So, yes, Governor Peter Shumlin got awarded a greenest governor title from some group called “Opportunity Green” (boy we are running out of names, aren’t we?). And yes, that is going to generate controversy, particularly given the acrimony over the wind development projects he supports.
But I’d still argue that he deserves the award. Sure, that’s in part due to the fact that it’s a relative award (if not Shumlin for greenest gov at this point in time, then who, pray tell?).
But it’s more than that. His energy plan is solid, if not revolutionary. On the other hand, there are not-insignificant worries. Development interests with political ties put onto land use commissions. Highly worrisome comments about rivers.
And then there’s the wind debate – but whichever side you fall on that issue, the fact that we’re having it at all could be seen as further justification for giving Shumlin such an award.
Consider: There is a clear method and trajectory to Shumlin’s energy approach – and part of that method is velocity. His close association with Green Mountain Power could be seen as corporate/political croneyism, sure – but it’s equally valid to look at it as a means to an end. After all, if part of his envisioned means is (as it seems to be), moving in some key transformational ways at top speed, he could see GMP as his vehicle for change. That doesn’t preclude GMP from seeing Shumlin as a means to power and influence, but it could be that there’s a synergy in play here – for good or ill – rather than garden-variety croneyism.
But we should remember that for each action there is an equal and opposite reaction, and part of the Shumlin approach is clearly to sprint towards an energy portfolio that includes large-scale wind in a significant capacity. That’s generating the most contention right now, but it’s clearly contention within the sphere of pro-active environmental policy-making. What we’re arguing about is what approach is more-better green as policy; what path gets us to more energy sustainability faster, and whether one method or another may do more harm than good, in the bigger picture.
So yeah. Give him the award. He’s doing something pro-active (whether you believe it’s misguided or not) and nobody else in his position is. And he’s certainly got us talking, debating – and organizing.
I suppose “Opportunity Green” never considered the possibility of naming “none of the above” as the winner.
They made the pants too short.
Opportunity Green is put on by “Beautiful Earth Group, a sustainable energy company founded in 2008, develops, owns and operates utility-scale solar and wind power generating facilities.”
The key words are “utility scale”. Governor Shumlin’s energy plan is business as usual, all about utility scale and big grids. Where is the emphasis on the locally distributed small scale renewable energy that Vermonters have been calling for for a decade? It’s in there, briefly, but what should be the meat of the plan is barely mentioned.
For the latest destruction of the Lowell Mountains, see the Mountain Occupiers’ blog http://lowellmountainsnews.wor… Someone looked at the photos of the site yesterday and sent me this: “Gee, I guess they are right…they ARE saving the environment…at this pace the whole world will soon be a better place?”
Yes, the end of the environment, the end of democracy, the end of arts and culture in higher education…the end of unions, the end of workers’ rights, and the end of all critical thought. And at The End, we are left with nothing but The Company Store. Wall Street ought to give him an award.
He’s so full of shit. Go Proggies!