SOUTH YARMOUTH – The Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative is highlighting regional climate change initiatives ahead of a planned event in Barnstable on June 12.
Formed in 2016 following the Paris Climate Accords, the Collaborative aims to reduce the region’s environmental footprint while updating its infrastructure and building resilience to the changes brought by climate change.
Although many regional businesses, civic, and environmental organizations have individually pursued climate action, the Collaborative seeks to bring these parties together to facilitate discussion and streamline constructive efforts to combat climate change.
“The unique opportunity we have as the Collaborative is to bring everyone together and speak with one voice and unite everyone around initiatives,” said Board Member Dan Wolf.
Initiatives include the establishment of a housing and climate innovation center to combat two of the most pressing issues on the Cape.
Additionally, applying resources in wind, solar, and hydroelectric energy while updating the regions electric grid could simultaneously address environmental emissions while creating economic opportunity that the Collaborative believes could ultimately make the Cape a net-exporter of renewable energy.
“The electric grid is a critical need here, because if we’re going to take the inputs from offshore winds and much smaller solar projects that are going on, we need a grid that can actually facilitate that, take the inputs and distribute them out, and even export them off cape,” said Wolf.
“The Cape can be a leader in this, and by pushing things forward it can make itself more eligible for those state and federal dollars coming down,” said Dorothy Savarese, President of the Board of Directors for the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative.
“We are at the nexus of being the most vulnerable and having the most opportunity,” she said. “So, there’s economic opportunity that can come from addressing this.”
The Collaborative is urging residents to attend the upcoming ‘It’s Time for Climate Collaboration” community event on June 12 at 7 pm at Barnstable High School on W. Main Street, Hyannis to make their voices heard in the state capitol.
The free event will feature environmentalist and author Bill McKibben, SØren Hermansen of the SamsØ Energy Company, and State Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer.
To rsvp, click here.
To learn more about the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative, click here.
By, Matthew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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