We are dedicated students in the Belmont High School Climate Action Club. Our group is passionate about combating climate change through collaboration, education, and initiatives throughout the school and our community.
As you know, the rink is a valuable part of our community which requires investment and careful planning. This must include a commitment to clean energy and the reduction of greenhouse gases. Given the immense amount of fossil fuels required to power the rink, Belmont’s commitment to clean energy relies on this specific project, meaning that the rink committee must uphold its original promise to install solar panels.
We acknowledge the expenses of solar panels and the limited budget the town is working with. However, solar energy is more cost-efficient in the long term, and installation costs can be offset through local, state, and federal tax cuts and incentives. Even so, we would request that committee members view clean energy not as an expenditure but as a crucial investment towards the well-being of our people, planet, and environment.
Belmont’s Climate Action Plan states that: “As Belmont moves forward with new public building construction, the strategic electrification of those buildings and facilities should be a primary consideration.” (Belmont Climate Roadmap). Without the installation of solar panels on our rink, our town will not fulfill its original promise and will fall short of its own goals.
We hope that the committee makes the decision which best serves the community and makes Belmont a beacon of climate action and clean energy, and implore them to invest in the future of our town.
Sadie Taylor and Srishti Kar, Belmont High School (Climate Action Club)