While I appreciate the efforts of Jeff Schoelkopf and other installers, I
have to disagree with the apparent suggestion he made in his April 15
article that the panels at Maclay Architects represent a well-sited
project. Both the existing and planned panels at Maclay Architects
severely impact the riparian zone of the Mad River. Healthy riparian
zones are among Vermont's most biologically productive areas and are
crucial for river health and water quality. In planning solar
installations we must consider local ecosystems as well as aesthetics
and agricultural resources.
As the climate changes, local ecosystems will be greatly stressed.
Health and resiliency will be critical to their survival. As we move
away from centralized carbon based energy production systems, we will
have to challenge ourselves to uphold protection of local sensitive
natural resources. This will require local energy planning. There may be
a lack of state and federal energy planning, but if production of
energy is going to happen locally we should be developing energy plans
at the local level.
We need to consider topics such as the appropriate scale of energy
production. Should there be a single Valley solar farm or multitudes of
smaller installations? Is it more beneficial to squeeze a few panels in a
sensitive natural area than it is to enroll in renewable energy
programs currently offered by traditional electricity suppliers? We need
to ask these questions and more. It would be unfortunate if in our
efforts to reduce carbon emissions we weakened the very ecosystems we
are ultimately trying to save.
Shayne Jaquith
Fayston
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