EDA Hears about Climate Change, AI, and Vertical Lift Aircraft

Monte Koch was at the Economic Development Authority public hearing Tuesday to advocate for tax breaks for a new consulting business on St. Thomas.

However, because of his experience in aviation, questions from the board occasionally turned the conversation to climate change and transportation issues.

Michael Cribari, the owner of the second business being considered for tax benefits because of his experience as an entrepreneur, fielded questions about artificial intelligence, referred to as AI, by board members.

The conversation first went to climate change when board member Jose Penn asked Koch whether he believed in climate change. Koch told a story about how much warmer mornings were in Alaska, which he visits yearly. He then said that businesses have “no choice.” They had to consider the future, which the scientific consensus says will be warmer. The Virgin Islands, as evidenced by two Category 5 hurricanes in 2017, is exceptionally vulnerable to climate change. Koch defended the aviation industry, saying it contributed only two percent of the CO2 emissions. However, he said the industry was doing everything possible to cut emissions, such as developing alternate fuels and changing routes.