In addition to the IRA, there are tax incentives and money back deals to get you started on all types of green projects, from home weatherization to electric vehicles. Every New Year brings changes to state and federal incentives to cut carbon emissions– read on for some of the opportunities available to Vermonters in the New Year:

SOLAR

The federal Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is the most well-known financial incentive for homeowners to go solar. Thanks to the IRA, the ITC will go up to 30%, meaning that 30% of the cost of a solar photovoltaic (PV) system, home batteries, or a geothermal system can be claimed on federal income taxes. This is a dollar-for-dollar reduction on your income tax! As of now, the 30% credit will stay in place through 2034. 

In Vermont, if your solar array produces more electricity than you use at any given time, that power is sent to the grid and your utility company is required to credit your electricity bill by a certain amount. In addition, there is no sales tax assessed on solar installations, and the additional value the system adds to your home is exempt from state property taxes.

ADVANCED WOOD HEATING

In 2023 the Wood and Pellet Heater Investment Tax Credit will cover 30% of the purchase and installation costs of home heating and hot water systems that utilize wood pellets, chips and cordwood. There is an annual cap of $2,000. The State of Vermont also offers incentives for woodstove changeouts and repairs. Incentives of up to $6,000 for stove and $4,000 for repairs are available for new cordwood or pellet stoves that meet certain EPA standards and/or a repair of a chimney or hearth necessary for the new stove to meet fire and Building Safety Code. To be eligible you must remove an existing wood stove that is not EPA certified or more than 20 years old. Depending on income level, 80% or 60% of the cost is covered up to $6,000. Visit rerc-vt.org/woodstove-change-out-and-repairs for more information on this program.

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

The IRA contains many incentives for electric vehicles (EVs). For the first time there is a federal tax credit for used EVs of 30% up to $4,000, with an income cap for the buyer. Starting in 2024, this credit can be transferred directly to dealerships for discounts at point of sale. There is also a tax credit of 30% up to $7,500 for new EVs, but there are various requirements to receive the full credit. You will need to check that the car is eligible, that you meet income limits, and that final assembly of the vehicle took place in the US.

The State of Vermont also offers additional EV incentives. As of July 1, 2022 there was $12.3 million available for the program. Interested Vermonters are encouraged to take advantage of this offering while funds are available. The amount of your specific incentive depends on income level and whether the vehicle is hybrid plug-in electric, or all electric. It is best to act now, as funding has run out before, resulting in a break before more could be appropriated. 

If you are looking for a used car, Vermont also offers an incentive for used hybrids and EVs, called MileageSmart. The MileageSmart Incentive is worth 25% of the initial price of the vehicle (excluding taxes and registration fees), up to $5,000. The program currently has over $250,000 of remaining incentives.

WEATHERIZATION

Weatherization is on many people’s minds as temperatures dip down to the single digits. Vermont’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) provides free home weatherization if you meet household income limits. On average, this program Makes about $8,500 worth of improvements per home and reduces drafts by about 40%. Visit https://dcf.vermont.gov/benefits/weatherization for more information and to see income guidelines. 

The Home Performance with Energy Star (HPwES) program connects homeowners and certified contractors to assess home energy use and perform energy improvements. Currently homeowners can receive 75% of project cost back, up to $2,000. Income-eligible Vermonters can receive 75% of project cost back, up to $5,000. Available while funds last. Details at www.efficiencyvermont.com/rebates/list/home-performance-with-energy-star. 

There are a myriad of incentives, rebates, and tax credits available for upgrading your energy use in 2023. The opportunities outlined here are just a selection. Visit efficiencyvermont.com to learn about more incentives for technology such as heat pumps, lighting, air conditioners, thermostats, furnaces, boilers and more. On average, each Vermonter is responsible for over 15 tons (30,000 pounds) of greenhouse gas emissions of air pollution per year. Make 2023 the year you reduce your carbon footprint. 

Economic incentives make 2023 a great year for you to harness the immense power of the sun to meet your energy needs. Photo: NASA/SDO

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Give Sustainable Gifts

You’ve heard it before, but it bears repeating: shop locally! In doing so you’ll be investing in your community and local economy. Many of our local small businesses are selling items made locally, from cheese and jams to wooden cutting board, pottery, and clothing. Some examples of gifts I have given in the past include a wreath made of organic dried flowers from Wood Frog Flowers, jams from Blake Hill Preserves, Darn Tough socks, and a hand-painted lampshade from Lampscapes. There are plenty of online Vermont gift guides if you’re lost for ideas, or head to your town’s local holiday market. As a side note– studies reveal that at least 25% of returned items are thrown in a retailer’s dumpster. They lack staff and time to reshelve their products. It’s better to give a gift card so the recipient gets something they will keep.

If you have a crafting talent of your own, try making homemade gifts such as ornaments, soaps, cookies, jams, scarves, artwork, potted plants, pottery, woodworking… the list goes on. Or, gift an experience– think of all the local BnBs, theatre, films, music, restaurants, and activities to experience. Lastly, the gift idea that truly gives back: donating to charity. There are so many charities in the Upper Valley and Vermont as a whole, and you’re sure to find one that fits the person you’re giving to. 

Recycling and Wrapping Paper

Please, for the sake of our recycling centers, do not recycle your wrapping paper until you have examined what it is made of! It may be called wrapping “paper” but if you look at the actual materials that go into most wrapping paper you’ll find glitter, laminated surfaces, plastic, foil, and other non-recyclable materials. Buy recyclable wrapping paper, or look out for wrapping paper made of 100% paper (100% recycled paper is event better!). Never try to recycle wrapping paper with sparkles, fuzzy material, foil, or anything that feels like plastic. 

Or, you can skip traditional wrapping paper altogether. Go outside the box and try other materials such as: plain brown or white paper, the comic section of your newspaper, old maps, a reusable cloth bag, or a bandana or scarf. Your presents don’t have to be boring to be sustainable– try decorating with evergreen sprigs, pinecones, and dried flowers. 

The Holiday Tree

As someone who celebrates both Christmas and Hanukkah, and has a birthday directly after Christmas, a “Christmas” tree can represent many things, all of which are celebratory and joyful. But a tree is only as good as its environmental impact. If you want your tree to be the most environmentally-friendly it can be, first thing’s first: Artificial trees may reduce your pre- and post- holiday stress, but there is little about them that’s environmentally friendly. They’re manufactured with PVC plastic and metal, and are typically shipped from places far from the U.S. They can be reused year after year but eventually they will end up buried in a landfill.  As far as we know, there is nowhere locally where they can be recycled.

Photo caption & credit: Harvesting a locally-raised Christmas tree is a tradition that supports local growers and can be done sustainably when the post-holiday tree is returned to the soil (see suggestions, above).  Photo by Julianna Arjes on Unsplash.

Instead, buy a locally-grown tree to minimize transportation and support the local economy. Holiday trees are grown to be harvested and are continually being replaced with new seedlings. Check with your grower to see if they use pesticides, which can spread to the natural environment where the trees are grown, or buy an organic tree. Another option growing in popularity is a living tree, which can live in a pot in the house for under a week, and can then be planted outside. Either way, don’t forget the LED lights. 

When the holidays are over and your tree’s needles are covering the floor, don’t dump it in the trash! Return your dead tree to nature, if you have a forested area to put it in. You can mulch your garden with the boughs of the tree, chip the wood to use on garden paths, or leave your tree in the yard for critters and birds to take advantage of. The Hartford Transfer Station also accepts trees, if you lack yard space. They are added to the brush pile there, chipped, and stay on site. 

We wish you a happy, and sustainable, holiday!

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Sustainable Woodstock’s focus on community resilience in response to global climate change is catalyzed by the pressing need to ensure that residents of Woodstock, the surrounding towns and the Upper Valley region are able to find sustenance, health and safety—the necessities that individuals and communities need to achieve their full potential. To these ends, Sustainable Woodstock has increased our capacity as a leading local and regional grassroots organization that reaches across social, economic and cultural barriers to promote Sustainable Opportunities for All. We have increased the events and initiatives that provide support and security in regards to food and energy needs for those from all backgrounds and income levels. The links between Earth stewardship, social justice and racial equality are more clear and present than ever before.

2022 Highlights

• Sustainable Woodstock—The Whole Environment: Working with the community to foster Woodstock’s unique legacy of stewardship, sustainability and resilience—yesterday, today and tomorrow. 
• Climate Change Leadership: Producing and partnering on numerous public programs, student and community actions, films, articles, solar energy projects, energy conservation and transportation initiatives and programs, including a Regional Climate Action Plan to curb carbon emissions and mitigate global warming.
• Energy & Transportation Action Group: Collaborating with the Town and Village of Woodstock and the Intermunicipal Regional Energy Coordinator (IREC/Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission) to design and retrofit buildings to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions at considerable savings to Woodstock residents over time.
  • Equal Energy Opportunities for All: Raising $100,000 to implement energy-efficiency improvements & upgraded systems for income-sensitive households—from weatherization to heat pumps.
  • Renewable Energy for All: Promoting the means to make renewable energy affordable for everyone. Partnering with Norwich Solar Technologies, Twin Pines Housing, SEVCA and IREC to plan a solar array to serve low- to moderate-income households. 
  • Window Dressers: Implementing a 2-year project for income-sensitive households in Woodstock and the surrounding towns, making some 450 interior storm window inserts to reduce cold drafts, save energy, lower heating costs and reduce carbon emissions: https://windowdressers.org/
  • eBike Trials: Provided 67 free public eBike trials (to date) to promote low-impact transportation, in partnership with Vital Communities, Local Motion, Norman Williams Public Library and St. James Church.
• Community Gardens & Food Security: Helping to meet the crucial need for sustenance as the root of sustainability for individuals and families. SW expanded our Billings Farm and King Farm community gardens and planted additional food security plots. Our GROW YOUR OWN GARDEN project created 225 beginner gardening kits that were distributed free to income-sensitive households—feeding some 600 people. This year we also funded raised beds at Woodstock’s Riverside Mobile Home Park.
• Natural Resources Projects & Funding: On behalf of the Town and Village of Woodstock, Sustainable Woodstock applied for $280,000 in state funding to implement natural resource projects related to water quality. Procured a project design grant from VT Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) and Watershed United Vermont to mitigate erosion along Barnard Brook (in partnership with the Woodstock Resort Corporation & Billings Farm). Initiated a process—in partnership with the Connecticut River Conservancy, Woodstock Resort and ANR—to remove the three remaining dams restricting fish passage along Kedron Brook.
• Advocacy: SW advocates on the local, regional and statewide level for sustainability and community benefits, ranging from climate change mitigation and community resiliency to quiet alternatives to leaf blowers.
• Upper Valley Partners & Leadership: No town is an island. Sustainable Woodstock has worked on regional sustainability initiatives, educational programs and events in partnership with more than 60 organizations and municipal bodies throughout Woodstock, the Ottauquechee Watershed and the Upper Valley. As a result of SW’s success, residents in Lebanon, Brownsville and Plymouth asked for help with forming organizations to address sustainability and resiliency in their own communities.
• Celebrating the 4th year of partnering with Pentangle Arts on monthly screenings of our Upper Valley Climate Change & Sustainability Film Series—with attendance of over 4,500 people (to date) from  the Upper Valley and beyond, including online viewers from Europe to New Zealand! Inspiring viewers to act on critical environmental and social issues, with generous support from underwriters Mascoma Bank & Vermont Community Foundation, and sponsors Mark D. Knott DDS, Ellaway Property Services, Unicorn and Yankee Bookshop.
• Bridgewater Community Center: SW is in the 4th year of helping to transform the Bridgewater Area Community Center into a resilient, sustainable hub, including the Bridgewater Community Childcare, which opened its doors to children and families in June 2022! During this time, we have spearheaded a successful $100,000 grant from the State of Vermont and National Park Service to restore and weatherize historic windows and install new storm windows throughout, and co-authored a successful $75,000 grant from the Canaday Family Charitable Trust to install energy-efficient systems.
• Completed 7 years of monthly Green Drinks discussions, reaching a growing audience with presentations and discussions on sustainability initiatives in Woodstock, the Upper Valley and beyond—a dynamic venue for networking, public education and collaboration between sustainability and resilience organizations. 
• Weekly Columns: 12+ years of writing weekly columns for the Vermont Standard. (A special thanks to the Vermont Standard staff!)
• Community Recycling: At SW’s Annual Recycling Day, on October 15, 2022, participants recycled nearly 11,000 pounds of used electronics, and 5,000 pounds of documents. Forest Carbon Action Group: Marking 4 years of leadership educating foresters and landowners about managing forest carbon to mitigate climate change. Published a 24×36 full-color Family Forest Carbon Poster with Northam Forest Carbon. 

Sustainable Woodstock is honored and grateful for the energy, enthusiasm and hard work of our dedicated volunteers—and for the incredible generosity of our supporters—all of whom make it possible to accomplish so much on behalf of our communities and the environment. Thank you!

Photo caption & credit: A sampling of harvests from Sustainable Woodstock’s Community Garden at Billings Farm that were donated to the Woodstock Community Food Shelf. (Photo: Amy Wheeler/Sustainable Woodstock)

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This fall Sustainable Woodstock is once again participating in Efficiency Vermont’s Button Up campaign. This yearly campaign hosts educational events and offers free virtual home energy visits, where an Efficiency Vermont energy expert can do a walkthrough of your home online. Together, you will check over your house and identify the best opportunities for saving energy. There are also virtual and in-person events where you can get your questions answered. Visit https://buttonupvermont.org to see events and sign up for a virtual energy visit.

Have you been meaning to start the weatherization process in your home, but keep getting cold feet? Here are three common weatherization myths, and tips and tricks to consider instead:

Doing a comprehensive weatherization project costs too much

This is a tricky one, since it depends so much on individual circumstances. However, there are programs and rebates out there to help with weatherization. The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is a national program run by Community Action Partnerships (CAPs) across the country. In Windham and Windsor counties, SEVCA is the agency administering this program.  Visiting SEVCA’s website or calling will provide the information you need to determine eligibility (www.sevca.org or call 802•722•4575). If you qualify, SEVCA will come in and do a full energy audit of your home, and will insulate important areas like the basement and attic. They can also help replace inefficient appliances. The nonprofit COVER Home Repair also weatherizes homes of income-qualifying residents who are within 45 minutes of White River Junction.

If you do not qualify for free weatherization, there are other great options and incentives. Income-based Home Energy Loans offer as low as 0% interest and up to 100% financing for home weatherization and heating improvements, and can include: cold-climate heat pumps, air sealing and insulation, solar hot water heaters, heat pump water heaters, central pellet boilers and furnaces, and advanced cord wood and pellet stoves. Visit efficiencyvermont.com for more details. Home Performance with ENERGY STAR, another program available to Vermonters, allows you to work with an Efficiency Excellence Network contractor to improve your home’s insulation and air sealing and get 75% off project costs up to $2,000 or $5,000, depending on your income. These “money back” programs that offer rebates are common when purchasing a new efficient appliance as well. Visit efficiencyvermont.com for details.

Weatherizing requires working with a contractor

Of course, some things are better left to the experts. That said, you don’t need too much experience to make simple home weatherization improvements. Efficiency Vermont offers $100 cash back on DIY projects, including weatherstripping, insulation, and air-sealing. Eligible projects include weatherizing exterior doors and windows, insulating hot water pipes, and spot air sealing your attic and basement. Visit efficiencyvermont.com to learn more about eligible projects.

Weatherization is all about windows and doors

When I talk to people about weatherizing their homes the first thing they often jump to is the quality of their windows. There are many reasons to invest in new windows, including better visibility, aesthetics, and noise reduction from the outdoors. New windows also improve your home’s energy efficiency, but typically not enough to actually save you money. This is because of the high upfront cost. 

It may be time to replace your windows if they are single paned, have extensive deterioration, are missing parts, or have rotted frames. Otherwise, start with easy window repairs like weatherstripping, filling cavities, replacing cracked panes, and adding caulking around window casings. Consider adding storm windows; there are exterior and interior options. Rather than blowing your weatherization budget on all new windows, these smaller fixes are much more cost effective. They will allow you to focus your energy and money on insulating your basement/crawlspace and attic, which are the areas of your home where weatherization will save you the most energy.

Window Dresser interior inserts are a cost-effective way to realize energy savings and increased comfort at home. Photos courtesy of Window Dressers.

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This community build is run in partnership with Window Dressers (WD). WD brings volunteers together to build insulating window inserts for a participating town’s residents. The inserts function like custom interior storm windows, insulating a home to improve the warmth and comfort of interior spaces, lower heating costs, and reduce carbon dioxide pollution. More info is at: https://windowdressers.org/.

All recipients of our Window Dressers build are income-qualifying and are receiving up to 10 inserts for free. We were able to identify and offer support to recipients in partnership with the Woodstock Area Relief Fund, which provided home heating grants to households last winter. We also found interested families by advertising at the Woodstock Area Food Shelf and posting on local listservs. The inserts are free of charge to all due to generous funding from Mascoma Bank and the Canaday Family Charitable Trust. 

We will construct ~225 inserts for 26 families during our week-long build, which will have multiple shifts during the weekday and on the weekend for people to volunteer—no experience necessary. While you do not need to have any building experience to be successful at a community build, you can still contribute if building isn’t in your comfort zone. We will also need folks to bring snacks and other food and drink for every day of the build, including bigger dishes around lunchtime. This program is a great experience for anyone wanting to help those in our community reduce energy load, save money, and create a warmer living space during the cold months of the year.

Window Dressers is also an important way of addressing energy burden for low-income Vermonters. Energy burden is the share of a household’s income spent on heat, electricity and transportation. According to Energy Action Vermont, some Vermonters spend over a quarter of their income on energy costs. Even worse, most of those expenses are for fossil fuels, which have volatile prices like those that we are seeing now for heating oil, propane, and at the gas pump. A tighter, well-insulated home is one step towards reducing a home’s energy burden, and to making it a more comfortable space.

Volunteering is also a great way to help the planet by combatting climate change. The thermal sector accounts for about 34% of Vermont’s Greenhouse Gas emissions, making it the state’s second largest source of climate pollution, behind transportation. To reach the state’s Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) emissions reduction requirements, we will need to weatherize around 120,000 more homes by 2030. These inserts will help us reach that goal. Each insulating window insert is made of a custom-made pine frame wrapped in two layers of tightly-sealed, clear polyolefin film and finished with a compressible foam gasket. The foam allows enough give for the inserts to be easily slid into place in the fall and removed in the spring, while holding firmly enough to provide a tight, friction-based seal that stops drafts and adds two more insulating air spaces. This is very helpful in Vermont’s homes, many of which were built in the 1900’s and have old, leaky windows. 

Join us anytime October 27^th through November 2^nd to volunteer at Woodstock’s Window Dressers Build, and build community at the same time! 

Left: a volunteer holds an insert. Right: a Window Dressers insert being installed. (Photos courtesy of Window Dressers)

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A 2019 U.S. Department of Transportation report estimated that Vermonters consume over 5 MILLION gallons of gasoline on lawn care every year, which is associated with the release of over 100 MILLION pounds of CO2. And this doesn’t even include all the diesel-powered “commercial” lawn mowers operated within the public and private sectors.

A typical “commercial” gas-powered riding mower can consume 1 gal of gas per hour. And since burning 1 gallon of gasoline or diesel fuel releases roughly 20 pounds of CO2, each of these commercial riding mowers operated for 600-1,000 hours over Vermont’s roughly five month growing season consumes between 600-1,000 gallons of fuel, which generates between 12,000-20,000 pounds (6-10 tons!) of CO2.  For comparison, a car that’s driven for 12,000 miles per year and averages 30 mpg, consumes 400 gallons of gas, generating around 4 tons of CO2.

In contrast, a typical commercial battery-electric riding mower consumes roughly 3 kilowatt hours (kWh) per hour of operation, and in Vermont, the generation and distribution of 1 kWh electricity is associated with the release of roughly 0.26 pounds of CO2. So, when a commercial E-mower is operated for the same 600-1,000 hours, it consumes between 1,800-3,000 kilowatt hours of electricity, which is associated with the release of only 468-780 pounds of CO2, which is about 25 times LESS CO2 emissions than a gas-powered riding mower operated for the same amount of time.

Residential gas-powered walk-behind mowers have smaller engines, but they’re inefficient and therefore burn .5 to .75 gallons of fuel per hour, which in-turn releases 10-15 pounds of CO2 per hour. This means that for every 1,000 residential gas-powered walk-behind mowers operating in Vermont, they’re collectively releasing 10,000-15,000 pounds (5-8 tons) of CO2 per hour, in addition to lots of smog-forming exhaust emissions.  Gas-powered yard tools are another major source of GHG emissions, noise, and air pollution.  

The good news is that switching to battery-electric lawn care equipment for homeowners and renters is now easier than ever because this equipment is relatively similar in price to gas-powered equipment, there’s a large variety of brands and models to choose from, and all of Vermont’s electric utilities offer valuable rebates.  

Although there’s currently only four manufacturers of commercial E-riding mowers, the market is clearly moving in the direction of electric.  And while commercial E-riding mowers are significantly more expensive than gas or diesel-powered riding mowers due to the large battery capacities required to provide “all-day” run times, the rebates offered by Vermont’s utility companies for commercial riding mowers are also significantly higher than the rebates for residential E-walk behind mowers.  

Another reason for its growing popularity is that the cost of ownership, or the “life-cycle” costs for both residential and commercial E-mowers is a lot less than gas-powered equipment. This is due to the lower cost of electricity compared to fossil fuel, and much lower maintenance and repair costs.  For example, the cost savings for commercial E-riding mowers is typically $4 to $7/hour, which results in savings of between $2,500 to $7,000 per year per mower, depending on the number of operating hours.   

E-lawn equipment is also a lot more convenient because there’s no need to transport and store gas, it doesn’t require oil changes and tune-ups, is a lot quieter, and has zero tailpipe emissions.

For all these reasons, thousands of Vermont homeowners and renters have begun making this switch, as well as larger entities such as Shelburne Farms; the city of Burlington Parks and Recreation Department; the Town of Enosburg Falls, the Burlington Airport, and the University of Vermont. 

The Ten Stones Homeowners Association in Charlotte is now in its third season using an E-riding mower to maintain about 6 acres of private lawns, green space, a community garden, and walking trails. In addition to appreciating the reduced noise and lack of tailpipe emissions, the Association is also saving approximately $1,000 per year compared to the cost of operating a diesel-powered mower. 

While there are also now about a dozen lawn care contractors in Vermont offering e-lawn care services, there are still hundreds of other contractors still using gas-powered equipment, as are the majority of homeowners and renters, municipalities, public schools, colleges and university campuses, museums, state parks and historic sites, resorts, golf courses, etc.

To help encourage the transition to E-lawn equipment within the public and private sectors, since 2016 the Mow Electric! Campaign has been collaborating with the state’s electric utility companies, the Vermont Clean Cities Coalition, town energy committees, citizen advocates, equipment vendors, elected representatives, and others. 

The Mow Electric! website supports this work by providing links to utility incentives or rebates, lists of E-lawn equipment mowers, interactive “life-cycle costs and CO2 emissions comparison” spreadsheets, a list of E-mowing contractors, and lots of other resources. All Vermonters are invited to help encourage this necessary and important transition.

Steven Wisbaum, founder of the Mow Electric! campaign, mowing with the Ten Stones Village Association’s battery electric zero-turn “commercial” lawn mower. Photo by Satchel Blood.

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The climate and energy bill aims to reduce national carbon emissions 40% by 2030. A collaboration of researchers led by energy modellers at Princeton University estimates that, by 2030, actions supported by the bill would advance the U.S. two-thirds of the way toward meeting its climate goals, reducing national emissions by the equivalent of one billion tons of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, through 2031 the bill will net about $300 billion in revenue and will reduce federal deficits by $305 billion, all while decreasing net taxes by roughly $2 billion per year.

As written, the key climate and energy provisions of the bill would:

• Increase the availability and affordability of electric vehicles and EV chargers;
• increase the availability and lower the cost of renewable energy to households, including solar panels and heat pumps;
• extend by ten years the available tax credits for renewable energy, including solar and wind;
• increase renewable energy production in the U.S.;
• ramp up production of batteries and computer chips critical to producing EV’s and other electric-based systems and equipment;
• impose fees on methane emissions resulting from the production of oil and gas;
• allocate $60 billion to aid disadvantaged communities where most of our polluting infrastructure is situated, and who face the highest risk of flooding and other damage due to climate change.

Considering that more than 40% of the recent rise in inflation is due to the increased cost of fossil fuels, these initiatives would have an outsized impact on decreasing the proportion of household budgets paying for energy costs. Over 100 million households would see their energy costs decrease, especially among those who install heat pumps and who switch to electric water heaters and furnaces. (As more and more of our electricity is produced from renewable sources, switching to electrical appliances and systems gradually reduces greenhouse gas emissions.)

Significantly, the bill would do away with the cap on the number of EV’s that vehicle producers can sell by offering a $7,500 tax break to buyers of new cars, which would remain available through 2032. A ground-breaking tax incentive of up to $4,000 would be offered to those purchasing used EV’s. These tax credits will help to make EV’s more affordable for low- to moderate-income households who would not have otherwise been able to afford to purchase an EV, with an income-eligibility limit of $150,000 for couples and $75,000 for individuals. (According to the New York Times, the average cost of an EV is now $60,000.) Vehicles manufactured outside of the United States would not qualify for the tax credits, while those made in the U.S. (by any manufacturer) would qualify.

The impact of passage of this bill would be even more far-reaching when considering the $280 billion bill that has already been passed by the House and Senate to subsidize U.S. production of semiconductors (including computer chips), which have been in critically short supply since the start of the pandemic, thus limiting production numbers and raising the cost of EV’s across the auto industry.

As with most Federal bills of this size and scope, the climate and energy legislation comes with significant Faustian concessions to fossil fuel companies, including tax credits for controversial carbon capture technology and new leases for exploring carbon fuel sources in federal waters and lands. If there is any silver lining, it’s that the other provisions of the bill that support renewable energy and fight climate change will contribute to a reduced demand for fossil fuels over time, thus decreasing carbon emissions and both the need and value of leases.

As of this writing, all 50 democrats in the Senate have expressed their support for  the climate and energy bill. If Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough approves the bill for reconciliation (thus eliminating the possibility of having the bill blocked by a filibuster), the bill could pass the Senate within a few weeks.

The 2022 climate and energy bill supports the installation of EV charging stations in disadvantaged communities. The station shown here is located at Woodstock’s East End Park. Photo: Michael J. Caduto.

What you can do:

• Click here to contact Senators Patrick Leahy and Berny Sanders to express support for the climate and energy bill.
• Click here to contact Representative Peter Welch to express support for the climate and energy bill.
• Contact your legislators at the Vermont Statehouse to encourage strong actions on mitigating climate change: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/
• Encourage local government officials to push for net-zero energy standards on all municipal buildings that are being newly-built or renovated in the future.

The post Hope on the Horizon in Federal Climate & Energy Bill appeared first on Sustainable Woodstock.

It wasn’t long ago when we listened for decisions rendered by the Supreme Court of the United States with hope that the court’s rulings would reflect justice for all, and a jurisprudence imbued with compassion and concern for the greater good. This hope now seems misplaced, if not quaint, in light of last month’s Supreme Court ruling on West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency. By rendering this retrograde decision the court abrogated any semblance of impartiality in the fight against climate change.

The court’s ruling on West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency restricts the authority of the EPA and other governmental agencies to limit carbon emissions in a “generational shifting way” unless Congress votes explicitly to support such action. This means that Congressional action is now needed to undo what the Supreme Court did, and to restore the government’s authority to enact and enforce regulations designed to reduce carbon emissions. Even though the EPA hasn’t been doing all that it could to reduce carbon emissions, as mandated under the Obama-era Clean Power Plan, the court’s ruling still represents a paradigm shift by reducing how effective and powerful the government can be going forward in its fight against climate change.

This and other recent decisions by the Supreme Court drives a point home that has become increasingly clear in recent times: The burden to be good stewards of the environment, and to care for the most vulnerable members of our society, falls increasingly to every individual, household, community and state. Never in our lifetimes has the well-being of the nation rested so heavily, and palpably, on our collective shoulders.

 In the documentary YOUTH v GOV—which was recently screened by Sustainable Woodstock and Pentangle Arts as part of our Climate Change and Sustainability film series—research findings make it painfully clear that the U.S. government is also complicit, having known for two generations about climate change and its potentially devastating impacts on people and the planet. Despite decades of ostensibly climate-friendly policies that were passed, and public proclamations about Federal commitments to fight climate change, behind the scenes it was often business as usual: supporting the fossil fuel industry. The facts behind this compelling and astounding account can be read in They Knew: The US Federal Government’s Fifty-Year Role in Causing the Climate Crisis by James Gustave Speth. (Stafford resident “Gus” Speth is a Fellow and former Professor of Law at Vermont Law School, and co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council.) In this context, the July 28, 2022 agreement among Democrats in the US Senate to support a spending package that contains major initiatives to fight climate change, including $369 billion in climate and energy investments, offers a glimmer of hope for action to emerge at the Federal level.   

Still, the overriding existential question that each of us now has to answer can be found in the often cited call to action that President John F. Kennedy posed during his 1961 inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” Although Kennedy’s call to action was intended to inspire a sense of national engagement, rather than to highlight the U.S. government’s failure to date to meet its obligations toward its citizens and the planet, it is eerily prescient in light of where our country stands today.

On a global scale—from Greta Thunberg to Xiuhtezcatl Martinez—youth activists are leading the way in the fight against climate change and the interrelated issues of injustice and inequality. Unless we, too, act with immediacy and urgency, Earth will soon cross the rubicon beyond which there is no turning back in the advance of global warming. At this critical juncture in the history of the planet, We The People are the bulwark against a rapidly warming climate. We now represent the last, best hope in our fight against climate change. 

The documentary film YOUTH v GOV recently screened in the Climate Change and Sustainability Film Series.

What Can You Do?

• Initiate and support climate change mitigation initiatives in your local community, government, region and state.
• Write your representatives in the US Congress, and at the Vermont Statehouse, to let them know you support legislation that will empower government agencies to enact, enforce and implement strong and immediate action on climate change.
• Help Sustainable Woodstock’s Energy and Transportation Action Group, and our Intermunicipal Regional Energy Coordinator (Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission), in efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change in Woodstock, the neighboring towns and the Upper Valley, including the ongoing development of a Regional Climate Action Plan.
• Read the Vermont Standard “My Turn” column for a detailed list of “What You Can Do about Climate Change” in your daily life. (p.2D, October 7, 2021)

The post At the Climate-Change Rubicon appeared first on Sustainable Woodstock.

Imagine it is a Saturday morning and you are mowing the lawn. You check the fuel level of your lawn mower and, realizing it is low, go to the garage to grab the can of gas/oil mix and pour it into the tank, trying your best not to spill. You think about how expensive gas is (estimates of how much gas is used per hour by push mowers are as high as 1 to 2.5 gallons per hour, or $5 to $12.50 an hour). When you’ve filled the tank, you prime the machine, hold the throttle and pull the start cord. The noise of the mower’s engine quickly drowns out all sounds around you and the smell of gasoline fills the air. You breathe in fine pollutants and particulates as you make your way around the lawn, which takes you roughly an hour to finish mowing. By the end of that hour your lawn mower has emitted the equivalent pollution of driving 11 cars for an hour, and you have emitted 20 pounds or more of CO2.

Rewind that Saturday morning, but now imagine that you own an electric lawnmower. You unplug the battery that has been inside charging overnight and bring it out to your lawnmower, lifting the cover and snapping it in. With the push of a button, you start the mower. It is virtually silent as you push it to the area of the lawn you plan to mow, then you engage the blade, which makes a low whirring sound. You smell the freshly cut grass and nothing else as you mow, which takes you the same hour it would have taken with your gas mower. By the end of the hour you have used, at most, 2.8 kW of electricity, or 45 cents’ worth of electricity. You have released 0.73 pounds of CO2 into the air, compared to the 20 pounds released by the gas mower.

If you are looking to do something good for the planet, look no further than your own backyard. Though it may seem small, electric lawn care is an important part of addressing the climate crisis. All of the lawncare tools we use–lawnmowers, leaf blowers, string trimmers, chainsaws and more–have electric versions that are powerful enough to keep up with the needs of homeowners and contractors, and they are much better for people and the planet. Most gas-powered lawn equipment uses 2-stroke engine fuel, which is a gas-oil mixture that is especially toxic compared to automobile emissions. These emissions include hydrocarbons, nitrous oxides (components of smog), carbon dioxide, and VOCs (volatile organic compounds). These pollutants and fine particulates linked to cancer, asthma, heart and lung disease, and create smog-forming air pollution. By contrast, electric equipment emits no harmful pollutants or smog-forming air pollution.

The cost of switching to electric equipment might seem like a barrier, but the savings of going electric add up to be worth the initial investment. In general, battery electric tools are 20 times less expensive per hour of operation compared to gas tools. Electric equipment requires no engine maintenance or filter replacements, and has none of the hundreds of moving parts that wear out and need replacement in gas/diesel mowers. Assuming the price of fuel per gallon is $4.50, switching to electric would save the average contractor $2,795 a year. For Vermont homeowners, Green Mountain Power (GMP) offers a $100 rebate on electric lawn tractors and a $50 rebate on push mowers. GMP also offers a $25 rebate on electric trimmers, electric leaf blowers and electric chainsaws.

Going electric will be better for you and those around you, but there is more you can do to help the environment and wildlife that depends on it. Instead of using a leaf blower, consider leaving leaves and other mulch on the ground and around trees and shrubs. Many butterfly species overwinter as pupae in leaf litter, and the leaf litter is alive with small creatures that are essential to the health and function of our ecosystems—from microscopic fungi to ants, beetles, snails, salamanders, and many others. Consider changing other lawn care practices to care for the earth like “grass cycling” or leaving grass clippings on the lawn. Avoid pesticides and fertilizers, plant native flowers and plants for pollinators, and perhaps most importantly: reduce or replace your lawn! Grass is the largest irrigated crop in America, if you define a crop as a cultivated plant. Instead of using this land to grow turf grass, support edible crops or pollinators and other wildlife.

Geoff Martin—Sustainable Woodstock Board Chair and Intermunicipal Regional Energy Coordinator—pilots an electric commercial lawn mower during a recent (May 25th) EV equipment trial for landscaping consultants offered by several equipment retailers on the Woodstock Green. PHOTO: Jenevra Wetmore.

What you can do:

• Visit mowelectric.org to learn more about the advantages of switching to electric lawn equipment.
• Visit greenmountainpower.com for information on rebates.
• Visit www.nwf.org/nativeplantfinder, where you can enter your zip code to see plants native to your area.

The post Mowing Green appeared first on Sustainable Woodstock.

Dance of the Fireflies (Photo by Mike Lewinski on Unsplash)

As the month of May matures in the North Country, the growing season accellerates at a dizzying pace. Animals have emerged from their winter surival modes, and have arrived from points south, seemingly spring-loaded and determined to complete their life cycles while the warm weather is upon us.

Fields are alive with anticipation for the flash of the first fireflies to appear, insects whose biochemistry manifests as a kind of magical alchemy. When I was a child we captured fireflies and placed them in large glass jars with holes poked in the lids to create living lanterns. The indigenous peoples of Brazil drill holes in hollow gourds, fill them with fireflies and wear them on the head or tied to the ankles to light the way along darkened paths.

In the natural world, beauty and function are often synonymous. The elegant design that makes a firefly’s living light so productive is now being plumbed to explore new ways of increasing energy efficiency in the sources of light that we rely upon in our daily lives.

Unlike the bright yellow reflection of a raccoon’s eyes, or the green of a bullfrog’s gaze caught in a flashlight beam, bioluminescent plants and animals actually create their own light. Illumination helps them find food, lure their prey or detect enemies lurking nearby. Some lights demonstrate aggression, act as defense signals that warn predators to stay away or serve to confuse an enemy while the prey escapes.

Bioluminescence is created when a substance called luciferin combines with an enzyme, luciferase, and, in a reaction with oxygen, produces a cool light. Some animals grow light-producing bacteria in a special organ. Others create their own radiance in photophores or “light bearers”—organs that contain luminous cells whose light is reflected through a layer of pigment and focused by a lens. Many animals have a kind of living headlight, with a reflector behind the light cells and a clear covering in front. Some animals emit a steady glow while others can brighten and dim their lights. Fireflies actually flash but some of the deep sea fishes blink by closing their beacons with flaps of skin.

Fireflies or lightning bugs—which are really beetles in the family lampyridae—are found in many places throughout the world but are most common in the tropics. The light they produce in an organ under their abdomen creates a unique pattern that tells other fireflies both their sex and species. The color of the light also identifies others of their kind.

There are endless variations on this language of light. Certain female fireflies remain lit and attract males that don’t light up. In some species the males gather and flash together, then the females fly to them. A tiny pacemaker in each firefly’s brain senses the signals of others flashing nearby and responds within a fifth of a second. Some of the Photinus and Photuris fireflies synchronize their flashes, creating a choreographed dance of light.

More than 20 firefly species inhabit New England, with around 8-10 species found in Vermont. If you see a yellow light flashing every three seconds, or so, it is the northern twilight firefly, Photinus marginellus. You’ve likely seen Vermont’s most common firefly, Photuris fairchildi, displaying its light pattern of 3-4 quick flashes, with about 2 ½ seconds in between. As the male flies toward the female, over the course of about 10-20 seconds, they both increase the number of flashes in each sequence until their lights become a constant glow.

Once the female of Photuris versicolor has mated, she changes to mimic the light display of the female from a different species. When an unfortunate male of that different species flies in to mate with her, she devours him—the original femme fatale. Various firefly eggs, larvae and pupae also glow to warn predators that in any stage of life fireflies taste bad and are toxic. Since both the larvae and adults are carnivorous, the light may also be used to attract prey. Glowing firefly larvae and the wingless adult females of the Phengodes fireflies are often called glowworms.

Even as firefly lights transfigure, they are also transforming our constant search for new ways to reduce energy consumption and lower carbon emissions in order to fight climate change. About 95 percent of the energy emitted by fireflies is light, while only 5 percent is lost as heat. In contrast, incandescent lightbulbs lose 90 percent of their energy to heat.

LED or “light-emitting diode” lightbulbs are considerably more energy efficient. The “di” in diode refers to “two”—inside each bulb are two kinds of crystals. When electricity flows into the bulb, its energy causes electrons to become excited in a high-energy crystal. The excited electrons jump off that crystal and into the low-energy crystal. The light is created by the energy that the electrons give off when they make this jump.

LED lightbulbs use 85 percent less electricity than incandescent bulbs. Still, most of the LED’s we use today are only about 50 efficient, which pales in comparison to the efficiency of fireflies. But a new kind of LED lightbulb is being developed by electrical engineers at Penn State University that increases efficiency up to 90% by mimicking the design of a firefly’s light-emitting microstructures. The fascinating science behind the evanescent flashes of fireflies on halcyon early-summer nights is illuminating a new way to decrease the carbon footprint of our lighting.

Do just one thing: Install LED lights throughout your home.

The post In Anticipation of Fireflies appeared first on Sustainable Woodstock.