Author Archives: Luc Reid

This Saturday is Button Up Vermont Day!

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Button Up VermontFrom the Vermont Natural Resources Council:

This coming Saturday, November 1st is the second annual Button Up Vermont Day of Action; a nascent annual tradition aimed at motivating more Vermonters to “Button Up” in the fall, just like we “Green Up” every spring! Many people waste heat — and a ton of money — because our buildings leak and are not properly insulated. This day of action is focused on mobilizing Vermonters to take steps – simple or significant – to make our homes and buildings more energy efficient.

Here are three things you – or anyone – can do on November 1:

•   Seal up your storm windows (or help an elderly neighbor or relative with this important step).
•   Visit your local hardware store — many of whom are participating in Button Up Day — and buy some Do-It-Yourself weatherization materials (caulking, weatherstripping, clear plastic sheets to cover leaky windows etc).
•   If you haven’t already taken this most important step, call an efficiency-certified contractor to schedule and audit and undertake a deep retrofit — which saves 25-30 percent on an average home’s fuel oil consumption.

Find information about these or other steps you can take on November 1 or beyond.

If you’d like to see what Vermonters have been doing in preparation for the Day of Action, the Button Up Video Contest got some great entries — funny, clever, artistic, and highly original interpretations of the Button Up theme. (Winners will be announced soon and those winners will be competing for the $300 People’s Choice award.) The videos are all 2 minutes or less. Watch them at ButtonUpContest.org and vote for your favorite!

(here’s a sample)

For more information about the day visit Button Up Vermont 2014.

We need all hands on deck in Vermont to reduce heating bills for homeowners and businesses, save money and take action on climate change. This is an easy, fun opportunity. We hope you and your community will take part!

Want more reasons to do something? Check out this message from our Governor…

Thanks in advance for any and all you can do to help build momentum for this important work.

Birth Tree Family Celebration 2014

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This past Sunday, Sustainable Williston celebrated families of new children in Williston with a gift of a tree or shrub to each family, each with a small bronze tag with the new child’s name. The trees were donated by Gardener’s Supply in Williston, and sponsors Vermont Wildflower Farm and Green Mountain Compost donated wildflower seeds and a free bag of compost, respectively. The program was also supported generously by Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation and the Town of Williston.

Here are photos from Birth Tree Program organizer Marie-Claude Beaudette:

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Birth Tree Project sponsors

Town of Williston Gardeners Supply Company Vermont Forests Parks and Recreation Green Mountain Compost Vermont Wildflower Farm

Sustainable Williston will meet Wed 9/24

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Sustainable Williston, our citizen environmental and sustainability group, will hold its monthly meeting next Wednesday, September 24th, at the Dorothy Alling Library. We’ll meet upstairs in the Vermont room from 7:00 to 8:30 PM.

Current topics include a report on our Birth Tree program celebration, in which local families with a new child receive a free tree of their choice to plant; a spoon drive to create a loaner collection of flatware for local events; and reviewing our group goals as shown on our About page. (We have grown and evolved since those goals were originally written.)

Everyone interested in sustainability issues is invited. If you have any questions or comments, drop us a note. Hope to see you there!

VSECU Free Solar Seminar in Williston September 9th

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Vermont State Employees’ Credit Union is sponsoring a free seminar in Williston on solar options September 9th. Here’s the announcement, from this link.

Join us in Williston

Vermont is a solar-friendly state and VSECU wants to help you understand your solar options. If you are interested in learning more about how solar can help you save money and reduce your carbon footprint, please join us for a free informational seminar. It will cover the basics of going solar, regulatory issues, financing opportunities, and solar installers will be present to discuss your potential projects. Space is limited, so please reserve your seat at the at the bottom of this page.

Date: Tuesday, September 9th
Time: 6:00-8:00 pm (seminar 6:00-7:00, solar vendor reception 7:00-8:00)
Location: VSECU Williston – 1755 Essex Road Map
+ add this event to your calendar

Guest Speaker

Nik Ponzio is a co-founder and senior project engineer at Building Energy. Nik has an electrical engineering degree from the University of Vermont and is nationally certified as a solar PV installer. He is also EPA certified as Type I and Type II refrigeration specialist with a focus on cold climate heat pumps.

Since 2001, Nik has been designing and installing solar PV, solar thermal and off-grid power systems. In recent years he has lead the push for the use of air-source heat pumps for domestic hot water and space heating. With a highly detail-oriented approach to design and an engineer’s insight into problem-solving, Nik brings a disciplined creativity to challenges in new and existing systems.

After the Seminar

Area solar installers and vendors will be available following the presentation for questions and comparison shopping.

VSECU offers financing for solar purchases through its VGreen energy savings loan program. Find out how a solar project is an investment that can maximize your savings when you choose the right financing option for you.

Light refreshments will be served.

SunCommon Electric Car event

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This information provided by Clary Franko of SunCommon:

Have you ever thought about getting an Electric Vehicle? I am shocked by howSunCommon Volt many people are telling me they’re quite sure their next car will be electric, and they’re excited for our SUN CARnival on Sunday so they can see what the options are. This is such a cool event for family fun on a Sunday and for anyone interested in solar and/or electric vehicles – so I wanted to ask you to invite your friends and spread the word.

You can sit in the cars, look under the hoods, and even go for a ride while asking the owners questions about costs, maintenance, and driving ranges of these various EVs. Meanwhile, your family can be enjoying free pizza, ice cream, yard games, and our solar powered bouncy house. Sunday’s event is going to be awesome, and we hope you’ll come and bring your friends.

Sunday August 17th from 1 to 4 pm
St. Mike’s College (Klein Hall parking lot)

On Sunday you can park in any of the adjacent parking lots on St. Mike’s campus to attend the event. We’ll be there to help your friends understand their options for going solar too.

You can find out more or RSVP on SunCommon’s Facebook page.

SunCommon is a Vermont company that provides solar electric system design and installation. They offer a variety of approaches and financing options. Sustainable Williston member Luc Reid recommends them.

Books and Links Recommended by Sustainable Williston Members for July

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Here are some recent books and links from Sustainable Williston members;

Vermont Climate Assessment from UVM’s Gund Institute
http://vtclimate.org/
The Vermont Climate Assessment is the nation’s first state-level climate assessment providing data similar to the National Climate Assessment.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, by Elizabeth Kolbert
http://www.amazon.com/The-Sixth-Extinction-Unnatural-History/dp/0805092994
Reporting and explaining the current mass extinction.

Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing, by Doug McKenzie-Mohr
http://www.amazon.com/Fostering-Sustainable-Behavior-Introduction-Community-Based/dp/0865716420
A remarkable book detailing specific research, facts, and techniques for spreading sustainable ways of life.

Why Geography Matters: More Than Ever, by Harm de Blij
http://www.amazon.com/Why-Geography-Matters-More-Than/dp/0199913749
Understanding the most dramatic events in our world through geography.

George Marshall on how to talk with climate change dissenters
http://www.climateaccess.org/resource/tip-sheet-george-marshall-how-talk-climate-change-dissenter
Arguing and throwing facts at climate change dissenters, it turns out, is practically useless. What does work to open real conversations about climate change?

Williston’s first Sustainable Gardens Tour a success

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Last night 18 of us, from the garden-curious to master gardeners, traveled to 5 different gardens around Williston, getting to know not only the different gardens with their differences in soils, experience of gardeners, crops, challenges, and triumphs, but also other Williston folks and corners of the town that some of us had never seen.

Despite predictions of thunderstorms we went ahead, and to my astonishment the rain held off completely. 15 minutes per garden turned out to be just about perfect, and it was easy for us to stay on schedule through the whole tour. Sue Stanne served us blueberry buckler with blueberries harvested from her yard just the day before, and we sampled crops like cucumbers (three kinds: traditional, European, and Silver Slicer), Tatsoi (an Asian green), and thimbleberries. We saw peppers grown in hay bales, Adirondack chair backs and large pretzel containers repurposed to hold tools, my monstrous corridor trellis, stirrup hoes, drip irrigation, anti-rabbit measures, and much more of interest.
 
Almost everyone who signed up made it to the event, and it seemed to be well enjoyed. Several of us got pictures, and Marie-Claude Beaudette got the beautiful set you see above.