Kim Fountain: The LGBTQ Struggle Continues

Posted on June 17, 2016 by David

In the wake of the massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, 1,000 people marched in Burlington, Vermont — and in numerous other cities — in solidarity with LGBTQ people. Achieving marriage equality was a milestone, but the struggle for LGBTQ rights continues. As the New York Times reports, “Since the marriage ruling, several Republican-led state legislatures and Republican governors and federal lawmakers have redoubled their fight against legal protections for people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. So far this year, more than 200 anti-L.G.B.T. bills have been introduced in 34 states.” Kim Fountain, executive director of the Pride Center of Vermont, a “comprehensive community center dedicated to advancing community and the health and safety of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Vermonters,” speaks about larger effort to achieve safety, dignity and acceptance of LGBTQ people. (June 15, 2016 broadcast)

Kim Fountain, executive director, Pride Center of Vermont

Migrant Justice: Human Rights & Food Justice

Posted on June 16, 2016 by David

There are approximately 1,500 migrant workers on Vermont’s farms, especially in the dairy industry. Often working up to 80 hours per week, many migrant workers live in isolation on rural farms and earn less than minimum wage. Migrant Justice is an advocacy organization with a mission “to build the voice, capacity, and power of the farmworker community and engage community partners to organize for economic justice and human rights.” On June 13, 2016, Migrant Justice scored a major victory when the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Department agreed to pay nearly $30,000 to settle a case regarding discriminatory treatment against an immigrant dairy worker, Lorenzo Alcudia, who was turned over to Border Patrol after a traffic stop in which he was a passenger. We talk with farmworkers and activists from Migrant Justice. We also speak with a representative from the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, a nationally known farmworker’s organization that has won landmark agreements with Taco Bell and other major restaurants. (June 15, 2016 broadcast)

Will Lambek, Enrique Balcazar, Gilberto Lopez Morales, Migrant Justice

Gerardo Reyes, Coalition of Immokalee Workers

Twincraft: New Americans build a business & lives

Posted on June 8, 2016 by David

There is a Vermont connection behind national brands of skin care products such as Estee Lauder, Burt’s Bees, Neutrogena, and Whole Foods. Twincraft Skincare makes soaps. lotions, sunscreen and other products from its manufacturing facilities in Essex and Winooski, Vermont. Twincraft has become a booming business with a special story: the numerous New Americans, many of them refugees who have been relocated to Vermont, who are part of the 200-person workforce. We go on location to company headquarters in Winooski to learn how Twincraft’s commitment to employ a diverse workforce — including senior citizens, non-English speakers, ex-convicts, and others — has translated into success in business, and changed lives.(June 7, 2016 broadcast)

Pete Asch, CEO and owner, Twincraft Skincare

Joel Marquardt, VP Operations

Angela Ibragamova, employee from Azerbaijan

Kaji Rai, employee, refugee from Bhutan

[Part 1 features Asch & Marquardt; Part 2 includes all 4 interviewees]

Paul Bruhn: Preserving Vermont and Fighting Sprawl

Posted on June 6, 2016 by David

Paul Bruhn went from becoming a UVM dropout, to managing Sen. Patrick Leahy’s first campaign, to the job he holds now as the executive director of Preservation Trust of Vermont, an organization known nationwide. He has served as director since the nonprofit’s inception in 1980. Under his leadership the Preservation Trust has worked with Vermont communities to preserve nearly 2,000 structures and properties, from churches, barns, and general stores to hotels, town theaters and county courthouses. These formidable efforts have saved and solidified the essential character of Vermont and are revitalizing Vermont villages and downtowns, a critical aspect of the smart-growth framework for the state’s future.

This year Bruhn finally received his degree from UVM — an honorary degree, which notes: “Bruhn has used his talents as an advocate and adviser to preserve the most unique and defining aspects of Vermont and to advocate for a future based on smart land-use development and vibrant community centers. It would be difficult to find a nook or cranny, village or gore in Vermont that has not felt the influence of Bruhn’s vision.”

Bruhn discusses how he engineered Sen. Leahy’s victorious first statewide campaign, to preservation, sprawl, and what he is proudest of. (June 1, 2016 broadcast)

Paul Bruhn, executive director, Preservation Trust of Vermont

Working more, getting less: Vermont’s working women struggle to get ahead

Posted on May 5, 2016 by David

A new report, “Where Women Work and Why It Matters,” developed by Change the Story VT paints a disturbing picture of the plight of working women in Vermont. 43% of VT women who work full-time do not make enough to cover basic living expenses. Women who work full-time are disproportionately employed in low-wage jobs – across every age group, at every level of education. And Vermont women are especially vulnerable in their senior years, when their median annual income from Social Security ($10,000) is half that of men ($20,000). The report was backed by the Vermont Women’s Fund, Vermont Commission on Women and Vermont Works for Women. We discuss the state of working women in Vermont and potential solutions. (May 4, 2016 broadcast)

Tiffany Bluemle, director, Change the Story VT

Marybeth Redmond, director of development & communications, Vermont Works for Women

David Bronner: Fighting soap maker

Posted on April 28, 2016 by David

David Bronner is Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s, the top-selling brand of natural soaps in North America and producer of other organic body care and food products. The iconic soap brand is noted for its famous label that espouses a philosophy of world peace it calls ALL ONE.

David Bronner is a grandson of company founder, Emanuel Bronner, and a fifth-generation soap maker. Under David and his brother Michael’s leadership, the brand has grown from $4 million in 1998 to just under $100 million in annual revenue in 2015.

David has been a high profile activist on hemp legalization, organics, drug policy reform, GMO labeling, and livable wage. Dr. Bronner’s soap currently features a label advocating “Fair Pay for All People.” Bronner has been arrested in front of the White House for protesting about restrictive hemp laws.

David Bronner talks about his grandfather’s legacy, his company, and his activism. (April 27, 2016 broadcast)

David Bronner, CEO, Dr. Bronner’s

Earth Day 46: Can businesses be environmentalists?

Posted on April 28, 2016 by David

On April 22,1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets across the country to demonstrate for a sustainable environment. “By the end of that year, the first Earth Day had led to the creation of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air, Clean Water, and Endangered Species Acts.” [earthday.org]

On Earth Day 2016, activists and sustainable businesses came to the Vermont State House for a People’s Lobby Day. We speak with participants from two leading Vermont businesses about the role of businesses in advancing environmental goals and the challenges that their own companies face in trying to meet them. [April 20, 2016 broadcast)

Ashley Orgain, Manager of Mission Advocacy, Seventh Generation

Chris Miller, Manager of Social Mission & Activism, Ben & Jerry’s

Shay DiCocco, brand manager, Seventh Generation

In the second half of the show, we discuss the carbon tax and other initiatives to address environmental and climate change goals:

Daniel Barlow, Public Policy Manager, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility

Johanna Miller, Energy Program Director, Vermont Natural Resources Council

Where to locate renewable power?

Posted on April 6, 2016 by David

Should communities have more say in where renewable power is located? A group of farmers wrote to the Vermont Legislature this week to defend their ability to locate renewable power on their farms. We talk with a farmer and a solar power provider about some of the challenges in siting renewable power. (April 6, 2016 broadcast)

James Moore, co-founder, Suncommon

Meg Armstrong, sixth generation Essex Junction farm family

How the Fight for $15 caught fire

Posted on April 6, 2016 by David

When fast food workers walked off their jobs and launched the Fight for $15 in late 2012 in New York City, few people would have predicted that a few years later, the $15 minimum wage would become law. We discuss how the fight for $15 caught fire to become law in California and New York, and beyond. (April 6, 2016 broadcast)

Yannet Lathrop, Researcher and Policy Analyst, National Employment Law Project

Child deaths and unfair convictions: One reporter’s stories

Posted on March 29, 2016 by David

In honor of Sunshine Week, a national campaign to promote transparency and freedom of information, we speak with Jenifer McKim, a senior investigative reporter the New England Center for Investigative Reporting.

Since starting in the fall of 2013, her stories on child welfare and homeowner debt have been the recipient of both a 2014 and 2015 “Publick Occurrences” award issued by the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Before joining NECIR, McKim, worked as a social issues and business reporter at the Boston Globe.

Jenifer McKim is the recipient of the New England First Amendment Coalition 2016 Freedom of Information Award, for her series “Out of the Shadows,” which investigated the failings of the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. Her investigation found that children were dying because of a lack of oversight by this government agency. Her reporting required months of negotiating with public officials, dozens of public records requests and thousands of dollars in fees for those records. McKim also discusses her investigation of Darrell Jones, who has served 30 years following a murder conviction, but has now won a new hearing based on evidence that he did not receive a fair trial. (March 16, 2016 broadcast)

Jenifer McKim, senior investigative reporter, New England Center for Investigative Reporting.

President-elect Sanders: The morning after

Posted on March 29, 2016 by David

“What would greet President-elect Bernie Sanders after the victory parties die down and residents of Burlington, VT awaken to their first cup of coffee? …The economics of ‘capital strike’ would threaten to trump the verdict of democracy.”

That’s the dark warning from William F. Grover, professor of political science at Saint Michael’s College in Vermont. He is the co-author (with Joseph G. Peschek) of the book, The Unsustainable Presidency: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Beyond (December 2014).

Grover discusses the forces that will rise up if a progressive leader such as Bernie Sanders is elected president — and what it will take to counter them. (March 16, 2016 broadcast)

William Grover, professor of political science at Saint Michael’s College, co-author, The Unsustainable Presidency: Clinton, Bush, Obama and Beyond

Slow money

Posted on March 24, 2016 by David

The Slow Money movement aims to “bring money down to earth” by linking local food initiatives with local investors. Nationally, over $45 million has been invested into 450 small food enterprises around the United States. Twenty-four local networks and 13 investment clubs have formed. We speak with representatives of several different groups in Vermont that are dedicated to investing locally and making money slowly. (March 9, 2016 broadcast)

Will Belongia, Vermont Community Loan Fund

Jeannine Kilbride, Cobb Hill Frozen Yogurt

Eric Becker, Slow Money Vermont and Clean Yield Asset Management

Janice Shade, Milk Money Vermont

Brown is the new white: The new American majority

Posted on March 24, 2016 by David

In his book Brown is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority, author Steve Phillips argues that “many progressives and Democrats continue to waste millions dollars chasing white swing voters. In fact, explosive population growth of people of color in American over the past 50 years has laid the foundation for a New American Majority consisting of progressive people of color (23 percent of all eligible voters) and progressive whites (28 percent of all eligible voters) — comprising 51 percent of all eligible voters in America right now.”

Steve Phillips was the youngest person ever elected to public office in San Francisco and went on to serve as president of the Board of Education. He is a co-founder of PowerPAC.org, a social justice organization that conducted the largest independent voter mobilization efforts backing Barack Obama. He discusses the new American majority, and the forces behind Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton, and prospects for the 2016 election. (March 23, 2016 broadcast)

Steve Phillips, author, Brown is the New White: How the Demographic Revolution Has Created a New American Majority (The New Press, 2016)

Tom Stearns: From teen seed merchant to Small Business Person of the Year

Posted on March 23, 2016 by David

Tom Stearns launched High Mowing Organic Seeds in 1996, and in its first year sales were $2,000 and he was the sole employee. Twenty years later his company has grown to be one of the top organic seed companies in the U.S., and today has more than 60 employees.

Stearns was named Vermont’s 2016 Small Business Person of the Year by the Small Business Administration. He was recognized for growing his company, increasing sales, employee growth and contributing to the local community.

High Mowing Organic Seeds is a farm-based company that produces and distributes vegetable, flower and herb seeds throughout the U.S. and Canada. High Mowing Organic Seeds is the first organic company guaranteeing all of its seeds are non-genetically modified organism verified.

Stearns talks about his journey from being a teenager fascinated with seeds to being part of a burgeoning national local and organic food movement. (March 23, 2016 broadcast)

Tom Stearns, owner and founder, High Mowing Organic Seeds

Is Vermont education on the right track?

Posted on March 2, 2016 by David

What is the state of education and reform in Vermont? We review results of Town Meeting Day 2016. Eleven Vermont school budgets failed to pass (compared to over 30 budgets that were rejected two years ago) this year. We look at how education reform is faring, talking about new initiatives around universal pre-K, flexible pathways, Act 46 and school mergers, and how marijuana legalization might affect schools. (March 2, 2016 broadcast)

Nicole Mace, executive director, Vermont School Boards Association

Jeff Francis, executive director, Vermont Superintendents Association

Can Vermont adapt to climate change?

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David

In the midst of one of the warmest winters in memory, how can Vermont adapt to the new realities of climate change? Paul Costello of the Vermont Council on Rural Development has been exploring this issue with community leaders all around Vermont. He has helped lead the Vermont Climate Change Economy Council, which recently issued a five-year report, Progress for Vermont. He argues that Vermont can be a national model for how states and communities thrive in a climate-changed world. (Feb. 24, 2016 broadcast)

Paul Costello, executive director, Vermont Council on Rural Development

Hamilton Davis: A half-century covering presidents and scoundrels

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David

Hamilton Davis has been a journalist and policy analyst for more than 50 years. He covered the 1968 and 1972 presidential campaigns for the Providence Journal, and served as an editor at the Burlington Free Press in the 1970s. He lives in Vermont with his wife Candace Page, a retired veteran reporter at the Burlington Free Press. Davis regularly writes about health care reform for vtdigger.org. He reflects on some of his biggest stories: covering the presidential campaigns, Pres. Richard Nixon, his book about corrupt Burlington “super cop” Paul Lawrence, and his advice to young journalists today. Davis also blogs on topics ranging from health, politics, to the Red Sox. (Feb. 17, 2016 broadcast)

Hamilton Davis, journalist

The future of work

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David

MIT Professor Thomas Kochan argues in his new book, Shaping the Future of Work: What Future Worker, Business, Government, and Education Leaders Need to Do For All to Prosper, that the social contract has broken down, and he offers a vision of how to create more productive businesses that also provide good jobs and careers and build a more inclusive economy and shared prosperity. (Feb. 10, 2016 broadcast)

Thomas Kochan, George M. Bunker Professor of Work and Employment Relations, MIT Sloan School of Management and co-director, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research

Saving Europe’s refugees

Posted on February 24, 2016 by David

More than one million refugees poured into Europe in 2015, the greatest migration of people since WWII. Most of the refugees are fleeing war, especially from Syria, but many are Iraqis and Afghans fleeing violence. Most are smuggled by boat onto the Greek islands from Turkey, which now hosts more refugees than any other country. Seventh generation Vermonter Jane Dwinell, a registered nurse and Unitarian minister, recently returned from the Greek island of Lesvos, where she volunteered with Lighthouse Refugee Relief to assist refugees arriving in overflowing boats. She discusses the crisis and why she helped. She also wrote a daily blog account of her volunteer work in Greece. [Feb 10, 2016 broadcast]

Jane Dwinell, RN, Unitarian minister, refugee volunteer

Farm to Plate comes of age

Posted on January 22, 2016 by David

The Vermont legislature passed the Farm to Plate Investment Program legislation in 2009. On its fifth anniversary, the Farm to Plate program has issued an annual report touting remarkable results: 5,300 new jobs in the food sector and $10 billion in annual sales. We discuss the impact of Farm to Plate and Vermont’s food sector with two of its leaders.

Erica Campbell, Farm to Plate Network Director

Jake Claro, Farm to Plate Network Manager

Should Vermont divest?

Posted on January 22, 2016 by David

Should Vermont divest? A recent study argues that Vermont’s state pension funds have given up $77 million in gains due to investments in fossil fuels. Gov. Peter Shumlin has also recently called for the state to divest, causing a rift with State Treasurer Beth Pearce, who opposes divestment. We speak with a Vermont investment manager about why he advocates for divestment.

Eric Becker, Chief Investment Officer, Clean Yield Asset Management

Is your privacy protected?

Posted on January 14, 2016 by David

Drones. Computer hacking. Cell phone location services. These are just some of the threats to privacy that citizens face on a daily basis. Allen Gilbert, executive director of the Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, discusses new legislation aimed at protecting privacy, and why he feels that Act 46, Vermont’s new education law, violates the Vermont constitution and will likely result in a lawsuit from the ACLU.

Allen Gilbert, executive director, Vermont chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union

Paid Sick Leave: Has its time come?

Posted on January 14, 2016 by David

More than 57,000 working Vermonters lack any kind of paid time off. In 2015, a paid sick leave bill passed the Vermont House but failed in the Senate. The Healthy Workplaces Bill currently in the Vt. Legislature would enable many Vermonters to be eligible for paid sick days. Gov. Peter Shumlin endorsed the call for paid sick leave in his 2016 State of the State address. To discuss paid sick leave:

Jen Kimmich, co-owner, The Alchemist, member VBSR Policy Committee

Paul Millman, president, Chroma Technology

Ban the Box: Helping ex-prisoners

Posted on January 14, 2016 by David

“Ban the Box” refers to the policy of removing the conviction history check-box from job applications. If employers must ask about convictions, they can ask later in the hiring process. The call to “ban the box” has become a powerful movement for fair hiring.

Today, over 100 cities and counties have adopted “ban the box” and a total of 19 states representing nearly every region of the country that have adopted the policies

Last April, Gov. Peter Shumlin signed an Executive Order to implement a ‘ban the box’ state hiring policy. Vt’s ‘ban the box’ Executive Order removes questions about criminal records from the very first part of job applications for state employment. Agencies will continue to conduct background checks, but only after an applicant has otherwise been found qualified for the position. The policy will prevent applicants from being immediately screened out of state jobs because of a criminal conviction. The policy will not apply to law enforcement, corrections, or other sensitive positions.

We talk about the effort to get all Vermont employers to ban the box with:

Russ Bennett, from NorthLand Design & Construction, chair of the VBSR Public Policy Committee

Chris Curtis, staff attorney, Vermont Legal Aid

Manuel La Fontaine, who was formerly incarcerated, and now works to ban the box nationally with the group All of Us or None.

When We Fight, We Win: Greg Jobin-Leeds on transformative movements

Posted on January 14, 2016 by David

Greg Jobin-Leeds is the author of When We Fight, We Win: 21st Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World. The book, rich with art curated by the activist art group AgitArte, chronicles the movements for same-sex marriage, Black Lives Matter, the DREAM Act, climate justice, mass incarceration, Occupy Wall Street, and others. Jobin-Leeds is the son of Holocaust survivors. He discusses what he has learned about how to successfully make transformative change in the 21st century.

Greg Jobin-Leeds, author, When We Fight, We Win: 21st Century Social Movements and the Activists That Are Transforming Our World (The New Press, 2016)

Waterbury’s Good Neighbor: Rev. Peter Plagge

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David

We dedicate our last show of 2015 to going beyond the headlines to talk with folks on the frontlines of working with some of the most vulnerable Vermonters. For 15 years, Rev. Peter Plagge has been pastor of the Waterbury Congregational Church and director of the Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund, an emergency financial resources for Waterbury area residents. He talks about the hidden face of poverty, how to help, and the power of listening.

Rev. Peter Plagge, pastor, Waterbury Congregational Church, Director, Waterbury Good Neighbor Fund

#IAmMoreThanHomeless: ANEW Place for Vermont’s Homeless

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David

ANEW Place is a homeless shelter in Burlington, Vt. that aims to create long term solutions for homeless men and women. The ANEW Place shelter used to be called the Burlington Emergency Shelter, but it rebranded last year to reflect its focus more on long-term solutions, in which shelter is just the first component. ANEW Place recently launched a video, #IAmMoreThanHomeless, to challenge stereotypes of homeless people

Michelle Omo, director of development, ANEW Place

From the Inner City to College

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David

We often hear stories about the cutthroat competition among high school seniors applying to elite colleges. But the experiences of low-income students of color are too often reduced to grim statistics. Joshua Steckel is an inner-city high school guidance counselor and the co-author with Beth Zasloff of Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty (The New Press). His book traces the intimate narratives of ten different students in a Brooklyn public high school as they strive to get to—and through—college. He is joined by one of his former students, Maya Ennis, who talks about the challenges of leaving the inner city to attend Wheaton College and Carnegie-Mellon University.

Joshua Steckel, college counselor and co-author, Hold Fast to Dreams: A College Guidance Counselor, His Students and the Vision of a Life Beyond Poverty

Maya Ennis, graduate student, Carnegie-Mellon University

Kids in prison

Posted on December 30, 2015 by David

More than 2 million children are arrested each year— and predictions are that one in three American schoolchildren will be arrested before the age of 23. Award-winning journalist Nell Bernstein’s Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison (The New Press) takes a personal look at America’s hidden children.

Bernstein is a former Soros Justice Media Fellow in New York, and winner of a White House Champion of Change award. Her articles have appeared in Newsday, Salon, Mother Jones, and the Washington Post, among other publications. Bernstein has spent more than 20 years listening and bearing witness to the stories of incarcerated kids.

Nell Bernstein, author, Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison

Fighting poverty & changing lives

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David

Leaders of two Vermont anti-poverty organizations talk about the scope of the problem and what works.

Duncan McDougall, founder and director, Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF). CLiF has provided free literacy programs and brand-new books to low-income, at-risk, and rural children up to age 12 in almost 85% of the communities in New Hampshire and Vermont.

Mark Redmond, executive director, Spectrum Youth & Family Services. Founded in 1970, Spectrum is a nationally recognized leader in helping youth ages 12-26 and their families turn their lives around, serving 2,000 teenagers, young adults, and their family members annually.

Public artist Sarah-Lee Terrat

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David

On Dec. 14, 2015, Gov. Peter Shumlin cut the ribbon on the new state office complex in Waterbury. As visitors enter the building, the first thing they will see is a striking mural that rises up a stairway. The mural tells the story of Vermont and of the former Vermont State Hospital that occuped the buildings of the state complex for over a century.

The mural was created by Sarah-Lee Terrat of Waterbury Center, one of Vermont’s leading public artists. She was chosen in 2001 to design the Vermont State Quarter, part of a national state coin series. She also designed many of the original Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops.

Her iconic brightly colored murals can be seen all around Vermont, and the country. Her bright, fantastical artwork can be seen at the Vermont Children’s Hospital, in the floors of NRG Systems in Hinesburg, in the children’s bedrooms inside the homes of Phish musicians Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, on the walls of Arvad’s Restaurant in Waterbury, and at the Bonaroo Music Festival in Tennessee. Samples of her work can be see on her website

In 2015, Terrat received a $50,000 Arts in Public Buildings Grant from Vermont Arts Council for a mural project in the Vermont State Office Complex. She spent two years in the State Archives doing original research about the former psychiatric hospital and its patients. The mural captures the lives and stories of the former patients and staff.

She discusses the former state hospital, her roots in art, and her advice to young artists.

Sarah-Lee Terrat, artist, owner, Yelodog Design

Vermont’s spirits revolution

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David

There is a revolution in spirits going on in Vermont — not (just) the new age kind, but the kind you drink. The craft beer revolution has spawned a sister act. To talk about the explosion in popularity and varieties of Vermont spirits:

Mimi Buttenheim, President, Mad River Distillers, vice president of Distilled Spirits Council of Vermont

Ryan Chistiansen, distiller, Caledonia Spirits

Green loans for energy efficiency

Posted on December 18, 2015 by David

There are new ways that homeowners can pay for energy efficiency improvements–including no-cost loans. A conversation about Green loans for Vermonters:

Laurie Fielder, Program Director for VGreen loans, VSECU

Mark Kelley, Efficiency Vermont

Jitu Brown’s journey for justice

Posted on December 2, 2015 by David

Jitu Brown is a national leader on civil rights and defending public education. He recently undertook a 34 day hunger strike to protest the closing of Dyett High School on the South Side of Chicago, where he lives. He talks about threats to public education, the Black Lives Matter movement, and his advice to his young African American son

Jitu Brown, national director, Journey for Justice Alliance

Biking to Paris for climate change

Posted on December 2, 2015 by David

In June 2015, recent college graduates Morgan Curtis (Dartmouth ’14) and Garrett Blad (Notre Dame ’15) came on the Vermont Conversation to talk about the bike ride they were about to embark on: riding 10,000 km from Vermont to Paris (climatejourney.org), where would finish at COP21, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Morgan and Garrett arrived in Paris for COP21 on November 25th, 2015 after 5 months, 3 days, 27 rainstorms, 91 homes, 18 ferries and 4979 kilometers of bicycling through New England, Atlantic Canada, Iceland, Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland & the UK.They join us from Paris to talk about their journey, and the UN climate summit.

Mike Donoghue on his half-century of reporting

Posted on November 18, 2015 by David

Mike Donoghue is a veteran reporter who’s covered just about every story big and small in the state of Vermont — and lots of sports games in between. He has just retired after nearly a half century of reporting for the Burlington Free Press.

Donoghue has been named to five halls of fame. They include being selected by the New England Press Association for its Community Journalism Hall of Fame in 2000. Three years later he was named one of three charter members selected nationwide by the Society of Professional Journalists and The National Freedom of Information Coalition for their National Hall of Fame for Local Heroes. Other honors include the Yankee Quill Award in 2007 for a lifetime commitment to outstanding journalism in New England and beyond; selected the New England Journalist of the Year for print or electronic media in 2013; and voted by Gannett employees nationwide to receive “Greater Good Award” from the company in 2013.

Earlier this year Donoghue received the Matthew Lyon Award from the the Vermont Press Association for his lifetime commitment to the First Amendment and the public’s right to know the truth in Vermont.

Donoghue reflects on the stories he’s done that have changed policy, the state of journalism today, and shares some of the highlights of a storied career.

Mike Donoghue, reporter, Burlington Free Press

Taking the lead: Women & families in the workplace in Vermont

Posted on October 28, 2015 by David

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 70 percent of women with children under age 18 are in the U.S. workforce, and working mothers are the sole or primary breadwinners in 40 percent of households. Is Vermont a leader or laggard when it comes to providing opportunities for women and families in the workplace? We talk with people who have taken the lead in making workplaces women and family friendly.

Bram Kleppner, CEO, Danforth Pewter

Cary Brown, Executive Director, Vermont Commission on Women

Russ Elek, Communication and Membership Manager, VBSR

Sarah Lord, Seventh Generation

Sascha Mayer, CEO and Co-founder, Mamava,

Gwen Pokalo, Director of the Women’s Small Business Program at Mercy Connections

The unsung Holocaust heroine who saved thousands

Posted on October 23, 2015 by David

During WWII, Irena Sendler, a Polish Catholic social workers, organized a rescue network to save 2,500 Jewish children from death. Sendler was unknown until three high school girls from a poor town in Kansas stumbled upon the story and wrote a historical play about her for National History Day that they called Life in Jar. Their play was performed around the world and finally in Poland, where the forgotten Irena Sendler, in her 90s, was hailed as a national hero. Dr. Jack Mayer, a Middlebury pediatrician, wrote a book about this remarkable story and met Sendler before she died. He tells the story of the Holocaust heroine. More info can be found at www.irenasendler.org

Dr. Jack Mayer, pediatrician and author, Life in a Jar: The Irena Sendler Project

Bill McKibben: How Exxon covered up climate change

Posted on October 23, 2015 by David

Bill McKibben, author and co-founder of 350.org, talks about his decision to get arrested in Burlington, Vt. last week to bring attention to the recent revelation that Exxon covered up what it knew about global warming from its own research. The expose was published in Inside Climate News and the LA Times. McKibben charges that Exxon should be prosecuted under organized crime statutes for lying about its climate change research. He also talks about where the climate movement goes from here, and the upcoming UN climate summit in Paris.

Bill McKibben, co-founder, 350.org

Vermont’s craft beer revolution

Posted on October 14, 2015 by David

In 1988, the Vermont Pub & Brewery opened for business as the first brew pub in the state. Today Vermont craft beers are taking the state, and world, by storm. Out of state visitors now flock to Vermont to bring back a sample of brews, such as The Alchemist’s Heady Topper and beers from Hill Farmstead, that have become cult classics.

All this is happening against a backdrop of consolidation in the beer industry. On October 13, the world’s leading brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, announced its plan to take over its main rival, SAB Miller. If the deal happens, it will be the biggest merger in brewing history, creating a company with sales of $55 billion. It means one mega brewer could soon own nearly half the world’s top beers.

But the microbrewers are posing a challenge to the megabrewers. In 2013, sales of craft beer (by volume) exceeded the sales of Budweiser, America’s top selling brew. And 44 percent of Americans between the ages of 21 and 27 have never tried a regular old Budweiser. We talk about Vermont’s craft brew phenomenon with its pioneers.

Steve Polewazyck, owner, Vermont Pub & Brewery

John Kimmich, co-owner, The Alchemist

Dave Juenker, owner of Blackback Pub, a craft beer pub in Waterbury, Vt.

Steve Cook, deputy commissioner, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing

Vermont’s renewable energy revolution

Posted on October 1, 2015 by David

Nearly five percent of the Vermont’s workforce now participates in clean energy activities, and the clean energy economy has grown nearly 10% since 2013, according to a new study from the Vt Dept. of Public Service.

The clean energy sector comprises over 2,500 businesses employing more than 16,000 workers. Businesses project roughly 1,000 more workers by March 2016, a growth rate of 6.2%.

We look at the current state of renewable energy in Vermont and the challenges ahead.

Gabrielle Stebbins, executive director, Renewable Energy Vermont

Employing the unemployable: Creating brownies & hope at Greyston Bakery

Posted on October 1, 2015 by David

If you’ve ever purchased Ben & Jerry’s Half Baked or Chocolate Fudge Brownie, you have helped the unemployed. That’s because the brownies in the ice cream are from New York’s Greyston Bakery, which employs the most unemployable people in America. The bakery has an open hiring process, and does not do screenings or background checks. What began as a social experiment in 1982 has now helped thousands of people get back on their feet.

Greyston is located in Yonkers, New York. Its mission to hire ex-convicts, recovering addicts, the homeless, and others who have had trouble finding work. Among the benefits that its workers enjoy are childcare and subsidized housing. The bakery’s profits go to the Greyston Foundation, which supports local gardens, health clinics, and free job training programs. The bakery employs about 85 people.

Mike Brady, president & CEO, Greyston Bakery

From Dave to Christine Hallquist: The journey of America’s first transgender CEO

Posted on September 24, 2015 by David

During Vermont’s LGBTQ Pride Week in September, Dave Hallquist, CEO of Vermont Electric Co-op, the state’s second largest electric utility, came out as Christine, a transgender woman. Christine Hallquist is the first CEO in America to transition while in her job. In coming out, Christine has opened a window on a transgender journey shared by an estimated 1,400 Vermonters, according to the National Center for Transgender Equality. She is using her public position to talk about the challenges faced by transgender people and encourage others to express their true self. She talks about her lifelong struggle keep her secret, her decision to come out, the reaction from her family and colleagues, and the future.

Christine Hallquist, CEO, Vermont Electric Co-op

Duane Peterson: From LA cop to VT solar guru, with a scoop of Chunky Monkey

Posted on September 18, 2015 by David

Social entrepreneur Duane Peterson is on his 7th career with stints as a medic, LA cop, political campaigner, justice department official, legislative director and values-led business practitioner. The common thread throughout all of these roles has been organizing people to take meaningful action towards positive change. Duane moved to Vermont in 1996 to help Ben use Ben & Jerry’s as a force for social change. After 12 years there as Ben’s Chief of Stuff, Duane left to launch his latest venture — SunCommon — to make it easy and affordable for homeowners to help repower Vermont with clean, safe, in-state energy. A Benefit Corporation and a Certified BCorp, SunCommon is Vermont’s largest solar business with almost 100 workers. In September 2015, Duane received VBSR’s Terry Ehrich Award for his commitment to the environment, workplace, progressive public policy, and community.

Duane Peterson, co-founder, Suncommon

Tim DeChristopher, “America’s most creative climate criminal”

Posted on September 9, 2015 by David

On December 19, 2008 University of Utah student Tim DeChristopher disrupted an oil and gas lease auction, effectively saving thousands of acres of pristine Utah land slated for oil and gas drilling. Rather than protest outside, DeChristopher entered the auction hall and registered as bidder #70. He outbid oil industry representatives on land parcels (some of which, starting at $2 an acre, were adjacent to Canyonlands National Park), winning 22,000 acres of land worth $1.7 million before the auction was halted. DeChristopher was removed from the auction by federal agents and taken into custody, Prior to his 2011 trial, DeChristopher toured the country, speaking to crowds of thousands. He co-founded the environmental group Peaceful Uprising. He eventually served 21 months in prison, including time in solitary confinement. He is the subject of the award winning documentary film Bidder 70. He is now a nationally known climate activist and frequent speaker.

Tim DeChristopher, climate activist

Who is the Essential Bernie Sanders and can he win?

Posted on September 2, 2015 by David

The Essential Bernie Sanders and his Vision for America (Chelsea Green) is a new book by veteran journalist Jonathan Tasini that features speeches by and analysis of presidential candidate Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. Tasini is the former president of the National Writers Union and a political analyst. He is the publisher of Working Life, a popular progressive blog on work and the economy. In 2006, he ran against Sen. Hillary Clinton in New York. He talks about his new book, Sanders, Clinton, Donald Trump, the decline of the labor movement, and his own insights on what it takes to run a major campaign.

Jonathan Tasini, author, The Essential Bernie Sanders and his Vision for America (Chelsea Green)

College for the 99%: New paths to a college education

Posted on August 26, 2015 by David

Vermont students can now take two free college courses while in high school and enroll in a full year of college classes during their senior year of high school, thus saving a year of college tuition. These are some of the many new ways that college is becoming accessible and affordable to Vermonters. To discuss the new choices available for secondary education, including online education and new programs in renewable energy, nursing, STEM, and how VTC has achieved a 96% job placement rate, we speak with:

Joyce Judy, president, Community College of Vermont

Dan Smith, president, Vermont Technical College

The new face of homelessness in Vermont, 8-19-15

Posted on August 21, 2015 by David

Vermont has the highest rate of homelessness in New England; at least two thirds of Vermont households do not earn enough to afford the average fair market rent — which is $1,015 for a 2 BR apartment in Chittenden County, 44% higher than the national average. The wages required to afford that rent are $19.48 an hour or $40,518 a year. That may help explain why Vermont’s homeless population rose by 9% in 2014. To talk about the drivers of homelessness and what works to prevent it:

Becky Holt, Development & Communications Director, Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS)

Janet Green, assistant director of rental assistance for the Burlington Housing Authority, where she has worked since 2011. Part of Green’s job is to manage the Authority’s housing for homeless people.

Melissa, a 28-year old mother who has been homeless and now lives in subsidized housing