Happy Thanksgiving, Carbonators and friends!

A quick update on what I've been up to: I was hired as a temp by the UVM Transportation Research Center to work on a report assessing how Vermont might achieve a more efficient transportation system, energy-wise, because it was related to my thesis work. The study was legislated in a bill earlier this year and we're to report out to the Vermont Agency of Transportation and the Vermont Legislature. (The bill itself was passed because a handful of people (including Rebecca and me) made a big stink about it to the right people, so keep that in mind next time you want something done by legislation and think you don't have the power to make it happen! Highlights of the report are that lots of fixed route bus service in Vermont will NOT save energy, whereas focus on expanding ridesharing, vanpooling for employees, and public outreach on energy efficient driving WILL save energy. When a public version becomes available I'll post it.

At my other job, the Institute for Sustainable Communities (where I'm the 'Climate Programs Fellow') we applied for what to me is a humongoid grant to assist two pilot U.S. cities work towards sustainability over three years. There's enough money and vision behind it that I think we might actually accomplish something. In the meantime I've been privileged to provide some support to their existing climate-related programming in Guangdong Province, China (which has more manufacturing jobs than the entirety of the U.S.) and the Gulf Coast, U.S. (related to post-Katrina efforts). More detail in the future.

Incidentally, where is Sally? Hope she gets on soon! and Erin, post some news! Thanks for getting us rolling, Ryan and Rebecca!