Read the entire issue as a PDF document.

Rob Williams, editor and publisher of Vermont Commons, is a teacher, historian, writer, and musician. He lives in Waitsfield.

Everything must be examined, everything must be shaken up, without exception, and without circumspection.- Denis Diderot -

We will not apologize for our way of life.” -- President Barack Obama -

OK, then.   

Let’s not apologize for our way of life.   

But let’s examine it.   

For we live in revolutionary times.   

Hans Ohanian is a physicist and writer. He has taught at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Union College, and UVM. His latest book is Einstein’s Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius.

Woody Tasch is chairman of Slow Money, an NGO dedicated to catalyzing the flow of patient capital to local food systems.

Carolyn Fox is a recent college graduate living in Burlington, and Amy Kirschner runs Vermont Sustainable Exchange.

Complementary currencies are nothing new, especially in areas that place heavy value on community, sustainability, and the local marketplace.  However, in this time when the national monetary system isn’t meeting every community’s needs, having a local currency or type of exchange becomes all the more important.

H.D. Thoreau is a Vermont war tax refuser who would prefer to remain anonymous until 100 other people join the tax-refusal campaign.

We say we want to end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the “war on terror,” and the U.S. Empire.  What have we done so far?  We expressed our objection to U.S. policies and criminal war of aggression based on lies in Iraq, advocated secession, wrote letters, lobbied our congressmen, voted for anti-war candidates, even protested in the streets.     

Robin McDermott is a co-founder of the Mad River Valley Localvore Project. She and her husband, Ray, operate their business, QualityTrainingPortal, from their home in Waitsfield, where they also grow much of their own food. 

Ron Miller has written several books on progressive and alternative education, and is currently editor of Education Revolution magazine a member of the Vermont Commons editorial board. He has taught at Goddard, St. Michael’s and Champlain colleges, and established the Bellwether School in Williston.

Carl Etnier is director of Peak Oil Awareness in Montpelier. He hosts two radio shows and blogs on the subjects of Peak Oil and relocalizing.

On a Saturday early in January, Transition Town Montpelier took a chance. Our group was warned by a more experienced Transitioner that we were too early in the Transition process to try something this bold.

Ben Falk grows food and fuel in the lower Mad River Valley, and develops post-petroleum human habitats with Whole Systems Design, LLC.