March 31, 2005
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Chris Powicki, 508.362.9599, chrisp at weeinfo.com
Megan Amsler, 508.457.7679,
meganams at reliance.org
Joan Muller, 508.457.0495 x107,
joan.muller at state.ma.us
"Beyond Cape Wind" Planning Process Launched; Public Asked to Weigh In
on Energy-Related Challenges and Opportunities Facing the Cape & Islands
Participants in the Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative
(CIREC) are initiating coordinated community planning activities geared
toward managing and accelerating the local and regional transition to a
sustainable energy future.
"We suffer from high energy prices, we are vulnerable to oil spills and
other environmental problems, and we will experience the brunt of future
climate change," says Chris Powicki, principal of Water Energy & Ecology
Information Services. "Individuals and organizations should be
collaborating to address these critical challenges, rather than spending
so much time and energy arguing about an offshore wind project over
which we have limited control."
Community planning activities will engage local and regional stakeholder
groups in characterizing the present energy situation, envisioning the
energy future, and working together to promote adoption of cleaner and
green supply and use options throughout Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and
Nantucket.
"Energy shapes so many aspects of modern existence, but it is rarely
looked at from a holistic perspective," says Megan Amsler, executive
director of Cape & Islands Self-Reliance. "Comprehensive, inclusive, and
transparent planning activities will help inform decision-making on a
full spectrum of energy-related issues, including cost of living, air
and water quality, economic development, affordable housing,
transportation, public health, village-centered growth, cultural
heritage, and sustainability."
To jumpstart the process, CIREC participants have partnered with
representatives from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-U.S.
Geological Survey Science Impact Collaborative (MUSIC) to create an
on-line survey. The survey is designed to encourage the public and other
stakeholders to weigh in on and prioritize energy-related issues. It may
be accessed from the home page of the Cape & Islands Energy Information
Clearinghouse (http://www.cirenew.info <http://www.cirenew.info/> ) or
directly from the following URL:
http://web.mit.edu/amostash/www/CIREC/SURVEY.htm.
The CIREC-MUSIC team has also invited local and regional officials and
representatives from environmental and business organizations, state and
federal agencies, energy companies, and other key stakeholder groups to
attend a mid-April meeting hosted by Waquoit Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve (WBNERR). Stakeholder opinions expressed through the
survey and at the meeting will guide the development of both a model of
the Cape & Islands energy economy and fact sheets characterizing the
"true costs" of the current energy situation.
The model, to be created with support from MUSIC, will illustrate how
electricity and fuels are supplied to, purchased by, and used by Cape &
Islands consumers, and it will identify alternative energy options
consistent with the local resource base. It will also show the
interconnections among energy systems and diverse economic,
environmental, and social issues.
The fact sheets, to be created with support from the Massachusetts
Technology Collaborative, will present scientific information on the
effects of the fossil-fuel-based energy economy on local and regional
concerns such as cost of living, business competitiveness, air
pollution, eutrophication, wildlife and habitat, health risks, and
climate change. They will address priority issues identified by
stakeholders, and they will be researched, written, reviewed, and
validated through a joint fact-finding process to be initiated at the
mid-April meeting.
"The idea is to build consensus among local and regional stakeholders on
key issues and to identify critical knowledge gaps," says Joan Muller,
education coordinator for WBNERR. "The fact-based tools participants
come up with through this collaborative process will build a foundation
for future community planning and outreach activities."
# # #
Cape & Islands Renewable Energy Collaborative brings together diverse
individuals and organizations with common interest in achieving a
sustainable energy future, both locally and globally. It is a nonprofit,
participatory collaborative with an overall objective of maximizing
benefits and minimizing adverse impacts associated with energy supply
and use in the Cape & Islands region.
Water Energy & Ecology Information Services (WEEinfo) is a research,
communications, and planning firm fostering understanding of the
interdependencies between human society and natural ecosystems.
Cape & Islands Self-Reliance Corp. is a nonprofit membership
organization promoting environmentally sound technologies and
sustainable practices through education, advocacy, and collective
action.
Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR) advances
understanding of natural estuarine and watershed-linked processes and
human influences on them to promote informed decision-making in coastal
communities. Part of the National Estuarine Research Reserve System,
WBNERR is co-funded and co-managed by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource
Management, Estuarine Reserves Division and by the Massachusetts
Department of Conservation and Recreation.
Laurie L. Tompkins
Event & Volunteer Coordinator
Waquoit Bay NERR
P.O. Box 3092
Waquoit, MA 02536
Tel. 508-457-0495 x108
Fax 617-727-5537
www.waquoitbayreserve.org
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