Editor’s note: This commentary is by Sandra Levine, a senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation.
[T]he frantic rhetoric and conspiracy tweets by Donald Trump denying climate change defy reason. Vermonters know climate change is real. The daily news shows us flooding communities, bigger and stronger storms wreaking havoc and rising sea levels threatening low-lying cities.
As Vermonters we are a resilient bunch. When faced with a problem we quickly take action. We seek common sense solutions. It’s just who we are. Our communities, reputation and integrity demonstrate this time and again. We make sure our neighbors’ woodsheds are filled for the winter and we bring supper to a sick friend or someone in need.
This same compassion and action led Vermonters in the past to take such bold actions as abolishing slavery, leading on civil rights and passing Act 250 to protect our environment from shoddy development. At each turn, Vermont has shown that common sense solutions make us more prosperous and leave a healthier legacy for future generations.
Instead of burning more oil, we can weatherize more homes so low income Vermonters don’t have to choose between heat and food in the winter.
When it comes to climate change, the upcoming election poses stark contrasts that pit pollution against bold climate action. Our votes matter and will define our future. The officials we elect will decide whether to continue on our polluting path or instead lean into the challenges ahead, and tackle the tough pollution problems we face.
On the side of pollution, business as usual will see us burning more fossil fuels as we drive more, use more oil and build more fracked gas pipelines. These will bring more and bigger catastrophes accompanied by higher costs to clean up afterwards. Add to this increased lung disease from the soot of burning fossil fuels. Worldwide, air quality is on the decline. And air does not stay in one place. The pollution from burning fossil fuels harms health and safety as well as our climate. More fossil fuels also means more contamination from oil and gas leaks, as we expand more pipelines and increase drilling.
On the side of bold climate action, instead of denying a problem, we can think and act big and get the job done. In doing so, we embrace a cleaner, healthier and more prosperous future. With bold action, we can rely more on energy efficiency and reduce our need to build more power plants or massive transmission projects. Instead of burning more oil, we can weatherize more homes so low income Vermonters don’t have to choose between heat and food in the winter.
All of us can have more choices to drive cleaner cars and trucks so we don’t contaminate the air, or break the bank and line oil executives’ pockets just to get our groceries. Expanding renewable energy allows us to grow our energy independence. Since we don’t have fossil fuels to drill here in Vermont, nearly all the money we spend on oil and gas goes out of state. We do have wind and sun and geothermal and wood. Relying on these to produce electricity and heat grows our local economy, by keeping jobs and opportunities for young people in Vermont. Moving away from fossil fuels also gives us a fighting chance to clean up our waterways and to continue to have healthy air to breathe.
Stark choices lie ahead. Continuing as we have and not challenging ourselves and our leaders to take bold action to tackle climate change shortchanges our economy today and burdens future generations with the mess we caused. If we try to brush climate change under the rug and increase fossil fuel use and pollution, we leave problems for others to (hopefully) clean up. This is not the legacy that Vermonters have left for centuries when they have taken bold action to tackle tough problems.
In place of pollution, we can instead take bold climate action. We create a better world for ourselves and future generations and tackle climate change with sensible solutions.
