Newspaper articles and opinion pieces
Columns and feature articles written for the Sunday Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus in Vermont (and recently the Green Energy Times, which are often edited versions of Herald articles).
For each year, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 there is an compilation of my "Planet" newspaper columns.
Environmental Journalism Revisited outlines the history, philosophy and vision of the Sunday Environment page; and gives an overview of the published content during the first four years.
This letter from the 1927 flood in Vermont was published in the Herald in memory of the Irene flood.
Since 2016, edited versions of my newspaper articles have been published with different graphics in the Green Energy Times (see annual collections to right)
- 2021-01-09The Future has Arrived
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-10-03The Truth Matters
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-09-04Capitalism, Courage and Justice
- Green Energy Times
- 2020-08-01Our Present Task
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-06-21The Global Economy Crumbles
- Green Energy Times
- 2020-06-21Phase-out fossil-fuel financing
- Green Energy Times
- 2020-06-13Capitalism, Courage and Justice
- Rutland Herald & Barre/Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-04-02Resolve to save the Earth
- Green Energy Times
- 2020-03-07Phase-out fossil-fuel financing
- Rutland Herald &Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-01-18Resolve to save the Earth
- Rutland Herald & Barre/Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2020-01-15Time to Re-imagine Capitalism
- Green Energy Times
- 2019-11-30Time to re-imagine capitalism
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-10-12The Global Rebellion starts
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-09-07Floods, ice, fires and drought
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-07-20The Climate Catastrophe is coming
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-07-15Rebellion to save the Earth (V2)
- Green Energy Times
- 2019-06-01Rebellion to save the Earth
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-05-15Saving our children
- Green Energy Times
- 2019-04-13Saving our children
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-02-23The clash between oil and the future
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2019-01-05Time to Face the Future
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2018-10-28Time for real change
- Green Energy Times: P24
- 2018-10-27Faith, hope and the creation
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
- 2018-06-02Our responsibility to the Earth
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2018-04-07Lessons from winter
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2018-02-10Intelligence and Resilience
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2017-11-04Robbing Our Children's Future
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2017-10-07Surviving Maria in Puerto Rico
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2017-09-16Biblical floods and storms
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Time-Argus
- 2017-09-16From Inside the Eye of the Storm (Hurricane Irma)
- Rutland Herald
- 2017-07-29Be Grateful For Global Society
- Rutland Herald
- 2017-06-10Needed: Clarity and Courage
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2017-04-22Getting there more efficiently
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2017-04-21Tacking transport this spring
- Green Energy Times
- 2017-02-18Gulf between Science and Politics
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2016-12-31Toward Solidarity, Community
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2016-12-15One world is ending, start working on the next
- Green Energy Times
- 2016-11-12Externalizing the Costs
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
- 2016-10-21Libertarian Ideology Alleges that Climate Change Is a Hoax
- Green Energy Times
- 2016-09-25Science versus libertarian billionaires - Getting right with the planet
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times Argus
- 2016-08-18Please tell me the weather next month!
- Green Energy Times
- 2016-06-19Earth ignores politics
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2016-06-18Transforming Energy Use in New England
- Green Energy Times
- 2016-05-08Embrace Change this Spring
- Rutland Herald
- 2016-04-15Welcome This Early Spring
- Green Energy Times
- 2016-03-06Transforming transport in Vermont
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2015-10-04Warm Fall Brings Hope
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2015-08-29Science and Spirit
- Rutland Herald editorial, adapted from Time-Argus, Aug. 27
- 2015-08-27Pointing to Hope
- Editorial by Steven Pappas, The Times Argus
- 2015-08-16Caring for our common home
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2015-01-25The transformation ahead
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2014-10-05Marching toward our climate future
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2014-08-17A radical alternative to a carbon tax
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2014-05-11Celebrate Mother Earth today
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2013-12-15Climate Change is a moral issue
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2013-10-27Collaboration can solve our Environmental Challenges
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2013-09-08Communities can build a more resilient society
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2013-06-02Spring resilience and fossil carbon taxes
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2013-01-20Reflections on our environment, five years later
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2012-10-07The leaders we have been waiting for
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2012-08-19Finding our way to a sustainable future
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2012-07-22Down to earth: Vt. scientist gauges climate from his garden - Kevin O'Connor
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2012-07-08Vermonters debate wind energy: Public input is part of the process
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2012-05-20Climate change requires us to become an energy-efficient society
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2011-10-23Understanding and dealing with a changing world
- Rutland Herald
- 2011-09-11Vulnerability and resilience after tropical storm Irene
- Rutland Herald and Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2011-09-04The second flood of 2011
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2011-04-03Let’s be honest about our global interdependence
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2011-01-02New Year’s reflections on our responsibility for the Earth
- Rutland Herald
- 2010-11-21What to do with all this rain!
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2010-10-10Today is a day of climate action around the world
- Rutland Herald
- 2010-08-29Earth’s Response to human stresses on the natural landscape
- Rutland Herald
- 2010-06-06Oil disasters and the transition to sustainability
- Rutland Herald
- 2010-04-25Spring climate transition and new beginnings
- Rutland Herald
- 2009-12-06The Copenhagen Challenge
- Rutland Herald
- 2009-10-04Retrofitting your house for energy efficiency
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2009-05-10Balancing technology, economics and values
- Rutland Herald
- 2009-04-05Envisioning a sustainable energy future
- Rutland Herald
- 2009-01-18Winter reflections, one year on
- Rutland Herald
- 2008-11-17Sustainable Systems
- Rutland Herald
- 2008-10-05Care for our forests
- Rutland Herald
- 2008-08-03Facing the truth about our policies
- Rutland Herald
- 2008-03-23A challenge we all face
- Rutland Herald
- 2008-01-20Welcome to the planet
- Rutland Herald
- 2007-09-09How can we maintain our technological society?
- Rutland Herald
- 2007-06-24Growing Pains: How global warming helps and hurts Vt. agriculture
- Rutland Herald
- 2007-04-01Earth in the Balance.
- Sojourners
- 2007-03-11Report is a landmark for humanity
- Rutland Herald & Barre-Montpelier Times-Argus
- 2007-03-08Why Climate Change Report matters
- Burlington Free Press
Yearly Collections of my newspaper articles
These collections of articles blend science and opinion with a systems perspective as they go through the seasons, dealing with weather, climate, energy and policy issues. They encourage the reader to explore alternative and hopeful paths for themselves, their families and society. I have written them so that a scientist will perceive them as accurate (although simplified); while the public can relate their tangible experience of the weather to the much broader issues of climate and climate change. As political attacks on climate science have increased in recent years, I have expanded my social and political commentary, since earth scientists share responsibility for the future of the Earth!
Here is a citable reference list for the Climate, Energy and Community, 'Planet' series with DOIs.
- Betts, Green Energy Times, 2020
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2020
- Betts, Green Energy Times, 2019
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2019
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2018
- Betts, Green Energy Times, 2018
- Betts, Green Energy Times, 2017
- Betts, Green Energy Times, 2016
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2017
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2016
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2015
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2014
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2013
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2012
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2011
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2010
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2009
- Climate, Energy and Community: Vermont 2008
Special climate topics
Short papers covering selected topics in more detail
- Our Responsibilities for Managing the Earth system
- Vermont Climate Change Indicators
- Seasonal Climate Transitions in New England
- Climate Change in Vermont
- The Climate Energy Balance
- The Earth’s Water Cycle
- Extreme Weather and Climate Change.
- Environmental Journalism Revisited
- Integrating solar energy and climate research into science education
- Ideology versus Climate Change
- Plug-in hybrids give the reduction in gasoline use needed at low cost
- Global Rebellion to save the Earth (Rebellion.Earth)