Fossil fuels have not destroyed Vermont: they created every feature of Vermont that ignorant activists are now trying to conserve. In 1865, more than 80% of Vermont was open space, and any sizable trees were harvested quite frequently for fuel. Only when coal became available did Vermont begin to regrow substantial forests. UVM Geography professor Hal Meeks published the data more than 50 years ago.
Every time the solution to a problem is the ballot box, I’m reminded of the fact that our election system in this state has zero integrity. Governor Scott forever doomed the state to an unauditable election system that can be abused at will by those wielding power. So how again does this get fixed? I’m worried that it won’t be as simply as just taking to the ballot box. The whole system will need to collapse on itself in ways that even those in power cannot paper over. That’s going to be a whole lot of hurt for people to endure.
The sponsor of the $1 billion 100% renewable electricity bill H.289 goes off topic during the floor debate on the fossil fuel reparations bill to talk about affordability. Copied from the YouTube transcription. Mindless drivel is an understatement and yet the speaker, Laura Sibilia, is the co-chair of the powerful House Environment and Energy Committee.
“Madam speaker I want to speak to the affordability issue um because it's come
out quite a lot and I think it's something that uh every single member in
this body is deeply concerned about and I want to speak to factors that can impact
affordability um and I think we're in a town where we could talk to a lot of
businesses um that are feeling the effects of climate change and the damage
that um was done to their businesses to their employees homes um exacerbating
how expensive it was and is to do business here interrupting their clients
um and really increasing what's necessary for them to charge for their services to pay
for their people uh in order to exist to be here for us uh and that is impacting
affordability that's impacting affordability uh climate change here in this state uh
demographic shift uh little off topic but also impacting affordability in the state and
the notion I I don't I'm so confused Madam speaker because affordability in a
situation which we're in which is not static we are in a situation with escalating
climate impacts impacting our communities our neighbors and our livelihoods um
doing nothing is not actually affordable. What we really need to do is dig in here
and figure out how to manage this situation in a way that is affordable for our friends
nd neighbors because we're not going to stop climate change. We have to help
people we have to help people uh adapt we have to help our businesses adapt and so
you know I I can't I am so sympathetic my my folks are so concerned about
affordability and their property taxes and the cost of their fuels and so many of these
things are out of our control and our job here in the legislature and in the other
aspects of government in the administration is to use the tools of government to
create affordability in situations like this dynamic situations climate change and so
you know with all due respect doing nothing is not saving money it is costing money
and I I please urge the body you know to think about this things are not staying the
same we have to dig in here we have to do new things we have to adapt our selves
we have to adapt what we're doing as a government to help our people in order to
maintain some level of affordability and with all due respect um you know I feel like
I keep hearing this message that we can't do anything it's too expensive
Fossil fuels have not destroyed Vermont: they created every feature of Vermont that ignorant activists are now trying to conserve. In 1865, more than 80% of Vermont was open space, and any sizable trees were harvested quite frequently for fuel. Only when coal became available did Vermont begin to regrow substantial forests. UVM Geography professor Hal Meeks published the data more than 50 years ago.
Every time the solution to a problem is the ballot box, I’m reminded of the fact that our election system in this state has zero integrity. Governor Scott forever doomed the state to an unauditable election system that can be abused at will by those wielding power. So how again does this get fixed? I’m worried that it won’t be as simply as just taking to the ballot box. The whole system will need to collapse on itself in ways that even those in power cannot paper over. That’s going to be a whole lot of hurt for people to endure.
The sponsor of the $1 billion 100% renewable electricity bill H.289 goes off topic during the floor debate on the fossil fuel reparations bill to talk about affordability. Copied from the YouTube transcription. Mindless drivel is an understatement and yet the speaker, Laura Sibilia, is the co-chair of the powerful House Environment and Energy Committee.
“Madam speaker I want to speak to the affordability issue um because it's come
out quite a lot and I think it's something that uh every single member in
this body is deeply concerned about and I want to speak to factors that can impact
affordability um and I think we're in a town where we could talk to a lot of
businesses um that are feeling the effects of climate change and the damage
that um was done to their businesses to their employees homes um exacerbating
how expensive it was and is to do business here interrupting their clients
um and really increasing what's necessary for them to charge for their services to pay
for their people uh in order to exist to be here for us uh and that is impacting
affordability that's impacting affordability uh climate change here in this state uh
demographic shift uh little off topic but also impacting affordability in the state and
the notion I I don't I'm so confused Madam speaker because affordability in a
situation which we're in which is not static we are in a situation with escalating
climate impacts impacting our communities our neighbors and our livelihoods um
doing nothing is not actually affordable. What we really need to do is dig in here
and figure out how to manage this situation in a way that is affordable for our friends
nd neighbors because we're not going to stop climate change. We have to help
people we have to help people uh adapt we have to help our businesses adapt and so
you know I I can't I am so sympathetic my my folks are so concerned about
affordability and their property taxes and the cost of their fuels and so many of these
things are out of our control and our job here in the legislature and in the other
aspects of government in the administration is to use the tools of government to
create affordability in situations like this dynamic situations climate change and so
you know with all due respect doing nothing is not saving money it is costing money
and I I please urge the body you know to think about this things are not staying the
same we have to dig in here we have to do new things we have to adapt our selves
we have to adapt what we're doing as a government to help our people in order to
maintain some level of affordability and with all due respect um you know I feel like
I keep hearing this message that we can't do anything it's too expensive
to do anything. So thank you madam speaker”.