Note from the Node - First Edition!

[Natalee Braun]

Dear fellow members of the Chittenden 350.org Node,

This message is from a team of folks, all members of this node, who have been meeting regularly in recent months. 

In honor of this New Year, we want to try something new to inspire us all in our climate justice work. We've been reflecting on how to better share what's happening in our node with our larger membership and to inspire greater involvement.

We know that you care deeply about climate justice.  But you might not have the time or bandwidth to attend meetings. Still, your ( everyone's) involvement is critical to the success of our movement. Small actions count and make a difference.

Towards that end, starting this month, we will send out a monthly "Note from the Node" for the purpose of letting our members know about some potential actions that can be taken to support the work of the Chittenden Node. This might be as simple as making a call to your local town or city rep to talk about an issue, sending an email, or showing up at a public forum. Or it could be more involved, such as volunteering for our weatherization crew or working on a political campaign.

Below is some information about  the current working groups of the Chittenden Node and a contact person for each group, in case you'd like to dip your toe into a working group!

McNeil Working Group: 

We are focused on phasing out the McNeil Generating Station. We lobby for its closing via several channels by providing public comment at meetings of the electric commission, the city council, and its TUEC committee. We also contact decision makers such as the Mayor, individual city councilors and Vermont's Public Utilities Commission via emails and written letters/postcards.

Contact: Peter MacAusland- petermacausland@gmail.com

Outreach Committee: 

We work to welcome new members and possible members. We have one on one conversations to find out what activities new folks might want to connect with and what inspired them to reach out to 350VT.   We also help set up tabling for 350VT at local events.

Contact: David Webster- websterdavid3@protonmail.com

Town Plan Working Group:

Promoting change one community at a time (yours!) is a powerful way to address our climate crisis. If you are interested in working at the local level to move forward low-emission renewable energy and other climate-friendly policies consider joining this group.  Participants collaborate on approaches for promoting smart growth, sustainability, and overall climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Contact Natalee Braun to get connected: nataleefbraun@gmail.com.  

Transportation Group:

If you are interested in collaborating with statewide groups focused on sustainable and affordable transportation, the 350Chittenden Transportation Working Group is the place for you. We promote accessible, climate-friendly transportation and are working to build support for viable alternatives to automobile use. Get in touch with Garth Allen (garth1...@gmail.com) to get involved.

 Weatherization Group:

 We provide hands-on help with weatherizing homes. Our purpose is to shorten the long waiting list for the free weatherization for low-income Vermonters. We recruit volunteers to move items out of attics or three feet away from basement walls. This sets the home up to receive that actual weatherization and saves the weatherization crews four to twelve hours of work! Together we rejoice in the finished project when we put things back. If you have questions contact: Kim Hornung-Marcy   khm...@comcast.net 

To sign up go to: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScwIHLxil2G9Xd0aPB772igUe_IjjV6gbt7xKGOSK3_OHZoGg/viewform

Please stay tuned for next month's note which will provide some details of specific actions that can be taken.

Happy New Year!

David, Kim, Peter, Leendert, Lisa & Natalee