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ISSUE 56 • July - Sept. 2019 – RECYCLE – REDUCE – REPURPOSE – REUSE – REREAD – FREE! SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS FOR VT, NH, MA, NY, ME and Beyond R S! EA Y 10 Energy Independence, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Living and MORE! www.greenenergytimes.org | 802.439.6675 IT’S AN EMERGENCY! Higher Prices for Beer 2050 IS NOT SOON ENOUGH FOR A FIX with Climate Change George Harvey Beer. Iva Balk, Wikimedia Commons Most beer is made from barley malt. U.K., and the U.S. They looked to find out Perhaps the greatest reason for this is that how much barley could be grown in a barley malt, which is dried sprouted bar- warmer world, how much it would cost in ley grains, is particularly rich in amylase, a market with demand like that of today, an enzyme that can break down starch and what the effect would be on the cost into the much smaller sugar molecules of beer. In the end, they gave their results yeast use for food. Other grains and in terms of a simple metric: What will the Shishmaref, Alaska, is falling into the sea. Photo: Alaska Department of Commerce, Community, starch sources are not so able to do this, price of beer be, under various climate and Economic Development. so many beers with wheat of rye in them scenarios? contain large amounts of barley malt to Barley was actually only one of the provide extra amylase. ingredients that they examined for their Some among us could look at the lem is that it is hotter than ever before, It happens that some of the people study. For example, they also modeled fact that the United Kingdom adopted but we can bet it will almost certainly who really like beer are climate scientists, supplies and prices for hops, another a law mandating that it be 100% car- happen again, because what is normal so it should not be surprising that a group important ingredient of beer. They also bon free by 2050 as good news (See is changing. of them modeled the availability and cost examined the potentials for agriculture in CleanTechnica, http://bit.ly/CT-UK-net- The record heat in Europe is hap- of crops as climate change worsens, as it new places, such as Canada, where more zero-law). And CNN has told us New pening at the same time that a long certainly will. One such group of scientists barley could be grown, and the possi- York City has set its climate goal, as well drought plaguing India includes researchers in the China, the bilities for current major pro- (http://bit.ly/CNN-NY-carbon-target). has turned for the worse. Cont’d on p.26 Cont’d on p.21 There was a time when I would have rejoiced. But that time has passed. It is clear to me that net-zero carbon by 2050 is too little, too late. This is BUSINESSES TO THRIVE IN A COMING IN THIS ISSUE: because, while we denied, dithered, or indulged in NIMBYism, things have ECONOMIC BOOM e-Assist Bikes User Guide p. 7 changed. The evidence is mounting Solar with Battery Storage pp. 8-9 that climate change is now completely George Harvey out of control, and we have to start Here at Green Energy Raising the Bar - Geothermal p. 17 actively removing carbon dioxide from Times, we see an impres- Banking on the Environment p. 18 our environment, as quickly as we can. sive amount of real news. It When I say things are out of control, I leads us inescapably to an Recycling/Renewing Earth pp. 20-21 am not talking about a worst-case sce- understanding that is a little DIY Energy Upgrades p. 29 nario. It is becoming increasingly clear different from some things that we have gone beyond what most one hears today. We have LEED in the Northeast p. 30 people would consider a worst case. come to a strong belief Trying for 100% carbon-free by 2050 is that, unless we go seriously Climate Change Test p. 26 just so much hot air in a world warming astray, we could be heading DEET-free Bug Protection p. 35 much too fast. into an economic boom This year’s record-breaking heat that will be unlike anything ORPC, based in Portland, Maine, develops generating technology based Compost Toilets Evolve pp. 37-38 wave in France was not just record- ever seen before. And that on moving water. This RivGen power system now provides power to a Comfrey for Natural Relief p. 39 breaking. According to BBC News, it is because climate change village in Alaska. Photo from Ocean Renewable Power Company. broke the previous record, set only a is almost without doubt the few years ago, by 3.25°F (http://bit.ly/ biggest business opportunity ever to dollars that will have to be spent on new BBC-Paris-heat). This not just breaking a face humanity. infrastructure. They talk about lack of record, it is smashing it utterly, making There are fearmongers who go on reliability and increased costs. We should Please recycle or it irrelevant. This happened because the endlessly about how bad things will be if remember, however, that there could be a share this publication jet stream got stuck, pushing Saharan we try to get all our energy from renew- causative relationship between who sup- air into Europe, which has happened able resources. Groups paid for by fossil ports them and what they say. when finished before and will happen again. The prob- fuel interests talk about the trillions of Cont’d on p.19 A SOLAR This edition of Green Energy Times is brought to you, in part, from the generosity of these sponsors: G.E.T. IT! POWERED COMPANY Bringing G.E.T. to NY State EEN ENERGY T MES www.nyses.org GR... be energy independent! ™ GREEN ENERGY TIMES (G.E.T.) 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road • Bradford, VT 05033 TABLE OF CONTENTS t/f: 802.439.6675 • [email protected] Upper Valley Electric Vehicle Expo: Sept. 14th Electric Vehicles (EV) have been growing There are many reasons to change over NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...................3 G.E.T.’s COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: by leaps and bounds. There are now eigh- to an electric vehicle. They are much cleaner Publisher/Editor/Production ...................Nancy Rae Mallery teen plug-in hybrid and eighteen all-electric than a gasoline-powered car and better for CLIMATE MOVE ON DECARBONIZATION ........ 3 General Factotum ............................................ George Harvey models available at dealerships in Vermont, our health and the environment (assuming VT’S 2019 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ................... 3 Coordinating Director ..................................Michelle Harrison and twelve of the all-electric models have a ‘clean’ sources of electricity, of course). They Copy Editor ...........................................................Ray Brewster range over 200 miles. Vermont EV registra- cost about half of what a gas car costs to TRANSPORTATION ............................... 4-7 Recreational Editor ............................................... Roger Lohr tions just topped 3000 vehicles and there fuel up and maintenance costs are a fraction TRACKING EV SALES .................................... 4 A huge special thank you to all of our contributing writers! are used EVs appearing for sale. Charging too, because there are no oil changes, no ex- Dr. Alan K. Betts, David Blittersdorf, John Bos, Randy Bryan, station locations have been steadily grow- haust systems, and brakes last longer from REDUCING TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS .... 4 Michael Canavan, David Cohen, EarthTalk® (Doug Moss and ing, and dealers are starting to stock and using the motor as a generator to recharge VT 2019 EV INCENTIVE BILL ......................... 5 Roddy Scheer), Matt Desmarais, David Fried, Chris Gillespie, display electric cars. the battery while braking and stopping. Ben Goldberg, Nate Gusakov, Jessie Haas, James Hansen, Jeff NH’S (MIS)USE OF VW FUNDS ...................... 5 Harrison, George Harvey, Henry Herndon, James Kaplan, David Drivers can learn more about and test They accelerate quickly for easy highway Keefe, Bruce Landry, Roger Lohr, Nancy Rae Mallery, Michele drive EVs at the fifth Upper Valley Electric access. They are also quieter and ride very NATIONAL DRIVE ELECTRIC WEEK ................ 6 Morris, Roy Morrison, Abby Overton, Larry Plesent, David Rob- Vehicle Expo on Saturday, September 14 nicely with the weight of the batteries down USER’S GUIDE FOR E-ASSIST BIKES .............. 6 erts, Susan Ross, Deb Sachs, Matt Sargent, Marc Zuluaga. from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Dothan Brook low in the vehicle, adding stability during Ad Design/Layout .........................Nancy Rae Mallery, PJ Fischer School on Route 5 in Hartford, VT. Numer- cornering and in bad weather. RENEWABLE ENERGY NEWS .............. 7 Printing ....... Valley News W. Lebanon, NH using 100% recycled ous electric car, motorcycle and bike owners There will be free refreshments contrib- CELEBRATING SOLAR VISIBILITY ....... 7 paper & eco-friendly EPA approved environmentally-safe inks and dealers will be displaying their vehicles, uted by Hanover Food Co-op, King Arthur Advertising Team: answering your questions, and offering test Flour and others, including King Arthur SOLAR/RENEWABLE ENERGY ........... 8-17 .................... Nancy Rae Mallery, Bradford, VT 802.439.6675 rides for a first-hand experience. Starting Flour cookies baked on site in Solaflect’s GRID-TIED WITH BATTERY STORAGE ............ 8 [email protected] at noon, there will be workshops by Dave solar-powered oven. ...................Michelle Harrison, Londonderry, NH 603.437.0167 Roberts from Drive Electric Vermont, Green This Expo is free and open to everyone. If LIVING OFF THE GRID (SUSAN’S STORY) ....... 9 [email protected] Mountain Power and others on EV charg- you would like to attend, volunteer to help, RENEWED ................................................. 10 ..........................Alisha Scudder, Brattleboro, VT 802.490-2174 ing technology, costs, financing, policy and or bring your EV to display, please go to our [email protected] more.