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The following testimony (with slight edits) was submitted this week to the Vermont Climate Council by Vermonters for a Clean Environment executive director Annette Smith of Danby
I attended the first Climate Action Plan Public Outreach virtual session on April 10 and the Rutland in-person meeting on April 30. I offer these observations and comments.
The Rutland meeting was attended by about 20 people, many of whom were from Addison County, some from Chittenden County, and a few from Rutland County. It was a homogeneous group of like-minded people who reflect the opinions of conventional climate activists. The attendees were not representative of the population of Rutland County as expressed in elections. The meeting could be accurately characterized as an echo chamber, hearing from the choir.
In terms of “meeting people where they are”, hearing from people who are not “the usual suspects”, the public outreach I witnessed in the virtual hearing and in-person meetings were failures.
In an effort to provide a perspective from people who are not part of the choir and are not engaging with you, I endeavor to channel what you might hear, if you could find a way. I note these are not necessarily things that I believe or that reflect the beliefs of members of Vermonters for a Clean Environment. They are my best attempt to assemble what I hear that likely led to the election results last November, to which the Climate Council should give serious consideration.
STOP
Stop telling me where to live. People have been living in rural areas for centuries. There are old cellar holes in the hills all around me. I can’t farm or raise my own food with livestock in a compact village center in a flood zone. I provide food to people in my community. Telling everyone to move out of rural areas is insane.
Stop telling me how to live. Leave me alone. Get government out of my life.
Stop telling me what to buy. After rent, food, medications, electric, phone and fuel bills, I am more behind every month.
Stop telling me what kind of car to drive. I can barely afford my 15 year old car now. You are mandating me to replace it with a car I can’t afford and don’t want. A car I can’t charge anywhere near where I live. A car I can’t charge at my house because I don’t have adequate electric service.
Stop telling me how to heat my house. I just bought a new furnace. Now you expect me to replace it with something I can’t afford? Or, I have a really old furnace but it is working fine and I don’t have the money or want to replace it. Or, I tried to get a heat pump and it is way too expensive. Or, I tried to get my house heated with electricity and numerous contractors told me to forget it, I would need a separate unit for every room and it’s incredibly expensive. Or, I bought heat pumps I could barely afford even with rebates and they increased my electric bill so much I only use them for air conditioning. Or, my house uses a water heating system and it is really expensive to convert to electricity. Or, I can’t find an electrician, plumber or contractor.
Stop with the mandates, fees, taxes and complicated policy gimmicks.
Stop wasting tens of thousands of dollars on expensive studies and reports by consultants.
Stop making people feel guilty for taking vacations and flying on airplanes. Oh, wait, it’s the climate councilors and rich people who do that. I guess they don’t feel guilty for it, they can afford it and do whatever they want. The rest of us working stiffs go to work every day and mostly stay home but we’re the ones who have to change. Give me a break.
Stop freaking out the children. Telling our kids the world is about to end isn’t helping anyone.
START
Respecting people’s right to live how and where they choose.
Protecting our mountains from rich people developments and wind turbines.
Encouraging more local vegetables, fruits, grains, and meats.
Protecting farm fields from solar arrays.
Recognizing Vermont has the lowest emissions in the country and can’t lead the way on emissions reductions, especially when the goals that the legislature set are unrealistic.
Appreciating how the virtue signaling, social engineering with more renewable energy, electric vehicles, heat pumps is hurting poor and middle class Vermonters who do not want to or can’t take on more debt.
Assuring that money spent on climate change impacts are direct, tangible and immediate, like weatherization and bigger culverts.
Understanding that a lot of us want more places to ride our gas-powered ATVs.
Conserving uplands and supporting alternatives to pesticides so that we have clean water for drinking, fishing, swimming, boating, and tubing.
Getting the Climate Council disbanded and abolish the Global Warming Solutions Act.
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Categories: Commentary, Energy, Environment, Legislation
Well said!
Great summation. Would love to see the author on The Vermont Podcast as guest.
simple but brilliant. Should be put in every StateHouse mail box.
Headline fixed:
Smith to Climate Council: “Pound Sand”
Perfectly stated Annette. Exactly what we are all thinking. Thank you so much for all your hard work
I could not have said this better
Sounds like the Climate Council couldn’t dump sand out of their boot if the directions were written on the heel.
I think getting rid of them would-probably-be an excellent start. ASAP!
Thick Headed Wealthy Imports rather than REAL VERMONTERS!!!!!!
Thank you Annette for your insightful observations and thoughtful suggestions. You are right on target. I hope our representatives in Montpelier will heed your advice.
Perhaps everyone should send a copy of this to their Reps, Senators and the Climate Council, on the same day and time to get their attention. Any ideas?
Excellent, Annette! Thank you.
Let’s vote them out of offíce next Election!!!!!
This is perfectly stated. But it will be ignored by the Emerge Alumni in leadership positions and the lockstep Democrates who are hoping the last election was a fluke and that they will regain their lost seats in ’26, so no need to take action on education reform or climate policy repeal bills. This kind of thinking will result in 20 more Republicans elected to the House and 3 more to the Senate, giving the Republicans the majority. All that is needed is more good Republican candidates.
LETS GET THESE LEACHES OUT NEXT ELECTION!!!! LETS GET MORE REPUBLICANS OUT TO VOTE!!!!!! CHARGE FORWARD!!!!
Excellent… your testimony reflects my position and those of my immediate neighbors; thank you!
I am a taxpaying Vermonter. I agree with Annette’s message and sentiments. Let’s take it a step further – take the line items under Stop and make them the Vermonter’s Commandments. Set them upon stone, cut and paste to email, share them far and wide, write them on a giant billboard and erect on all highways and byways, shout them from the roof tops, post them on your front lawn, print them out and leave them on every windshield, in every vestibule, every polling station, post on every community board (virtual or physical).
We either take back control over our affairs and what is rightfully ours or lose it all to thieves and reprobates. They drew the line in the sand, it is our duty to obliterate it.
Dear Annette,
The borg, aka marxists puppets, who have taken over Montpelier are very dissatisfied with your posting. Vermont is no longer part of the republic, Vermont is a colony of the United Nations, which is following the dictate of Agenda 21/2030. Please report yo your new rental property owned by the state, we have the following paper work for you to sign, I will own nothing and am happy.we have a completely nutritious meal of bugs and meat made by Bill Gates for you, only upon getting all the required vaccines will you be allowed to eat. Pleas note we have wonderful pornography to watch while you are in confinement, I mean your rental pod. Please note you will not be able to bring in old out dated paper work to study and be enlightened by. Welcome to the New World Order!
THANK YOU ANNETTE!! For your continued voice of reason.
Annette expressed expressed my views and those of many people I have talked to. I live in Rutland and am extremely frustrated by our legislature’s unwillingness to consider the realities faced by those with limited incomes, or to devise cost-effective, simple solutions. For the first time in 55 years I have thought about leaving Vermont! And I’m not alone.
Hit the nail on the head. Now the question is , is there something going to be done about it ?
Annette has been an effective voice of reason and support to Vermonters who are up against powerful interests. Please check out her organiztion: “Vermonters for a Clean Enviornment” and consider lending your support. Annette and her organization definitely provided the needed help those in us in Strafford needed when Omya with the support of the State and EPA wanted to use waste products tainted with a carcinogen and we are only one of many she has helped across Vermont.