The Urgency of Climate Action
As an environmentalist, I’ve had my fair share of experience saying “no” – from protesting the Keystone XL pipeline to fighting against fossil fuel expansion across the globe. But we’ve reached a pivotal moment where solving our biggest problems, both environmental and social, means we need to start saying “yes” to certain things. And at the top of that list? Solar panels, wind turbines, and the infrastructure to support a clean energy future.
The scientific consensus is clear: we are in an unprecedented and dire emergency with the planet’s temperature increasing quickly and dangerously. If we can’t bring this crisis under control, it poses an existential risk to vulnerable communities around the world, not to mention most other species and future generations. This isn’t some alarmist rhetoric – it’s the official policy of virtually every country on Earth, as outlined in the Paris climate accord.
Yet, governments still struggle to apply this mandate consistently, often continuing to subsidize fossil fuels even as they try to spur new clean energy developments. We’re dancing on the edge of the sixth great planetary extinction, and the damage from runaway global warming isn’t confined to some far-away place with poor people. It’s our own communities that are at risk – from the wildfires ravaging California to the bomb cyclones dumping a year’s worth of rainfall in a month.
Saying “Yes” to a Sustainable Future
So, how do we decide where to put up a fight and where to let the future proceed? It’s a complex question, but I’ve come to the conclusion that the benefit of the doubt should generally go to saying “yes” – especially when it comes to projects that can help mitigate the climate crisis.
Take the example of a new wind turbine development in my old stomping grounds of the Adirondacks. Sure, the turbines would have been visible from some wilderness peaks that I love. But I knew the far deeper threat to that forest was the prospect of a world without real winters, where the vibrant fall foliage is replaced by drab elms and hickories. Ultimately, I realized that my attachment to the status quo had to be balanced against the urgent need to cut carbon emissions and keep the planet habitable.
Similarly, when my community fought against a proposed landfill, it was an easy call – the dump was just a corrupt scheme, not a necessary solution. But when it comes to renewable energy projects or denser housing developments, the calculus gets more complicated. These are the cheapest and most effective ways to slash our carbon footprint, and if we don’t build them en masse, we won’t be able to keep temperatures from climbing catastrophically.
Overcoming Our Instinctive Conservatism
As human beings, we all have an innate and useful conservatism when it comes to change. We like the landscapes we know and resent any intrusion on them. But in this moment of crisis, we have to be willing to retrain our eyes and minds.
Take those cornfields in the valley near my home in Vermont. They may seem like a natural part of the landscape, but they’re really just inefficient “solar collectors” – energy crops that require huge amounts of fertilizer and contribute to damaging algae blooms. Contrast that with a solar array on that same field, which doesn’t harm the soil and can even help it retain moisture and nutrients. Suddenly, those panels start to look like a logical, even beautiful, part of the scenery.
The same goes for wind turbines dotting a ridgeline. At first glance, they may seem like an eyesore. But if we shift our perspective, we can start to see them as visible proof that we’re taking responsibility for our energy needs and doing our part to tackle the climate emergency. They’re not just an intrusion on the landscape – they’re a necessary piece of the puzzle.
Balancing Idealism and Pragmatism
Of course, this is all easier said than done. As an idealist, I’ve fought for everything from affordable housing to protecting endangered species. But I’ve come to realize that we can’t let lovely goals completely overwhelm the gritty needs of the moment.
Take the issue of lithium mining, for example. A recent study by researcher Thea Riofrancos highlighted the havoc that extracting this critical mineral for electric vehicle batteries could wreak on vulnerable communities. And she’s absolutely right – we should be exploring ways to reduce our reliance on personal vehicles and improve public transit. But the reality is that we need a massive deployment of EVs and other electrified technologies if we’re going to have any chance of averting climate catastrophe. Delaying that transition in the name of a perfect solution isn’t just impractical – it’s a form of climate denial.
Similarly, when it comes to new housing developments or renewable energy projects, we have to be wary of those who would use environmental laws as a tool for NIMBYism and delay. Yes, we should carefully consider the impacts of these projects. But we also have to keep the big picture in mind – and the harsh truth is that if we don’t build them, we’ll be consigning future generations to a world of unimaginable upheaval.
A New Environmental Ethic for a New Era
None of this is easy, and I don’t pretend to have all the answers. But I do believe that we need to fundamentally rethink our environmental ethic for this moment in history. Saying “no” was the right call in many cases in the past, but now, more often than not, the moral imperative is to say “yes” – to the solar panels, the wind turbines, the denser housing, the electric vehicles.
Because while protecting our own backyards will always be a valid concern, we can no longer ignore the fact that carbon knows no jurisdictional boundaries. The damage it causes doesn’t respect property lines or community borders. And the reality is that if we don’t build the infrastructure for a sustainable future, there may not be much of a future left to protect.
So, the next time you’re tempted to object to a new renewable energy project or housing development in your neighborhood, I encourage you to take a deep breath and consider the bigger picture. Think about the carbon debt we’ve all accumulated over generations, the injustices of the past that still shape our communities today, and the catastrophic impacts of unchecked climate change.
And then, if you can, try to retrain your eyes – to see those solar panels not as an eyesore, but as a crop we desperately need; to view those wind turbines not as an intrusion, but as a symbol of our collective responsibility. It’s not easy, but it may just be the key to preserving the world we love.
After all, as the great thinker and environmentalist Bill McKibben once said, “Saying no is relatively simple and sometimes right. But we live in a moment when our future – and the future of everyone and everything – depends on sometimes learning to offer a resounding yes.”
So, let’s get to work. Solar As Systems is here to help you make the switch to clean, renewable energy and do your part to build a sustainable future.
