In a world increasingly impacted by warming temperatures and climate change, utility companies have been working to develop new forms of renewable energy that do not emit greenhouse gases. In heavily forested areas, such as New Hampshire, wood may be a viable alternative to fossil fuels for electricity generation. Thus…
As electric vehicles (EVs) become more common, and public EV infrastructure more extensive, the State of Vermont will likely need to address three issues: reduced gas tax revenue, public EV charger siting, and expired EV battery processing. EVs do not consume gasoline, so the adoption of EVs will diminish gas…
Between the 1930s and 1977, chemical companies such as Monsanto manufactured electrical equipment and building materials, including caulk and light ballasts, with human-made chemicals known as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Although PCBs were banned in 1979, a lack of removal efforts means they persist in many buildings constructed before that date…
Vermont faces numerous challenges from climate change, which have already begun to negatively impact the state's ecosystem, economy, and public health, especially affecting rural and low-income residents. While the state's greenhouse gas emissions make up only a small fraction of total United States emissions - and are small when compared…
Cervids constitute a centrally important aspect of wildlife importation policy. In the past fifty years, the cervid-borne Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) has been identified in twenty-nine U.S. states, threatening wild and domestic game while complicating wildlife management and deer importation policy. The prion disease is totally fatal, has no therapeutic…
Lake Winnipesaukee is the largest lake in New Hampshire and an important landmark, providing significant benefits to New Hampshire’s economy. Its presence benefits the tourism and recreation industries in New Hampshire, provides resources to nearby towns, and positively impacts real estate prices in the area. This valuation study was conducted…
Across the country, rail trails are an environmentally- and commuter-friendly alternative to automobiles and other fossil fuel-burning transportation. They also provide safe locations for a wide range of recreational activities, including mountain biking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, and running. The New Hampshire General Court recently passed legislation to update its rail…
Due to budget cuts in the Department of Environmental Services (DES) Solid Waste Management Bureau, New Hampshire has fallen behind in planning for the future of solid waste management. Four of the six landfills in the state are expected to close within the next decade, while the volume of trash…
In recent years, research has increasingly suggested that pesticides such as neonicotinoids cause harm to the environment and pollinator populations. The New Hampshire legislature introduced a bill in January 2019 to ban the use and sale of insecticides and treated seeds in the following categories: neonicotinoids (neonics), sulfoximines, butenolides, and…
Kosovo faces dangerously high rates of air pollution that often reach levels far exceeding international health limits. Approximately 3,700 Kosovars die prematurely because of high air pollution annually, more than any other country in Europe. The harmful effects of air pollution are most concentrated in Prishtina. The Mayor of Prishtina…