Sustainable Williston will meet this Thursday at the Dorothy Alling Library (pending confirmation from library staff) to talk about the Town Plan, task forces, priorities for the fall, the upcoming Birth Tree celebration, our monthly contributions to the Williston Observer, planned events, and more. All Williston residents interested in sustainability or the environment are welcome. From this meeting, you can get involved in task forces like trees, water quality, energy and carbon footprint, transportation, light pollution, and more.
Author Archives: Luc Reid
Confirmed: Experts from 5 Vermont Transportation Organizations Monday
All guests for our Sustainable Energy Series presentation this coming Monday, August 24th, on alternatives to single-driver car transportation are now confirmed:
How Much Do You Know About Wind Power?
The U.S. Department of Energy has a new quiz out that will challenge your knowledge of wind power and bring you up to date on some new and unexpected information, like how next-generation wind turbines will make a lot more wind power available, even in places that currently wouldn’t be considered good possibilities for wind.
My favorite factoid, and a surprising one to me:
Wind energy is now the cheapest form of power, with new power purchase agreements in 2014 averaging a record-low 2.35 cents per kilowatt-hour.
I got a 7 out of 13, and I felt like I was doing pretty well, considering! Hopefully you can beat that score. Check out the quiz at http://energy.gov/articles/quiz-test-your-wind-energy-iq.
Transportation Is a Matter of Life and Death: Alternative Transportation Roundtable Monday 8/24
What will they say about our transportation decisions in ten or twenty years? With three Vermont bicyclist deaths this year, many Williston children not being able to safely walk or ride to school, and bus routes only beginning to connect Williston residents with jobs and surrounding communities, we can either bet on more cars, more carbon, more traffic, more pollution, and more danger to bicyclists and pedestrians, or get behind alternative transportation in a big way.
Join experts on alternative transportation, from buses to electric vehicles to bike paths to ride sharing, for a roundtable discussion of the what, why, how, and how much of alternative transportation in Williston. Learn about changes to bus service; new electric cars with longer range; and what it takes to get bike and pedestrian paths where we need them most. This free event in Sustainable Williston’s Sustainable Energy series takes place at the Dorothy Alling Library Monday evening, August 24th, at 7:00 to 8:30 pm [THIS IS A CORRECTION: WE ERRONEOUSLY HAD PREVIOUSLY LISTED THE EVENT AS BEING FROM 6:30 to 8:00]. Come to ask questions and offer ideas or to learn from representatives of organizations tentatively to include Go! Vermont, CCTA, Drive Electric Vermont, Local Motion, and the Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission. We’ll have refreshments available. For more information, get in touch through our contact page.
Explore Electric Vehicles at the Sun CARnival Aug 16th
SunCommon, a Vermont solar installer, invites Vermonters to a free electric vehicle (EV) event at St. Mike’s on Sunday, August 16th:
- EV owners will be available to talk candidly about what it’s like to own and operate an EV.
- Drive Electric Vermont will be there to help you understand the differences between electric car models.
- There will be many models of EVs at the EVent (with test rides available too!)
- Grab a slice of complimentary pizza form Open Hearth Pizza then relax and play a little cornhole.
- Last but not least, take a spin on an electric assist bicycle!
The details:
It’s the Sun CARnival at St. Michael’s!
St. Michael’s College
Klein Hall parking lot (off of Route 15 look for the signs!)
Colchester, VT 05439
Sunday August 16th, 1:00PM-4:00PM
Check out or Facebook EVent to let us know you can make it and to invite your friends!
SunCommon will be there all day visiting with community members and answering questions about going solar in Vermont while celebrating the clean energy connection between solar energy and electric vehicles. It’s an especially good time to introduce your friends and neighbors to solar considering that the sun is setting on the 30% Federal income tax credit for installing solar. They’ll thank you for it.
Learn about Electric Vehicles from this Drive Electric Vermont Presentation
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On June 15th, Dave Roberts of Drive Electric Vermont, an organization that works to help provide information and opportunities for Vermonters about electric vehicles (EVs), gave an eye-opening presentation to Williston residents about electric vehicles. Here, courtesy of Drive Electric … Continue reading
Build Your Own Rain Barrel in Williston July 25th
The Town of Williston is offering a build-your-own rain barrel event July 25th. Here’s the announcement:
What: Build Your Own Rain Barrel Workshop
When: Saturday, July 25th at 10 am
Where: The new Williston Department of Public Works building on Avenue A, off of Industrial Ave
Cost: $30
Pre-registration by Friday, July 10th is required and participation is limited to 30 rain barrels. Please pre-register by calling 802-288-8155 Ext 104 or by emailing: anna at winooski nrcd dot org
For more information about stormwater issues or volunteering in your community, please visit the Chittenden County Stream Team’s website:www.ccstreamteam.org
Photo by F Delventhal
Free solar tours Saturday; SunCommon Solstice Party Sunday
It’s a great weekend for solar energy events in Vermont!
First, there’s a series of free solar tours around the state this Saturday, June 20th, including several sites in Chittenden County, like South Burlington, Jericho, and our own town solar array in Williston Village. The tours are sponsored by Renewable Energy Vermont, VNRC, 350 Vermont, and the Sustainable Energy Resource Group. For more information, including an interactive map, see http://www.revermont.org/main/celebrate-solar-tours/
Second, on Sunday solar installation and design company SunCommon is offering yoga and live music as a solstice celebration in Jericho:
Sun Salutations & Solar
Community Solar Array (CSA)
35 Old Pump Road
Jericho, VT 05465
Community Members and EV Owners Turn out for Williston Electric Vehicle Event
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About 30 community members and EV owners turned out for the second of Sustainable Williston’s Sustainable Energy Series events this past Monday, checking out and in some cases trying eight electric cars (a mixture of all-electric vehicles–AEVs–and plug-in hybrids) and three electric bikes. … Continue reading
Sustainable Williston Meets Thursday 6/18 at the Library
Sustainable Williston’s main or steering group will meet at 7:15 pm this Thursday, June 18th, in the Vermont Room upstairs at the Dorothy Alling Library. All who are interested in sustainability issues are invited. We’ll discuss following up on participation in the town plan as well as recent and planned events and other work under way in some of our task forces.