Recently I received an email with the statement that Jason Kaye, chairman of the town energy committee, made to the Middlebury selectboard, with a video of his testimony saying he was going to protest the natural gas pipeline with civil disobedience. This was my answer to that email list:
Jason
I was deeply touched by what you wrote/spoke to the Middlebury selectboard. I am well aware of your total commitment to opposing the Vermont Gas pipeline expansion project having been in various booths with you at public events and tracking your creative and tireless work. I am in total agreement with you in opposing this project and find your stand with the Middlebury selectboard articulate, full of integrity and courageous.
While I was disappointed in the earlier, what seemed to me reluctance, of Bill McKibben to speak out against the pipeline, more recently he has been most cogent and concise summarizing the recent data on the life cycle analysis of natural gas and the amount that enters the atmosphere in drilling and transportation making it more of a climate problem than coal. I agree that further investment in fossil fuel infrastructure of this kind is insane and I agree that it’s time for civil disobedience. I was very inspired by what you wrote/spoke and hope that I can join you although I struggle with moving up my commitment to “walking my talk.”
My focus for over a decade has been peak oil (read “The Party’s Over” by Richard Heinberg) and climate change, and while anyone who looks closely at what’s going on on the old home planet sees lots to be troubled about, I too, come from a positive perspective. I see more local, more community, less high-tech in our future and think this can be good.
Thank you!
Ron Slabaugh
Middlebury