VRN: Telecommuting, like Rock & Roll, is here to stay

Vaccination Rates and Civic Culture

Vermont has led the nation in our response to COVID as showcased with the vaccination rate announcement Monday. Observers have pointed to strong non-partisan leadership, good communications systems, the state's scale and civic culture. Vermont also rates high in social capital, volunteerism and participation in local government. Researchers have found a relationship between local news and information systems and the response to the pandemic. A strong civic infrastructure can produce measurable returns for the well-being of Vermonters. With the country more fractured than ever, and local news declining, can Vermont also provide leadership in rebuilding social trust, solving common problems together, and inoculating our communities against corrosive misinformation?

A new initiative -- Project 14 -- seeks to explore those questions. What are the local information systems needed to inform and engage citizens?? Have suggestions and ideas?

Vermont’s 2021 Energy Progress Report

A new report from The Energy Action Network examines Vermont’s progress towards meeting energy goals and climate commitments. The Global Warming Solutions Act (GWSA) requires that Vermont’s greenhouse gas pollutants levels be 26% below 2005 levels by 2030, and 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. The report finds that Vermont is making progress towards those goals with greenhouse gas emissions declining. Switching from fossil fuels will create jobs and keep money in Vermont, the study found. Vermonters have spent an average of $2 billion annually on importing fossil fuels over the past decade.

Collective Identity & Vermont’s Latinx Farmworkers

A July 2020 study examined how the promotion of collective identity and communal solidarity has been essential to the progress of Vermont’s Migrant Justice movement. Drawing on research on how specific cultural landscapes impact collective action, the study shows how combating the invisibility and isolation experienced by Latinx dairy farm workers in Vermont has allowed the formation of interpersonal relationships and communication channels among workers and allies, allowing for organized action to improve conditions for migrant farm workers.

Assessing Prescription Opioid Policies

How have Vermont’s efforts to address the opioid crisis played out, statistically? A recent study by researchers in Vermont and Maine has shown that, while new policies (largely focused on restricting access to prescription opioids) have led to an overall decrease in opioid-related adverse effects, there was also a spike in the rate of opioid overdoses immediately following the implementation of the policies. The study suggest both a long-term effectiveness and short-term public health hazard in the implementation of these policies.

Gypsy Moth Outbreak

Gypsy Moths have not been seen in Vermont since 1991, but according to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, the invasive caterpillars are back. Dry weather conditions are likely to blame, according to the Agency. There are multiple methods to try and control the outbreak, from simply squishing them to pesticide. High levels of Gypsy Moths may continue for another year or two if Vermont continues to remain dry. The story of how the moths first came to the US is well known.

Previous studies have found a significant correlation between obesity and obstructive lung disease--namely asthma and/or obstructive pulmonary disease. The Vermont Diabetes Information System recently tested the association between obesity and obstructive lung disease. Combining subjects in community practice settings with data obtained directly from the clinical laboratory, and observations of current medications, the researchers found a very strong association for females (an adjusted odds ratio of 1.58), and less so much for males (0.93).

Decrease of Maple Syrup Production in Vermont

Vermont maple syrup production is down 21% compared to last year, According to the United States Department of Agriculture, Even with Vermont maple syrup producers putting out 5.90 million maple taps in 2021, the yield per tap was down by 0.342 gallons. The decrease is a result of weather changes, related to climate change. Regardless, Vermont is still the country’s leading producer of maple syrup.

Same-Sex Marriage: The Engagement

Sasha Issenberg’s book The Engagement is a richly detailed narrative that guides the reader through same-sex marriage’s unexpected past. The story starts in Hawaii in 1990, when a series of events led to the state excluding gay couples from marriage. Civil unions, which started in Vermont, ultimately led to the legalization of same-sex marriage. People are followed coast to coast in the narrative, including people who fought to keep the traditional definition of marriage, those who looked for their own right to wed, and those who changed their mind about the topic. Listen to the story of Vermont’s civil union law here.

Trucks, Taps, and Tunes -- June 17th
House on Fire at Snow Farm Vineyard -- June 17th
BCA Summer Concert Series: KeruBo -- June 18th
Burlington Juneteenth Celebration -- June 19th
Winooski Farmer's Market -- June 20th

Copyright © 2021 Center for Research on Vermont, All rights reserved.
The Vermont Research News is a bi-monthly curated collection of Vermont research -- focused on research in the Vermont "laboratory" -- research that provides original knowledge to the world and research that adds to an understanding of the state's social, economic, cultural and physical environment. Thanks to support from the Office of Engagement at UVM.
Send your news items to Newsletter Editors Willow Zartarian, Gideon Parker, Connor Adams or Richard Watts. CRVT is responsible for the content.