Sustainability experts now know the most effective actions we as individuals can take to mitigate the negative impact on the environment and reduce our individual carbon footprint, and it isn’t electric cars and recycling.

Scientists now say the highest-impact action one can take to reduce the carbon emissions contributing to climate change is actually an inaction – either don’t have children or have one fewer child than planned.

Having children isn’t exactly the same sort of lifestyle choice as, say, choosing to drive a Prius, but aside from bringing one less consumer of natural resources into the world, is there anything else that can match that degree of proactivity in reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere? Not really, but there are some less drastic ways to approach the issue.

The next high-impact practice is not switching to an electric car, but deciding to live car-free. Again, highly effective, but not as feasible to many of us.

With these top two options for saving the planet essentially being the top two non-options for many of us, it’s our responsibility and our duty to adopt as many of the other sustainable practices as possible, many of which can be reasonably practiced, every day, by even the busiest of us.

Recycling is a given. If you’re still throwing plastic water bottles into the trash instead of the recycle bin, you’re out of excuses. And if you have already accepted that recycling is now mandatory as we face a future of landfill closures and the equivalent of a garbage truck full of plastic being dumped into the ocean every minute, then it’s time to take the next step in carbon footprint reduction.

One action of moderate impact is to simply stop eating meat. It takes 2,400 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef. The beef industry is the No. 1 consumer of freshwater in the world, and even giving up eating meat just one day per week reduces as much CO2 emissions as driving 1,600 miles in a combustible engine car. Further still, if you replaced all your beef meals with chicken, this would lead to a reduction of 882 pounds of carbon emissions.

And if you forewent just one round-trip trans-Atlantic flight this year, you would reduce carbon emissions by 1,571 pounds.

This month, the Fairhaven Sustainability Committee challenged the entire SouthCoast to join them in participating in the Drawdown EcoChallenge to take on the 100 most substantive solutions to global climate change at the individual level.

The Fairhaven Sustainability Committee formed an EcoChallenge team, appropriately called Team SouthCoast, and reached out to the entire region to join them in stretching ourselves to explore ways we can further reduce our CO2 emissions. They are proud to announce that they are currently ranked 26 out of 705 teams worldwide.

The Drawdown EcoChallenge introduces the participant to new and innovative ways to make an impact by providing tools and inspiration to turn intention into action in areas such as food, land use, transport, materials, women and girls, and buildings and cities. In other words, “Small, but not insignificant contributions,” said Sustainability Committee member and EcoChallenge participant Susan Spooner.

Although the EcoChallenge ends April 25, another is slated for October 3-24, with registration beginning in August.

For more information about the upcoming 2018 EcoChallenge, visit www.ecochallenge.org.

What are some other small but important steps you can take? Skip the straw. The U.S. alone uses up about 500 million plastic single-use straws every single day. Straws literally suck because they never fully degrade; rather, they break down into bits and pieces and wind up in every level of the food chain.

You can also remember to bring your cloth bags with you to the market and keep a few reusable grocery bags in your trunk for those impromptu shopping stops. Plastic grocery bags are vile contributors to pollution on so many levels, from the disgusting sight of them stuck in tree branches and bushes to the 12 million barrels of oil it takes to make the nearly 100 billion bags we use each year. They also take at least 500 years to break down.

We also really need to reduce our use of Styrofoam and plastic disposable cups from the coffee shop. We use about 500 billion one-use disposable coffee cups every year.

Another good place to start is to take the EPA’s carbon footprint calculator at https://www3.epa.gov/carbon-footprint-calculator/ to see where you can better save on greenhouse gas emissions (and money) and reduce your household’s overall impact on the Earth.

Sometimes it helps to organize with others. There are a number of Earth Day events planned for the Tri-Town where you can get into the spirit of taking action to protect the environment and ultimately your health and the health of your children.

Saturday, April 21, is the Rochester Town-Wide Cleanup sponsored by the Rochester Land Trust and Rochester Women’s Club at 37 Marion Road from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. Trash bags and gloves are provided, and the RLT will also take your old electronics and appliances for a small fee.

Saturday, April 28, is Marion’s Earth Day Trash Bash, the annual Scout-led town-wide cleanup in conjunction with the Marion Recreation Department, DPW, and Tabor Academy. The troops rally at Washburn Park starting at 8:30 am until 11:30 am, and yellow safety vests, trash bags, and gloves are provided. The litter collected will be brought back to Washburn Park for a “trash mountain,” a visual testament to both the amount of trash littering the streets of Marion and the efforts that morning of those who care.

By Jean Perry

It has been said that runners run because the act of running is intoxicating, addicting … something they simply must do.

But those who have committed their time, financial resources, and their very bodies to the act of maneuvering a homemade boat down a narrow, shallow river way in sometimes hateful spring weather year after year, well, what would we say about those people? My guess is that we would say “river fever” coupled with tradition.

Gary Stopka, a man who has been participating in the annual 12-mile Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race for four decades, knows the thrill and the challenges of navigating the Mattapoisett River from Rochester to Route 6 in Mattapoisett.

“When you’re in a culvert, you have to lay down and push against the roof,” said Stopka, his eyes alight at the memory and his voice filled with excitement.

Stopka explained that about 17 years ago the race committee held a seminar and only two people showed up. But with declining participation, once as high as 150 entries but more recently down to 50, the committee decided to invite the public to the Rochester Fire Station on April 14 to see just what it takes to build a boat. The result was a very decent turnout and palpable excitement that seemed to infect the children and the adults who came to talk about the race. River fever!

Stopka said that years ago all the boats were wooden and rather heavy, but today with modern materials such as foam and fiberglass, they are quite light and handle more easily. Of the race he said, “What with X-box and cell phones, it’s a different world today.” Yet for those in attendance – many who will be first-time participants – the idea of building a boat and testing one’s mettle in the race is a tradition they want to be part of.

Rochester resident and member of the Conservation Commission Daniel Gagne was there to learn about building a boat with two very enthusiastic chums, his son Blake, 10, and his young pal Corielle Wilkinson, age 9.

“I’ve made boats in Cub Scouts and I saw a video in school that showed the entire race,” Blake said. He’ll be building a boat with the help of his dad and grandfather, David Gagne of Plainville. Grandfather and grandson will partner up in one boat. Wilkinson, who will be working with Daniel Gagne, said, “I’m a little nervous,” but after watching the racers as they came into the finish line in previous years, she’s ready to try her luck.

And that is one of the major draws of this annual event – the teams.

Many teams will be comprised of a parent and child, brothers and sisters, cousins, or friends. It is that human connection that makes this race so special. It’s tradition.

Kelsey Collasius is a returning racer who began her career at the water’s edge with her dad.

“When I was little, we actually stopped along the way and had a picnic before going on,” she said laughing at the memory. Now she takes the race rather seriously. “The goal is to reach the end of the race before all the hot dogs are gone!”

Collasius said it takes a good racer about three to three-and-a-half hours to complete the timed event. She’ll be returning to the race this year with her dad after several years of racing with a female friend.

Collasius said that practicing is a huge and “super important” part to completing the race. “You’re taking a long boat down a narrow little river…. When you get swamped, you lose time.”

Stopka said that constructing a boat takes about 25 hours, and the boat averages between 16 to 18 feet long and only a mere 9 inches high, making them easy to handle but subject to swamping.

Tom Richardson of Mattapoisett attended the open house with his daughter, Summer, age 12.

“I’ve always loved boating and I built a 16-foot skiff before … I wanted to do this race myself!” The father and daughter team will practice, and with Summer’s ballet background, the strength of her core coupled with her dad’s strong arms will surely prove a righteous pairing.

Art Benner knows a thing or two about the race; he’s been involved since the 1950s, is the committee chairman, and a holder of the title “Old Man of the River.”

“My parents took me to see the race when I was a kid,” Benner said.

According to Benner, one of the most critical parts of the entire event is the work done by the timekeepers and spotters, who call in the race number and time as each boat comes across the line.

“It’s a combination of computers and manual records,” said Benner. “We double check everything.”

It is a timed race with boats advancing into the water at the start located at Snipatuit Road at the abutment at Grandma Hartley’s reservoir, with one launched every minute.

David Watling, whose great-uncle James Hartley started the race back in 1934, said that Hartley had been overseeing a 4-H project that required the children to build boats. After the boats were completed, he decided to test them on the river; hence, the race was born. Watling said that there are four portages along the course – two where bogs interrupt the river’s flow, another at Rounseville Road, and a final slog at Wolf Island Road. Then it’s downstream into Mattapoisett.

But Watling said that this year might prove extra challenging with the number of trees that have blown down from winter storms.

“We’ve had to be careful in the past about cutting down trees in the wetlands,” he said. But with 70 trees needing to be removed before race day, the committee has its work cut out for it.

Adding to the flavor of this all-American event is the ham and bean supper a couple of nights before the race. Watling said that in recent years, the Fire Department has lost money on the supper so he was eager to get the word out.

“Come and support the race,” said Watling.

The proceeds from the supper are used to offset race expenses. The ham and bean supper will take place at the Rochester Council on Aging at 5:00 pm on May 26.

There is also a raffle this year. The committee is raffling off two 20-ounce paddles. Compared to standard paddles that weigh in at around 3 pounds, these beauties will certainly make someone’s river race experience much easier.

If you want more information on the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race, you may contact Art Benner at 508-763-2024 or artbenner@comcast.net. Maybe this is the year you get infected with river-fever!

By Marilou Newell