A frequent contributor to the discussion threads here on Atomic Insights shared the following observation about the battle over Vermont Yankee. I think it deserves more attention than it will get buried in a separate commenting system. I would be interested in hearing from you; especially if you have a personal connection to the struggle. That does not mean I think you need to live within the state of Vermont to have an interest or a concern on this very important issue. There is a similar battle going on in New York over Indian Point and there will be others over both license renewals and new construction licenses.
A commenter who identifies himself as katana0182 (Dave) wrote:
VY is going to be a big fight - and really important, too. It's important for the future of Vermont, important for the future of Western Massachusetts, important for the future of New England, important for the future of the country at large, important for the world. Whether or not we're serious about fighting global warming depends on this: whether fear of the unseen, of the unknown, of the "invisible world", of modern-day "witchcraft", and reflexive articles of political (even quasi-religious) faith will win over science, engineering, common sense, decency, and REAL environmental protection. This is going to be the Scopes Monkey Trial - if not the Salem Witch Trial - of the 21st century.

The Court of Oyer and Terminer is open for business up Montpelier way, and now comes the defendant, Vermont Yankee, accused of weird, mysterious, and strange means of generating energy, ways not understood, ways feared because they are uncanny, and inexpensive, and endanger the fossil fuel interests! Witchcraft is rumored to abound down in Vernon, Vermont under the unholy concrete of the Reactor Building!

At the bench, we have Peter Shumlin, a latter day Judge Hawthorne, who always findeth so many and divers witches, and always hath so little firewood, while for the Prosecution, we have his erstwhile accomplices of VTPIRG. What evidence do they have? Cows have given sour milk, and strange lights have been seen in the night...and these little girls have given us evidence! They have seen witches in their dreams, speaking in tongues about strange rituals! SPECTRAL EVIDENCE!

A coven of witches dancing around the pressure vessel chanting "Boil, boil, toil and trouble, fuel rods heat, and reactor bubble! Jet pumps run, and dry steam bring; wetwell quench, and turbine sing. Unknown deposits of the Chalk River, distill thee out! Get thee hither!" WITCHCRAFT! The claw of the Devil holds Vernon, Vermont!

Who's funding this modern day Inquisition? The filthy special interests who have their eye on Vermont - King Coal and Standard Oil - King Coal's looking to bulldoze the Green Mountains into the Brown Hills - while Standard wants to DRILL BABY DRILL!

The question before the jury: Do we want poverty? Or do we want a decent life? Should government serve the special interests? Or shall it serve the public good? Shall we give blood for oil? Or shall we make energy for all? Shall we fight global warming with the only thing powerful enough to stop it? Or will we all be downwind of the global meltdown? In the balance stand the people of Vermont - the people of New England - the people of the United States of America - the people of this planet.

The clock is ticking: either civilization ends carbon, or carbon ends civilization. Either we end fossil fuels, or fossil fuels end us all.

Ending fossil fuels starts with saving Vermont Yankee from this latter-day witch-hunt.