The Moral Frontier, Sunday before Earth Day 2013

This morning walking the dog on Music Street I passed by the folks on their way into Church. Before stepping out into the glorious sunshine I had posted on the 350MV facebook page an article from the Salt Lake Tribune titled, Moral Climate: Beyond Science and Politics. Here's a quote: "Global warming is likely to mean less water, putting crops and livestock in peril, along with nourishment for children who already don’t get enough to eat. That leaves the climate scientist with questions instruments can’t answer. About fairness. Justice. And life and death."

Martin Luther King said, "The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards Justice. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny." If King was right and the universe inexorably bends towards justice we may want to get moving on this climate crisis that is now upon us, the moral arc of the universe sounds like an awfully mighty thing to be caught on the wrong side of. When I saw two of this Island's important farmers on their way into church this morning I wondered on this Sunday before Earth Day 2013 if any words on this would be offered as part of the service.

And I was reminded of something I read in the Vineyard Gazette more than two years ago after I returned here to farm. It was a comment on the danger posed by choosing a parcel of some of the very best agricultural land on Martha's Vineyard for a large commercial solar power installation. The writer, President of the MV Agricultural Society, Dale McClure said, "...We urge you to continue to seriously consider other sites for the project with less harmful impact on our limited prime agricultural soils... With most of our food coming from thousands of miles away we are dependent on transportation systems, fuel cost and availability, the stability of foreign countries and the water resources of our western states. With a major disruption in one or more of these factors we could find our choices sharply limited within days." In these last two years this alert that Dale was trying to sound loud and clear has been urgently amplified by an unprecedented drought in our western states and superstorms near our shores brought on by Climate Chaos.

If this drought continues or another follows that puts even more upward pressure on prices here, and if at the same time this island sees damage or delays in our food supply chain due to a seriously destructive climate change storm - then the warning above will become something we will wish had been heeded in all our farming plans and practices as well as all our community planning here. It's not just our farmers who have an ethical mandate to pay close attention to all the details about climate change they possibly can - Martha's Vineyard selectman, planners, conservation and land stewardship officials, teachers, lawyers, fisherman and investors all need to be looking over their shoulders at where the moral arc of the universe is heading.

I took a break writing this post to go out again around the corner to Alley's General Store. Saw the same two farmers coming out of church and two or three more younger farmers. Turns out that one of our long time Island farmers had given a talk this morning in church about stewardship of the land as part of a series of related topics at the church. The words climate change were not uttered, apparently, although it was brought up in one of the earlier Sunday talks. I do know that at least a few of our local farmers have visited the relatively new source for climate crisis information and planning here: 350 Martha's Vineyard, on facebook.

Tonight, April 21st at 7 PM across the street from Alleys on State Rd in West Tisbury at the Howes House our own local climate action organization, 350 MV will host a free program: Do The Math - Climate Change is Here. To mark the 43^rd anniversary of Earth Day 350.org, the truly grassroots international organization which is our parent group, is premiering “Do The Math” a 42-minute film about the rising movement to change the terrifying math of the climate crisis and challenge the fossil fuel industry. The evening will include an additional live streamed panel discussion with climate leaders and time for your questions.

Here on Martha's Vineyard Island we have prided ourselves for many years now on this island's somewhat forward looking approach to community planning, land stewardship and taking future generations into consideration. From the standpoint of our mounting climate crisis it would seem that right now is the time when our good intentions for farsighted community planning will be put to the test. The jig is up. All the cards are on the table. Let's get to work on this!

 

Chris Riger, 4/21/13

Please also see these related recent posts on Climate Change on Patch: HERE & HERE.