http://www.vnrc.org Vermont's Environmental Guardian Since 1963 http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/31419/ Remember the “Circ?” Well, that high-cost highway project in Chittenden County (which Bill McKibben calls a “global warming machine”) is back in the limelight at a critical stage of review. The Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) needs to hear from as many Vermonters as possible by August 27 on the project. Our view? It’s a bad idea. It would destroy wetlands, waste money, and promote sprawl – all to save 4 minutes of travel time for the average commuter. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/31242/ Due to scheduling conflicts, VNRC’s Annual Meeting and Gubernatorial Debate has changed to Friday, October 1st at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington! The debate, held in conjunction with Renewable Energy Vermont's 2010 Expo, will be from 3:30–5:00 pm. Following the debate there will be a reception, cash bar, hors d'oeuvres, and VNRC's annual meeting. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/30406/ Our economic crisis lingers, and environmental and social disasters continue to occur — from urban runoff to tritium leaks and from underemployment to childhood hunger. In these times many Vermont leaders are tempted to pit one worry against the other, with the refrain, “Do we want to grow good jobs or protect the environment?”... http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29885/ A cord of wood neatly stacked in a Vermont dooryard has long been a symbol of Vermont’s centuries of self-sufficiency and clever-Yankee use of our local, natural resources. Now, however, more than ever, spawned by dwindling supplies of traditional fuels, rising energy prices and increasing interest in energy independence, Vermonters of all stripes and persuasions are asking: Should Vermont tap its forests, more than it does today, to meet our energy demands? http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29882/ There is certainly a lot to worry about these days. The catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico — which is devastating the livelihoods of thousands, drowning wildlife in oil and irrevocably ravaging ecosystems — is the most recent and deeply disturbing of our nation's worrisome events. In Vermont, a series of leaks of radioactive water at the Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant, no comprehensive energy plan for Vermont, significant and semi-debilitating budget constraints, a noticeable trend, for the http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29881/ Confronted with pictures of oil-soaked pelicans struggling in Louisiana marshes, we are reminded once again of the many costs of our addiction to oil. Now, a new study has revealed a more direct cost – also related to our petroleum-based transportation network – that is hitting closer to home: a budget strain Vermont families face if they choose to live far from town centers. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29700/ The Gulf Coast oil catastrophe is the epitome of what’s wrong with our national energy policy. For many, it’s also become the most prominent and deeply devastating ‘wake-up call’ for kicking our addiction to oil now. Ironically, the most damaging oil disaster in U.S. history is taking place while Congress finally contemplates comprehensive energy and climate legislation; an effort to cut our dependence on fossil fuels, reduce carbon pollution and transition our country to clean, homegrown po http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29699/ Water activist Maude Barlow, speaking in Burlington, recently warned more than 200 Vermonters about the coming global water crisis – and urged them to become active. She painted a worrisome picture of shortages of clean, fresh water for the world’s population, of human suffering, of water refugees and water privatization. She also celebrated the recent U.N. declaration that access to clean water and sanitation is a human right. The event at Main Street Landing was sponsored by Click here to rea http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29586/ http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29524/ Lawmakers wrapped up the 2010 legislative session about midnight on Wednesday, May 12, and it was, without a doubt, one of the wildest and toughest sessions in recent memory. Given the session was dominated by budget shortfalls (and imperfect attempts like Challenges for Change to address it) the end results for Vermont’s natural resources weren’t all bad. VNRC was very busy on multiple bills all year, both promoting good conservation initiatives and trying minimize bad legislation. Here is VN http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29505/ VNRC and other parties have filed legal paperwork June 1 challenging an Environmental Court decision that approves the construction of a new Wal-Mart store in the town of St Albans. Joining VNRC in filing the appeal to the Vermont Supreme Court was a local group known as Northwest Citizens for Responsible Growth (NWCRG) and nearby farmers Marie Frey and Richard Hudak. All were granted party status in the Act 250 process and participated in the Environmental Court hearings. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29503/ How are we going to meet our energy needs, both now and far into the future? Nations, communities and individuals are pondering this question with an increasing sense of urgency. Fortunately a perfect storm is brewing across Vermont ― one that holds promise of a new, green, clean and locally-based renewable energy future for the Green Mountain State. Vermont’s perfect storm has three basic aspects... http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29283/ More and more Vermonters are seeking homegrown solutions to meet our energy needs. A diverse collaborative of stakeholders is convening a series of public forums - June 2, June 9 and July 8 - to add to the dialogue about how Vermont communities might harness the potential of forest biomass to help provide renewable energy on a sustainable basis. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29088/ http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/29016/ On Earth Day 2010, the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund released its eagerly anticipated renewable energy mapping tool - Renewable Energy Atlas of Vermont. This GIS-based web application uses state-of-the-art technology to identify, analyze and visualize existing and promising locations for renewable energy. The Atlas is an accessible tool for any interested Vermonter seeking more information about potential resources out their back door. The VSJF specifically also targeted the tool to serve as a http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/28892/ VNRC Board and staff mourn the passing of Francis W. Hatch, Jr. on April 8, 2010. Frank and his family were strong and consistent supporters of VNRC from the organization’s earliest years right up to the present. (Photo: Boston Globe Staff) http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/28848/ Last week, in honor of the 25th anniversary of her inauguration as Governor of the State of Vermont, Madeleine Kunin and the University of Vermont held a symposium on the role of government. I participated on a panel discussing whether and how economic prosperity and environmental quality can coexist in Vermont. My position is that they not only can coexist, they must. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/28798/ VNRC is once again screening three environmental documentaries for Vermont audiences across the state. This year's offerings are all highly acclaimed films released in the last year and covering topics such as the commodification of groundwater, the threat of acidification in the world's oceans, and a look at where our food comes from. http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/28702/ The Vermont Legislature is pushing through a major shift in Vermont's renewable energy policy without thoughtful consideration of the implications. Having heard cursory testimony on the impacts, with no word from the entity looking for the change, and no public debate, lawmakers are poised to confer a gift upon Hydro-Quebec that amounts to a green seal of quality by defining massive hydro power as "renewable." To date, Vermont policy has been that large-scale hydro is not "renewable" in large http://www.vnrc.org/article/view/28291/ Over 250 Vermont Yankee opponents gathered at the State House on February 24 for the Senate's vote to decide the future of Vermont's sole nuclear power plant. They asked lawmakers to retire Vermont Yankee in 2012 - as planned. In an overwhelming, bipartisan vote, the Vermont Senate yesterday chose to do so, sending one loud, clear message: “The time is now to retire Vermont Yankee.” The vote was 26-4.