to transitioning to 100-percent renewable energy by passing House Bill 2836 and I encourage residents to ask their representatives to do so as well. Thank you.
Respectfully,
Will Maxwell, Rochester
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