‘Very Vermont mandate’

This editorial appeared in the Rutland Herald. O nce again communities around Vermont were unabashed in their efforts to send strong messages to local and state officials, as well as leaders in the Trump administration.

Recently, Vermont residents from 35 towns voted overwhelmingly in favor of nonbinding resolutions seeking climate solutions. What was unique was that while the overall message was the same, each community that took up the cause put their own touch on the wording to either single out recipients (including President Trump) or highlighting local efforts toward reducing the carbon footprint.

The exact wording of each resolution varied, but all the resolutions acknowledged the severity of climate change. The common threat was the charge to the state: meet the goals for 90 percent renewable energy. It also urged “a fair and equitable transition off fossil fuels.”

The majority of the resolutions also demanded a ban on any new fossil fuel infrastructure, such as natural gas pipelines. In many towns the resolutions passed unanimously, and every resolution passed where it was on the agenda or ballot. In Montpelier, the resolution passed via Australian ballot, 1,715 to 500. In Brattleboro, the margin was even larger, 910 in favor, 180 opposed.

The towns include: Arlington, Bennington, Bethel, Brattleboro, Bristol, Burlington, Calais, Cornwall, Dorset, Dummerston, East Montpelier, Greensboro, Guilford, Huntington, Lincoln, Manchester, Marlboro, Marshfield, Monkton, Montpelier, Peacham, Peru, Plainfield, Putney, Sharon, Stowe, Shaftsbury, Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge, Wardsboro, Weston, Williston, Woodbury and Worcester. It was a very Vermont mandate. “There was literally no debate about the resolution and it passed overwhelmingly, 116 to 1,” said Stuart Blood of Thetford. “That’s probably because the thread of climate change was woven throughout the meeting. Thetford suffered the most damage of any community in the state from the July 1, 2017, flooding. We got hit with almost $ 5 million in damage to our public infrastructure, not counting damage to private property.”

Climate change and the goals associated with living better and with having less of an impact by migrating away from fossil fuels are issues worthy of our attention — and our collective voice. The votes of these 35 towns is yet another demonstration of Vermonters’ concerns about the environment and our role in it.

We should continue to be mindful of our footprint, and how — at any level — our activism can play a role to that end.