I live on a farm that usually produces hay for horses, but this year it has been difficult to find days that are dry enough to hay, as I'm sure most horse farmers will tell you. Over the past century Vermont's rainfall has increased by a startling five percent! The EPA also predicts that precipitation will increase in the future by a staggering 10 percent during the summer and fall. Although, in terms of percentage, these numbers seem small it is a staggering amount when you see this rainfall in concentrated areas (like the flash floods in Barre).
Despite these astonishing numbers and the reality of our current climate, the Vermont Legislature is still turning a blind eye towards global warming. The largest of the three blind mice that make up our governing body has to be Governor Douglas, who consistently refuses to compromise despite heavy lobbying and the number of legislators who favor action. Governor Douglas speaks of being a leader in environmentalism on one hand and then on the other kills the first piece of real legislation that has come to him during his term.
Meanwhile states like New Jersey, California and Hawaii are busy passing comprehensive global warming legislation that actively addresses the problem. The time for waiting for the next generation to deal with the problem is over. It's up to us to affect real change and it has to happen before irreparable damage is done to our earth.
Pat Cox
Moretown
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