Imagine Lopez Island in 2050
Published 8:39 am Tuesday, May 31, 2011
by Chom and Chris Greacen, members of Islands Energy Coalition
If you dared to dream, what future would you wish for? Imagine yourself on Lopez in 2050. With a smile on your face, you open your eyes. What do you see?
We see a peaceful community in which people have come to grips with the challenges of climate change and natural resource depletion. We have turned away from excessive resource and energy use to a path that is allowing nature to heal. Along with many communities and countries worldwide, Lopez has led the way in this transformation and is inspiring others to transition to a low-carbon-footprint and highly creative way of life. The American dream has been reinvented here. People are happier now.
Looking around Lopez in 2050, internal combustion engine vehicles have largely disappeared. Bicycling and vehicle sharing have become a way of life, supplemented by regularly scheduled electric shuttles that circle the islands delivering passengers, local produce and personal items.
Everyone is noticeably more energy conscious. Through a combination of personal shifts, technological improvements, and efficient utilization of renewable resources available on the islands, we easily achieved energy self-sufficiency, producing as much energy as we use. These measures on Lopez and elsewhere have helped make it possible to decommission nuclear, coal and some hydroelectric plants.
The most visible change is the pattern of consumption, especially food. At the turn of the 21st century, Lopez produced only a tiny fraction of the food we eat, and imported the rest. Now the percentages have more or less reversed thanks to a shift to a wholesome local diet and agricultural reforms. There are many active organic farms and fields. Festive work parties pool labor during planting and harvest, as are various forms of sharing of land, seeds, labor, farm equipment and harvests. This community spirit of sharing works to maximize productivity and efficiency.
The energy required to transport consumers goods has also reduced drastically. Life-skill classes and businesses focus on repairing and reusing things, displacing much of the need for imported manufactured goods. Shifts in consumer preferences have changed product design philosophy from “fast throughput and built-in obsolescences” to “repairability and durability and/or biodegradability”. The concept of “waste” is long gone as throw-away products have little market and “wastes” are deemed precious resources.
A growing segment of local economy is from green jobs – such shuttle services, machine/product maintenance and repairs, and home energy retrofits – and now sustains many more young people who raise their families and work here. Tourism remains important. Many visitors are attracted to experience and learn from the transformations that the island has been leading. Lopez serves as a resource to communities and individuals seeking practical skills or training in many areas of solutions including energy, farming, natural construction and local economic planning. More importantly, many visitors come here to seek inspirations and solutions of hope.
This is our vision. What’s yours? Please share your thoughts and vision at IEC’s new website: islandsenergy.wordpress.com.
