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NERC Blog

Buildings Are an Ideal but Overlooked Climate Solution

This guest blog is courtesy of the World Resources Institute Ross Center for Sustainable Cities, and was original published on their website, and written by , and

In her speech before the United Nations in September 2019, Greta Thunberg called out the assembled world leaders for their stubborn adherence to the status quo in the face of an escalating climate crisis. "How dare you pretend that this can be solved with just business as usual?" she said.

Perhaps no sector better illustrates this need to do more than the buildings sector. The International Energy Agency recently found that by 2050, we can cut

EPA’s National Framework for Recycling: Is it Enough?

In October 2019, NERC Advisory Member The Recycling Partnership (TRP) issued a new report entitled The Bridge to Circularity: Putting the New Plastics Economy into Practice in the U.S.  “The momentum around plastics waste should provide an entry point to address the broader question of how to build a circular economy for all consumer packaging in the U.S.,” the report states.

The following month, the US Environmental Protection Agency published The National Framework for Advancing the U.S. Recycling System. According to EPA, the 45 original signatories to the 2018 America Recycles Pledge (which includes the Northeast Recycling Council), working collaboratively through 2019, “pledged to work together to identify specific actions to take in addressing the challenges and opportunities facing the U.S. recycling system.”

EPA…

Composting 101

This guest blog is provided courtesy of the National Geographic Society Education Blog, and was written by Olivia Ries, the National Geographic Society Youth Empowerment writer. The blog provides an introduction to composting - what it is, and how an individual can compost.

Hi! Olivia here from One More Generation!

Remember how back in December I wrote about gardening and composting on my holiday list? Well, do I have some news for you! It turns out these go hand and hand! At first, I thought compost was just something that you put in your garden that was good for plants. With all the information I have discovered, I learned there is so much more.

Let’s start with the definition of ‘compost’.

Definition of Compost(ing)

  • A mixture of organic matter, as from leaves and manure, that has decayed or has been digested by organisms, used to improve soil structure and provide nutrients. (

Keeping beer cold without warming the planet

This guest blog is courtesy of Efficiency Vermont and was written by Jake Marin & Ali White.

Some of our favorite Vermont products require refrigeration: craft beer, apple cider, cheese and other dairy products, and more. That refrigeration can be a significant portion of a Vermont business’s electric use, whether it’s your neighborhood convenience store, a major grocery chain, or a restaurant.

All refrigeration systems have chemicals called "refrigerants" in them. These systems are designed to hold just the right amount of refrigerant to get the job done effectively and safely. However, with wear and tear, all systems eventually leak refrigerant…

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