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Brattleboro Heat Wave Advisory

by Not Signed In | Nature

 The weather forecast for the remainder of this week includes dangerously high heat and humidity. Town of Brattleboro urges everyone to drink plenty of water, wear light clothing, and stay out of the heat as much as possible. 

People who need some cool air can visit the Senior Center at the Gibson Aiken Center (207 Main Street), Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street), the Central Fire Station (103 Elliot Street), or the West Brattleboro Fire Station (16 South Street). 

Dealing Rationally With Environmental Apocalypse

by Lise | Nature

Unless you’ve really been living in deep media seclusion, you probably already know the planet is in big trouble. The planet’s troubles, expressed as record heat waves, epic wildfires, prolonged droughts, biblical rainstorms, and erratic weather patterns, have led to all kinds of disruption here below.  Mother Nature isn’t just angry — she’s in crisis.  Which isn’t surprising since humans have been systematically trying to kill her off pretty much since the dawn of mankind.  Clearly she can’t take it anymore.

But elaborate metaphors aside, I’ve been worrying more than usual about the state of the environment and the decline of the natural realm, from the changing climate to the alarming loss of wildlife around the world.  Although it’s easy to forget these things living in Vermont, we do not live in a bubble.

The World Is Too Much With Us

by RDavis | Nature

When the world is too much with us I turn to the birds. Most of us have been in need of some sort of refuge these past few years and I have found the observation of the bird population to be an activity that has helped to clear my head and get a better perspective on the world.

I am not what might be called a birder. I do not count species and I do not make birding treks to look for rare species. Quite simply, I have put up a suet feeder and a hummingbird feeder in my yard so that I can watch the activity from my deck.

At first I wondered if feeding birds year round was a bad thing for birds. My research has shown me that there are pro’s and con’s but that, overall, birds are not usually harmed by having a handout on a regular basis.

IPCC Interactive Climate Map + New Report

by cgrotke | Nature

Here’s a new interactive climate map from the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:

https://interactive-atlas.ipcc.ch

They describe it as” A novel tool for flexible spatial and temporal analyses of much of the observed and projected climate change information underpinning the Working Group I contribution to the Sixth Assessment Report, including regional synthesis for Climatic Impact-Drivers (CIDs).”

BCTV Schedules – Week of August 9, 2021

by BCTVProg | Media

Monday, August 9, 2021

4:30 am Guilford Selectboard – Guilford SB Mtg 7/26/21
4:55 am Montpelier Connection – Rep. Sarah Copeland-Hanzas
5:30 am Brattleboro Development Review Board – Brattleboro DRB Mtg 7/21/21
7:35 am Congressman Peter Welch Press Conference – FMP Tang Science Annex Project

Who Told a US President to Nuclear Bomb Women and Children? Watch Out! They Might Do It Again!

by jay janson | Op/Ed

Shall we understand that US crimes against humanity, including the use of nuclear weapons on civilians in cities, have been committed in a democracy and under a democratic system of government? Or shall we realize that the source of all this continuing genocidal mayhem and nuclear threat are the wealthy and powerful investors in war headquartered mainly on Wall St. in New York City, who own and control the government.

Survey Alert: Have You Eaten Food from Foodworks, Edible Brattleboro, or Retreat Farm? We want to hear from you!

by Stephen Dotson | Food

We’re looking for shoppers (past and present!) and stakeholders from Foodworks, Retreat Farm, and Edible Brattleboro. We’d love to hear your thoughts about visiting these three places. If you’re interested, you can continue the conversation in an interview about your experiences. This is a chance to partner with the collaborative as we create a 5-year vision for an equitable, resilient, food system in Brattleboro. We’re hoping to build a broad coalition and welcome you to join us!

The Delta Variant

by SK-B | Health

I superficially looked at the CDC site, and learned 2 things about delta:

1. CDC sayszz the Delta Variant is one and a half times as contagious as Alpha (which I understand is the first new iteration after original Covid-19. What they mean is that if a person infected with Alpha would (under a particular set of circumstances) infect 2 additional persons; then a person infected with Delta, under the same set of circumstances, would infect 3 people. (Of course a major epidemic management goal would be to get the that number down to .9 or less.).

Selectboard Meeting Notes – Refugees, and a New Police Chief is Sworn-In

by cgrotke | Town News

The Brattleboro Selectboard returned from summer break to take up issues such as refugees and a new police chief. BDCC explained why they think the refugee program is a must, ECDC explained what their program was, and Brattleboro can look forward to up to 75 refugees a year and the anticipated financial and housing challenges, as well as the hoped-for benefits to the community and economy.

The board also swore-in new Police Chief Norma Hardy. The entire department showed up in support.

The Selectboard Is Perfect. Or Maybe The Representative Town Meeting Is A Rubber Stamp

by Kurt Daims | Op/Ed

The people must make RTM representative and creative, to insure RTM represents the people and looks beyond the money and infrastructure concerns of the selectboard. Join your neighbors.

At the 2021 RTM the selectboard assigned twenty-five articles for the RTM to consider. Many times the debate ended before everyone was finished, and all twenty-five were approved with huge majorities, many above 90% . Does this mean the selectboard is perfect, or does it mean the RTM is an uninformed rubber-stamp ?

At a recent selectboard candidate forum there was a show of hands of people who had read the town charter, and hardly anyone in the audience raised a hand. The surprise was that some people campaigning and on the selectboard had not read the charter, either.

Wildlife Rescues at WCHS

by cgrotke | Nature

Some news from the Windham County Humane Society:

” Many of us in Windham County know the awesome work done by local wildlife rehabilitator, Patti Smith. Patti has worked for decades with Dr. Ron Svec (WCHS’s newest board member!) of the VT-NH Veterinary Clinic when wildlife needed medical care. When Dr. Svec recently retired, Patti called up the shelter with what she thought was a big ask – would we be willing to allow vets to use our surgery space for wildlife?

The answer was a resounding YES! Former board member and veterinarian Dr. Susan Kelly was also up for the challenge. So when an opossum was injured by a dog, Dr. Kelly gave us a call. Momma possum had four joeys in her pouch. The babies were healthy but mom had a nasty injury 2/3 of the way down her tail. Baby possums need the entire tail because they sometimes hang by their tail. Adults use their tail to gather brush but don’t hang by their tails.

Representative Town Meeting Steering Committee External Issues Working Group Meeting Meeting Agenda

by Not Signed In | Town News

External Issues Working Group Meeting

August 5, 5:00 pm

Outdoor patio at the Brattleboro Food Coop

The agenda is to review suggestions concerning items related to the lead-up and preparation for Representative Town Meeting.

The public is invited to attend this discussion on issues concerning Representative Town Meeting.

Ocean Clean-Up

by cgrotke | Questions & Answers

Why don’t we task the U.S. Navy with cleaning up the oceans? 

The program is paid for, they have boats and people, and they are out in the oceans of the world all the time.

Okay, so you want some naval defense. Fine. If not 100%, why not 50%, or 10% of their assignment be ocean clean-up?

Blog88.org August Issue (The Word, “CRAZY!”) Is Out!

by SK-B | Other

With a few last-minute glitches and a few hours late, the new issue of Blog88.org is online. The theme of this edition is:

The Word, “CRAZY!”

Featured as the lead article, is a powerful, first-person account of the horrendous, routine abuse of human beings in the guise of psychiatric care: CRAZY OR NOT, HERE I COME by Phoebe Sparrow Wagner.