FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, OCTOBER 25, 2012
Write
In Annette Smith For Vermont Governor
Is
it “hair on fire” or “pants on fire,” Mr Shumlin?
Smith
Calls Out Shumlin and Brock for Hypocrisy on Climate Change and Energy
Working out of her
homestead-office in Danby, Independent candidate for Vermont Governor Annette
Smith's carbon footprint and renewable energy lifestyle sets an example that
others, especially Governor Shumlin, and Randy Brock, could learn from.
“Referring to
climate change, Governor Shumlin says ‘our hair is on fire’ and Vermont must do
everything possible to stop climate change. Then he burns thousands of
gallons of fossil fuel flying to Florida to look for EB5 money for his friends,
and flies to California for a fundraiser, and flies again to California for ‘negotiations’
over computer systems with a firm that just happens to have also donated to his
campaign,” said Annette. “Shumlin’s supposed desire to fight climate change
didn’t stop him from spending four full months traveling out of state in the
past year.”
Annette offers a
different approach to energy issues, leading by example and empowering local
communities. She spends her days
advocating for those concerned about their health, their environment and their
future; she has been using photovoltaics for her home more than 20 years. She
uses solar hot water, drives a car that gets 40mpg, and grows a big garden at
her homestead. Annette understands from experience that it is indeed
possible to implement “Vermont scale” renewable energy to reduce dependence on
expensive and polluting fossil fuels.
“Mr. Brock seems to
think that Vermont can have a prosperous future while still endorsing
dependence on imported fossil and nuclear fuels to run our economy, but we all
know we need to scale back,” said Annette. “And our Governor has made
investments in several fossil fuel companies, even as he advocates for the
industrialization of our ridge-lines to fight climate change.”
“This hypocrisy and
manipulation cannot stand. The best thing that Vermont can do about climate
change and peak oil is lead by example and become more self-reliant in ways
that actually benefit Vermonters. Vermont’s impact on global greenhouse gas
emissions is a drop in the bucket. But we can and must lead by example using
realistic, Vermont-scale solutions – not with hypocritical corporate-scale
projects that send money and power out of Vermont. We must reframe this
discussion, for the health, well-being and energy security of future
generations in Vermont,” Annette added. “Shumlin is doing exactly the opposite
of leading the way, and is selling out to large corporate interests while
thousands of Vermonters struggle with high energy costs. He is a poster-child
for excessive personal energy consumption. His advocacy for false solutions
like residential smart meters and consolidation of Vermont’s energy
infrastructure under foreign-owned mega-corporations make it clear that Shumlin
is not a true leader on climate or energy issues.”
Annette believes
that the millionaire candidates Shumlin and Brock could also learn something
from the Dalai Lama's recent visit to Vermont. The Dalai Lama responded to a question about
what humanity's ethical response to climate change should be, by noting that
western society consumes too much and we should be more content and live more
simply. Annette lives this perspective in her daily life and recognizes that
Vermont’s fossil fuel consumption for heating, hot water and transportation
should be the priorities, not our electricity grid which can today be supplied
with existing in-state and regional hydro-power.
Annette emphasizes
that the first step towards reducing Vermont’s fossil fuel cost and emissions
is to reduce consumption: “Turn the lights off. Turn the thermostat down.
Button up the house. Convert fossil fueled hot water and heating to
solar, wood-fired or heat pumps powered by photovoltaics,” she said. “The key
to all of these real solutions is empowering Vermonters with affordable
financing to make this transition at the household and community level, instead
of subsidizing corporate false-solutions that trick consumers into sending
their money out of the state.”
“At this point the
idea of wind-powered electric cars is interesting, but until the car industry
comes up with affordable and sustainable ways to build electric cars, this is
another false solution that only benefits a few corporations,” said Annette.
“I’ll be first in line to buy an affordable electric car, powered by
human-scale solar power. Until then I’m going to run my existing high mpg car,
until it’s beyond repair, which is the best way to conserve resources.”
Instead of calling
Vermonters “NIMBY” or “denier” and yelling at them to support more, more, more,
false solutions that give Vermonters’ money and power to giant corporations,
Annette engages Vermonters in sensible, respectful dialogs and finds
Vermont-scale, affordable solutions – and this empowers people and business-owners.
FUEL/ENERGY SECURITY
Position Statement
Vermont must aggressively promote energy
conservation and reverse the trend of increasing monopoly power over our energy
supply. We must support local control over our energy resources instead of
subsidizing out-of-state monopolies. Forcing residential wireless smart meters
and the corporate industrialization of our pristine ridgelines is not a
solution to either climate change or energy security. Distributed solar
electric and hot water, sustainable biomass heating fuels, ecologically
designed micro-hydro, and the sensible reclamation of our existing hydro-power should
be our priorities.
Visit http://annettesmithforvermontgov.blogspot.com/
for more information about how you can get involved in her independent WRITE IN
campaign for Vermont governor. Print ads and Palm Cards can be downloaded from
her website for volunteer supporters to use.
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