As many of you have heard by now, the veto override attempt failed. See our blog for an account of the day's events. But while the decision of just over 1/3 of our legislators to oppose meaningful action on global warming is disappointing, the last vote on global warming has not been cast in the legislature or the voting booth.
How you can help:
1) This fight is far from over, so get fired up by watching some of the video clips below.
2) Check how your elected officials voted on the global warming override here (or the campaign finance override here) 2.5) If you don't know who represents you in Montpelier, you can look them up here.
3) Send a letter to the editor thanking your elected if they voted yes, or asking them to reconsider if they voted 'no'
4) Stay tuned for news of our 'Accountability Tour' - a special project to inform citizens how their legislators voted on the veto override, coming soon to a town near you.
Listen to what Bill McKibben had to say after the vote.
See X10's acapella performance of their song CO2:
Watch the polar bear looking for a legislator who would help.
Watch Governor Douglas turn his back on both the polar bear and Bill McKibben.
Background
After months of work, thousands of calls, hundreds of emails, 71 Step It Up events and innumerable local conversations, the Vermont legislature took a bold step forward on energy and global warming in May.
But Governor Douglas vetoed the bill on June 3rd. It’s outrageous, but he’s sticking up for the profit margins of the state's largest polluter - Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant - instead of for a bill that will make Vermont more affordable, create jobs, and fight global warming.
What does the Bill do?
The final bill has many parts, but accomplishes 3 main goals:
1. Invests in renewable energy by requiring Vermont utilities to supply 25% of our power from clean local sources by 2012;
2. Makes it easier for businesses and individuals to invest in small renewable energy projects;
3. Improves efficiency by tightening building codes and expanding the mandate and funding of Efficiency Vermont so they can help us use less heating oil as well as electricity.
4. All this is paid for by making Vermont Yankee pay the same property tax rate as wind farms.
