Scientists say that 350 parts per million CO2 in the atmosphere is the safe limit for humanity. Learn more about 350 – what it means, where it came from, and how to get there.
As I commented on the White House ‘Wall’: This is great that you announced a federal investigation into Wall Street. Now … to see you actually DO the right thing for the AVERAGE person in this country and make the wealthy oil companies give back to our country and pay their share of taxes and return the unfair rebates that the IRS has given them. Absurd! If they paid their fair share, our country would definitely be on the road out of debt – and one of the worst thing is that they most of them aren’t willing to do the fair thing and that they even accept the ‘bennies’ they have been receiving!
Why do they even NEED all of their trilions of $? It won’t do them one bit of good if you don’t ‘G.E.T.’ one VERY important thing you sure got wrong in your speech, which is regarding CLEAN ENERGY! Clean energy does NOT include offshore drilling, gas fracking or coal. This will only keep the big oil companies happy. I have to consequently question your sincerity about Clean Renewable Energy, which should be one of your top concerns, along with getting our CO2 emissions. If this does not get under control by 2017, the IEA has warned the world that we are in BIG trouble – it will be too late to turn things around. Life cannot survive at 129º as Pakistan endured this past summer – take note of just this winter’s warmth in the whole northern part of our country and lack of snow. Snow means water for the rest of the year for places like Reno, NV, from Lake Tahoe – for example…
We need your help, Mr. President! And while we are on the subject – Where is that Solar that was supposed to be installed back on the White House, any way? Why have we not heard any more about that?
One more concern, Dear Mr. Obama: What are your plans for reducing our emission levels from the two worst offenders: Transportation and leaking under-insulated buildings that are wasting fossil fuel and sending the emissions off into our atmosphere, just adding to the problem? These should be on your list of top infrastructures to change immediately – or at least working on feverishly… No problems – only solutions!
In case you missed it or would like to watch last night’s ‘State of the Union Address’ , here it is:
Governor Peter Shumlin is thinking big. His comprehensive energy plan calls for Vermont to receive 90% of its energy from renewable sources by 2050. This is an amazing goal for our state. If implemented, this plan would make the Green Mountain State a leader in clean energy and an example for the rest of the country. Vermont can do this — but the governor needs your support.
It is a bold plan. In addition to the 90% renewable goal for 2050, the governor wants our state to get 75% of electricity from renewable sources within 20 years. We can’t let this opportunity get away. We need to speak out and let the governor know that he has the support it takes to make this happen.
Investing in renewable energy means cleaner air. It means fighting climate change. It means more jobs for our state. This is a historic chance for Vermont to lead the charge towards a cleaner, greener future.
As Vermonters, let’s tell the governor that we stand with him to do tough things and get this done. Let’s show him that momentum is on the side of clean energy. Our future depends on it.
Thanks,
David Van Deusen
Conservation Organizer
Sierra Club
P.S. We need to show the governor he has the support he needs to get this done.
How you can help:
1. Share this with your social network using Facebook and Twitter.
2. Copy and paste the following into a new email to friends:
Dear Friends,
I just told Governor Shumlin that I support his bold plan to move Vermont to 90% renewable energy by 2050. This will make Vermont a leader in clean energy and green jobs. We need to show the governor he has the support he needs to make this a reality.
What: Press conference to launch VT Fossil Fuels Freedom Campaign. When: Weds, January 25th, 10:00am Where: Cedar Creek Room of the Vermont Statehouse, Montpelier
Our Governor, Peter Shumlin, is calling for 75% of our electricity to come from renewables within 20 years, and 90% of our total energy from renewables by 2050. Implementing this plan will not only mean a cleaner, more climate friendly environment, but it will also mean green collar jobs for Vermont’s working families.
Now let’s put the pressure on and tell Montpelier that we can move even faster and create good green jobs in the process. Let’s tell Montpelier that the faster we move towards a renewable energy future, the better we will stand in our fight against climate change. Now is the time for Vermont to once again lead the way!
On Wednesday, January 25th, at 10:00 am in the Cedar Creek Room in the Statehouse, Montpelier, there will be a rally/press conference announcing the launch of the historic “Fossil Fuels Freedom Campaign.” This campaign was formed by our partners in the 350.org Vermont organization, and seeks to build a future of sustainable, climate friendly, renewable energy reliance in our state and beyond.
The Vermont Sierra Club supports these principles, and we will be there.
We invite you to be there too!
So come to Montpelier on January 25th, and be part of the green energy revolution! _____________________________________
Contact: David Van Deusen, Conservation Organizer, Vermont Sierra Club
• (802)229-6399 •
RUTLAND, VT January 20, 2012
Formalizing agreements related to the impending sale of Central Vermont Public Service and its merger with Green Mountain Power, GMP signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the City of Rutland to ensure a strong relationship and significant benefits for Rutland in the years ahead. The MOU settles the city’s intervention in the state’s review of the sale and merger proposal, and explicitly states the city’s support for the merger.
Rutland City Mayor Christopher Louras and GMP President and CEO Mary Powell signed the MOU after the Rutland Board of Aldermen authorized its execution Thursday evening.
“Rutland will play a critical role in the future of the post-merger combined GMP/CVPS company, and the post-merger combined company should continue to play a prominent role in Rutland as well, much as CVPS has done,” the parties said in the MOU, which will be filed with the Vermont Public Service Board.
The MOU lays out a series of commitments, which the parties will ask the PSB to incorporate as conditions to its pending approval of CVPS’s sale to Gaz Métro Limited Partnership, GMP’s parent company. Once that approval is received, the companies will merge into the new Green Mountain Power.
“This agreement solidifies commitments that have been made about jobs and the company’s role in Rutland, but more importantly, it provides a foundation on which the new GMP and the City of Rutland will work together for the benefit of the city and region,” Mayor Louras said. “We have had a long, fruitful and mutually beneficial relationship with CVPS, and I believe this MOU will mark the beginning of an equally positive relationship with the new GMP.”
“The agreement represents a true partnership with the city and we look forward to exploring a range of new opportunities for Rutland,” Powell said. “We are also very pleased that Rutland recognizes the tremendous value of the merger for Vermonters, with at least $144 million in customer savings over the first 10 years.”
GMP affirmed its commitment to refrain from layoffs or mandatory relocations of employees, as well as to maintain proportional levels of its employee base headquartered in the Rutland area, which was critical to city leaders. GMP and the City will jointly pursue efforts to create opportunities, develop partnerships and attract new businesses to add additional jobs in the Rutland area, exclusive of GMP.
The new GMP will locate its Headquarters for Operations and Energy Innovation Center in Rutland or Rutland Town. The Energy Innovation Center will be a catalyst for innovative programs related to renewable energy, efficiency, customer service options, smart grid technology, and new product offerings. This could include significant new partnerships with state and federal entities, local schools and colleges, renewable energy companies and others.
GMP will also:
Begin a collaborative, stakeholder-based engagement process immediately upon closing of the merger, or sooner, to identify a suitable location for construction or redevelopment of a new facility in downtown Rutland;
Establish a solar city program in the Rutland area, resulting in Rutland County becoming the leading solar generation center in Vermont;
Create a $100,000 “Open for Business Fund” at the Rutland Downtown Partnership and a $100,000 “Green Growth Fund” at the Rutland Economic Development Corp.;
Continue CVPS’s historic level of leadership and participation in the community.
Scientists have determined that the safe upper limit of carbon units in the atmosphere—to support life as we know it—is 350 parts per million. Our current levels are approximately 392 PPM and rising steadily. Contrast this to before the Industrial Revolution, when carbon levels hovered around 275 PPM. These elevated carbon levels are largely a result of our gross dependence on fossil fuels.
Vermont has a time-honored history of being first in the nation on many successful social/political initiatives. Therefore, we are stepping up to be the first state to initiate a full-scale urgent response to the climate crisis and as such, set a template for the rest of the United States to follow. To initiate this urgent-response mandate, we are launching a Fossil Fuel Freedom Campaign at the Statehouse.
What: A Press Conference to launch the Fossil Fuel Freedom Campaign
Where: Vermont Statehouse – Cedar Creek Room (second floor)
When: Wednesday, January 25th 10:00 AM
The Fossil Fuel Freedom Campaign advances goals and strategies to make Vermont the leader the country so urgently needs today to solve the climate crisis. The formula for unleashing a requisite level of sustained collective effort involves clear vision, bold goals, and individual participation across the board. Whenever people have united in this way the results have always been unparalleled innovation and fresh new models of thought and action. In a word: Transformation.
To learn more about this bold initiative and find out how you can do your part, please go to: Fossil Fuel Freedom Campaign. 350VT.org
WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the flowing statement after a federal judge ruled today that Vermont Yankee may continue to operate despite state efforts to close the 40-year-old reactor:
“The court today has made a decision that is, in my view, wrong on the merits and ripe for appeal. I believe the law is very clear, and that states have the right to reject nuclear power for economic and other non-safety reasons.
“It is inconceivable to me that Entergy can force Vermont to allow continued operation of Vermont Yankee, an aging and problem-plagued nuclear plant, when the people of Vermont want to move aggressively to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.
“Vermont’s laws, which Entergy agreed to abide by when it bought Vermont Yankee, require that Entergy receive a new certificate of public good in order to operate beyond March of 2012. In a very strong 26-4 bipartisan vote, the Vermont Senate voted against allowing Vermont Yankee to receive that certificate. They believed, and I believe, that the continuation of Vermont Yankee in our state is not in the best interest of Vermont.
Allowing Entergy to evade laws they agreed to abide by sets a horrendous precedent which should not be allowed to stand. The state of Vermont and other states must have the right to determine their own energy future.”
PACE – the Property Assessed Clean Energy program – is ready to move forward in Vermont. Many of you are already working hard to make that happen. We want to help ensure you have access to the support and resources you need to do that.
There have been several forums and workshops that have occurred as of late on PACE (the forum at the Vermont Law School in October as well as the workshop that took place recently at the annual ‘Vermont Energy and Climate Action Conference.’) This email is a follow up to those events, as well as simply ensuring that those of you who have expressed an interest in PACE or who are actively moving the program forward are aware of some important resources available to support your efforts. This email summarizes some of those resources as well as notes some potential follow-up items for your consideration, including:
2012 Town Meeting: If your town has not approved establishing a PACE district, we encourage you to organize now to get an item on the 2012 Town Warning. We have developed some sample language for you to include on your Town Warning, which can be found on the WIKI site at http://pacevermont.wikispaces.com/. We have also developed a guidance document to help you understand the steps in approving a PACE district for your town. That document is attached, though it can also be found on the WIKI site. This has to happen quickly though! January 26th is the last day to get an article on the Town Meeting Day warning…
The WIKI Site: VEIC has established a PACE “WIKI” site that contains a number of important guidance documents and information about implementing PACE in Vermont. [A “WIKI” site is merely a webpage that is designed to provide easy access to information for a targeted audience.] On this site, you will find:
• On-line forum: Do you have a question about PACE? Check out the WIKI site to get your questions answered or see what other questions have been raised and addressed.
• Guidance documents: We have a number of guidance documents posted on the WIKI site, including a step-by-step guide on “How to Implement PACE in Your Community.
• Sample ballot language: If your town has not already approved the establishment of a PACE district, we have posted two versions of sample language for your consideration to place on your Town Warning for the 2012 Town Meeting Day.
A Letter of Support for the Program from Vermont Treasurer Beth Pearce: The State Treasurer has been a great supporter of the PACE program. At the October forum Treasurer Pearce outlined the economic and environmental benefits she believes the PACE program can bring to Vermont. To offer her perspective both on the benefits she believes the program will bring as well as the safety mechanisms in place to protect Vermont communities, Treasurer Pearce has also put together a general letter of support of the program. Find that letter on the WIKI site as well and please share it with local officials and other community members to offer that important perspective.
NOTE: All communities that have signed up for the Quick Start Program are granted access to the WIKI site and should have received guidance on how to gain access. To gain access to the WIKI site, click on http://pacevermont.wikispaces.com and enter your ID and password. If you haven’t already set up an account, you will first need to go to http://pacevermont.wikispaces.com/space/join and set one up. You will then receive an e-mail authorizing you. Please contact Peter Adamczyk at VEIC (802-540-7631 or padamczyk@veic.org) if you have any questions about gaining access to the WIKI site.
New PACE law: As many of you are aware, the Vermont Legislature made changes in 2011 to the PACE program and strengthened the law. In light of this new legislation, it is unclear whether towns that had previously approved the establishment of a PACE district need to re-submit new language again at their 2012 Town Meeting. In light of this new legislation, towns that had previously approved the establishment of a PACE district may wish to consider whether to re-submit new language again at their 2012 Town Meeting. If so, please use the language we have provided on the WIKI site.
Moving Ahead with PACE implementation: If your town has already approved establishing a PACE district, you are ready to move ahead with implementation. There are series of questions that you will need to answer and then have approved by your selectboard. These are all spelled out on the “PACE Program Description and Guidelines.” This can be found on the WIKI site in the “Sample Documents” section.
Again, we hope the “Guide to Implementing PACE Districts in Vermont Communities” serves as a useful step-by-step resource for helping those interested in moving a PACE program forward. If you have any questions, please go to the WIKI forum as the first step in getting those questions answered or feel free to contact me at 802-223-2328 ext. 112 or jmiller@vnrc.org or reach Peter Adamczyk at VEIC at 802-540-7631 or padamczyk@veic.org.
Thank you Mr President! You definitely made the RIGHT CHOICE about the Keystone XL Pipeline!
And thank you to all who helped to bring awareness to the media and President Obama about the dangers to the future of our planet and all that resides on it: The 350.org groups across the country & around the world; Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org; Dr. James Hansen, Top U.S. Climate Scientist; Daryl Hannah, actress & advocate; and the thousands of protestors via every media and petition or letters to the president….
“Assuming that what we’re hearing is true, this isn’t just the right call, it’s the brave call,” said Bill McKibben, one of the leaders of protests against the pipeline. – standing strong in the face of Big Oil intimidation and denying the current permit for the pipeline.
Make no mistake, for all of us who have been protesting the project, this is a major victory. But, in regards to allowing TransCanada to reapply with a new route through Nebraska, clearly, this fight isn’t over. Big Oil will do everything it can to overturn that decision, because they are not used to losing. They have one weapon—money. They’ve used it to buy the allegiance of many Representatives and Senators and now they’ll use Congress to try and get their dirty work done.
Let’s be clear: a re-route through Nebraska will help protect the Sand Hills and the portion of the Ogallala Aquifer that’s in the state — that’s a huge victory for our friends and allies in Nebraska who have been leading this fight from the start. But the re-route will do nothing to address the climate impacts of burning tar sands, the economic downside of continuing our addiction to oil, the risks the pipeline poses to other states along the route, or the political influence Big Oil continues to use to override the interests of the American people. If this pipeline comes back, so will we.
Stay tuned for more info throughout the day on the impending decision, as well as our official response from Bill McKibben and others. Or check in at 350.org.
Meanwhile One Senator will not be able to be bought out – Vermont’s own Senator Bernie Sanders. Here is his statement of this important event:
Sanders Statement on Keystone XL Pipeline
WASHINGTON, Jan. 18 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a member of the Senate energy and environment committees, issued the following statement today after the Obama administration rejected a permit for TransCanada to build an oil pipeline from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico:
“The president made the correct decision today in rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline, and I will fight to ensure Congress does not overturn the decision.
“The United States must help lead the world in combating global warming and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It would be incomprehensible to give approval to a tar sands oil project when producing tar sands oil creates 82 percent more carbon emissions than conventional oil, and when it poses the risk of extremely damaging oil spills. I agree with NASA scientist James Hansen who has stated that fully exploiting the tar sands would mean ‘game over’ for our efforts to reverse global warming.
“If we are serious about protecting the planet and improving our economy, America’s energy future must focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy. We know that by improving the fuel efficiency of our cars and trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon, an easily achievable accomplishment, we can save up to three times more oil per day than Keystone XL would carry.
“In my view, this tar sands pipeline is a bad deal for the country and for our planet, and the president has acted in the best interest of the American people in saying no to Keystone XL.”
To all or our readers: “Let’s get the recognition we deserve for setting the example for our country. Take a moment to vote for these two awards that we are cited to possibly receive. As Bill McKibben often says: ‘Onward and Forward’!” ~ Green Energy Times
Renewable Energy World, a global online magazine for renewable energy has nominated two Vermont initiatives for their 2012 Reader’s Choice Awards. You can help Vermont gain national recognition by take just a few seconds to vote for one of these great initiatives!
The winner will receive the Readers’ Choice Award at the Excellence in Renewable Energy Awards ceremony, which takes place during the Renewable Energy World North America Conference & Expo in Long Beach, California from February 14-16, 2012.
First-in-the-Nation Solar Registration
REV and partners were phenomenally successful during last years’ legislative session with the passage of the Vermont Energy Act of 2011. Part of the energy act included the passage of a solar registration provision making it quicker and easier to install small-scale solar photovoltaic systems in Vermont.
The new solar registration process, which replaces permitting allows solar customers to install the system 10 days after completing a registration form and certificate of compliance with interconnection requirements. The Vermont timeline is among the fastest in the nation.
This past October Vermont celebrated the commissioning of its second and largest wind power facility. REV Member First Wind unveiled its 40 megawatt (MW) wind project in Sheffield, VT which will produce enough electrical energy for the whole of Caledonia County. The goal of the Sheffield Wind project is to deliver clean, renewable wind energy that will not only provide natural power to Vermonters, but also generate other benefits for the local community. Developed, owned and operated by First Wind, Sheffield Wind delivers a clean energy alternative to Vermont utilities to help stabilize energy costs.
Click here to vote for this fantastic example of Vermont’s leadership in renewable energy.
Thanks for your support and taking the short time to cast your votes! REV looks forward to working with you in 2012 to continue to strengthen the renewables and efficiency community in the state.
Regards, Gabrielle Stebbins
Executive Director, Renewable Energy Vermont (REV)
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