Energy + Environment
Executive Council to consider contract with Colorado firm to monitor energy efficiency efforts
Evaluating and monitoring energy efficiency efforts is key in ensuring that the state’s program is delivering on its promises. A $284,683 contract that would pay a Colorado firm to verify that work is up for a vote before the Executive Council on Wednesday. Consumer Advocate Don Kreis called the chosen firm, Skumatz Economic Research Associates, […]
New law places barrier on state joining low carbon fuel standard programs
This story and headline were updated on Aug. 2 at 2:42 p.m. to clarify that the version of the bill that was signed into law did not contain language preventing discussion of low carbon fuel standard programs. In 2019, Gov. Chris Sununu decided that New Hampshire would not join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, but […]
Policy experts say infrastructure deal could transform clean energy efforts, address inequity
A test vote on Wednesday advanced national legislation on a $550 billion infrastructure deal and cleared the way for debate to begin in the U.S. Senate. The plan contains significant measures for clean energy infrastructure – the subject of a policy symposium held at Dartmouth’s Irving Institute on Wednesday. During the discussion, policy experts raised […]
With inclusivity in mind, efforts are underway to make the great outdoors great for all
In the past year, the conservation movement has been grappling with its racist roots and history. Organizations are trying to acknowledge the ways those roots extend into the present day – and fix it. Last July, the Sierra Club publicly apologized for its “substantial role in perpetuating white supremacy.” Key figures in the conservation movement, […]
Statute of limitations for PFAS-related harm doubles to six years
A bill was signed into law Friday creating a statute of limitations of six years for damages caused by exposure to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals, also commonly called PFAS. Previously, those impacted by the toxic chemicals had only three years to pursue legal action after they learned of harm from PFAS. The chemicals are known […]
Despite the rain, drought concerns linger: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet’
In July came the rain. Heavy, unrelenting rain fell for nearly three weeks – with some parts of the state getting inundated by over 7 inches of it. For some it was a relief after the unusually dry spring, for others the rain brought annoyance or concern due to flooding that hit parts of southern […]
U.S. House passes PFAS bill regulating ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water
WASHINGTON – The U.S. House Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation that would regulate toxic chemicals found in drinking water, as well as designate two types of those toxic chemicals as hazardous substances that would spark federal cleanup standards. The bill, H.R. 2467, also known as the PFAS Action Act of 2021, passed 241-183, with 23 Republicans […]
Taxation, open spaces, and the great divide over current use
When Rusty Keith looked at the numbers, it seemed wrong. Then serving as a selectman in Lyme, Keith was taken aback to see that the poorest residents were subsidizing the taxes of the wealthiest landowners in the rural western New Hampshire town. Because of a tax policy called current use, it was completely legal. “They […]
Legislation aims to reduce amount of food waste that ends up in landfills
Two bills introduced to both the U.S. House and Senate last Friday aim to help tackle climate change by reducing food waste. U.S. Rep. Annie Kuster, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, was one of the lawmakers to introduce the legislation. Climate change and food waste are connected because discarded food sent to landfills […]
Democrats unite around ‘climate corps’ that could employ youth, prevent fires
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer pledged on Tuesday to include a Civilian Climate Corps in a $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill later this year, as a broad swath of Democrats rallied around a framework of employing thousands of young people to do conservation work. Schumer, D-N.Y., appeared with a handful of congressional Democrats, led by […]
Smoke advisory related to Western wildfires in effect for New Hampshire
The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has declared a smoke advisory as of Tuesday afternoon. The smoke traveled across the country from wildfires burning in 13 Western states and in Canada. Smoke plumes are visible throughout the Northeast, and the plumes carry with them particulates at levels “that could cause respiratory health effects for […]
UNH researcher to look at pandemic-driven migration to Northern Forest region
UNH researcher Jess Carson was awarded a Northeastern States Research Cooperative grant last month to study the pandemic-driven migration of people to the Northern Forest. The research could serve as a preview of what the region can expect from future migration, driven by climate change or other factors. Carson’s research, which is already underway, will […]