Re: Rebecca's request for the inside scoop...

I'll post a more thorough breakdown sometime soon. But for now, cap and invest is really the best idea in the opinion of most enviros. We want a sizable chunk to go to development and deployment of clean tech. Of course, for political viability, another sizable chunk of revenue will have to go to consumers, especially low income consumers, to mitigate increased energy costs in some way or another. But really, we want to use revenue to jump start the green economy and create opportunities through green jobs, etc., rather than give it all back. Then there are all sorts of other issues like whether you auction all allowances or give some away for free, how you ease the burden for energy intensive industry, how you handle offsets, international... and of course, getting the targets right! I'm actually putting together some briefing binders on all these details for our team. If anyone wants some light reading, I could probably hook you up.

Carbonator in DC

Thought I'd drop in and add my first carbonator alum post. So, I'm living in DC. For those who don't know, I am the Global Warming Legislative Fellow at the National Wildlife Federation. For at least the next year or so, I'll be here fighting the war on global warming. So far, it's been awesome. I'm mainly providing support in several capacities to our global warming solutions team. But I've also had the opportunity to attend a bunch of briefings on the hill, as well as strategy meetings with all sorts of environmental groups. I've been learning about all the ins and outs of climate and energy policy at the national and international levels. No doubt, information overload is common in grad school, but hanging around all these policy wonks is a whole other story. Sometimes, trying to absorb it all is like trying to drink from a fire hose. For all those who might be wondering, things here are looking more promising... we're getting closer to a deal. I'll keep you posted. 

Political Action

So, I've railed in favor of political action in the past. With such a big election, how could I NOT get involved? Mike (my husband) and I stayed at Erin's house in Harrisville, NH, and volunteered for Obama for the week before the election. Here's a little video montage of our experience there:

Welcome Carbonators!

I am excited to announce a transition, one that I hope is symbolic of a much larger trend: I am turning this blog over to a group of friends called the Carbonators.

Erin, Elaine, Ryan and I started the Carbonators while we were at UVM. Initially we were just a couple of grad students studying climate and energy issues and looking for support from our peers. Gradually we expanded, taking on more people and becoming more active. With the help of Sally, who joined us a little later on, and some of the newer rock star Carbonators, we got the University of Vermont to adopt guidelines to vote in favor of climate change resolutions at the corporations in which it invests. We also got UVM to become only the second university to join a $5 trillion dollar network called the Investor Network on Climate Risk.

While the Carbonators are still thriving at UVM, Sally, Elaine, Ryan, Erin and I have moved on. This blog is now a way for us Carbonator Alums to keep track of each other and share our experiences with the rest of the world.

So, this is no longer an individual blog, run by a loner discussing my personal feelings and thoughts on climate change. It is a communal blog, symbolic, I hope, of a movement toward collective action. And it is no longer just about musings - emotional, spiritual and intellectual ramblings on climate (though those are still valid); it is also about action.

Welcome Carbonators!