Critics charge Vermont's Agency of Natural Resources isn't tough enough

Heading south on Route 7 from Brandon, drivers might notice a persistent, stationary cloud in the sky. It's possible to view it from up close, too - with proper credentials. Just turn right onto Kendall Hill Road, cruise past the cow pasture, covered bridge, tulip beds and cherry trees. Follow the bend in the road past Smith Pond.

Why has everyone abandoned the residents of Whispering Pines trailer park?

The hand-painted sign on the front door of Sandi Shum's mobile home reads, "This house protected by angels." If that's the case, heaven's little helpers are flying solo on this mission.

Shum, 50, lives alone in her trailer in a wooded corner of Whispering Pines, a small mobile home park on Route 103 in North Clarendon.

Noting the local impact of Elizabeth Kolbert's long-term forecast

Can Burlington save humanity from the catastrophic effects of global warming? It can't by itself, of course. But if other cities in the United States alone were to implement the initiatives Burlington has taken over the past 15 years, the next generation or two just might be spared the unmanageable impacts of higher temperatures and rising sea levels.