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Vermont Yankee

So, this weekend I've been in the homegrown capital of the world known as Montpelier VT. We had our practicum weekend which is pretty much a crash course in organizing on foot. 19 GC students worked with VPIRG (Vermont's Public Interest Research Fund)to use grassroots organizing to get the people of VT to shut voice that they want to shut Vermont Yankee down. So, Vermont Yankee is a nuclear reactor that opening in 1972 in VT. The plant is dirty, dangerous, and unreliable. Last year one of its cooling towers collapsed, they have documented 76 cracks in their steam dryer, their have been three fires in Vermont Yankee's tranformer station. So, the nuclear waste sits on the banks of the Connecticut River where it will likely stay indefinitely. The company is a huge corporation based out of Louisiana, despite the fact that they have been running pricey ads in local newspapers with the headline "Vermonter to Vermonter," claiming to be a homegrown business. The plant is trying to renew their permit, that will expire in 2012, for another 20 years, and we think the legislature should 'shut er down' as we say in the south. So, we went door to door trying to get businesses to endorse us and getting people to send letters to their representatives to tell them how they feel. We had 54 businesses sign on and over 100 letters sent out, and we held a press event the next morning where we had a great press turn out. Very exciting weekend. I'm excited to be in VT, but the capital is SOO small, it's like a very tiny Asheville. It's like hippy town USA, very homegrown. But I love it.

ONward

Wow, so everything has been in fast forward, and Ive just now gotten a chance to settle in and look at what I will be doing. I will be based in Montpilliar VT working on clean energy initiatives. I will be based in VT, but working in RI, NH, MA, and CT so I'm very excited. I will be working on 10 college campuses to get over 300,000 students to vote for clean energy in the upcoming election. This will be a part of a broader campaign to get 1 million students to vote for legislators in these states who publicly support bold climate change legislation that reduces carbon emmissions, invests in clean, renewable technology and creates green jobs. I will be buiding the infrastructure to take on these great initiatives. I cant wait.

Walden Pond

Has anyone heard of Walden Pond? It's the place where Thoraeu was inspired and wrote a book called Walden. Very exciting stuff. So, yeah I was there today, no big deal lol. Very stunning lake wrapped with evergreen trees. Two miles in circumference, and perfect for swimming. It was really nice to have a day off with the group. I must say that it's got NOTHIN ON ASHEVILLE, NC as far as beauty goes... it's really too bad that he didny check out the south whoopsee. I'm feeling very excited that I am here... even though I do miss my bike the mountians, and you all.

Ist Week of Training

So, Im surviving in Boston. That's a great sign. It's been workshops workshops workshops, but it's really exciting to meet the President of the Union for Concerned Scientists, and the President of the National Wildlife Federation, and just be in the room with lot's of brilliant minds. I'm learning to speak up a lot more, and I'm in the presence of some awesome students from Brown University, Cornell, Stanford, Yale, St Olof,George Washington University, and Oberlin. And many more, the group it fantastic and very welcoming. Our first campaign is going to be wroking on Climate Change issues, I might be working with 8 Universities trying to get 100,000 students to vote for Clean Energy in the upcoming elections. very cool. That will include a huge push for a student lobby day in Washington as well.. like a Powershift reloaded . That was a huge success last year, and I think working with students would be awesome.

I Have Arrived

That title sounds almost religious. I checked into Greencorp training Boston this Sunday, where I will be spending the next three weeks. I was a little antsy at first, but I'm feeling more comfortable every day. Classroom trainings have been very energetic and informative and the group itself is pretty damn steller, very sharp crowd. So, I'm soaking a lot in and forcing myself to give back as well. I think that learning to trust my voice, and allowing myself to let go and speak up more will be my biggest challenge. I would like to think of it as a unique opportunity to allow others to get a closer look into my world. I want to effect positive change in the world, opening my mouth will have to come into play if I want that to happen. I think this might be getting a little to personal.

You Know I Love Beer

If you know me at all you know that I enjoy really good beer, some might say I'm a little snobby, and they are probably correct in that assumption. Well, I decided to do a little sampling in the area to compare my favorite brews from back home ie Catawba Valley and Highland to some New England brands. I mean I figure if we are losing Anhueser piss.. I mean Busch to the Belgians we might as well enjoy true American beer while we still can, right. Fun fact: Did you know Miller is owned by a South African Company and Coors is partially owned by Canadians and the American half is homophobic? Anyhoo, back to the story I went on a brewery tour of the Wachusett brewery, stated in '93 by three cute engineers. The beer was OK, the porter was bitter to me, but the IPA was good. I wasn't too impressed, I'm partial to my Asheville roots... can I go to Barley's? Lurve ya!