THE GODS OF THE HILLS by Lesley Becker
The Gods of the Hills addresses the “hot button” topic of energy production, from tar sands oil to industrial ridgeline wind tower, and raises issues of environmental justice, as well as the loss of democratic process in small communities and how that is balanced against the urgent need for renewable energy.
Karin Green, a renewable energy advocate and attorney, wants to join forces with a...
The Gods of the Hills addresses the “hot button” topic of energy production, from tar sands oil to industrial ridgeline wind tower, and raises issues of environmental justice, as well as the loss of democratic process in small communities and how that is balanced against the urgent need for renewable energy.
Karin Green, a renewable energy advocate and attorney, wants to join forces with a charming bureaucrat, Eric Powers, to combat climate change. She learns that Eric’s methods are not always what they seem. Alison Fields, a community official in a small town, struggles against Eric’s efforts to force an energy project that could endanger the town’s drinking water. As Alison struggles against Eric’s maneuvers, Karin discovers the truth behind Eric’s public image and his involvement in the death of a town commissioner.
The issue of appropriate solutions to address climate disruption is an issue of concern because the need for climate disruption solutions is urgent. The public subsidies and faith that is being invested in industrial scale renewable energy requires that these solutions are credible. If the energy projects approved by government do not actually reduce fossil fuel use, is a loss of precious time to move in the direction of genuine solutions. This point is illustrated in The Gods of the Hills. In installing industrial scale projects, irreplaceable natural areas are destroyed and polluted, and the impact will be a great loss of natural resources and the weakening of the ecosystem’s ability to re-calibrate during the impacts of climate disruption events. Carolyn Raffensperger, executive director of the Science and Environmental Health Network, developed a concept of a precautionary principal and appointed legal Guardians, which is transformed into “Guardians of the Future” in this play, alerting the audience about the need to assess the environmental impacts of energy projects on future generations.