Green Options

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State Joins North Dakota in Seeking Permission from Feds to Grow Hemp

The Hemp for Vermont Bill was allowed to become law by Governor Jim Hughes on May 29th, without his signature. The bill overwhelmingly passed both the House and Senate several months ago, setting the stage for Vermont’s entrance into the industrial hemp arena.The non-profit advocacy organization Vote Hemp made the announcement, saying the new law regulates growth of industrial hemp by Vermont farmers. The interest in Vermont is for using hemp in food products and bedding for some of the state’s 140,000 cows.

Vermont author, scholar and activist Bill McKibben sees the climate change challenge like this: we have 18 months — just 18 months — to pound a single number into the world’s collective head.

350.

350. That’s the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide, in parts per million, we need to achieve if we hope to avoid catastrophic changes to our climate and our civilization. The challenge here is that CO2 concentrations have already climbed to 387 parts per million and rose by 2.14 ppm, the highest rate of increase yet, in 2007.

I’ve recently witnessed a few scenes of life after peak oil, and it isn’t necessarily the Apocalypse.

In Juneau, Alaska, for example, people are proving it’s possible to change our energy-hogging ways literally overnight and still keep a community up and running. The inspiration in their case: an avalanche that severed the hydroelectric power lines serving the remote Alaska capital, cutting off about 80 percent of the city’s available electricity.

After a cold winter and rising fuel prices, Vermont and other Northeastern states are warming to the idea of using local biomass to heat their homes. According to Renewable Energy World, pellet stoves, which burn pellets made from wood shavings and sawdust and whose emissions are nearly zero, are becoming more attractive heating options. One of the most efficient use of the stoves is as a heating supplement.

“In New Hampshire, New England Wood Pellet has been

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Similar to Hope Spinnery in Maine that I featured a few weeks ago, Green Mountain Spinnery in Vermont creates their own yarn from United States-grown fibers (specifically alpaca, mohair, wool and organic cotton).

“Our mission is to produce and sell high quality yarns from natural fibers and design classic Vermont patterns. Transforming the many types of raw fibers into luxurious and long lasting yarn. The Green Mountain Spinnery helps to sustain regional sheep farming, and to develop environmentally sound ways to process natural fibers,” says their website.

Using vintage equipment, Green Mountain Spinnery creates yarns that take any project from plain to prodigious. Also similar to Hope Spinnery, GMS will spin yarns from fibers that you provide as well. The company has also released its own book of patterns, called The Green Mountain Spinnery Knitting Book, featuring “30 of their best loved contemporary and classic patterns.”

Last December, EPA administrator Stephen Johnson denied California’s request to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today, the Senate released documents putting Johnson squarely in opposition with the scientific and legal experts on his staff when he denied the request.The documents were requested by Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works chair Barbara Boxer (D-CA), who said:

“These documents paint a picture of an Environmental Protection Agency in crisis. They show the dedicated professional staff of the EPA working hard to do what they are paid to do by the American people - protect our health and our environment. At the same time, we see more and more evidence of Administrator Johnson ignoring the science and the facts, and discarding the advice of his professional staff.”

“I believe this decision will be reversed by the next President or by the courts, but the Administrator can save the taxpayers time and money, and can get us started cleaning up our air if he would simply follow the law, the facts, and the advice of his agency professionals.”

Hoping that a new administration in Washington could lead to changes in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration laws, the Vermont House of Representatives has approved a bill clearing the way for farmers to grow industrial hemp. The measure now moves to the state Senate for consideration.

Photo courtesy of Aleks via Wikimedia Commons.

Cuddly sweaters, warm throw blankets, chic slippers - these all can be knitted or crocheted from one fantastic fiber: sheep’s wool. Founded in January 2000, Vermont Organic Fiber Company is the world’s leading wholesale supplier of yarns and fabrics made with certified organic wool. Thankfully, you no longer have to be a business to get a hold of their superior goods - just this past year, VOFC branched out into the retail hand-knitting yarn world.

You might remember me mentioning Vermont Organic’s yarn in the Yearn-Worthy Yarns: Blue Sky Alpacas post. The particular yarn I used for the scarf was their O-Wool Balance yarn (shown at left), which is made from 50% organic wool and 50% organic cotton. The mildly marbled look is beautifully earthy and features a very low itch factor.

In addition to the O-Wool Balance yarn, which now comes in 18 unspeakably exquisite colors, Vermont Organic Fiber Co has two yarns made from 100% organic wool, which is certified organic in both the USA and Europe.

States continue to take the lead in cutting global warming pollution and more may soon follow, spurred by a federal judge’s ruling last week that Vermont can set stricter vehicle emissions standards — stricter than what the federal government requires.

Furthermore, the widespread state action on auto emissions could persuade the government to enact nationwide fuel efficiency laws, rather than leave a patchwork of state regulations for automakers to work around.

The Christian Science

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Brattleboro, VT becomes second Fair Trade Town in the U.S.

The small town of Brattleboro, Vermont recently announced that it has met the criteria to declare itself a Fair Trade Town. Brattleboro is the second Fair Trade Town in the United States and the third in North America after Woflville, Nova Scotia became the second in April and Media, Pensylvania led the way

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Vermont Governor Jim Douglas will travel to China in June to help promote the state's green industries and share clean and alternative energy technologies with leaders there.

During the trip Douglas and members of his delegation will meet with environmental and government officials to expand the market for Vermont businesses and products, and to share sustainable technology solutions as a way of helping to reduce the impacts of climate change. The

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