While it will be great and essential to hear Dee's broader perspective,
and I urge attendance, we should also take time to look at the local
changes. What has happened here? And the answer to that question is:
Lots.
Looking back it is hard to think of a time when energy and climate
change were not core topics of discussion in The Valley. So much has
changed since 2005 in terms of people's knowledge of and acceptance of
climate change. It seems so very long ago that many of us joined Bill
McKibben on his long stroll to bring awareness to the issue. And then
there were the first Step-It-Up events in 2007 and the initial
conceptualizing of the Valley Futures initiative, which likely grew out
of the notion that help on a lot of these issues, including climate
change, was not coming from state or federal helping hands.
MOMENTUM GREW
Then the momentum started to grow. The Step-It-Up-2007 and Earth Week
activities led to the formation of the Carbon Shredders running in
parallel with the formation of the Valley Futures Network. The Carbon
Shredders mushroomed with town resolutions calling for 10 percent
reductions in energy use by 2010, the formation of eco-teams, a
plethora of YouTube videos, and a trip to the Bonnaroo Music and Arts
Festival.
And with the winter winds of 2008 not too far in the offing,
Yestermorrow, the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network, Efficiency
Vermont and the Carbon Shredders (emboldened by their recent
recognition on the floor of Congress) put together the Button Up
workshops to help their neighbors save money and climb on the energy
conservation wagon. Whew -- a lot of work in a short time.
With winter making us antsy, the Valley Futures Network, Carbon
Shredders, Efficiency Vermont and others joined together again. This
time under the guise of the Vermont Community Energy Mobilization
project some Valley heroes stepped up to the plate and got trained as
energy mavens. And the group of 20 or so intrepid volunteers did energy
visits -- essentially mini-energy audits -- on more than 60 homes in
The Valley. Your friends and neighbors contributed hundreds of hours of
volunteer time to screw in free compact fluorescent light bulbs, look
at the guts of home heating units, encourage the disposal of harvest
gold and avocado refrigerators, and chant the "insulate, insulate,
insulate" mantra.
And just when you thought it was safe, the Valley snowball is still
running with group upon group coming together on this set of topics.
The most recent one (where we started at the top of this piece) began
rolling down the hill with the Valley Interfaith Council who wanted to
do something about global warming on or about Earth Day. Soon they were
joined by the Carbon Shredders who along with the Rotary are providing
financial support for the April 30 event. And they were joined by the
Valley Futures Network, the Chamber, the Friends of the Mad River,
American Flatbread ... well you know how this goes.
So come join us at 7 p.m. on April 30 at the Big Picture Theater for
"Living Lightly on the Earth: Your Future, Your Hope." The event is
free and the café will be open. Hear about new developments. Sign up to
be part of an eco-team. Come and have fun with your neighbors. And
check out the Channel 44 schedule over the next couple of weeks because
you might see some familiar Valley faces shredding carbon like only we
can.
Bob Ferris lives in Waitsfield and is a cofounder of the Carbon Shredders.
