Nantucket climate change solutions
- Peter B. Brace
Environmental activist David Brower coined the phrase "think globally, act locally" when he founded Friends of the Earth in 1969.

In light of global warming, Brower's words still echo providence and urgency, but actuating their meaning into positive change can be a daunting task for would-be earth-rescuers.

Here are several ways you can help the island and the natural world beyond our shores:

+ Replace all of the incandescent light bulbs in your house and or business with compact fluorescent light bulbs. Costing $5 each and lasting five years, a bulb with the same light output of a 60-watt incandescent bulb uses just 15 watts of power. Also, consider low-flow showerheads that limit the amount of water used for showers, and like compact fluorescent light bulbs, use less energy and therefore, contribute less carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.

+ Buy only renewable energy from National Grid, Nantucket's electricity buyer and distributor. Go to their Web site at www.nationalgridus.com/masselectric/ and halfway down the page on the far right, click on the GreenUp box. Even simpler than these energysaving ideas is remembering to turn off lights around your building when not needed, installing motion-activated porch lights and using low-energy LED lighting.

+ If you are thinking about a building a new home on Nantucket and want it to be as energy-efficient and environmentally friendly as possible, consider building green. Consult the U.S. Green Building Council's Web site at www.usgbc.org and when you are ready contact Architect Rebecca Anderson, to date, Nantucket's only LEED-certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) architect. She can put you in contact with builders such as Burr Tupper, Ian Konecko, Twig Perkins and Rob Anderson, all of who are excited about building green on Nantucket.

+ If you shop at Stop & Shop, you can purchase their reusable grocery bags for 99¢ at the store. Or try www.reusablebags.com for a huge selection of reusable shopping bags.

+ As a rule, try to buy locally produced fruits, vegetables, baked goods and in our case, beer, wine and spirits first along with organic foods and environmentally sensitive cleaning products at Annye's Whole Foods, Stop & Shop and Grand Union.

+ During the warmer months of the year, ride your bicycle or the Nantucket Regional Transportation Authority's shuttle buses to wherever you can. There are currently 28 miles of bike paths around the island with another 12 in the works. And NRTA's buses, fueled by low-sulfur diesel, runs eight routes, including beach buses, mid-May through the end of September. Go to www.wheelsheelsandpedals.com for complete maps and information on bike paths and bus routes.

+ Take your green efforts into the public arena by attending Town Meeting, which starts on April 9 when an article asking the town to replace its fleet with energy-efficient vehicles will be discussed. You could also go to Nantucket Energy Study Group meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 4:30 p.m. in the Selectmen's meeting room in the Town & County Building at 16 Broad St. Their next

meeting is on March 1. I