Vermontivate,an intertown energy conservation challenge,is launching Monday, May 14. Set to run until June 15, this frolicsome on-line/real-world competitioninfusesjoy and creativityinto the serious and important work ofenergy conservation.
Players will spend the month racking up points for everything fromchanging lightbulbsandstarting compost pilestowriting energy poetryfor their town paper or hosting acandle-lit raw food potluck and knitting bee.
From newbies and neophiles to over-educated energy mavens, people atall levels of awareness and engagementare invited to play! Even people who donâ t live in Vermont can sign up and play on behalf of their favorite Vermont town.
The winning community will receive the Grand Prize Award, atown-wide ice cream party from Ben and Jerryâ s!
â Climate change is the most significant issue we face as a culture, and energy use is at the core of the problem,’saysVermontivate co-founder, artist and activist Kathryn Blume. â But,’Blume continues, â approaching it with fear and trepidation does nothing to inspire people to action. On the other hand, we believe we can kick the Culture of Solutions into high gear with a potent combination of innovation, competition, and a little old-fashioned bribery.â
â Agreed!’addsco-founder Nick Lange,a consultant at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation. â Humanity found a bunch of black goo in the ground and figured out how to make a civilization out of it. Itâ s been a great party, but we happen to have seriously compromised the health of the planet along the way. So it only makes sense that we can take our idea-factory brains and opposable thumbs and turn it all around! And we might as well have a good time doing it!â
The game begins with players signing up at Vermontivate.com and following a series of weekly â Jumplines,’which offer a host of different energy-related challenges. â Weâ re hoping,’says Blume, â to get everyone from town energy committee members to people whoâ ve never changed a lightbulb in their life. So, weâ ve tiered our challenges into levels of Light Green, Medium Green, and Dark Green, so that anyone, at any level of knowledge or experience can participate and earn points for their town.â
Lange adds, â When people sign up, they can also join one of our Guilds, which are groups of like-minded players who can share information and ideas. If someone likes blogging or shooting video, they can be in the Town Criers Guild. If theyâ re more about writing energy limericks for their town paper, they can be in the Artists, Bards, and Troubadours Guild. People who like to give each other cupcakes as a reward for great work can be in the Boosters and Bakers Guild. Weâ ve really got something for everyone.â
Interested potential players can sign up atwww.vermontivate.com.