When the Doomsday Clock ticked down to 100 seconds last month, I wanted to discount it. But there is no denying Australia was afire; a pandemic is spreading; the food chain is broken; droughts and floods are proliferating; Antarctica-68, a chunk larger than the state of Delaware, is melting.
We still have 100 seconds to change. Vegetation-free zones reduce the spread of wildfires. Cape Town avoided imminent water catastrophe with contests to flush and wash least. Rerouting 2 percent of planes 2,000 feet higher could reduce global warming from contrails by 69 percent. Improving insulation, extending mass transit and converting to e-vehicles would help even more. Re-planting coral and pollinator-attractants can repair the food chain. Washing hands will slow the spread of virus. But mitigation will not halt weather drama from a polar thermal cap that is shifting back and forth between Europe and North America. We will continue to have strong winds, buckets of rain chased by searing droughts, with 50° days in both January and August. The US Army War College and NASA predict that the US grid could fail within two decades due to increased demand and storms.
Twenty years is not a long time. Governor Sununu continues to veto state legislators’ bipartisan efforts to cut grid and fossil-fuel dependence, leaving us to fend for ourselves. First, we can conserve: insulate our houses, upgrade our furnaces and appliances; cut peak electricity use, and expand battery storage. If we cut peak demand enough, we will no longer need the expensive, polluting coal-powered backup system at Merrimack Station.
Secondly, we can invest in off-grid capacity: direct solar and wind, wood pellets and every other option that can keep us warm and powered if the grid goes down. Battery backup is important, even if it’s just from traditional lead-acid car batteries.
Thirdly, we can emphasize redundancy with fully charged smart-phones, propane backups, and a camp stove. Bathtubs and empty milk jugs hold many gallons of water. Comprehensive emergency supply lists online enumerate essentials for extended service shut-downs.
Lastly, we can practice. We had a surprise practice during the ice storm six years ago. I’ve encouraged the state to schedule a planned drill, along with the Department of IT. They are now applying, with Homeland Security and the National Guard, for a grant to fund it. Practice such as this is what enabled Boston hospitals to handle 127 patients within hours of the marathon bombing. Fortunately, pulling together in times of trouble is something New Hampshire communities excel at.
Unfortunately, it may take an extreme emergency to spur state and nation to more action. Short-sightedness has hardened into fixed policy for our governor, President and followers. Paid by billionaires to sail us to the edge of catastrophe, they refuse to admit their mistakes. When they finally do, can they slam the rudder and come about swiftly enough? We, as individuals and towns, better have the lifeboats ready. We may have to lower them overboard and save ourselves.
Jeanne Dietsch lives in Peterborough. She is the Nh State Senator for District 9.