Concentration of CO2 in the Atmosphere

Keep your holiday celebrations out of the landfill, all year round

By Clare Innes

Here’s a mashup of ideas for keeping your holiday spirit out of the landfill all year ’round:

Say NO! to artificial Christmas trees. Here’s why:

Think a real tree poses a greater fire hazard? Think again. Artificial trees are made with polyvinyl chloride, which is toxic to inhale if there is a […]

Green Shots: Holiday Gift Giving

By Jessica Goldblatt

‘Tis the season of GREEN—and we don’t mean your shopping budget! This holiday season, remember to shop locally, and choose environmentally friendly gifts and gift wrapping.

Choose the useful and sustainable gifts. Prefer quality over quantity and longevity over disposability. A foodie might like wooden tools and utensils, cast iron cookware, quality […]

Spirits for a Sustainable Future – in Windsor, VT

The Silo Distillery – pure, clean, sustainable

By George Harvey

It happens so often that when we start writing about one thing, many stories appear. This is certainly the case with the Silo Distillery.

It is partly a story of the building that houses the Silo Distillery. It was designed by David Hamilton […]

Food Co-ops: Building Food Security Since 1844

By Erbin Crowell

On December 21, 1844, the Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers opened a humble grocery store in the north of England. The offerings on the shelves were modest: little more than butter, flour, oatmeal and candles. The vision of the Pioneers, however, was ambitious.

“What was the motivation of the Rochdale Pioneers, who […]

Green Tips: A Burning Tip for Home Products

[The picture for this article has not yet been uploaded.]

By Deborah deMoulpied

Ho, ho, ho … how did we get flame retardants in just about everything in our homes? It’s in furniture, drapes, coffee makers, mattresses, microwaves, and carpets, and in electrical cords, TV sets, pillows, baby products, cars and blankets. Oh my. These […]

Bacteria, Slime Mold, and Love

By Larry Pleasant

I have always wondered why Nature didn’t stop with the bacteria. Those kids had it all. They had absolute and complete distribution throughout this blue orb in space we call home. Early bacteria transformed the air from a raging sulfurous stew to the docile nitrogen-oxygen-etc. mix we breathe today. They created the […]

Getting Back to Your Roots

Nutritious Eating when your Garden is Beneath the Snow

Root vegetables that were nurtured by the soil’s nutrients give us continued nourishment throughout the long winter months.

Carrots, turnips, and potatoes may be the mainstay of most root vegetable recipes, but what about trying some of their knobby, nubby cousins, found alongside […]

Farm to School: Having Fun in Woodstock, Vermont

By Abbey Keller

Harvesting carrots, cooking local food, and working hard at local farms are only some of the fun and educational activities that the Woodstock Farm to School group is doing.

Farm to School is a national program that strives to educate students (K-12) about nutrition, cooking with fresh produce, and […]

Raising of the Sun Shack

[NOTE: Pictures for this article are not yet uploaded and will come.] A living Laboratory of Sustainable Design

By Nathan Larrimer

On October 19, the long awaited raising of the sustainable classroom, also known as the “Sun-Shack,” took place at Colby Sawyer College. Students and community members enrolled in the sustainable […]

Whole School Energy Challenge:

Engaging Vermont Schools in an Earth-friendly Project to Reduce School Energy Use and Save Taxpayers Money

By Larry Lewack, Deputy Director , (VEEP), Vermont Energy Education Program

Fourteen Vermont schools are working to reduce their school’s energy use, and share their successes and their challenges along the way. The Whole School Energy Challenge engages the […]