Chesapeake Bay, MA - “Free at last!” Carra Bonn shouted. “Whee!” Di Oxide called back. Carra and Di had just been expelled from the smokestack of a diesel freighter. After millions of years locked up in oily sludge, they swirled willy-nilly over the ocean and eventually found themselves hovering above a small skiff. Trav Lurr and Trippe Taker sat sweltering in their skiff; fishing tackle dangled alongside. Di and Carra eavesdropped on their chatter.
“Whew! Feels like we’re in for another record-breaking heatwave,” Trav complained. “And the federal government seems to be throwing in the towel on efforts to mitigate this mess. It’s almost like they think if we don’t talk about it, climate change will just go away. Fat chance! In fact I just read something about ocean acidification. You know, the process by which oceans absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Then it becomes carbonic acid. Too much of that prohibits the formation of calcium carbonate, the stuff marine organisms need to develop shells. It’s already way too high in some places and decimating those underwater ecosystems.”
“Shh…they’re talking about us!” Carra whispered to Di.
“Yeah,” Trippe added, “we’ve been trying to decide what to do for a family vacation this summer. I was feeling a bit guilty about burning all that fossil fuel to fly or drive somewhere. Like it or not, we all burn fossil fuels - sometimes A LOT when we travel. Then I learned about Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (sRECs). They’re a way to reduce future carbon emissions by supporting solar energy generation. When someone retires (buys) sRECs, they are incentivizing a WI-based nonprofit or citizen who is generating solar electricity. More solar incentives means more rooftop and small-scale solar projects and fewer emissions.
“sRECs aren’t perfect, but buying them to cover our trip’s greenhouse gas emissions does help mitigate the effects of our travels. And it’s easy. The folks at Legacy Solar Coop* are happy to help you purchase sRECs.”
Meanwhile, the swirling breeze was carrying Di and Carra lower and lower toward the rolling swells. “Looks like we’ll be taking a dip soon. Then…Oh dear! We’ll become part of the carbonic acid problem,” Di fretted. “Wish I could pitch in to buy some sRecs because Earth has to have a balanced ecosystem. After all, it’s our only home; we’re all forever… Earthbound.”
*legacysolarcoop.org/solar-renewable-energy-credits/
“Whew! Feels like we’re in for another record-breaking heatwave,” Trav complained. “And the federal government seems to be throwing in the towel on efforts to mitigate this mess. It’s almost like they think if we don’t talk about it, climate change will just go away. Fat chance! In fact I just read something about ocean acidification. You know, the process by which oceans absorb excess carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Then it becomes carbonic acid. Too much of that prohibits the formation of calcium carbonate, the stuff marine organisms need to develop shells. It’s already way too high in some places and decimating those underwater ecosystems.”
“Shh…they’re talking about us!” Carra whispered to Di.
“Yeah,” Trippe added, “we’ve been trying to decide what to do for a family vacation this summer. I was feeling a bit guilty about burning all that fossil fuel to fly or drive somewhere. Like it or not, we all burn fossil fuels - sometimes A LOT when we travel. Then I learned about Solar Renewable Energy Certificates (sRECs). They’re a way to reduce future carbon emissions by supporting solar energy generation. When someone retires (buys) sRECs, they are incentivizing a WI-based nonprofit or citizen who is generating solar electricity. More solar incentives means more rooftop and small-scale solar projects and fewer emissions.
“sRECs aren’t perfect, but buying them to cover our trip’s greenhouse gas emissions does help mitigate the effects of our travels. And it’s easy. The folks at Legacy Solar Coop* are happy to help you purchase sRECs.”
Meanwhile, the swirling breeze was carrying Di and Carra lower and lower toward the rolling swells. “Looks like we’ll be taking a dip soon. Then…Oh dear! We’ll become part of the carbonic acid problem,” Di fretted. “Wish I could pitch in to buy some sRecs because Earth has to have a balanced ecosystem. After all, it’s our only home; we’re all forever… Earthbound.”
*legacysolarcoop.org/solar-renewable-energy-credits/
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