On Thursday, Sept. 8, more than a dozen residents gathered on Zoom to review the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee’s presentation of a draft climate action plan. Public comments and questions from that meeting will be used to inform the next round of revisions. Multiple residents asked about the project’s timing and funding. Others questioned how regulations regarding chemical use and water conservation could be enforced and the decision to promote solar energy over other renewable sources.
The plan is part of an ongoing initiative to identify and address climate change challenges facing Harvard. The report identifies seven areas that will be significantly affected by climate change and establishes goals to stop, and in some cases reverse, such effects.
This undertaking began in 2019, when Harvard participated in the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, which seeks to improve the sustainability of municipal systems. In 2020, Harvard was given two grants to develop an agricultural climate action plan and to participate in the Apple Country Ecological Climate Resiliency and Carbon Planning and Assessment Project, a regional project to adapt to climate change with nature-based techniques. To coordinate these efforts the Community Resilience Working Group was established as a subcommittee of the Planning Board.
In October 2021 at Town Meeting, Harvard residents passed the Town Climate Resolution. Soon after, the working group was replaced by the Harvard Climate Initiative Committee, which reports directly to the Select Board. Since its formation, the committee has been working on the climate action plan and community outreach programs such as HarvardEnergize, an educational platform to help communities reduce their emissions and increase sustainability.
Harvard’s buildings rely on fossil fuels for heating and cooling
Heating systems of residential and municipal buildings account for 41% of Harvard’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the committee. The transition to electric heating systems, such as air-source heat pumps and geothermal, is a core component for both town government buildings and residential homes.
The plan also seeks to reduce overall waste from town offices and operations through reusing and recycling office and construction materials. The committee set the goal of reducing excess resources by 10% yearly.
Using solar as the source of renewable energy
Multiple commenters asked why photovoltaic solar is so widely encouraged for both municipal and residential adaptation. “The attraction of solar is it’s scalable. [Solar’s] the short-term focus, not the only way,” said Smith. He echoed the sentiment shared by another commenter that harnessing wind energy would be a “tough sell” in Harvard. Wind turbines are more common at the industrial level, requiring more maintenance, and with Harvard’s particular environment are inefficient at energy collection.
The committee wants the town to transition to solely using renewable energy. For the residential sector, it advocates for a transition to photovoltaic solar power by offering evaluations and education on existing incentives and credits available to them.
Transportation is the primary source of greenhouse gas emissions
The majority of Harvard’s greenhouse gas emissions comes from residents using their own vehicles to get around. The Climate Initiative’s Committee’s approach is two-part: encouraging the transition to electric vehicles and building infrastructure that will support public transportation, biking, and walking.
Conserving natural resources and boosting ecosystem resilience
The committee drew from the 2021 Apple Country Report when compiling recommendations for conservation of Harvard’s natural resources. A guiding philosophy in both reports is the use of “nature-based solutions” to combat environmental issues caused by our changing climate and landscaping practices.
Municipal suggestions included reinforcing pollinator habitats, improving soil health and pest management practices, and updating the town’s wetland protection and zoning bylaws.
A resident questioned whether it was possible to ban fertilizers and lawn treatments that are known to damage the pond and wetlands through runoff. “It’s been discussed before and it’s an enforcement issue,” said committee member Lucy Wallace. “We have to rely on a strong education program to explain why fertilizers are not good.” Any potential regulation would have to come from the state level. With this reality in mind, the goals for addressing natural resource conservation with a residential perspective are all based on education and outreach.
Agriculture sustains Harvard’s culture and environment
“[The agricultural section] was an interesting one to put together, as we were looking at other towns in the area, and in their climate action plans we rarely if ever saw this as a focus area. But we felt that it was such a strong element of the identity and the community that makes up Harvard that we want it to be a pillar in this [plan],” said committee member Jefferson Burson.
The agricultural focus area was built upon the findings of the 2020 Agricultural Climate Action Plan and emphasizes the importance of agriculture to the town’s character, economy, and food supply.
Similarly, strong emphasis is placed on the repercussions that loss of agricultural land will have on Harvard’s culture, economy, and capacity to sequester carbon in its soils and forests. A changing climate means shifts in what can be grown locally. A changing climate also means increased water demands and worsening pest problems.
This plan seeks to support the solutions proposed in the 2020 Agriculture Climate Action Plan through grant writing, “buy local” advocacy in the community, and reviewing agricultural zoning laws.
One citizen requested more information about the goal to “expand the use of public lands for increased agricultural use in a sustainable manner.” In an email to the Press, Ellen Sachs Leicher, committee chair, wrote, “We will relook at the agriculture actions in concert with Conservation Commission policies when it comes to leasing on conservation lands. And we will make sure we have adequately addressed water conservation issues.”
Adapting to prevent climate-related vulnerabilities
The Harvard Hazard Mitigation Plan was updated this August to meet state requirements and to highlight vulnerabilities that are arising due to a changing climate in New England. The goals outlined by the climate action plan are similarly aligned, focusing on how to boost the “climate-related priorities” detailed in the mitigation plan.
Next steps for Harvard and its residents
During the public comment portion of the meeting, a resident asked about the timing for the goals. Brian Smith, a committee member and representative for Harvard Energy Advisory Committee, emphasized that it is unique for every action and depends on what is going on in the market at large, but said the final report will have more concrete time frames.
Committee members closed out the meeting by encouraging residents with ideas or questions to follow up via email. The question of cost is the next big hurdle and was a prominent question in the public meeting. The committee is still working to attain funding and will seek the support of the Select Board, according to Leicher.
After the final edits are made to the report, the Select Board will be given a draft for review and additional input. The committee will ask the Select Board to offer a 30-day period for public review of the draft, which will likely be posted on the town website. Once all edits are made, the Select Board will choose whether to adopt the plan. The Select Board, along with town officials and committees, would then coordinate implementation throughout Harvard.
“The resident part is the biggest part, that we need people to change. And we’ll take any advice on how to do that. We’d love someone to work with us on outreach. That’s where we have the most need,” said Leicher.
