Making the Right Choice

Statement

Making the right choice

By Chellie

As I walked down the lovely, wooded path that leads into the Common Ground Fair, I thought of how much had changed in the many years that I had been going there--and how much was exactly the same.

I've been a MOFGA (Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association) member for decades -- and served on the board and as Treasurer. Some of my oldest friendships were formed during the years I was very engaged in MOFGA -- Mort Mathers (who now runs the wonderful Joshua's Restaurant in Wells with his wife Barbara and their son Joshua) and Tim Nason of Dresden, who's running for the Maine Legislature in this election.

And so the Common Ground Fair, sponsored by MOFGA, has always been a favorite event. The Fair has undergone some changes over the years -- different locations, different exhibitors... and a lot fewer VW vans in the parking lot. The emphasis on organic farming and sustainability has remained consistent over the years, though.

What is remarkable is the large number of energy efficiency and clean energy exhibits at the Fair this year. I saw solar hot water systems, high efficiency wood boilers, recycled long-life siding, and many other green building products. It's remarkable not just because of the ingenuity they represent, but because, 30 years ago, we were looking at the same kind of exhibits and having the same conversation we are now: how do we make the switch from oil to new forms of clean, renewable energy.

Of course there have been diehards who never gave up on adopting renewable power. And like many of us in the state, I've had a woodstove in my house for most of my life. But the truth is that, as a nation, we let the opportunity to move away from oil slip through our fingers.

Before going to the Fair I stopped at Unity College , where there's a particularly poignant example of just what I'm talking about. During the 70s oil crisis, Jimmy Carter had solar panels installed on the roof of the White House. But when Ronald Reagan became president, the first thing he did was have them taken down. Eventually those solar panels made their way to Unity College, where some of those "diehards" hadn't given up on clean energy.

On this morning, the diehards of Unity College looked distinctly cutting edge.

Unity House is the new residence of Mitch Thomashow, the president of the college. The house is carbon neutral and may even be a net energy producer. It was made entirely in a factory out of recycled materials and assembled on-site. Unity has worked with manufactures, builders and sustainable energy experts to design and build this home, with the goal of creating a house that can be affordably mass produced in the future.
Even though the house isn't quite finished yet, its stylish simplicity is evident. And when the "edible landscaping" in the front yard grows and the vines that make their way across the trellises to provide living shade appear, I think the total effect is going to be spectacular.

Here's the message that I take from all of this: we had a choice 30 years ago to get off oil and develop clean energy. Sadly we didn't make the right choice then -- but we have another chance. This time high energy prices are limiting our options -- but the how and when of switching to renewable energy is what we have to get right. We can keep giving billions of dollars to the oil companies and sending even more money overseas, or we can capitalize on the clean energy opportunities I saw on display at Unity House and the Common Ground Fair. If we make the right choice, we can revive our economy and make Maine a leader in the use and development of renewable energy -- it's going to bring down prices in the long run and create high paying, quality jobs for generations to come.

I'm confident we can make the right choice.

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