Writer and environmental activist Bill McKibben is urging Vermont lawmakers to pass a big expansion of weatherization programs and block tar sands oil from being shipped on a pipeline that crosses northern Vermont.
Speaking to a joint session of the Vermont Legislature, McKibben warned on Wednesday that the planet is warming rapidly and that steps need to be taken immediately to slow or reverse the trend.
He said failure to act will bring more frequent storms like Tropical Storm Irene, which wreaked havoc on Vermont in late August of 2011.
McKibben's speech followed a morning of testimony at the Statehouse by business leaders and others on what they're doing to adapt to climate change.
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