Well, I was wrong in May thinking we were heading off the fiscal cliff of no new borrowing: America’s credit card was set to be rejected and sure enough, after no small amount of brinkmanship – again – we managed to avoid fiscal catastrophe. One day we will all have to take this stuff seriously – yes, you and me ‘cuz, in theory, the 536 in Washington work for us and no matter the side of the aisle you’re on, we have to get our fiscal, social, and environmental houses in order.
I recently read the European Space Agency – the very definition of “rocket scientists” – have suggested we’ll have an ice free Arctic summer by 2050. In that 27 years the oceans will rise, entire islands will disappear and you’ll be able to take a wave runner to work in downtown Miami and the gondoliers in Venice will pick you up at the 2nd story window. Let’s add to that the National Hurricane Center, for the first time since 1968, has two named storms in the Atlantic in the month of June. In New York in 10 years time the temps will rise 2.3 to 4.0 degrees Fahrenheit and According to the World Economic Forum, water scarcity is one of the top five global risks in terms of impact. By 2025, it is estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in water-stressed areas.
Now, as a global society, we’re doing some very cool things – the Loan Program Office at the Department of Energy is writing some very large and well thought checks into clean energy and sustainability; Generate Capital is investing in the Transportation, Smart Cities, Waste to Value and Energy Sectors; Verdant Commercial Capital is funding projects of all sizes in energy efficiency; the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA), an initiative of the European Union, provides support to poor developing countries most vulnerable to climate change, particularly the Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Development States (SIDS); even the Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia has funded over 24 mW of solar – enough to power over 25,000 homes; and, here at Saulsbury we continue to support the MUSH market with sub-3% interest rates for solar, solar + storage and more and we have a long way to go.
So, as we slide into summer let’s all do our part: Do more recycling and composting – easy stuff; ride your bike to the convenience store for that missing “whatever”; let the yellow mellow and flush the brown down; and, turn off the lights! We can do it!
