ISSUE 58 • November 2019 - January 2020 ★ SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAYS & WINTER IN THE NORTHEAST ★ 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 Green Gifts for the Holidays Jessie Haas One of the ways to trim your carbon footprint is to buy less—but is that any fun during the holidays? This isn’t Lent! Can’t we say ‘I love you to the moon and back’ while still loving the planet? Well, sure, and here are a few ideas. Farm-Way in Bradford VT, a solar-powered emporium of everything country, sells clothing and gear from Patagonia, a highly ethical company. Another Farm-Way option could be a solar-powered lantern. These inflatable lights can charge up on a window sill and act as an emergency light, Burton Team rider Danny Davis in flashlight, or just a gentle way to illuminate Donna Carpenter (L), co-CEO of Burton, joined in Stowe, Vermont. Credit: Blotto Photo. early-morning coffee making. Some brands, such the climate strike in the UK. Photo courtesy of Burton. as the Luci Light, donate lanterns to people in developing nations for each light bought here, so this is a double gift. Also, in the spirit of the season of darkness, BURTON TAKES A STAND FOR THE PLANET George Harvey how about a box of LED lightbulbs to help a It might be fair to say that Burton Snowboards (Burton) is Burton has firsthand knowledge of climate change. It has loved-one transition their household in a sus- the leader in its field, worldwide. Jake Burton Carpenter, one already been having a serious impact on the winter sports tainable direction? Be sure to include a colored of the first developers of the snowboard itself, founded the business. A recent press release said, “There are clear signs string. Not just for Christmas trees, these make company in his barn in Londonderry, Vermont, in 1977. Today, of climate change seen through the lens of a snowboarder – festive night lights and add a welcome twinkle to it is still a Vermont company, though it moved to Burlington extreme weather, decreased snow accumulation, and melting the house. and has grown a bit. It has approximately 400 employees in the glaciers are among them. In the northeast U.S., the number Need something in a bottle? Choices from Burlington area, a total of 650 in the United States, and about of days with snow cover has decreased by one to two weeks Appalachian Gap, the solar-powered distiller of 1,000 globally. In addition to the headquarters in Burlington, since 1970.” The change reduces activity and sales, especially fine spirits, including Mythic Gin and there are offices in Austria, Japan, Australia, Canada, and China. in Burton’s home state of Vermont. Ridgeline Whiskey. The bottles and Cont’d on p.20 Cont’d on p.23 AN ECOLOGICAL REFORMATION IN THIS ISSUE: Roy Morrison, author Business and is to restore the health of the biosphere while building a prosperous and Electric Pickups on the Rise p.5 pollution as just ecological civilization that will long endure. usual have This is not utopianism. It is a matter of politics, economics, eco-technol- NY Community Solar pp.12-13 unleashed a ogy, the nurturance of both freedom and community and therefore justice rapidly wors- and fairness as a common human right and responsibility. It is a task conso- Li Battery Storage Safety p.16 ening global nant with economic growth in accord with ecological market rules and the ecological crisis. pursuit of social and ecological justice. Biomass Controversy p.18 We must choose Business and markets and politics are leading us to the brink of ecologi- quickly be- cal catastrophe. Now is the time for business and markets and politics to tween accept- lead us instead to a just and sustainable ecological future. Holiday Sustainability pp. 20-21 ing the dire con- sequences of Sustainability DIY Home Improvements pp.28-29 global climate Sustainability is more than renewable energy and a quick global transfor- disruption, or mation from fossil fuels and nuclear power. This is necessary and desper- Recycling Know-How p.38 the embrace of ately needed. But, by itself, 100% renewable energy is not sufficient. a global eco- Sustainability is life and ecosphere responding to all influences and logical reformation. co-evolving in a matter that maximizes the prospects for all life, not for At bottom, an ecological reformation is expressed any particular species. Sustainability is the process that has allowed life to Please recycle or by two themes that will define the ecological turn of withstand periodic mass extinctions and once again thrive. civilization. First is the pursuit of sustainability. Sec- What is different as the mass extinction of the Anthropocene unfolds is share this publication ond is making economic growth result in ecological that it has been both unleashed by humanity, and must be remedied by when finished improvement. That is our central challenge. The goal humanity. Humanity has become a self-conscious participant 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.) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1749 Wright’s Mountain Road • Bradford, VT 05033 Going Green On a Budget t/f: 802.439.6675 • [email protected] G.E.T.’s COMMUNICATIONS TEAM: Jessie Haas NEWS AND HAPPENINGS ...................3 Publisher/Editor/Production ...................Nancy Rae Mallery We can’t all afford SUN DAY CAMPAIGN REPORT ........................3 a heat pump, EV, General Factotum ............................................ George Harvey or solar panels, but TROUBLE FOR NATURAL GAS .........................3 Coordinating Director ..................................Michelle Harrison we can still cut our TRANSPORTATION ............................... 4-6 Copy Editor ..................................Ray Brewster, Susanna Lewis carbon footprints TRANSPORTATION CLIMATE INITIATIVE .........4 Recreational Editor ............................................... Roger Lohr and save money A huge special thank you to all of our contributing writers! at the same time, ELECTRIC PICK-UP TRUCKS ON THE RISE .......4 Tim Ashe, Dr. Alan K. Betts, John Bos, Ken Bossong, Randy through changing a AUTOMAKERS FORSAKE THE FUTURE ............5 Bryan, Michael Canavan, Danielle Ferguson, David Fried, Ben few habits. Goldberg, David Green, Jessie Haas, George Harvey, Henry Nega-watts (the ARE WE THE CANCER OR PARASITE? ...............6 Herndon, James Kaplan, David Keefe, Evan Lawrence, Roger electricity we don’t SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAICS (PV) ............ 7-13 Lohr, Nancy Rae Mallery, Marc Morgan, Michele Morris, Roy use) are the clean- Morrison, Richard Perez, Larry Plesent, Carl Pope, Karl Rabago, est and greenest, COMMUNITY IMPACT INVESTORS ..................7 Jeff Rubin, Georgena Terry, Barbara Whitchurch and there are many BURTON SNOWBOARD GOES SOLAR ..............8 Ad Design/Layout .........................Nancy Rae Mallery, PJ Fischer affordable ways to Printing ....... Valley News W. Lebanon, NH using 100% recycled cut electricity use. Image: www.ccPixs.com GUILDFORD C.C. CARBON NEUTRAL ..............9 paper & eco-friendly EPA approved environmentally-safe inks Change lightbulbs NHSEA HISTORY .........................................10 Advertising Team: to LEDs. Turn them off when leaving a ing. Let’s make idling the new smoking, SOLARIZE KEARSARGE ................................11 .................... Nancy Rae Mallery, Bradford, VT 802.439.6675 room. Don’t let the computer go into something dirty and vaguely shame- [email protected] ‘sleep’ mode; turn it off instead. Use a ful that a lot of us used to do but don’t CLIFTON PARK, NY COMMUNITY SOLAR .......12 ...................Michelle Harrison, Londonderry, NH 603.437.0167 “smart strip” that can be turned off to anymore. Check your phone before you [email protected] prevent appliance vampires from sucking start your car. Phone off, car on. Car off, GRID-TIED SOLAR WITH BATTERY BACK-UP .13 ..................... Don Smallwood, So. Hero, VT 802.373.3309 up energy while not in use. phone on. FULTON PARK COMMUNITY SOLAR ..............13 [email protected] Using a clothes dryer uses ten times Driving smarter can save a lot of energy. Distribution: Sally Bellew, Larry Chase, Johnny Hinrichs, the energy that washing does, and is very Go the speed limit or less. Brake and ac- INCENTIVES ................................ 14-15 Hippo Distribution, Manchester, NH, Daniel Hoviss, George Law- hard on clothing. Hang clothes to dry; celerate gently, as if there’s an egg under RENEWABLE ENERGY ................... 16-17 ton, Rosalyn Moore, our New York Team: Joanne Coons, Steve spot-clean instead of washing a whole the pedals. Make sure tires are properly Ellsworth, Wyldon Fishman, Bob Freeston, Peter Hudiburg, BATTERY STORAGE SAFETY .........................16 David Kupras, Joan Rech; Russ Lanoie, Alan Phenix, Marty Phil- garment; spritz stale-smelling items with inflated. Take your snow tires off when brick, Larry Plesant, George Plumb, Alisha Scudder, Don Small- a vodka-water mix to freshen them; use they are not needed (which will happen!). RENEWABLE ELECTRIC GRID - RADICAL IDEA 17 wood, Sustainable Hanover, Wenda Luff, Don Smallwood, Eric a steamer to get out wrinkles. It all saves Flying is the biggest CO2 contribution Stevens, David Van Houten, Barb & Greg Whitchurch. energy and money, and keeps clothes most people make. We can try to at- BIOMASS CONTROVERSY.............................18 Hopefully we have not forgotten to mention anyone. It is your help that paves the way to a sustainable future. looking new longer. tend meetings by teleconferencing, and ENERGY AND STORAGE NEWS ......................18 For the electricity you do use, use the vacation close to home. (Again, we live in Please support our advertisers. They make G.E.T. happen! renewable energy checkoff available the Northeast. It’s amazing here!) Many BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL .................18-19 ABOUT G.E.T.