There was a lot to like about what Governor Haley had to say about our rapidly changing climate in her State of the Commonwealth address Tuesday evening, especially regarding her prediction that Massachusetts will the A leader in renewable energy and flexibility. The Haley Driscoll Administration's accomplishments in renewable energy in just one year are astonishing. Proof (as if we needed it) that the Chief of the Climate Office at ministerial level and the outstanding leaders in the Commonwealth Environment and Energy Departments and their quasi-public funding agencies are doing exactly what we want them to do in this regard.
I'm confused by Sabrina Shankman Boston Globe I've gone from what Governor Haley said Tuesday evening to her report this morning focusing on abandonment of our coasts.
Doesn't it go against everything the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has been and everything we want it to be for us to talk about backing down from a challenge before we've fought the good fight to meet that challenge? And even if we'd rather switch than fight, it's one thing to talk about Dennis but what about Boston, Quincy, Gloucester, New Bedford and other densely populated cities?
The truth is that previous administrations have refrained from taking a deep dive into climate resilience, perhaps because previous leaders did not want to compromise on what we now know about the damage our warming climate is causing to the communities that live on our rivers and harbors no matter what we do. To reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause this warming. Perhaps the thinking is that we would be less able to adapt to the massive changes needed to reduce those emissions if we knew we could be more resilient to climate change. At least in Massachusetts, those days are over.
But that doesn't mean we have no choice but to roll back the rising ocean and river levels we're already facing; Not by a long shot.
The science of coastal resilience has advanced leaps and bounds over the past several years. Scientists know how to use nature-based resilience solutions to make our coasts and river floodplains more resilient. All we need to do to put this science to work is to update the wetland protection law passed in the mid-20th century to encourage the implementation of nature-based resilience solutions. This is not difficult. How do I know? I have already identified the few revisions needed.
But it is unfortunate that there are some inside and outside of our government who remain steeped in the “let nature take its course” mentality that drives our laws before climate change. This makes nature-based resilience more difficult here than elsewhere. I hope Governor Haley and her leadership team can overcome this mindset and do what is necessary to protect our coastal and riverfront communities now before scientists tell us it will be too late, which is sooner than we might hope.
Yes, some decline may still be avoided. But we will know that we did everything we could to protect coastal and riverfront homes, parks, public and private amenities, and essential infrastructure, and improve our environment as part of the deal.
