CATCHING UP WITH A SUMMER GONE BY
I’ve been neglecting to write. Time to get back to it.
Interesting summer. July was all sunshine. Hammock weather.
Lying in mine I read a provocative new book about our future — The Great Disruption by Paul Gilding, 
an Australian who is the former head of Greenpeace International and more recently sustainability advisor to corporations and NGOs. He is now on the faculty at Cambridge University’s Program for Sustainable Leadership. As I read this book I came to see it as the most accessible and full-bodied treatment to date of the effects of climate change on our planet, our economies, our lives.
Soon after I encountered a review of the book by Nick Moraitis, another Australian, and one of the young founders of Make Believe, a consulting firm committed to social change. But it wasn’t just a review; it was a plan. Says Moraitis about his reaction to the book, “ I couldn’t rationally put the book down and exclaim, ‘I agree, there is a more than even odds chance Paul is spot on,’ – and then go back to my personal ‘business as usual.’ This is the type of mind-bending book that demands a personal response, and an action plan.”
So he made one. His plan covers the areas of Personal Finances, Current Work, Education, Promoting the Book, Business Opportunities, and Life.
I liked that – Read a Book and Make a Plan. There is no reason not to prepare our companies, our communities, and our lives – right now! So I appropriated his idea and made one too. I’ve kind of been working on this plan for a long time, in a variety of ways, but I’ve been lackadaisical at best; I know for certain that there are many who have been working on their versions far more intently – and coherently – than I. So anyway, now I’m working on my own Personal (Slow) Action Plan in response to the new reality of life on planet earth and the New Economy it presupposes. My approach is closely aligned with Moraitis’ model, but the categories that work for me are: Personal Life, Work, Education, and Advocacy. In a future post I’ll share the plan, and talk some about how the book affected the thinking of my colleagues here at SMC, and how it is influencing our thinking about the future of our company.
But back to summer. As you can imagine, just about everyone comes to Martha’s Vineyard at some time or another. That can be a good thing.
In late July MA Governor Deval Patrick came to Eliakim’s Way, the West Tisbury zero energy affordable housing we developed, for a “summer conversation” with the Martha’s Vineyard citizens and public officials. It was a very nice scene with the Guv – people standing and sitting around under the trees in a clump (probably 60-80 people), Deval right out front, no separation from the crowd, wearing a Hawaiian shirt & sandals, no microphone. 
He spoke for no more than 5 minutes and then opened it up: “this a conversation, it’s all about you and your issues.” He had several department heads with him to answer questions in more depth, and roving guys with notepads to take down peoples’ names if there wasn’t time for complete answers.
He took plenty of comments and questions and was very loose and relaxed in his responses. When he didn’t know much about the particular issue he would either ask for more elaboration or turn to one of his staff. He had a nice way of saying to the questioner, “So what’s your solution to this issue?” Some good ideas emerged and provoked further discussion.
Nearing the end thunder started rolling and the sky darkened. I had my 90 year old parents there sitting in beach chairs and it became clear that there was going to be a serious thunderstorm. But I couldn’t leave because I had promised my colleague Rob Meyers (who couldn’t be there) that I would inquire about several solar issues. I figured if I didn’t manage to get it done he would probably resign in disgust, so i stuck it out (we need him). As the storm threatened to burst, I was next in the question queue and the person before me was verbose. So I told my folks to head for the car (they move very slowly) and I waited my turn.
It finally came.
I said that one of the reasons the people at Eliakim’s are able to enjoy these zero energy homes is because of a tremendous state program called the Green Affordable Homes Initiative, and thanked him for that (and said it was a shame it was a one-shot deal, and hopefully they’ll get it going again). I said the solar industry is booming in MA due to very progressive state policies and incentives, and thanked him for that. ”But,” I said, “there are several potentially crippling obstacles that need immediate change. One is the state Fire Marshal’s ruling that only licensed electricians can install solar systems. This makes no sense. Electricians don’t build buildings or bridges, they don’t install signs and billboards, they just do the electrical part. This ruling has the potential to cut out the people who built the industry and decrease quality to boot.”
He was nodding all along, and was obviously familiar with the issue. ”I got it. I got it. I’m with you,” he said.
“The other,” I continued, “is the net metering cap [which regulates the amount of distributed renewable energy the utilities must accept and credit at retail prices]. It needs to be raised.”
“I got it. Oh yeah. I’m with you.”
” But why is there a cap at all?” I queried. ”The more the better, right?”
“Yeah. I got you. I got you.” (he was becoming semi-exasperated). “Does everyone understand what these issues are?” And he briefly explained. And did it well.
Then the heavens let loose. A mighty downpour. Got my folks to the car and gone. . . .
It was good. He is clearly in the loop and committed to positive change. My follow up with his staff proved this to be true, and there is good movement happening in state government with both the issues I raised (and I’m happy to report that there already was before I raised them).
A few days later it was August. I’ll talk about that in the next post. Soon. That’s a promise (you might think it’s a threat!).
For Better Or Worse
Several weeks ago my old friend Marc Rosenbaum 
arrived on Martha’s Vineyard. He often arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. For 20 years this distinguished, nationally recognized building performance engineer has been arriving here to consult with us – to help us make better buildings. For 30 years he has been responsible for some of the most advanced buildings in New England.
When he arrived here last Tuesday, it was different than most times. Read more
MORE THAN A GASH IN THE KNEE
As the Gulf well spews daily destruction and BP scratches it’s head, it’s a time to think about technology and its uses (well. . . it’s been time, for a long time, but now it’s time again). Ever since the the first stone axe glanced off its target and gashed the user’s knee, 
or even before that, we have been inventing technologies that we don’t fully know how to control. But now the things we make have the potential to wreak havoc on a tragic scale.
Nature has always had that potential, but nature also has the ability to repair itself; we humans apparently do not. Bill McKibben, in his new book Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, says that “For almost all of human history, our society was small and nature was large; in a few brief decades that key ratio has reversed.”
FINAL DECISION
I had to take a break from writing, and haven’t said a word since March 18th – too much on my plate. Business is challenging at SMC right now, but all is well, projects are good, everyone’s busy, and we’re all in it together, working hard to keep working.
But the Cape Wind announcement in Boston last Wednesday took my mind off that and inspired me to get back to this.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said a lot about Cape Wind. But the best thing he said was, quite simply, “This is the final decision of the United States of America.” Final Decision. Good decision, great decision, unequivocal decision – by the United States of America! How rare is that?
MAKING THE LEAP
I was meeting with some clients with whom we’ve had a long, ongoing relationship (designed and built their house, then an addition and a barn/garage, maintained both through the years) to review a just-completed inspection report. The house is 20 years old so we had produced a document outlining the major maintenance to come and predicting when various measures might make sense to do.
The house needs a new boiler, so it’s a good time to think hard about the best approach to heating and cooling for the next 20. It needs a new roof so it’s the one chance they’ll get (for decades) to add insulation under the roofing. Is it worth it? 
Is now the time to add a solar electric system to stabilize long-term energy costs? A detailed energy evaluation will determine the answers to these and other questions.
WINDTRIGUE ON THE VINEYARD
While the eyes of the world focus on Copenhagen, here at home on Martha’s Vineyard wind energy has been receiving a mighty dose of attention – more than ever before. Are we making progress? Maybe some. You be the judge.
Wind has been in the local news in four distinctly different regards at once: the release and reaction to the draft Massachusetts Oceans Management Plan, the public coming-out of a new organization called Vineyard Power, the continuing saga of Cape Wind, and the adoption of a new wind by-law in Aquinnah.
Before diving in, some context might be useful.
CO-OPS ON THE RISE
I’m still excited about the budding alliance between the United Steelworkers (USW) and the Mondragon Cooperatives – and the general awakening consciousness about worker co-operatives and co-operative business in general that I wrote about last month.
And there’s more.
Orr & Brand: To Save Our Civilization
Awhile ago I gave up on doom and gloom. I’ve learned enough to know the problems, and I tired of reading 250 pages of meticulously researched how-bad-it-is-and-how-bad-it’s-gonna-get followed by 25 pages of generalities about the solutions. But I broke my rule when I saw David Orr’s new book, Down to the Wire. The subtitle is Confronting Climate Collapse. He does just that.
He says that “The global crisis ahead is a direct result of the largest political failure in history.”
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JOHN ABRAMS is co-founder and CEO
of South Mountain Company and the author
of COMPANIES WE KEEP read more
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COMPANIES WE KEEP is published by Chelsea Green Publishing
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