Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

UVM Electric Lawn Mower Pilot Program

Niels Arentzen and Peggy O’Neill-Vivanco

When University of Vermont (UVM) Business student Niels Arentzen was in high school, he operated a lawn care business, and explored the possibility of starting a commercial electric mowing company

UVM pilots an e-mower which offers affordable, no emissions, and quiet lawncare. (Matt Power)

. His research into […]

Behind the Blue Bin – What Is Recycled?

Adam Minter

This article was originally published in the winter Sierra magazine and online on December 22, 2021

Local governments began distributing recycling bins in the 1970s. Those bins were largely reserved for the flood of daily headlines, as newspapers were attractive raw material for paper mills.

By the 1980s, many cities had also signed […]

The Ultimate Migrant Farmworkers

Birds Outperform Pesticides

A kestrel finds a rodent to feed on. (www.gardenbirdwatching.com)

Jessie Haas

If you’ve ever grown fruit or berries, you know the ambivialence farmers feel about birds. A beautiful and essential part of nature, they can also be a pest that eats into crops and profits, damaging from $104 […]

Oh – a Pineapple!

Artist: Joyce Dutka

David Fried

My brother grows tropical fruit trees in Hawaii. Some years back he drove down our driveway in Elmore, VT and stopped his car. He rolled down his window and said, ” I am never going to be cold again.” Outside his window the hill is covered […]

Eating Well for Your Health

Eat your reds, yellows and greens. (Flickr/David Saddler)

Larry Plesent

Over-the-counter pain reducers (NSAID’s) are a $2 billion-a-year industry in the USA, just 11% of the total $18 billion annually spent on pain medication. Over 100 million Americans are in chronic pain. It’s time to take a step back and ask […]

RenewAire To the Rescue for Avon Old Farms School

Avon Old Farms School is a beautiful, sprawling campus of period buildings, where historic preservation makes technological upgrades challenging. Credit: Avon Old Farms

Barb and Greg Whitchurch

Remember the spring of 2020? Covid was a “thing.” Scientists and health officials say, “Watch Out!” Our top-ranking politicians and other so-called influencers […]

Getting to Net-Zero Everything: Part 3

Sara Gutterman

This three-part blog series outlines the urgent need to transition to net-zero energy, water, and carbon. This final installment explores how the quickening pace of our climate emergency demands we reach full-scale elimination of carbon emissions.

The transition to the Decarbonization Economy will effectively require a complete overhaul of our […]

Efficiency Vermont’s Efficiency Excellence Network’s (EEN) Spotlight:

A Look Inside

Interview with Bryn Oakleaf, the Efficiency Excellence Network (EEN) Program Manager

G.E.T. Staff

How did you become interested in energy efficiency work?

Bryn Oakleaf: I started working for Efficiency Vermont in 2019 after many years working for state government in environmental policy roles. I was drawn […]

Warm and Cool Homes Built in New Hampshire

The 10kW solar array provides enough electricity for the demands of the house. (Photos: Wes Golomb)

Wes Golomb and Bob Irving

This is the first in a series of articles based on Wes Golomb’s newly published book and video series. Warm and Cool Homes, Building a Comfy, Healthy, Net-Zero Home You’ll […]

The Next Frontier in Sustainable Building:

Deep Altruism

Green Building pays off reducing global atmospheric carbon levels and the resulting potential reduction in the severity of climate change. (Flickr)

Nate Gusakov

For the last few decades, most of the leading discussion, innovation, and progress towards a more sustainable building industry have been centered on reducing operational energy […]