(bumped up 4/13 as a reminder… – promoted by odum)
On April 14 – the National Day of Climate Action – a ‘Step It Up’ action will take place in two parts in the Queen Capitol City region. The first half of the event will occur at Morse Farm in East Montpelier and the day will culminate with a walk from the farm to the State House where U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, among others, will join the event.
Morse Farm’s iconic location is perfect for the kickoff of an event that is all about asking Congress and state lawmakers to take concrete, substantive steps to address global warming. The maple sugar works and ski touring center, after all, have a lot to lose in a world where temperatures could rise enough to snuff them out by the end of the century.
Andrew Brewer of Onion River Sports, who partners with the Morse Farm Touring Center, understands what’s at stake and will lend his perspective on April 14. “It’s been a disaster of a winter for the winter sports industry,” noted Brewer. “I could’ve mowed my lawn on Christmas Day. Winters like this are forcing me to change the way I do business.”
These and other impending new realities are converging to intensify the public outcry for action on climate change. Last fall, the Vermont Natural Resources Council joined renowned author and `Step It Up’ architect Bill McKibben in helping to organize a Burlington rally attended by more than 1,000 people. The event culminated in a five-day, 56-mile walk across Vermont to raise awareness about the issue and demand action. Now, just seven months later, more than 1,000 communities across the country are rallying to call on Congress and state legislative leaders to `Step It Up’ on global warming and commit to 80 percent reductions of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. This will mark the single largest unified action to date in the United States on this critical environmental challenge.
More information (including rally times and transportation details) below the fold…
Burr Morse has been tapping trees nearly all his 59 years. He’s witnessed many changes in the syrup-making industry: the replacement of sap collecting buckets with tubing; the development of vacuum systems to draw sap from the trees; and the subtle but certain shift in weather patterns.
While reluctant to link the marked changes in recent sugaring seasons directly to global warming, Morse’s thinking about the issue has certainly shifted. Until five years ago, Burr wasn’t convinced global warming was an issue.
“As a sugar-maker and a ski operator, I changed my mind though,” noted Morse. “I think global warming is real. I see it every day in my work. That’s why I support every effort to address the issue so that Vermont does not lose the important industries – sugaring, skiing, and others – that define it.”
The increasingly obvious connection between the rise in the earth’s temperature and environmental changes on the ground, such as earlier sugaring and shorter ski seasons, has spurred concern and action about climate change.
Clarity on Climate Change
There is no longer any dispute over climate change. It’s happening. It’s in large part due to human activity. And it will alter life as we know it on this planet.
This past February, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change unveiled the most definitive report to date making this case. The report reflected the consensus of more than 2,000 climate scientists from 150 countries who outlined very real threats from global warming: heat waves and heavy precipitation; increased droughts and intensified hurricanes; the spread of tropical disease and the flooding of coastal cities.
Many Vermonters worry about the impact a warmer world could have on sugaring, skiing, fishing, fall foliage, tourism and quality of life in the Green Mountain State.
The Vermont Legislature, in fact, kicked off the legislative session with a three-week crash course on global warming. Since then, lawmakers have been wrestling with two key pieces of legislation to address climate change.
The House Natural Resources Committee recently passed a bill, H.520, that requires utilities to get more power from renewable sources. The bill also sets a goal of producing 25 percent of the state’s total electric energy from renewable resources, particularly from Vermont’s farms and forests. Simultaneously, the Senate is considering a bill that would expand the mandate of the state’s successful efficiency utility to include building heating fuels. The bill, S.94, would help Vermonters weatherize their homes and businesses to minimize the large amount of heat leaking through the cracks around windows, doors, attics and more. It’s anticipated the Legislature will roll both of these bills into one. If passed, the legislation would take the state a vital step forward in helping Vermonters save energy, save money, and address global warming.
While these measures will help, there is much more that can and must be done. On April 14, the simultaneous `Step It Up’ rallies intend to help trigger that action.
For Vermont and the world, there’s a lot at stake. Though the negative consequences of a warmer world won’t happen overnight, it is increasingly clear that climate change is real, that it will have consequences, and that we can do something about it today.
Here are the details:
Step it Up – A National Day of Climate Action
Don’t miss a fun opportunity to get involved and participate in Montpelier’s `Step it Up’ climate action day.
What: Hosted by VNRC, the Association of Vermont Recyclers, National Wildlife Federation and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, the event includes speakers, music, maple creemees, a march to the State House and appearances by U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders and state Senator Peter Shumlin.
When: Saturday, April 14, 2007
Where: Morse Farm in East Montpelier (1168 County Road), followed by a march (or shuttle bus ride) to the State House in Montpelier.
Why: To push for bold and meaningful climate change action from lawmakers locally and nationally.
For more information visit www.vnrc.org or www.stepitup2007.org or call 802-223-2328.