Editor’s note: This commentary is by Ben Civiletti, an AmeriCorps member serving at the Vermont Natural Resources Council and Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network. He is a recent graduate of the University of Vermont Rubenstein School of the Environment and Natural Resources.
[F]resh out of college, I know firsthand that it can be difficult to find work – especially meaningful work – these days. And, in an era of many complex challenges, the state of the world can feel depressing, and embarking on life as an adult, a little daunting.
That is why I feel lucky to have begun service as an AmeriCorps member, proudly working with the Vermont Natural Resources Council and the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) in their effort to support Vermont’s town energy committees. In less than two months since I began, I have come to admire these volunteer, grassroots groups and find inspiration and hope in what they are accomplishing. They are, as we say in AmeriCorps, “getting things done;” working with their municipalities to stop wasting energy by retrofitting buildings, with their schools to bring solar online, with businesses to promote transportation solutions and more.
This experience has already showed me that when many problems seem so complicated and so entrenched in our society, we can move forward. It has become clear to me that if you do something, if we all do something, taking one step at a time, the problems become smaller. They become surmountable.
The benefit of breaking problems into manageable pieces is the foundation upon which AmeriCorps works, and how this important program serves our country. Members serve directly with communities, helping low-income Vermonters access wholesome food, reduce their energy burden, access affordable housing and more.
In my service, I am watching local energy committees lead Vermont forward on a critical issue of our time – climate change. They are untangling complicated issues and achieving real results, from helping get the South Hero Town Office retrofitted (reducing the town building’s fuel consumption by over 50 percent and carbon emissions by over 25,000 pounds) to helping quadruple the number of solar installations in the towns of Waterbury and Duxbury.
To help save energy, save money and do something to combat climate change, taking action doesn’t have to be difficult. It just has to be done.
It has become clear to me that communities across Vermont are ready to roll up their sleeves and dedicate their time to important issues.
One effort that many Vermonters are taking action on as of late is helping Vermonters “button up.”
On Nov. 1 – the Button Up Vermont Day of Action – Vermonters are working in a variety of ways, in communities across the state, to raise awareness about the benefits of tightening up our leaky homes and buildings.
As Gov. Peter Shumlin has said, “Vermonters spend hundreds of millions of dollars every single year by letting oil and fossil fuel driven heat leak out of our old buildings, forcing us to reach into our pockets to pay for oil at high prices, where, if we just used less, had more efficient buildings, we’d save those dollars. (That’s) why Button Up Vermont is so important and why we need your help. First, it puts money in your pockets. Second it makes our planet more livable for future generations.”
The goal of this statewide initiative is to motivate more Vermonters to take actions themselves – or help their community do something – on Nov. 1. Whether that’s sealing your storms windows (or helping your elderly neighbor do it), patronizing your local hardware store to buy supplies to caulk leaky doors and windows or taking a more significant step – like getting an audit and undertaking comprehensive weatherization improvements – there are many things people can do.
The point is: To help save energy, save money and do something to combat climate change, taking action doesn’t have to be difficult. It just has to be done. So check out buttonupvt.org to learn far more about what you can do on Nov. 1 or what you can do beyond that, including starting or joining an energy committee.
It’s my hope that I can help ensure that the challenges we face as individuals and a shared global society feel a little less depressing and a lot less daunting. That starts with each of us taking steps forward and, cumulatively, having significant, positive impact.
