Freyne Land

It had the feel of one of those Douglasian proverbs delivered from the opposite side of Planet Earth to the folks back home in the Green Mountains.

Gov. Jim Douglas [left, in a recent WCAX appearance] was on a conference call Tuesday with a slice of the Vermont/N.Y. press/media from the worlds of radio, newspapers, TV, The Associated Press and that Internet thingy.

The Douglas line that really opened the window on how Jim Douglas truly understands the global-warming crisis was this one:

"To have a genuine positive impact on global warming, I would recommend that people look to the East.”

Look to the East?

Whatever you say, Grasshopper. But are you sure?

"I’ve said many times that Vermont has such a small imprint on the surface of the planet that we can do as much as possible and still not save a single polar bear or make any significant impact on global warming," said Vermont's Republican CEO.

"But China can have an impact because of the environmental challenges the environmental officials we’ve met with recognize and need to deal with. I would hope that Vermonters who have a serious interest in climate change would devote their time and energy to places like China where the potential for progress is far more significant," said Gov. Douglas.

He's not suggesting Vermonters take Act 250 to China, is he?

No way.

Reported Louis Porter in this morning's Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus:

"He just doesn't get it," said Senate President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, D-Windham, and a leading supporter of the proposed new efficiency program.

"As everyone from the people I speak to on the street to Al Gore understand, if Vermont leads the way in terms of reducing our demand for oil other states will follow," he said. "That is the sort of leadership that is lacking and this bill [H. 520] provides it."