Climate Change

Promoting citizen action to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Climate change is not some distant problem – it is happening here and now in the Upper Valley. In recent years, we have seen climate disruptions affect our communities in the form of droughts, deluges, ice and hail storms, intense cold snaps, and sudden heat waves. We must recognize these increasingly frequent extreme weather events for what they are: our new normal.

Climate Resilience

Climate resilience, or climate adaptation, is the ability of a community to anticipate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from climate impacts in a way that minimizes significant disruption to our lives and impacts on our shared resources. This includes our health, safety, built environment, food availability, natural resources, wildlife, and financial strength.

Climate Mitigation

Climate mitigation describes efforts to reduce or prevent greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change. Vital Communities promotes climate mitigation through projects that move the Upper Valley away from reliance on fossil fuels for our heating, electricity, and transportation needs.

What’s New in Our Climate Work

Climate Change Super Quest

A Super Quest is a fun challenge that Vital Communities organizes every year. This year’s Super Quest examines the ways climate change is affecting the Upper Valley—from plants, insects, and other animals moving here from the south due to warming temperatures; to more frequent and more powerful storms; to people migrating from other places experiencing even greater climate-induced changes. To complete the challenge, participants have from May 1 to November 1 to register and collect stamp impressions from any five of 12 selected climate-themed Quests. Complete the Super Quest to receive a special Super Quest patch and be entered to win a grand prize.

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Join the Climate Action Discussion List

Vital Communities hosts an Upper Valley Climate Action email discussion list as a forum for topics related to climate action work in the Upper Valley. The intent of this list is to provide a creative and dynamic environment for Upper Valley residents and community groups to share their successes, discuss challenges, collaborate on initiatives, programs and projects and keep everyone informed of upcoming events and opportunities that will further the important work of responding to climate change in the Upper Valley. It is also a resource for individuals and groups to learn about and promote existing work to address climate change and work together.

Join the Listserv

Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup (UVAW)

UVAW is a bi-state, multi-stakeholder working group of leaders and partner organizations that meets monthly to focus on building climate-resilient communities in the Upper Valley. Vital Communities is both the administrative host of UVAW and an active UVAW member.

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Join the Farmer Climate Network

Global climate change is a growing threat to Upper Valley farmers and the communities that rely on them. Upper Valley farmers are responding with a range of climate and adaptation techniques, educational efforts, and political advocacy. With funding from Northeast SARE, Vital Communities will be convening regular climate-focused farmer events to build a resilient farmer network that is better prepared to mitigate the risks and take advantage of the opportunities that a warming climate will bring. These consistent, farmer-directed gatherings will focus on farmer-to-farmer learning, visiting experts, on-farm models and demonstrations, and sharing resources that could improve farm and community resiliency.

Join us for any of our network events or reach out to Nancy LaRowe at 802-291-9100 x 106, or Becka Warren at 802-291-9100 x112.

It is not necessary to attend every event to become involved. Farmer participants will determine the direction of the Network.

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100% Renewable by 2050

Vital Communities is committed to helping the Upper Valley meet 100% of its heating, electricity, and transportation needs with renewable energy by 2050. To get there, we are leading many projects to help residents and businesses use less energy overall by making our homes more energy efficient and finding healthier, low-energy ways to get around.

Learn More About Energy Projects Learn More About Transportation Projects