I am one of the many who were heartbroken to see the news that the iconic fishing shacks at Willard Beach in South Portland were taken by the ocean in the Jan. 13 storm. At first, I was relieved and heartened to learn there were already efforts underway to raise money to rebuild. But then I realized this well-meant nostalgic endeavor is pure folly against the power and imminence of the climate crisis.
To pursue rebuilding is an act of denial when what we really need to do is reckon with the crisis we have created. I believe that instead of rebuilding those beautiful shacks that will just get swept away in the next big storm, we should instead be considering commissioning an artist to install a sturdy steel sculpture that honors the memory of the history of those shacks while also acknowledging that the climate crisis is here. We can’t just rebuild and make everything better, pretending that nothing has changed and everything’s going to be all right.
It’s not. We need to change. And we can build a monument to that. I am not a sculptor, but I picture steel beams that honor the lines of the shacks, without walls. People could step inside and contemplate the rising waters and how we might contribute to efforts to prevent or slow the coming climate disasters. Let’s use the money being raised to build that instead.
Jennifer Lunden
Portland
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