ISO New England Says Network Would Be Stable Without Yankee

VPR News: ISO New England Says Network Would Be Stable Without Yankee.

The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant is not needed for the stability of the New England electric grid, according to grid operator ISO New England.

Yankee opponents say the grid’s decision is a sign that Yankee isn’t needed to keep the lights on.

ISO recently conducted an auction for the region’s future power needs. And it reversed its decision from last year, when it said Vermont Yankee had to keep cranking out its 620 megawatts to keep the transmission grid stable in southern New Hampshire and New England.

Now ISO says transmission upgrades and new generation means that Yankee is no longer needed to maintain grid reliability. Sandra Levine of the Conservation Law Foundation said ISO delivered an unambiguous message.

“It made a very clear determination for 2015 going forward Vermont Yankee is not needed,” Levine said.

Levine said ISO also made the same determination for 2013 as well. “Other improvements to the power grid as well as new renewable energy resources and energy efficiency resources will be sufficient to cover whatever power that Vermont Yankee would otherwise be providing,” she said.

Levine and other Yankee opponents are cheering the news from ISO. For one, they say if Entergy Vermont Yankee had been deemed necessary to keep the grid stable, Entergy would have been entitled to a bonus payment. And second, Levine says the ISO decision undercuts one of Energy’s main arguments to keep Yankee running.

“The lights will stay on, the electricity will keep flowing, and we will continue to have more than adequate power supply without Vermont Yankee,” she said….

Full Article – http://www.vpr.net/news_detail/94577/iso-new-england-says-network-would-be-stable-witho/

 

2012 Farm Bill Alert

Why should the biggest, wealthiest farmers get unlimited payments, while Congress is cutting programs to small and mid-sized farmers?

“Payment limits… for producers should be eliminated, or at a minimum not tightened any further.” — This was one of many similar comments made at the recent farm bill field hearing, sponsored by the House Agriculture Committee, who also picked the folks who testified. They didn’t invite you or me, but you can speak up anyway! Sign on to the petition to make your voice heard, and leave your own comments to take your story to Congress.

You can make sure the farm bill represents your interests. Will you take 2 minutes to sign the petition? – http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2715/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=10345

Biotech 2, Vermont 0

From: the Bovine Blog

Vermont has long been regarded as one of the most progressive States in the Union when it comes to things like alternative medicine and access to healthy food choices. If this is what’s going down in Vermont, what’s happening in the rest of the United States that we’re not hearing about?

From Brian Gaston for Salem-News.com:

The biotech industry has had to use corruption and threats to keep secret what they continue to claim is safe and “substantially equivalent” to normal food. 

(MONTPELIER, VT) – Vermonters were slammed by the biotech industry twice this month.  They were hit the first time when 90% of the population wanted GMOs in their food labeled but the governor would not sign a bill requiring this because the biotech giant Monsanto threatened to sue the state. Monsanto thus stopped “informed consent” around food, leaving people without crucial information needed to decide what goes into their and their children’s bodies, and are thus essentially tricked into eating it in not know what is what. Instead of informed consent required in medical experiments – and this is one of the largest in human history – there is enforced ignorance. The biotech industry has had to use corruption and threats to keep secret what they continue to claim is safe and “substantially equivalent” to normal food….

full article – http://thebovine.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/biotech-2-vermont-0/

Vermont Village-building Convergence 2012

VbC is a free celebration bringing community members together to share vital skills for a changing world.

At its root, VbC is about actively building community connections and realizing the strength and beauty of our power when we work and play together.

Village-building Convergence – a project of Transition Montpelier
June 20th-24th, 2012 In Central Vermont

Events Include:

Wednesday, June 20th * James Howard Kunstler Talk * Venue and time to be determined – see details

Thursday June 21st at 7 pm * Summer Solstice Celebration * All Together Now (East Montpelier)

Friday-Sunday June 22nd-24th * Village Gathering * Twin Pond Retreat, Center for Wellness and Sustainable Living (Brookfield)

VT Village-building Convergence website – vbc-vt.org

Will Social Networks Set Local Food Free?

      As we have seen the Foods Sovereignty movement of  La Via Campesina has recently spread across the States. The emergence of this “peasant movement” in the “First World” is do to the Global economic depression and the crack down on small local farmers in the name of Food Security.

I was just introduced to an online network that could revolutionize the Food Sovereignty movement, it is called Community Share Association. The Community Share Association “is a private association of American citizens who have chosen to reclaim our constitutional right to be legally liable and 100% responsible for the choices we make, most specifically with regards to food, medicine & health care.

As members, we reclaim our right to determine for ourselves whether any food, medicine or professional service is safe and effective for us and in so doing we alleviate all state & federal government from being liable for our safety. We do this most specifically to restore our protected right to buy and sell our homegrown & homemade food and medicine to and from other members of our association.

Community Share Association will become a huge movement empowering those individuals and communities who choose to become members to use their private land and homes to produce more food, to make delicious food products, as well as safe, effective herbal medicines and have access to a thriving marketplace where they can legally sell these products to other members.”

The legality is explained in the about section, to be a member costs a mere $10  a year. I am not a member yet so I can’t give any more specifics, but this looks like it could become the facebook of the local food movement. If anyone is a member of this network I would love to hear about your experience.

A few other recent happenings on the food sovereignty front: Occupy Wall Street started the initiative – Occupy The Food Supply

Interestingly enough even the USDA recently released a guide on Regional Food Hubs stating “The guide is a collection of information, resources and background on everything needed to develop or participate in a regional food hub.” The National Good Food Network also has a page for local food hubs.

Power to the hands that are caring for their local soils and the health of their communities!

May Day Rally Montpelier, VT – Bernie Sanders