Vermont has a historic opportunity to lead America in responding to the Climate Crisis. Governor Peter Shumlin spoke as a true Climate Champion during the 350.org's Moving Planet rally in Montpellier on Sept. 24th. How can Vermont's vibrant Climate Movement support legislators in creating aggressive and effective Climate legislation?
We need to start playing "The Inside Game". Climate activists have gotten used to being "voices in the wilderness" and lonely Cassandras. That was before "The Wakeup Call" of Hurricane Irene swept away covered bridges and excuses for inaction. Our political leaders are agreeing with us now, and so the Climate Movement enters a new phase. We can make ourselves useful and help 'getter dun' in the legislatures.
After Shumlin's speech, I found myself asking "by what miracle did we wind up with a Climate Champion governor?" And then I asked, "what does the governor do again? How much power does he actually have? What could the Vermont state legislature really do?"
This are the right questions because State Government is smaller and has less tricks it could pull off. Like Washington DC, Montpellier is a place where people talk about budgets and we shouldn't delude ourselves with magical thinking that somehow our elected leaders can flip a switch and Solve the Climate Crisis. The problem is REALLY BIG. Probably bigger than the Federal Government could deal with, even if it wasn't being run by oil companies. Bigger than the United Nations, whose best effort so far, the Kyoto Protocol, hasn't even caused the overall levels of Carbon going into the atmosphere to decrease.
Still... State Governments are useful as "Labratories of Democracy". We can work up solutions in the tiny state lab, and then scale them up for the nation and planet. So let's imagine Vermont passing aggressive climate legislation that helps governments of the world begin to effectively and legitimately respond to the Climate Crisis.
Like...
1. Developing methods for collecting Carbon Taxes. We need to put a price on Carbon. Taxes on Carbon should drive down the amount emitted. Think of it as Sin Taxes for the 21st Century. The political climate in Washington is so knee-jerk anti-tax in rhetoric that leadership on Carbon Taxes needs to come from the states. We could do a real service to the nation by getting the ball rolling and figuring out how to do it. We don't' have to reinvent the wheel. Other countries are already experimenting with carbon taxes, especially those smart northern european ones. Carbon Taxes might replace income taxes. How about a penny per gallon gasoline tax and the money raised buys solar panels to go on the schools?
2. Vermont should "sign the Kyoto Protocol." The United States has not signed the only meaningful international treaty on Climate created by the United Nations. Instead, every year the US goes to the 'Conference of Parties" (who actually have signed the treaty), and roadblock progress. In Copenhagen and then Cancun, the US has a track record of self-absorbed obstructionism. The Climate Movement should force the US to sign the Kyoto Protocol, and take up a LEGALLY-BINDING commitment to cut national levels of Carbon.
This isn't to say that Kyoto is perfect. (Overall, carbon levels have continued to go up since it was begun.) But it's the start. We need even stronger, fiercer globally concerted laws and action to avert the worst that the Climate Crisis could bring us. The US should at least get on-board with the relatively weak Kyoto "Commitments to reduce carbon levels."
Vermont could symbolically sign Kyoto (it's really a treaty that the US has to sign) and agree to take on the Commitments to reduce carbon levels. Vermont can start abiding by the Kyoto Protocol and hopefully US will someday do the same. Vermont can befriend the international Climate Negotiations and introduce our country to this useful ally. Vermont should send delegates to next round of international negotiations, in Decemeber, in Durbin, South Africa, with the intention to getting Vermont to abide by the Kyoto Protocol.
3. Vermont could get serious about creating 'complete streets' and promote bike lanes and public transportation. "Green Island" in Bellows Falls could get start support. And so on.
What Climate Legislation do you want to see?
I'd like to propose a few actions to help the Climate Movement to get political.
A) Let's have forum/symposium soon that brings together legislators and Climate Activists to discuss what is possible. Let's host a "Forum on Potential Climate Legislation for Vermont" will chew on our real options.
B) Let's create a Citizen & Politician Climate Alliance. Citizens and Public Servants can work together for Climate Justice. Citizens offer: work on campaigns, funding, advice, education to politicians, etc. Politicians get dedicated volunteers, some street cred, and help promoting legislation to the general public. "Cooperation and reciprocal good will are necessary for any important work" said spiritual teacher Mirra Alfassa. How can we cooperate with good will with the Climate Champions who are in power? We don't want to be "precious" about our outsider activism. Perhaps hipper to be in the streets with signs and slogans, but more truly useful to engage with the political process and really affect meaningful change.
C) Encourage Climate Activists to run for public office. We try to move from beseeching those in power to BEING THOSE IN POWER. We need to elect 10,o00 Climate Champions. Will you run for Senator?
The goal of the Climate Movement is to save the planet from Runaway Climate Change. We need to start using the tool of Government for this purpose. The Political Class is waking up to the Climate Crisis, at least the smart ones, like Clinton, Bloomberg, and Shumlin. Let us find ways to be in support of our elected allies who understand the "fierce urgency of now" of the Climate Crisis.
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