BlumeTimes

Fossil Fuel Freedom

2012-01-30T14:06:00.005-05:00

350Vermont in collaboration with the Sierra Club, the Vermont Worker's Center, and a bunch of other groups just launched the Fossil Fuel Freedom campaign. We did a big press conference at the Statehouse, and here's some video of my remarks as Event M.C. More on YouTube, of course...

Yes Yes yes

2012-01-19T22:03:00.003-05:00

My friend Karen just sent me this poem by Kaylin Haught. I love it!I asked God if it was okay to be melodramaticand she said yesI asked her if it was okay to be shortand she said it sure isI asked her if I could wear nail polishor not wear nail polishand she said honeyshe calls me that sometimesshe said you can do just exactlywhat you want toThanks God I saidwhat if I cavort with squawking

Occupy The Spirit

2012-01-16T21:38:00.005-05:00

I was invited to speak at an event called "Occupy the Spirit." It was all about exploring the spiritual roots of activism and social transformation. We had, among others, an Imam, a Buddhist, a radical lefty Christian, a Transition Town organizer, a civil disobedience teacher and a poet.There was so much spoken about what we must do to transform ourselves before we can transform the world, so

Rising Tide

2011-12-17T07:19:00.004-05:00

My latest VPR commentary. You can listen to it here.Recently, I went to a concert given by some performers from remote Pacific island nations which are being rapidly inundated by rising sea levels - one of the many unfortunate consequences of climate change.There were dancers, singers, and musicians all decked out in traditional woven costumes made by their families. The program said that the

Dancing to the Beat of the Great Green Heart

2011-12-12T00:16:00.007-05:00

I recently gave the keynote address at the annual conference of the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network. They brought me in specifically to be inspiring. No pressure!This has been posted in 4 different clips - they're each about 10 minutes long.Enjoy...

Happiness Paradigm

2011-12-05T18:09:00.005-05:00

My friend Ginny Sassaman is a big Gross National Happiness proponent, and has written a lovely blog this week about how a talk I did inspired her to create something green. A heart.On my way home, I went straight from the airport to the Unitarian Church of Montpelier for a workshop on “Climate Change and What You Can Do About It.” One of the speakers was Kathy Blume, a particularly bubbly

Resilience Revolution

2011-11-01T21:16:00.003-04:00

I've been helping out my friend Dan Jones with a project documenting sustainability and resilience efforts in Vermont. Here's a rough cut for the trailer. Enjoy!

Another Way to Donate

2011-08-22T14:13:00.001-04:00

Or, you can donate directly through PayPal! Thanks!

Support The Bus!

2011-08-22T13:57:00.003-04:00

I'm part of a group of Vermonters heading to Washington, D. C. to protest the Keystone XL Pipeline. It's good and righteous work, but we need money for the bus! Please chip in here!

Observations From a Day 50 Years From Now

2011-06-27T16:54:00.002-04:00

I was asked by the organizers of the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial to write an essay on the theme: Observations From a Day 50 Years From Now. And so I did...I might be surprised that I made it this far. After all, ninety-one is still considered something of an achievement, especially given what we’ve lived through in the past half-century. Except for the fact that all the women in my family

I Believe

2011-06-27T16:43:00.007-04:00

I wrote this for the Burlington Free Press right before I went to the Copenhagen climate talks in December 2009, and again, forgot to post it. Catching up finally..."Not only is another world possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."- Arundhati RoyAs a climate activist, someone who spends the bulk of her time trying to awaken the community to the realities of

Joy and Resolve

2011-06-27T16:10:00.002-04:00

He looks a little like Bill McKibben, doesn't he?I attended a rally the other day in support of a climate activist named Tim DeChristopher. A few years ago, at the end of the Bush administration, Tim attended an illegal auction of oil and gas leases on publicly held lands, drove up the bidding, and managed to derail the entire proceedings. He was recently convicted of two felony counts for his

Days of Thunder

2011-06-27T16:04:00.004-04:00

Another VPR commentary about the intense, slightly sci-fi nature of the thunderstorms we've been having lately:Ok maybe it’s just me. After all I’m willing to admit having an overactive imagination. In fact I’ve made a career of having an overactive imagination. But I have to say that our thunderstorms of late seem different - almost scary, actually - and I am normally a big fan of charismatic

Idle Free

2011-06-05T17:43:00.002-04:00

Another VPR Commentary I forgot to post - about New Year's Resolutions.OK, so, quite frankly, I have very mixed feelings about New Year's Resolutions.While it's a nice idea, theoretically, to wipe the slate clean and start the year with a fresh set of goals for personal betterment, I honestly can't say I've ever followed through on any of mine for longer than a couple of days. Maybe a week.

First Steps

2011-06-05T17:38:00.004-04:00

Back in February, I helped organize a day of climate action at the Vermont Statehouse. I also wrote a VPR commentary about it, which I forgot to post. So here it is! You can listen to it here, or read below...First StepsIn spite of having lived in Vermont for almost 20 years (with a little time off for good behavior), I’d never visited the Statehouse in Montpelier until just recently. The

The Picture Of Enough

2011-06-05T17:29:00.004-04:00

Vermont Public Radio has an annual fundraising event called the Commentator's Brunch. About 30 commentators do 3-minute essays on a particular theme. This year's theme was Picture This. My submission was called The Picture of Enough.My favorite comment afterwards was someone who said, "Who are you? You actually made me think."

Arlo's Daughter

2010-11-23T09:41:00.005-05:00

Vermont Public Radio solicited commentaries about family Thanksgiving traditions as part of the National Day of Listening. Mine has to do with the ritual playing of Alice's Restaurant. You can listen to the commentary here.For the readers among you, the text is posted below.Have a family and fun-filled weekend!Arlo's DaughterI don't really have a long family history to recount. As far as I

The We of Us

2010-10-19T10:14:00.003-04:00

Image by Seon-Jeong KimVermont Public Radio asked me to write a commentary about the challenges of the electoral season, and if I had any ideas or insights which might make the whole process a little easier for their listeners. Me? Have ideas? And so I do.You can listen here, or read the text below:The We of Us I tend to turn my head away during election season. It’s just so...tacky. I mean

The Vermont Guide to Global Living

2010-09-29T23:59:00.009-04:00

I was asked to give the keynote address at a recent meeting of the Vermont Climate Collaborative. They're a partnership between the University of Vermont and the Agency of Natural Resources designed to help Vermont make the transition to a post-carbon world.The charge from the organizers: Do Something Inspiring. Oh, well, all right...For you literary types, you can read it here.

Willing and Able

2010-09-17T11:12:00.005-04:00

I just had this essay published on the Coalitions of the Willing's blog. Feels good to finally get my opinion aired in public. Now on to Cop16!If you look at the science about what is happening on earth and aren’t pessimistic, you don’t understand the data. But if you meet the people who are working to restore this earth and the lives of the poor, and you aren’t optimistic, you haven’t got a

March In

2010-08-28T11:53:00.003-04:00

I just did a keynote address at a benefit for the Vermont Women's Fund. The occasion of a 30th birthday, an 80th birthday, and the 90th anniversary of women's suffrage. Enjoy!

Transition Town Commentary on VPR

2010-07-26T22:20:00.004-04:00

I've started doing commentaries on Vermont Public Radio, and my first one airs tomorrow at 5:55pm. Seems like an auspicious time, though I'm not exactly sure why. It's on Transition Towns as a positive, proactive model for addressing climate change and peak oil. Hopefully, it'll be the first of many. In case you're a reader, as opposed to a listener, here's the text. Enjoy.