Vineyard climate modeling, questioning consumption, and moving forward with the Steamship Authority

More local climate activities in October

Reducing our carbon footprint by consuming less

VCS and Nina Hitchen will lead a discussion about how our consumption habits can make an impact on our environment on October 16th at 5pm at the Chilmark Public Library. They will discuss some general principles and also share tips and tricks to help us keep our carbon footprint low, have less plastic in our lives, and make less waste. Please come to learn, listen and share your knowledge!

Smith College Student Presentation on Climate Change on Martha's Vineyard at the MV Museum

On Saturday October 19th at 4pm, join the Martha's Vineyard Museum for a special viewing of ongoing research by Smith College architecture students on sea level rise and climate change on Martha’s Vineyard.

The students, lead by Assistant Professor of Architecture + Urbanism Elisa Kim, will present drawings and models imagining possible futures for our Island. They seek engagement from the community before they initiate the design phase of problem solving.

The presentation will take place in the Museum classroom and refreshments will be served. Please RSVP to Beth Seabourne at [email protected]

Steamship Authority Seeks Community Input on Revised Mission Statement

Thanks to all who spoke up to the Steamship Authority to encourage them to prioritize climate and the environment in their revised mission statement. They just released a new draft mission statement, and it includes the word "sustainability!" That is a good step forward, but there's still much to be done to help them focus on reducing their carbon footprint.

The SSA will hold a public listening session on their new draft mission statement on Thursday, October 17th at 4pm at the MV Museum. You can also email them at [email protected] with your comments before October 25th.

Things we'd like the Steamship Authority to commit to:

"Environmental sustainability"--not just "sustainability"--prioritized in their mission statement;
A full-time Sustainability Coordinator on their staff;
An electric fleet conversion study (both buses and ferries); and
An adaptation plan for SSA terminals and access roads.

The SSA has an opportunity to be a leader in committing to climate action in their operations. We can support them in taking on that role by letting them know our community is deeply invested in climate action and ready for a real conversation about what these necessary changes will look like.

Our Climate Solutions series begins next week! The first talk will focus on emergency preparedness, and will take place October 15th at 4pm at the West Tisbury Library (and will be repeated on Saturday October 26th at 2:30 at the OB library). The talk will be led by Russell Hartenstine, West Tisbury's Emergency Manager. Russ has a wealth of information about what we need to do to prepare for extreme weather events, what to do during them and what services we might expect afterwards. Hope you can join us.

Visit the ICAN website for more information and action ideas