Green is Good! F5
The Earth Renewal Project is launched in Vermont
President Melanie Stansbury arrived in the Green Mountains of Vermont feeling exceptionally excited about her speech this evening. She was about to announce a revolution in governance. A program that would impact the lives of every resident and every business. And the entire planet.
This is the second in the fantasy series that began with Representative Melanie Stansbury of New Mexico assuming the presidency. She visited Maine as part of her national tour. Several new policies and appointments were announced. The background for this fantastic journey can be found here in the Vance series.
Vermont was Mel’s second state visit after Maine where she had addressed the hot button issues of immigration, stupid wars of choice and irrational random tariffs.
After her speech, she had dinner with one of her heroes. Another Mainer she just HAD to meet. There was no way that Melanie Stansbury would visit Maine and not have a conversation with Professor Heather Cox Richardson. They commandeered Muscongus Bay Lobster restaurant at Round Pond. The staff feasted on oysters and steamed lobster. There was butter. And beer.
Mel asked Heather to become a Special Presidential Advisor for Democracy. HCR is an encyclopedia of historical information. Mel wanted to learn from the successes and mistakes of her predecessors. “Let’s see if we can get this democracy project back on track. I want you to tell me if we are going down a path that reminds you another time in America - when the best of intentions led to failure. Help us learn from history and past mistakes please…?”
Heather would accept. She was offered a sabbatical from Boston College. She continued to write her Substack - but it would be published just twice a week. Her subscriber base was already close to three million. Within a few weeks, she would see that readership more than triple.
In Vermont tonight the President will speak of just one subject that will be woven into the lives of everyone.
Before entering politics, Melanie Stansbury had taught ecology. She is a specialist in natural resources, water issues, and community development. She has degrees in Human Ecology and Natural Science. She holds a master of science degree from Cornell University in Development Sociology with a minor in American Indian studies.
”Good evening America. Tonight I am asking for your support in something that will be as intense as the Manhattan Project that produced a world changing weapon.
But rather than building a bomb to destroy, I am announcing the “Green is Good” movement. This begins an era of creation. Of clean power and millions of excellent jobs. An era of respecting the world’s environment.
Coal, oil and gas extraction have caused enormous harm to this world. The science in indisputable. The suffering across the the globe can’t be ignored. There is no Planet B.
This is more than one program and more than one law. It is an overarching philosophy of living on our planet. “Green is Good” means changing our focus from extracting fossil fuels to using the rapidly evolving technology of sustainable energy.
There will be drilling. But it will be to provide geothermal energy. There will be more electricity produced but it will be from what Mother Nature has offered us. Wind, solar, geothermal (and perhaps someday, fusion), will over a relatively short time become the primary ways we generate power.
Oil and gas will always have a role in our society. But they will not be the way we power all of our economy. Fossil fuel companies will find that their capital investments will be better served by partnering with the Federal Government to harness the new technology.”
“For decades now, YOUR tax dollars have flowed to petroleum extracting companies to the tune of $20 to $30 billion per year. And those companies have made enormous profits for those that have been CEOs and shareholders. But probably not for you. In our new Green is Good plan, those subsidies will be redirected to sustainable energy projects.
A note to the Fossil Fuel CEOs: your future will now be tied to becoming Green Energy producers. Gas and diesel powered vehicles will soon be like the horse and buggy. Get with the program or become irrelevant.
The transition to electric transportation is inevitable. People who own electric cars love their low maintenance costs and performance. As charging becomes faster and driving ranges expand, America will discover what other nations have already. 50% of vehicles sold in China are electric and they can be charged in minutes - not hours.”
“America has ceded its scientific and economic leadership to other countries. This ends now. American companies can deliver this new performance - but they might benefit by a little overseas partnership. “
“The economics will be obvious. The profits will no longer be in extraction.”
“Tonight I am announcing a new strategy and new approach to how we view and build infrastructure. The Department of Energy will be folded into the Interior Department.”
“Our new Secretary of the Interior (and Energy) will be long time Vermont resident Bill McKibben. Bill knows how this works. He has been studying it for decades.
And now, get ready. The Department of the Interior will receive a budget boost that will pay for a new staff of experts who will oversee the expediting of permits to install massive solar arrays, forests of windmills, acres of battery storage and thousands of miles of new transmission lines to deliver clean, green power.”
“The funds for this investment will be derived from two sources. The Department of Defense will thrive on a budget reduction of $200 billion less. More details on this later. And our new bill taxes multimillionaires in a manner that they will hardly notice, but will provide another $300 billion per year.
Forever, Americans have questioned why the Department of Defense would be funded to the tune of almost $1 Trillion…and the Departments of Energy and Interior had a combined total of about $65 billion. How does that sound like “America First”?”
“You may think this is radical. But is it radical to choose electricity generation that doesn’t pollute, doesn’t cause the Earth to heat up - leading to 100 year weather disasters every year?
Is it radical to choose sources of energy that are much quicker to deploy than an oil or gas well? Is it radical to choose a source of energy that that is less expensive and going down in price every year?
Is it radical to choose an energy revolution that will create millions of good jobs? Is it radical to want America to be globally competitive?
Then call me a proud radical.
We should be embarrassed at how slow our nation has been in developing green sources of energy. China and India have left us in the dust with their projects. This should be our “Sputnik moment” where a nation wakes up to the fact that other countries are leading and we are following. Don’t we want to lead?!”
“A message to the companies building data centers. Your projects require enormous amounts of electricity. Therefore you WILL build the GREEN generation facilities to provide that juice. Your centers require enormous amounts of water - which you WILL recycle and return to the surrounding communities for their safe use.”
Stansbury had also come to Vermont to learn why Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described “progressive Socialist” and Independent maintains a 68% approval rating (the most popular senator in the U.S.)
And in that same state, Phil Scott, Vermont’s Republican governor, currently polls at 84%. Much to be learned.
Could it be that they both listen respectfully to their constituents? Could it be that they care more about people than political labels and profits? That they have been builders - not destroyers?
Addendum:
What’s the point of having these fantasies? To prepare our heads for next year and beyond when saner and nicer people resume control - when we wrest it from the oligarchs and their political puppets. Don’t get me wrong. I whine about the horrors offered up by the MAGA monsters every day. I wake up each morning and ask: “Is this really real? How could a country go so evil and so dark so fast”…etc, etc, etc.
Imagining a better, more benevolent and beneficial future is part therapy and part fun. If all we do is wallow in the agony and awfulness…the bad guys have won. They have captured our brains. Not gonna happen to me.
Your vision I would love to be reality. Mainers are so wise📚✍️‼️
Make it so! 💚💚💚