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Creating Vermont's Climate Economy

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Creating Vermont's Climate Economy VNRC Published by the Vermont Natural Creating Vermont’s Resources Council, Inc. Climate Economy Winter 2018 John Ewing, an Environmental Icon n November 25, merging SGV into VNRC John Ewing, of would best serve both O Burlington, passed organizations. Humstone, away from cancer at who refers to Ewing as a age 85. “Vermont treasure,” joined John started his career and eventually chaired as a lawyer specializing VNRC’s board, while in zoning and municipal John joined VNRC as an planning, before taking advisory board member. a position at the Bank of In 2012, VNRC Vermont and working awarded John with the his way up the ladder Arthur Gibb Award for to become President. Individual Leadership. This Coinciding with his annual award is presented professional life, he to a Vermont resident became a vital part of his who has made a lasting community and Vermont. contribution to his or her John served as the community, region or state Chair of the Vermont in advancing smart growth Environmental Board policies. from 1995–1998, and Dorothy Weicker/Vermont Folklife Center According to VNRC’s was appointed by Governor Howard Dean as a member of Executive Director Brian Shupe, “Perhaps better than anyone, the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board—of which he John was able to articulate the interdependency of Vermont’s became the longest serving member in his 15 year tenure. He environment and economy. He understood that you can’t protect also helped found the Lake Champlain Land Trust and Winooski the natural environment without caring deeply about the built Valley Park District, and served on the board of Burlington environment and how our communities grow and develop. He Parks and Recreation for 12 years. And, most directly related to was able to act on his commitment to Vermont with an openness VNRC, John served as a catalyst for the merger between VNRC and respect for others that allowed him to build alliances and Smart Growth Vermont (SGV) in 2011. between diverse interests and get things done. While John will be John founded SGV (initially the Vermont Forum on Sprawl) missed terribly, we will all benefit from his legacy for many years in 1997, along with Beth Humstone. In 2011, they decided that to come.” Yes, I’d like to support VNRC! Name ❏ $ per month (credit card gift) Mailing Address Town ❏ $40 Member ❏ $60 Friend State Zip ❏ $250 Sponsor Phone (w) (h) ❏ $1,000 Patron E-mail ❏ $ Other ❏ Check enclosed ❏ Charge to my credit card: ❏ Please send me more Card # Expiration Date / information about planned You can donate online at vnrc.org and click join/renew giving options. VNRC, 9 Bailey Avenue, Mont pe lier, VT 05602 For more information, call Stephanie Mueller at (802) 223-2328, X113 or e-mail: [email protected] The Inside Word VNRC Advisory Committee Maude Barlow Taking Action to Make Progress Bill McKibben Will Raap Gus Speth By Brian Shupe, Executive Director VNRC Board of Directors Kelly Coleman, Chair ast month, nearly 250 local climate activists gathered at Elizabeth Courtney the 10th annual Vermont Community Energy & Climate Richard Czaplinski John Echeverria LAction (VECAN) Conference. This is a seminal annual Chad Farrell event due to the passion for transitioning to a clean energy Don Hooper economy that attendees bring to the day, and the creativity Scott Johnstone Will Lintilhac and commitment that conference organizers put into making Ira Marvin it a success – in particular VNRC’s Energy & Climate Program Kesha Ram Director Johanna Miller. Amy Seidl Darren Springer A highlight of the day was former U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Gina McCarthy’s keynote address. With VNRC Staff a welcomed sense of humor, McCarthy laid out the devastation unfolding in Brian Shupe, Executive Director Washington D.C. as the Trump administration Amber Collett, dismantles not only the environmental and climate There is economic Communications & Community Relations Director legacy of the Obama administration, but attempts to roll Nancy Davila-Groveman, back 50 years of protections of our nation’s air, water, opportunity in Finance & Operations Director public lands, and public health. climate action Jamey Fidel, Forest & Wildlife Program Director/ To that end, McCarthy made clear that protecting General Counsel that may help Jon Groveman, Policy & Water Program Director our natural resources and combating climate change is a public health issue, as well as an environmental one. It Lauren Hierl, Vermont Conservation Voters our communities Political Director is also an economic issue. It is increasingly apparent that Hannah Huber, the inevitable transition away from fossil fuels presents a mitigate the Energy & Climate Community Organizer variety of economic opportunities for those individuals, economic, Colin Keegan, businesses, and local and state governments who take Office Associate advantage of them. Failure to transition, however, leaves social, and Kate McCarthy, us vulnerable to a volatile global market; one where Sustainable Communities Program Director environmental Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director the price of gas surged, almost overnight, because of climate-exacerbated Hurricane Harvey this fall. devastation Stephanie Mueller, Development Director The point is: We are in the midst of a historic wrought by a transition regardless of the Trump administration’s Publications warming world. Amber Collett, Editor senseless attempts to slow it down. There is Tim Newcomb, Design economic opportunity in climate action that may help our communities mitigate the economic, social, and environmental devastation wrought by a warming world. With the federal Through research, education, collaboration and government’s dereliction, state and local governments, businesses, and individuals are advocacy, VNRC protects and enhances Vermont’s natural environments, vibrant communities, stepping up. productive working landscapes, rural character and In Vermont, municipalities, businesses, and institutions are signing on to the unique sense of place, and prepares the state for Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition to make it known that we won’t turn our backs on future challenges and opportunities. a healthy future. However, it’s one thing to pledge support for a clean energy future, VNRC is the Vermont affiliate of the and it’s another thing entirely to enact the policies and take the steps necessary to National Wildlife Federation. achieve it. This is especially true in Vermont as the Scott administration sends mixed VNRC membership includes signals on its commitment to clean energy and climate action. a subscription to the Vermont Environmental Report magazine. Despite the uncertainty over whether Governor Scott – or even our state legislature Join VNRC in protecting Vermont – will follow through and advance solutions that will achieve Vermont’s goal of with your membership of $40. 90 percent renewable energy by 2050, the folks who spent an entire Saturday in early Copyright © 2018, VNRC December at the VECAN conference are taking action to make needed progress. Thankfully, they have a lot of company across the nation and, in doing so, they are Cover image by Tim Newcomb taking advantage of the economic opportunity that comes with it. Winter 2018 • 1 VNRC Vermont’s Opportunity in Climate Action In Vermont, we can easily pair outdoor recreation with clean energy solutions. or more than 50 years, VNRC has been at the forefront ideas and partnerships that are creating what is being called the of Vermont’s efforts to protect our environment and ‘climate economy.’ Built on the foundational belief that climate Fcommunities. We have known from the start that Vermont’s action, when done well, can build a more just, equitable, and small, compact villages and towns surrounded by working lands, prosperous future for everyone in our communities, Vermont’s intact forests and clean waterways could enable our state to climate economy may provide the path forward Vermont needs support a thriving local economy, increase adaptability, and help to weather increasingly strong storms in these volatile times. us weather all manner of storms. That said, what we may not have counted on when we got The Economy of the Future our start in 1963 is the scale of the challenges we Vermonters “Business as usual is a looming economic and environmental now face. Climate change threatens much of what we hold disaster for Vermont,” said Johanna Miller, VNRC’s energy and dear – from the productivity of our farms, to the health of our climate program director. “There’s an urgent need – and a real families, to the integrity of our environment. What remains to be opportunity – to do something meaningful about climate change seen, however, is how we draw upon and bolster the ingenuity that invests in 21st century jobs to move our economy forward, of our entrepreneurs, the dedication of our citizens, and the protects public health, and helps insulate Vermonters from the creativity of our leaders. volatility of imported fossil fuels. There’s strong momentum, but Addressing the impacts of climate change for Vermont will there is also much more to do.” not come down to a single policy or approach; there is no The momentum Miller references is the ways in which silver bullet. But there is hope to be found in the coalescing of Vermont businesses and individuals are already thinking about 2 • Vermont Environmental Report and responding to how we produce and use energy, leading the nation in solar jobs and energy efficiency improvements. But, what is a climate economy
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