A Message For Mother Earth

Dear Earth — You’re driving me crazy. The bulbs are finally blooming and I walk the woods in awe and love. But your storms are stormier and your temperature is rising. Clearly, you’re mad.

What more can I do? We’ve installed solar panels, planted fruit trees; we compost, recycle and so much more. But we still fly and have multiple electronic devices. Changing our habits is hard.

So here I sit. It’s Earth Day. I’ve expressed my love and apologized. Words, however, are not enough. You’re pushing back: a deluge in Houston; no snow in New England this past winter. The forest near my house is dry. You’re calling me. You’re calling all of us to do more.

And we are. There are towns pledging to be 100 percent renewable by 2050; there are groups making sure elected officials pay more attention; and there are conferences, like the recent one at Dartmouth College called “Changing Climate, Changing Minds.”

Presenters called upon us to transform the world by transforming ourselves from within. First, though, we must commit. The Rev. Sally Bingham called us “the gardeners of the planet,” and encouraged us to take the Paris Pledge — 50 percent reductions in global warming pollution by 2030 and neutral by 2050. I have.

Second, we must act with courage. And there before us sat Terry Tempest Williams who, earlier this year, purchased leasing rights to 1,120 acres of federal public lands in Utah for $2,500. Instead of drilling for oil or natural gas, she and her husband, Brooke Williams, plan to keep the fossil fuels in the ground. They show that we can transform the world by transforming ourselves — we just have to pay more attention to our collective garden. I’m working on it.

Finally, full transformation requires reflection. Earth, you are older, stronger and wiser than I am. Let’s not do “battle.” Together is better. When I care for you, you nurture me. That is what love is. I know you’re angry. I’m sorry. Can we talk? Together really is better.

Sincerely and apologetically yours,

Evelyn R. Swett

Hanover

Rally Saturday for the Climate

This Saturday, the Upper Valley will host what should be the single largest climate change rally in New Hampshire history. Organized by Divest Dartmouth, a group pushing Dartmouth to stop investing in fossil fuels, the Big Green Rally will feature speakers, live music and lots of local food.

The event is sponsored by a number of Upper Valley community organizations including NextGen Climate – NH, the Upper Valley Sierra Club, Energy & Climate Upper Valley, Sustainable Hanover, the Upper Valley Young Liberals and 350 Vermont, as well as 100 student groups. We are expecting hundreds to attend. The event will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. on the “Gold Coast Lawn” (at the intersection of Tuck Drive and Main Street) on Dartmouth’s campus. We hope to see you there!

Noah Cramer

Hanover

Money Flushed Down the Drain

Why am I not surprised to see that the Lebanon City Council has approved yet more funds for the Route 120 water/sewer project? This project has gone from a $2.1 million project to the current price of $6.5 million. In the private sector, would any company keep giving more and more money to a contractor that keeps upping the ante to such a degree?

We are told that this project is important for more development, which will only tax our resources and aging infrastructure. In addition to this $6.5 million project, there is the interest on the long-term bond. And who is shouldering this cost? The ratepayers of Lebanon and West Lebanon. If you, like me, think your water/sewer rate is out of control, just imagine what it will be when this project’s final cost hits the fan! What guarantee do citizens of Lebanon have that more funds will not be asked for and approved? I agree with Counselor Bill Finn that this is a travesty. It’s enough to make me want to flush my water/sewer bill down the toilet. Oh, wait . . . I can’t afford to flush!

Lucy Gibson

Lebanon

Green Up Day Needs Support

May 7 is Green Up Day in Vermont. While the nonprofit Green Up Vermont strives valiantly to provide resources, lack of funds has resulted in, of all things, a shortage of Green Up Bags. Why are the bags so important?

Green Up bags provide a reminder that it is time to volunteer and show we are proud of our communities. This volunteer effort enhances the beauty of Vermont and provides a valuable cost-saving service to both the state and towns (Hartford in particular). What’s at risk?

Lack of funds means substantially fewer bags and less volunteer organization. As the best value in the state, one would think that the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) and the Hartford Selectboard would step in and provide more simple Green Bags as well as put more effort into the program.

Special local thanks to Casella Waste for providing bins, Matt Osborn of Hartford Planning and Development office, Quechee Garden Club and Hartford Chamber of Commerce. VTrans and the Hartford Selectboard need to adequately fund Green Up Day. For want of a simple Green Bag, an opportunity could be lost.

Harvey Bazarian

Hartford