Moonalice Band 2014 09 10 "In the Summertime" San Francisco, CA

Music For Friday...link by Moonalice.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Happy Hallowe'en

====================================================================


Last but not least:

a ticket to Mars....

Bob Dylan - Sweetheart Like You

As the sun light fades,
so does my energy level,
turning to yt for suggestions,
almost didn't listen to this one,
the title quasi corny,
the verse
anything but...
meg

Women in Revolution...

Wow! After a rally with hundreds of Vermont residents, over 60 people were arrested sitting-in in Governor... http://t.co/RP3BCbqfHl
— Women in Revolution (@WIR_GLOBAL) October 28, 2014

Julie Feeney - Cold Water **Official Music Video

Stick Season's Eve

Stick Season's Eve

Soon all the leaves will be memories,
The sticks stand Tall
Against the Winter Winds.
They are only asleep,
I tell myself,
Dormant,
Until they reemerge 
In the Spring 
savor the last of the colors.

Innocence

Innocence

Friend or Foe?
How do you know?
Another story untold
No ending seems right.

An Unexpected One

The images flowed from my pen.
The story waited to be told.

Sam Hunt - "Take Your Time" | Live at the Grand Ole Opry | Opry

A music link for Friday...

For Cindy

For Cindy

For Cindy,

A Special Woman,

When did we roam the Earth before?

Did we know each other,

Playing different roles,

Did we sing the same old song?

You delighted

In simple pleasures,

Cup half full?

It runneth over.

Some days

I came to work,

Thinking it was all that I could do,

Then you told me,

about your weekend,
Canned a Bazillion quarts,

Put me to shame,

Our Cindy Lou.

Was our garden

better weeded,

because I thought I saw

Lucinda there?

What would she do?

What would she want?

She did not want to leave,

This material plane,

her loves,

her family,

farm,

her life.

For Cindy,

A freestyle poem,

As the leaves fall from the trees.

Dreary damp, cold and darker,

Cindy's gone

Beyond the veil.

Something funny,

about cubicle living,

talking without seeing

the face on the other side.

There we were,

In a concrete warehouse

An office bunker,

Cold and damp
Dark and dreary.

Paperwork, clients, stresses, then lunch.

Cindy would turn the radio on WOKO country,
Alabama always looking over her.
Little calls to her husband, kids, friends,
Always offering a pearl of wisdom, advice, help, food.

Errands for her other job on their farm,
I live vicariously through her farm stories.
Her energy seems boundless.
I blame her lineage and ingrained work ethic.

Don't try to keep up with her,
I tell myself.
Do the best you can.
Cindy would agree.

I thought about Cindy a few times recently.
Once when looking at my parachute material curtains.
Cindy kept telling me she would bring me a piece then she did.
I made curtains out of it.
She said the air goes through parachute material or I wouldn't know that.
The wind was blowing like crazy from the north and the parachute curtain bowed out.
I thought of Cindy.
Then Monday I saw what looked like her car, headed south.
I thought she must have been shopping,
even though it was not her.

So Friday seemed a good day to play the song she always played on Friday afternoon
in the office.
Tennessee Bird Walk.

It is the little things people leave us with that reminds us of them.
For several days I have been thinking about Cindy,
her family, her animals, her smile
Through thick and thin,
This is 
For Cindy

Love, Me

Radio

Radio

Trying to capture images of radios.
Soon to be extinct?
I hope not.

Here,
I imagined my father in law in ww2
In the Signal Radio Corps
North Africa and Europe.

Pipeline punishes natural gas consumers, says Gaz Metro CEO | The Chronicle Herald #fracking

Pipeline punishes natural gas consumers, says Gaz Metro CEO | The Chronicle Herald

too weary to put all into one post,
too tired to label,
blogging to shine light,
Gaz Metro is parent company of Vermont Gas, er Gaz.
Gee, how can they lower prices in Vermont and build a pipeline,
when north of border, they will raise rates?
Accountant please...

Craft brewers join the fight against natural gas pipelines

Craft brewers join the fight against natural gas pipelines

Great!

Coyote - Joni Mitchell

You tube link.
From the last waltz

Oct 27: Mass Action to Stop the Vermont Fracked Gas Pipeline

Paul McCartney 'Early Days'

Was quite thrilled to see a tweet from Sir Paul McCartney
as he connects with the worldwide audience

Tweet your questions now! #askPaul pic.twitter.com/3vkXCLenWw
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) October 20, 2014

and without reservations, we adore him.
Above is a YT video link to a movie Sir Paul did.
He is on tour in the US and putting out a new album....
Great movie ...
meg

And thrilled to get a tweet...
So much am posting late today...
Why we tweet & blog  <3 p="">

.@marygerdt Spend three days in bed! #askPaul
— Paul McCartney (@PaulMcCartney) October 20, 2014

The Carpenters - Karen Carpenter's Drum Solo

YT is at it again...
Enticing me with titles like this one.

Karen Carpenter truly happy, fully engaged in the music.
Love her style!

Mountain Woman

mountain woman

dressed in deerhide

sewn with sinew thread

and 

a needle made of bone.

She is

Weathered,

Rugged,

a Fragile Human

under all her tough exterior.

She learned to skin a rabbit

before she could read.

After she learned to read,

She could still skin a rabbit.

mountain woman,

plain,

Jane,

I want to call her.

I think I knew her in another time

in the North Country.

Another Saturday Night...

link from yt

Wow, another Saturday Night

Levon and the Midnight Ramblers

at the Ryman.

#fracking update

#fracking
update...

I have been getting many updates from the list and today I thought I would put them together here...

from the addison independent...
warning: subscription required
http://addisonindependent.com/201410opinion-phases-i-and-ii-critical-getting-natural-gas-rutland

from Boston Business News: Governor Patrick of Mass questions need for pipeline
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/blog/mass_roundup/2014/10/patrick-administration-launches-review-of-states.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bbj_morning_roundup+(Boston+Morning+Roundup)

Define "rubber stamp"
http://vtdigger.org/2014/10/10/psb-wont-reopen-vermont-gas-pipeline-case/?utm_source=VTDigger+Subscribers+and+Donors&utm_campaign=ebcbec29b8-Weekly+Update&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_dc3c5486db-ebcbec29b8-405544597

And for some good news...

http://earthjustice.org/news/press/2014/ny-communities-triumph-over-fracking-industry-in-precedent-setting-case

that's all I can handle now...
tgiff!
meg

Friday Night Music...a #fracking song...

From the internet...

(we stopped satellite tv and now surf for clips like this one)

Neil Young talking cars, fracking, politics and music.
Then playing music on the next clip...
Then a photo for Stephen...and one for Neil <3 p="">

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on Facebook

The Colbert Report
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,Indecision Political Humor,The Colbert Report on

Nursing circa 1980 ish

Nursing

1980-ish

I graduated from Nursing school in 1980. 

Most of what I learned about nursing was learned on the job,

The classroom gave me the foundation,

My protocol, My ethical framework.

When you start out,

You must develop your own expectations.

Working for hospitals for 15 years,

It took me too long to learn that lesson.

They said, go there, do that,

Don't question (I did anyway),

Don't complain (I did anyway),

Don't Think...

In the early 1980's, several diseases emerged:

HIV and Hepatitis C.

Both transmitted by blood and body fluids.

Both were labelled as mysteries until more became known,

As more people died, got sick.

As nurses on the front line of the sickest,

We had no protective gear back then.

We had to even nag for gloves.

Chemo waste went down the drain.

Radiation I have been exposed to: never measured...

Trust me to say it was a lot when you want none.

I stabbed myself with plenty of dirty needles,

Carelessy re-capping needles, 

fumbling in the dark to restart an IV,

Finding a mystery needle in bed linens,

Always sharp end first.

Even new machines,

No prep,

No manual,

Sometimes missing an essential piece.

We had no time to complain and no one to complain to,

The patient took front seat,

The doctor needed our support,

I'm the only RN on tonight for 27 patients.

Neurology/Male Urology and overflow from other units.

An LPN to give meds and aided to turn, clean people and check vital signs.

The doctors home in bed or over in the doctor residence hall.

There is a finesse to calling doctors,

Especially at night.

You had to learn who wanted to be called,

When a resident doctor should be called.

Ultimately the nurse is responsible,

hopefully.

So with all the hooplah about Ebola,

I will say there are contagious diseases which pose more threats to spreading. Like Flu, Meningitis, HPV. 

Many diseases have immunizations.

As I look back to the day when suddenly we admitted young wasted away thin, sick looking men who came for a work up.

When HIV was finally discovered to be the culprit, People became hysterical. No one wanted this disease.

Non A, Non B Hepatitis became Hepatitis C. Another mystery.

No special precautions at first....

Universal Precautions came from this experience.

If you touch blood or body fluids, anticipate and wear gloves,

protective clothing.

Wash hands,

Stay a good distance away from a cougher.

Calm down.

Grow up, nurse.

We all had to take responsibility at some point.

Do not blame nurses, or doctors or patients.

Ebola is a virus.

Archives Monkton Chronicles June-July-August 2014

For the Archives...

August 2014

August 20, 2014. Reflections on a Cold Summer in Vermont. Jumping thru hoops, walking on wires, careening down switchbacks without guardrails, skinning knees, elbows, forehead and chin. Just to access my hard earned pensions. Really mostly sitting, stirring when I can, focusing on the virtual hoops I used to juggle for clients as a nurse case manager. Why was it so easy then? On my journey I have found...because now, it is about Me. And before, Itried, I really tried

to see my clients as me...close...as close as i could be.

The Social security doctor reviewed my clinical info while I "gave report", a familiar nurse framework of explaning Subjective data: I feel, Objective: I see,Assessment: I conclude, Plan: Pretend we're talking about my client.

The doc said, You don't cry much, do you? I smiled and said, Taught not to. Stopped there....shut up mary...less is better...hoops, tightropes, no net. meg

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

August 8th and finally Catching up on my Chronicles. Seeing any day now I will trip over the 40,000 visitor mark. These numbers are our validation, even if a mistaken click, a google snafu, a slip of a keystroke. I miss friends I had when I started blogging. Herrad, Sherry. Where are they now? As they dissolve into the ethereal unkown, I make new friends, virtual pals. Harder all the time. The daunting paperwork stream trying to collect benefits, little here, little there, it takes all one's sap to accomplish. Precious little left over. And I sit here, thankful for a career of nursing, with half of my years in case management. Somehow, even with my understanding, it is hard to accept the role of being needy, weak, un-able. Then a good day rolls along and, hey! maybe things are ok. Regarding the town, I am following their tax sale status. How intolerant is the new selectboard? How much will they take of people's bread? The tax rate, not set yet, is being charged to us right now. Wish I could charge them a late fee, like bait and switch penalty. Then interest. But hey, the town is us and we would have to pay again. my, my, my.

Regarding the proposed gaz pipeline: there is a contingent that says it will, a group that says it can't, it shouldn't. There is a group that says get me the heck out of Vermont. I cannot afford the taxes.

Sugary beverages tax was the last straw ;<{

July 2014

Summer has been cold and pleasant too. Dress in layers is my advice. Keep fleece handy.

Trying to keep up with the speed of paperwerk.

Hurry up and wait.

Who told us we would be living like The Jetsons? Press the button, synthesized nutrion, tasty, easy,Look Ma, no dishes!

No we had to go all Stanley Kubrick, Big Brother, The Matrix.

Fred planted a few tomato plants and pepper plants-no rush to harden off---that is how cold it is..

Been snapping photos with new technology, now if I can just extract and redirect into a post!

Started posting Friday Nacht Musik in 3's. You Tube has replaced most of my tv watching except the ncis's. News, etc, skim watched during supper.

Fred started the cats on Dinovite after hearing the commercials a billion times. Tommy is pleased to report he feels better as does Girly. Let's hope the effects persist.

All for now. meg

End of June 2014

I know, I know,

sometimes we chroniclers write just because we have a deadline.

In this case, an imaginary deadline, for an imaginary newspaper with one writer, one town, and no dough. I mean the green dough, gluten free: greenbacks, Benjamin Franklins, Buckazoids, cashola, currency. The newspapers that print on dead or murdered trees get paid by advertisers, an obvious fact to me but sadly not to many others. The newspapers may slant or lean news towards their advertisers. Still we are all subject to the veiled messages, the subliminal suggestions, the pressures of society, our bigger dysfunctional family. Well, it is both functional And dysfunctional. Yin and Yang....

Had wanted to write more often and decided I would write what I can, what comes up, what and when it seems relevant to me. This is my travelogue, where typos are sometimes left, grammar is freestyle turn of the second millennial midwestern to vermont transplant, and i struggle with daily pain, fatigue and the frustrations of paperwork, frustrations, bureaucratic crapola that comes with disability. it was so easy when i did it for someone else. have a good rest of summer...so far cold one in monkton, vermont. we are at a crossroads in our fight to stop the proposed canadian->NY pipeline someone thought worth taking people's hard won property for. not too late to jump into the fray. Q: how do you argue with a corps of engineers? A: don't bother, you will just waste your breath

Q: how do you argue with a corps of engineers? A: you'll never go anywhere, fool, you were not listening to me....

there...june 2014 in a nutshell

meg

Aldrey - La Lista (Video Oficial) #LaLista

Love this video...meg

Stevie Ray Vaughan - Mary Had A Little Lamb

#SRV on my mind
YT suggested this special video...
my favorite #StevieRayVaughn tune
Double Trouble...binds it all together

Right Photo, Wrong Device

Right Photo, Wrong Device

As we scramble between Apple, Samsung  Kindle, HP,

It became a challenge for my own processor,

A kind of game in itself.

Near as I can tell, 

My photos of 2014 Vermont foliage are stuck in a

Samsung~~>Google continuum.

Hopefully a few more nights of sleep will

Allow me to contemplate a breakthrough fix to

Break the cycle of file sharing futility.

So, what the hey,

How about one more from the archives,

Some years colder, the sky bluer.

The sky hazy here today.

Filtered Sunlight

Filtered Sunlight

Falling low

Lower every day

Like a prism

The light passes through

The colored leaves

And is forever changed.

Gaz Recap, #Fracking, Irony while the leaves change and fall

first a few articles with updates on the pipeline that the farmers & US citizen landowners didn't want.

http://vtdigger.org/2014/10/08/melanie-peyser-cut-losses-pipeline/

links and hocky scores :)

Rethink pipeline

Barre Montpelier Times Argus

How did Gaz Metro/Vermont Gas Systems, a billion-dollar international company, make such a colossal miscalculation? Why did it delay making the ...

BurlingtonFreePress.com

Vt. Gas pipeline OK'd despite cost hike

BurlingtonFreePress.com

The state Public Service Board ruled Friday that Vermont Gas can go ahead with the Addison County natural gas pipeline project despite a 40 percent ...

Public Service Board Not Reopening Decision on VT Gas Pipeline - My Champlain Valley FOX44 & ABC22

VT Gas Addison pipeline OK'd by PSB - Brattleboro Reformer

State Won't Reverse Approval Of Gas Pipeline, Despite Cost Increase - Vermont Public Radio

Full Coverage

ESPN

Recap: Blackhawks 3, Stars 2 (SO)

WPTZ The Champlain Valley

The Vermont Public Service Board ruled Friday against reconsideration of its permit allowing Vermont Gas Systems to build phase one of a natural ...


[pardon my editing..this annoying box would not go away..meg.]

the public service board seems to favor corporations over people,

the public service board seems to favor corporations over people,
rich over poor,

bullies over lambs.

i am allowed to say seems...it is my opinion

i am also qualified to tell you how this pipeline is wrong,

this whole pipeline

because i am a landowner, paying taxes before food,

i'll be damned if i stand by and watch people being bullied, 

my neighbors.

could be me.

the irony is i heard about a big meeting talking about how to save #Lake Champlain, the 6th great lake.

(just as i thought i edited one last time,
i saw this link in the digger...scary thoughts
http://vtdigger.org/2014/10/09/developer-pitches-high-voltage-power-line-lake-champlain/)

and here the public service board is rubber stamping this

high pressure gaz line to be put under hill and dale,

the ultimate phase 2 or 3 or who cares,

it will be

ending up under this gem of a lake.

this lake that freezes over some years with ice that holds up dump trucks.

this lake, home to fish, birds, wildlife, humans.

the purpose of this pipeline is to get gaz to the paper mill on the ny side of the lake

i can say stinky paper mill because we have to put the car vent on recirculate when we drive by

NY state said no pipeline through the adirondack park

funny,

what are vermonters.

i guess sitting ducks

this call to action is serious and heartfelt

this is about property owners, sensibility and the lake ecosystem, a fragile zone

meg

press release below...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10 October 2014

Grassroots environmental and social justice groups condemn Public Service Board decision, Call for Massive Rally and Sit-In

Addison County, VT – A coalition of environmental and social justice groups condemned today’s Public Service Board (PSB) ruling to not reopen the Addison Natural Gas Project Certificate of Public Good, and called for a massive rally and sit-in on October 27 to protest the decision and the Shumlin administration’s continued support of the project.

350 Vermont, Rising Tide Vermont, the Vermont Workers’ Center, and Just Power are calling for the sit-in, which will focus on the Governor and his continued support for the project.

"We've reached the end of our rope with Vermont’s broken utility regulatory process," said Jane Palmer, a small farmer and landowner in Monkton, who has been involved in a legal battle with Vermont Gas for over two years to keep the pipeline off her property and out of the state, "The Board is ignoring the facts. The whole process is broken and rigged to get Vermont Gas the result it wants. The Board is giving Vermont Gas carte blanche to do and spend whatever they want, while ignoring the concerns of the larger community."

The PSB, which previously approved the gas pipeline despite thousands of comments it received in opposition, was deciding whether to reevaluate the Certificate of Public Good, given recent cost overruns and mismanagement on behalf of Vermont Gas.

“We are extremely disappointed that once again the State of Vermont has given the green light to fossil fuel infrastructure, against the wishes of most Vermonters who want a sustainable future and stable climate,” said Maeve McBride of 350 Vermont. “The climate crisis is happening now, and we need our political leaders to respond appropriately instead of locking Vermonters into soon-to-be-obsolete fossil fuels."

Amidst growing opposition, 18 legislative candidates, including Philip Baruth and Dr. Jeremy Hansen, voiced their opposition to the pipeline at candidate forums held in Montpelier and Burlington this week.This summer, several state legislators identified seven specific concerns they had with the project. Sens. Chris Bray and Claire Ayer, along with Rep. Willem Jewett, all of Addison County, sent a letter to Gov. Shumlin outlining their concerns.

Addison County residents have been trying for two years to halt the project through the Public Service Board. Just Power member Jason Kaye, of Middlebury, said, “We took part in Vermont Gas' public outreach process and learned that our fundamental concerns could not be addressed there. Some of our members formally intervened in the state permitting process and learned that the Section 248 process is materially flawed. We held meetings with the Shumlin Administration's Department of Public Service (DPS) and Agency of Natural Resources and learned that these agencies are guided by other agendas.”

Landowners along Phase 2 of the pipeline saw today’s ruling as a sign of things to come. “We are going to keep on working through the Public Service Board to try and stop this pipeline,” said Mary Martin, a landowner in Cornwall, “But today’s ruling demonstrates the scathing audacity of the administration and Vermont Gas to ignore the overwhelming opposition to this ill-conceived project.”

The coalition is also concerned that this project doesn't offer a long-term solution for families struggling to pay their heating bills. "As a mother of two and a provider in my Addison County community, I know natural gas cannot address the reasons why members of our communities struggle to pay their energy bills,” said Bridport resident Amanda Sheppard of the Vermont Workers' Center. “Just as healthcare is a right, so is a healthy environment and a warm home. And businesses thirsting for the cheapest available energy cannot provide a healthy, stable and fair economy for Vermont's working families.”

Ninety businesses and dozens of farmers signed letters opposing the fracked gas pipeline. Religious leaders have spoken out, and hundreds of letters have been published in the press in opposition to what many are calling a short-sighted project that is undermining the democratic process in the state.

“Today's ruling marks the moment we realize our state government and the utility it enables with virtually no oversight do not consider themselves accountable to the people of the state,” said Rebecca Foster of Just Power.

Rising Tide Vermont, 350 Vermont, the Vermont Workers’ Center and Just Power are calling on people across the state to attend a rally and sit-in on Monday, October 27, at 3pm at the Statehouse lawn in Montpelier. They can visit 350vt.org andrisingtidevermont.org for more information on the event.

# # #

and a fall pic

CAROLYN WONDERLAND LIVE AT ANTONE'S AUSTIN, TEXAS FEBRUARY 13TH 2010 / S...

One more music link from yt...

unwritten rule:
Because if I post 2 I have to post 3
tgif

meg

Janis Joplin - Ball And Chain (Amazing Performance at Monterey)

One more...

Stevie Ray Vaughan performs House is Rockin + Interview

Link fr yt for Friday Night Musik
Got to talking about SRV today
So rare to hear him talk...great show...

History

History

Again Posting a movie I did of a reenactment

History before our eyes

Paul Thorn "It's a Great Day to Whup Somebody's Ass"

Yt link

Great!

Hayes Carll "Another Like You"

Great yt link...

Snarky Puppy feat. Lalah Hathaway - Something (Family Dinner - Volume One)

how about a stellar music link for tuesday?

there's something about ms. lalah hathaway....

Fall Woods Walk

Take a walk
Through the Vermont Countryside

Gaz Updates #fracking

Sun Tzu...The Art of War

Divide and conquer...

Last night I finally blogged an update but deleted over a hundred updates no longer relevant just 2 weeks ago. Light speed in bureaucratic land.

It is how "they" win.

There is some serious money going to those who want this.

Mary Gerdt

I guess that fighting on all these fronts
naturally wears a person out,
Divide, Conquer, Confuse.
Seeing the anti pipeline signs in Virginia,
I saw how each little person fighting
scatters our enegies.
If you can help,
do it.
meg
 Rebecca summarized our problem well:

I thought I could go to bed, but no rest for the wicked…. Please, folks, this requires a little legwork in multiple towns, but is important and exactly the problem here in Vermont — some folks want to perpetuate the myth that gas is somehow…sustainable…or equivalent to renewables. Let’s make sure that myth is not codified into law.

Thanks!!!

Rebecca

From our stop gas pipeline group:

action steps...

I've attached Carl's whole email, but in short, next week, member towns and cities will be voting on proposed changes to VLCT's municipal legislative agenda, and some of the changes would significantly undermine the state's efforts to move to 90% renewable energy by 2050 — as well as potentially step back our commitment to climate action.

Provision 4.06 F (see below for more info) could be interpreted to put natural gas expansion over renewable energy development and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions.

What You Can Do

1) Find out whether your municipality (through its Select Board, City Council, or whatever the chief legislative organ is) has or will appoint a representative to the VLCT annual meeting next Thursday, Oct 9, in Essex Junction. More info about it on the VLCT home page, www.vlct.org.

If there is someone representing the town, please raise these concerns with that person. If no one is representing the town, ask to be appointed to represent the town, and go to the meeting.

If you are going, or have found an ally in the town representative to the annual meeting, please contact Carl at carl@etnier.net so he can be in contact with like-minded people ahead of the meeting.

2) Carl submitted amendments to roll back these provisions, and the board will consider them when they meet the night before the annual meeting, Please email your support for leaving 4.06 A as it is and striking proposed 4.06 E and F in their entirety to Karen Horn (khorn@vlct.org) and ask her to send your comments to the VLCT board, with copies sent to members of the Quality of Life and Environment Policy Committee.

The Vermont League of Cities and Towns (VLCT) holds its annual meeting next Thursday, October 9, in Essex Junction. There is an issue that recently came to my attention that deeply concerns me, and I think might also concern other Vermonters interested in advancing renewable energy solutions and doing our part to address climate change.

Next week, member towns and cities will be voting on proposed changes to VLCT's municipal legislative agenda, and some of the changes would significantly undermine the state's efforts to move to 90% renewable energy by 2050 — as well as potentially step back our commitment to climate action. In particular, provision 4.06 F (below) could be interpreted to put natural gas expansion over renewable energy development and reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. This is troubling and potentially very problematic for expanding distributed, local, renewable energy solutions in Vermont. Can you let other energy committee leaders know and ask them to take action — I’ve included far more information for them and you below. Please do what you can!

Substance of the Changes...

I've attached a PDF with the year's proposed changes.

The clause numbered 4.06 E in the proposed numbering is new from last year. Some of us stopped it from being incorporated into the 2013 municipal agenda, but it was passed for the 2014 version. That clause undercuts the "we're all in this together" approach that the Public Service Board (PSB) is directed by the legislature to take with respect to electricity generation. Now, the PSB is instructed to consider whether new electrical generation "will promote the general good of the State" and to give "due consideration" to "the recommendations of the municipal and regional planning commissions, the recommendations of the municipal legislative bodies, and the land conservation measures contained in the plan of any affected municipality" (30 V.S.A. § 248). Raising the bar to giving "substantial consideration" to municipal concerns makes it that much harder to approve new renewable energy projects that a vocal group in a host or neighboring municipality objects to.

Again, this clause is in the existing VLCT legislative agenda, but new from last year. The proposed 2015 agenda contains a further modification to 406.E making host municipalities automatic parties to any Section 248 proceeding, i.e., PSB processes to approve new gas and electric purchases, investments, and facilities. As parties, they can call witnesses, argue, cross examine, and appeal decisions. The host municipality may now request party status and be automatically granted it; that is enough.

Perhaps the most egregious change is 4.06 F, which completely undercuts any notion of a statewide energy plan for a transition to renewables. (It also undercuts 4.06 A). The clause reads:

When considering a CPG application pursuant to 30 V.S.A. Section 248, the PSB should find that a clean energy project is needed to ensure a reliable energy supply in order for the CPG application to overcome any municipal finding that the project does not conform to the municipal plan.

(My emphasis.)

VLCT citing reliability only significantly undermines and undercuts the need to bring renewable energy online, for all the reasons its important to do so — 1) fossil fuels are finite, increasingly expensive and harming our planet. Yes, we need reliable power but we also need long-term, 21st century solutions. The state is not trying to get to 90% renewables by 2050 because non-renewables are unreliable. (That may be a good reason to do so, but it's not the primary driver.) We're trying to do so to shoulder our responsibility in reducing our contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. If the PSB must find that a renewable energy project replaces a less reliable energy source, it will be much harder to approve new energy projects.

And what is a "clean energy project"? Notice that 4.06 A contains a modification of "renewable" to "clean," which I assume is meant to open the door wider for natural gas, which many scientists argue has at least as large a climate change impact as coal, and/or nuclear. Even coal with (fantasy) carbon sequestration is called "clean" by some people. Let's keep our eyes on the ball of renewables.

What energy committees can do

Find out whether your municipality (through its Select Board, City Council, or whatever the chief legislative organ is) has or will appoint a representative to the VLCT annual meeting next Thursday, Oct 9, in Essex Junction. The Annual Meeting starts at 2 pm. (There's lots of information about it on the VLCT home page, www.vlct.org.)

If there is someone representing the town, please raise these concerns with that person.

If no one is representing the town, ask to be appointed to represent the town, and go to the meeting. Karen Horn of the VLCT assures me that VLCT rules allow the town to appoint any municipal official, including an energy committee member, to represent the town. (If there's any doubt, I can forward the email from her.)

If you are going, or have found an ally in the town representative to the annual meeting, please contact me at carl@etnier.net so I can be in contact with like-minded people ahead of the meeting.

Organized efforts like these to peddle back from Vermont’s Comprehensive Energy Plan goal of meeting 90 percent of Vermont’s energy needs in the year 2050 from renewable resources or statutory goal of reducing our greenhouse gas emissions 75 percent by 2050 are shortsighted and troubling. I encourage everyone who can to show up at the annual meeting and vote--that's the only way to ensure that the VLCT representatives are not instructed to undercut the state's move to renewables.

Another way to influence the proceedings, whether you make to the annual meeting or not, is to contact members of the VLCT board. I have submitted amendments to roll back these provisions, and the board meets the night before the annual meeting, Oct 8, to consider the amendments. Please email your support for leaving 4.06 A as it is and striking proposed 4.06 E and F in their entirety to Karen Horn (khorn@vlct.org) and ask her to send your comments to the VLCT board to consider at their October 8 meeting, with copies sent to members of the Quality of Life and Environment Policy Committee.

Thanks!

Cheers,

Carl

Carl Etnier

Selectboard member, Town of East Montpelier

carl @ etnier.net

This email and any replies to it are public records, subject to Vermont's public records law.

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"If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
- Antoine de Saint-Exupery