Editor’s note: This op ed is by George Plumb, executive director of Vermonters for Sustainable Population, one of the sponsors of the Moving Planet Vermont rally (350vt.org).
On Saturday, Sept. 24, hundreds of Vermonters will travel from all over the state to attend the Moving Planet Vermont – Leading the World to Climate Solutions rally at the statehouse to call attention to the need to address climate change immediately with bold and creative action. They will try to get there using the least carbon fuel possible and many will walk or bicycle.
On Sept. 15 another group of Vermonters, without any regard for global warming, will climb aboard a jet plane in Burlington to fly to Scotland to enjoy a tour sponsored by Vermont Public Radio. According to calculations derived from the book, “How Bad Are Bananas?: The Carbon Footprint of Everything,” each of the persons going on the trip will add the equivalent of over two tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. Ironically, these VPR excursions are called “Citizens of the World” trips. Will the people of Bangladesh and other countries already being tremendously affected by our wasteful consumption of polluting fossil fuels think these people are really “citizens” of the world.
In the face of the fact global warming is already having a major impact, not on just the rest of the world but on Vermont as well, the VPR board should reconsider its position on sponsoring these trips. Millions of people are already suffering from global warming because of heat, fires, drought, flooding and food shortages. It is one thing to have to fly to visit family or conduct important business, but adding so much carbon dioxide to the atmosphere just for our own pleasure should now be considered immoral.
If we hope to leave a livable planet to our children and grandchildren, we need to do more than just change our light bulbs. We also need to comprehensively change our lifestyles and make a conscious decision about every single gallon of fuel we use, from how big we keep our lawn to how often we fly in jet planes. VPR should be a moral leader and set a good and powerful example on how to respond to global warming.
