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Political notes from Free Press staff writers Terri Hallenbeck, Sam Hemingway and Nancy Remsen


4.09.2007

 

Go figure

Here's a case where you couldn't predict what side of the fence the politicians would sit, though you probably could've predicted they'd be on opposite sides from each other.

The Douglas administration wrote new toughest-in-the-nation rules restricting the emissions on outdoor wood furnaces. Those who make the furnaces say they can't meet these rules. Agency of Natural Resources officials say that's nonsense.

Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin stumbled on that debate Friday while waiting his turn to be on Mark Johnson's radio show. DEC Commissioner Jeff Wennberg and lobbyist Ed Larson were on the air point-counter-pointing the wood furnace debate.

Shumlin said he found himself agreeing with Larson, who represents one of the chief makers of the furnaces and thinks the restrictions go too far. If you're talking affordability (as the governor so often is), these furnaces offer Vermonters a cheaper way to heat their homes and barns, Shumlin said. If you're talking global warming (as Shumlin so often is), these furnaces don't add to the problem, he added.

Puts him once again on the opposite side of the fence from the governor, but who'd-a-figured which side they'd each be on with this one.

Just two days earlier the Legislative Committee on Administrative Rules voted 6-2 to support the rules, and it was the Democrats who voted for them. Two Republicans voted against.

- Terri Hallenbeck

Comments:
Is Shumlin disagreeing just for the sake of disagreeing?

I actually listened to that particular Johnson show. Wennberg was right on.

The stoves need to be regulated. They may not have much impact on Global Warming, but they certainly produce localized air pollution. They are basically "smolder" fires where the fire burns slowly at a low temp..which means many unburned particles and gasses go up the flue. The stacks are never vary tall and the pollution/smoke tends to drift down or near to ground level.

There are many benefits of the stoves, but they need to be cleaned up before they become too popular.

They also need to be regulated because every Tom, Dick, and Harry are making them now and there is no quality assurance.
 
Actually Tom's furnaces are pretty good.

Dick and Harry's furnaces suck. Don't buy em. You'll be sorry.
 
Shumlin missed the boat on this one and just looks like a shuckin
and jive in politician.
 
Forget about Shumlin. Look what Matt Dunne is doing.
 
What is Dunne doing?
 
The issue here seems to be not so much a matter of outdoor furnace emissions, but of our legislators' (continuous) inability to take global warming legislation seriously.

That's why tens of thousands of Americans are getting together in almost 1400 locations in 50 states this Saturday to demand that we act NOW to reverse the threat of global warming.

There are more than 60 Step It Up events happening on the 14th at locations all over Vermont. To find out more about what's going at a location near you visit http://stepitup2007.org/

Here's what's happening in Montpelier:

Montpelier Step It Up 2007: Central Vermont's Day of Climate Action

Who: Senator Bernie Sanders, VT Senate President Peter Shumlin, Burr
Morse, and other local business owners, the Association of Vermont
Recyclers, National Wildlife Federation, Vermont National Resources
Council, and the Vermont Public Interest Research Group.

What: The state's largest Step it up action with hundreds of
participants, exciting speakers, excellent visuals, music, free creemees
and more! Over 1200 events have been scheduled nationwide and over 60 in
Vermont to demand our leaders 'Step it Up' by pledging to cut carbon 80%
by 2050.

When: 12p.m. - 4p.m. Saturday, April 14, 2007
Agenda:
12:00 Morse Farm - 1168 County Rd - Montpelier
Guided nature walk, sugaring demos, Free Creemees and more!

1:00
first-hand accounts of how global warming threatens Vermont' skiing,
fishing and future from Burr Morse, local fishing guides, sports-store
owners, and high school students.

2:00 **Excellent Visuals**
Hundreds of attendees will March to the State House lead by
performance artist/percussionist the Junkman.

3:00 Vermont State House State Street - Montpelier
Speeches by Senator Bernie Sanders and Senator Peter Shumlin. Both
leaders will sign a giant pledge committing to support legislation that
can achieve 80% by 2050 cuts in carbon emissions

Where: Morse Farm 12p.m.-2p.m., and the VT State House 2p.m.-4p.m.

Why: Vermont and America's emissions of Greenhouse Gasses are on the
rise. Recent Reports from the IPCC and dozens of other peer-reviewed
research studies have said that if we do not cut carbon emissions 80% by
2050, Vermont and the planet's climate will pass a tipping point from
which it will never recover. But change is possible. Legislation
introduced by Senator Sanders and Supported by Senators Leahy and
Congressman Welch has the potential to cut America's climate foot-print
80% by 2050. And while action to-date is insufficient, the VT
legislature is debating 2 bills, S.94 and H.520 with the potential to
achieve cuts in global warming pollution in-line with the 80% goals. In
response, an unprecedented number of Vermonters are speaking out,
stepping up and making it known that they support action at the local,
state and federal level to cut carbon and avert a climate crisis.
 
Global Warming chicken littles. Cluck cluck cluck the sky is falling!!! BUT we don't want to look at windmills.
 
Exactly! All this banter and what hypocrits. If you want change you need to look at wind and solar.
 
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