How much influence do any of us really feel in national or even state politics? What can we do about the dysfunction we witness? It's easy to feel hopeless with our political system but we do what we can.

Our energy needs seem to put us in a similar boat: we're at the mercy of what the corporate world wants to sell to us, and they set the prices. But in terms of energy, we actually can make individual choices that give us much more liberty, or even complete independence, even without the support of industry and politics.

Energy independence is THE prerequisite to political independence. If Vermont could produce more than 100% of our energy needs, we would be beholden to no-one and could have a thriving export economy, which is the foundation of most successful small nations. I believe energy independence should be our top individual and community priority.

There are lots of Vermonters who are already creating their own personal energy independence. They are not waiting for government to help them. Reliance on wood instead of oil/gas for home heating, weatherizing our homes, keeping un-needed lights/electronics off, line-drying instead of using the electric dryer, growing vegetables and berries, raising cows/pigs/chickens/sheep/rabbits/yak/llammas, installing solar panels, and living in modestly-sized homes near our work-place are all common practices in Vermont's culture past and present.

And now, there is what I see as an emergence of "energy heroes" who are really taking matters into their own hands. They are taking independence several steps further than mere conservation. I know of people who collect used cooking oil to heat their homes and fuel their vehicles at virtually no cost other than time. I know someone who is about to install a micro-hydro power system on a small stream near their home which will provide 80% of their electric needs. I know a man who is trying to convert his outdoor wood-boiler to also run a steam-turbine producing electricity. I know people who use insulated greenhouses and wood-boilers to produce leafy greens throughout the winter. Lots of people in Vermont are off-grid and living a great lifestyle. I know a bone-thin vegan girl who manages to chop 3 cord of wood every summer the old fashioned way, with an ax. Farms all over the state are putting up small wind-turbines. At least 6 large Vermont farms are installing methane-biogas generators. Seventh Generation will give employees a $15,000 loan to put solar panels on their home and the loan is forgiven after their 5th year working there. American Flatbread uses a sustainable local fuel source, (wood) to cook all of their pies. Green Mountain Coffee is about to put $800,000 worth of solar panels on their roof. Middlebury College is using waste-heat to fuel algae-grow that can be turned into diesel fuel. A land-fill in Coventry burns methane to generate enough electricity for thousands of homes. There are people in Vermont who are converting their vehicles to run on a mixture of water and gas. HHO (hydrogen) is generated on-board from water, and is then mixed with gas to increase their MPG by 50%. Search "water fuel" or "HHO" on google or go to http://hho-gas.org/2008/08/13/what-is-hho-gas-intro-to-hho-technology/ if you don't believe it.

These people and organizations are not just crying "victim" in this "energy crisis" (in which we pay half the price per gallon that European countries pay). These people are carving out sustainability on their own terms, using common sense and ingenuity fueled by a core-value of self-reliance.

This is our opportunity to make Vermont truly independent. We need to harness this spirit first in our own lives, and then get our communities together. Each town in Vermont could invest in a large wind-turbine that could provide 80% of their power. Every town could use their sewage-plants to produce methane and algae to create electricity. Towns could invest in local micro-hydro plants like Greensboro/Hardwick have done. People and institutions could switch to efficient wood-fired or pellet boilers for their heating needs and create a new sustainable logging industry and bio-mass industry.

None of this is "what if" technology. Just common sense for our Vermont Commons. And it's happening all around us. This is how to Free Vermont.