Climate Crisis

The climate crisis is THE crisis of our time.  Mitigating and adapting to the dramatic changes coming our way will require the commitment of local communities. But not all citizens understand the need.  I want to clearly and repeatedly demonstrate the value proposition of the large expenditures required to address the growing threat.  This is crucial to get maximum buy-in from as many as possible.  It’s the only way to give our climate change mitigation efforts maximum chance for success — and this requires many hours of outreach and discussion. 

The scientific consensus for our region shows growing numbers of adverse weather events. Vermont should follow the lead of Washington State which recently released a video visually demonstrating the impact of an earthquake in the Seattle area. Imagine the impact on the attitudes about public spending if such a map was generated for all Vermont towns showing direct impacts on familiar surroundings using data regarding the droughts and deluges which are forecast for our area. Although Vermont is not experiencing impacts such as the flooding in Houston or the fires in California, scientific consensus tell us we are not immune. The 2011 plan to have 90% renewable energy by 2050 is a laudable goal. But without having commitment from local communities all attempts at change will be mired in acrimony and complacence.  Nonstop outreach is the only way.