VPIRG » Take Action

Ask your Rep(s) to support ban on toxic Tris!

ledsell — Mon, 06 May 2013 21:59:52 +0000

S.81 would ban toxic flame retardant chemicals from children’s products and household furniture. With the bill scheduled for a full House vote during the final days of the session, Reps need to hear from you to make sure we don’t run out of time.
With the clock ticking and numerous ways to derail a bill, we need to make sure our legislators stand up in support of this legislation. Any delay means another year of harmful chemicals in our kids’ products and furniture.

Tell your Representative(s) to support S.81!

Ask your Rep to pass H.112!

ledsell — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 22:39:15 +0000

Right now, the Vermont House is working on H.112, a bill that would require labeling of foods that contain GMOs.

With the 2013 session ending in early May, we’re pushing for a vote before the session ends!

RSVP to the Forum!

jmichel — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 20:52:45 +0000

Vermont’s Energy Choices: Old Dirty Problems, Clean Energy Solutions

When: Sat, Apr 27, 2013

1:30 PM – 3:45 PM

Where: Billings Auditorium, University of Vermont
48 University Place
Burlington, VT 05405

The decisions that we make as a state extend far beyond Vermont’s borders. This forum will confront the real impacts of continued reliance on dirty power – including images and voices from those affected and the latest disastrous headlines. But it will also explore the tremendous opportunities we have to expand clean energy using the proven techniques of communities in Vermont and around the world.…

Contact your Senator!

ledsell — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:36:01 +0000

Last Friday, as part of a larger VPIRG-backed campaign finance bill (S.82), state senators did the right thing and gave preliminary approval to a provision that would mirror the federal law and prevent corporations from taking money out of their general treasuries to give to candidates.

But in a last minute back-step, instead of giving final approval to the bill and sending it to the House as expected, some senators cried foul over the proposed ban on corporate money and the vote was delayed a day.

This legislation – S.82 – is really important. It would not only ban corporate contributions, it would reestablish commonsense limits on all other contributions to candidates, improve disclosure requirements and make our public financing system for Gov. and Lt. Gov candidates viable again. Urge your senators to pass S.82 without weakening it!

tjohnson — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 18:40:35 +0000

What: Heating Beyond Oil: How We Get There
When: Wednesday, April 10th from 7-8:30 pm
Where: Gallery Room at the Main Street Landing (60 Lake Street) in Burlington
Why: To learn how you can save money, save energy, create jobs, and help save the climate

*Free Coffee, Tea and Dessert will be provided…

Ask your Senators to OPPOSE S.30!

ledsell — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 18:42:57 +0000

With your help NOW, we can still stop S.30, a bill designed to stop the development of clean, renewable energy projects in Vermont. If S.30 is passed, it will give preferential treatment to dirty energy generated by coal, gas, oil, hydro and nuclear facilities over renewable power proposed right here in Vermont. Even community-scale solar and wind facilities will be subject to the local and regional bans allowed under the bill. Meanwhile, the giant power lines necessary to bring in dirty energy from outside the state will be exempt from any new restrictions.

Send a message to your Senators urging them to OPPOSE S.30 right away!

Comment on Bottle Bill Study

ledsell — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 19:10:30 +0000

A recently released study commissioned by the Agency of Natural Resources and conducted by long-time consultant of the beverage industry, DSM, narrowly focuses on the costs of Vermont’s Bottle Bill compared to single-stream recycling. Our staff and experts have reviewed the study and found a number of inconsistencies and questions. It’s important that the ANR hear from citizens that the best approach for the environment – as highlighted in their study – is expanding the Bottle Bill.…

Revive support for heating plan, with your call!

jmichel — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 18:16:54 +0000

You might have heard about VPIRG’s plan to weatherize one in four Vermont homes, save Vermonters hundreds of millions of dollars and prevent millions of tons of global warming pollution from being pumped into our atmosphere, all the while creating jobs and growing Vermont’s economy.

That plan is on the ropes, but your help could revive it.

Many Representatives understand how valuable heating efficiency is, but since the legislation that would expand Vermont’s heating efficiency programs requires a significant up-front investment by the State (millions of dollars, in fact), the House of Representatives is in real danger of taking a pass in the face of stiff political opposition.

Please take a moment to call your Representative(s) today and let them know you support fully funding the heating efficiency bill, H.216. Click here to find their phone number(s).

The unfortunate truth is that raising revenue is always tough for politicians, no matter how fantastic or necessary a program is or how much money it will save their constituents over time (or how great a Representative they are). In order for your Representative(s) to go to bat for funding these programs in their committee or on the House floor, they need to hear from you.

Click here to get your Representative’s number, and then give them a quick call and let them know you hope they’ll support funding the heating efficiency bill at the levels required to meet the State’s efficiency goals.

Making that call will take just a minute, but that minute could be critical to us having a shot at real funding for heating efficiency and renewable heat in the State House.

Extra Credit – Once you talk to your Representative, please reply to this email and let us know what they said. If you’re looking for more info on the proposals or want to refresh your memory before you talk to your Representative, you can find more information at http://www.vpirg.org/news/this-just-in-heating-legislation-can-help-vermonters-save-big/.

29 VT Towns Speak in Unison: No Tar Sands

jmichel — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:54:47 +0000

Twenty-eight towns in Vermont went on the record to oppose the plan to pipe tar sands oil through Vermont’s 60+ year old pipeline.

The rising chorus of concern came after news this summer that Enbridge, Canada’s largest oil transport company, had teamed up with ExxonMobil to to pipe what is essentially high pressure, molten sandpaper through Vermont’s 60-year old pipeline. To put a stop the plan to repurpose the 750-mile pipeline route stretching from Alberta, Canada to port in Maine, VPIRG has joined 350.org, VNRC, the National Wildlife Federation, Conservation Law Foundation, NRDC and the Vermont Sierra Club to call for strengthening the state’s authority to require (and deny) a permit for Enbridge and ExxonMobil to pipe tar sands oil through Vermont.

After months of grassroots organizing, research and legislative work—VPIRG’s continuing to press for legislative action to make it absolutely clear that any proposal to move tar sands through Vermont would trigger an Act 250 review—we’re proud to report the drumbeat against tar sands is growing louder and louder!

There are a couple of great stories covering this topic, further reading encouraged!

VT Digger, Canadian officials counter Town Meeting Day resolutions against tar sands oil

VPR, “Tar Sands Resolutions Send Message Of Concern Over Climate Change”

NPR, “Proposal to Reverse Flow of Oil Pipeline Stirs Controversy in New England”

Big News! GMO Labeling Bill Passes House Ag Committee

jmichel — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:01:24 +0000

On March 1st, after weeks of testimony, the House Agriculture Committee passed H.112 (this year’s GMO labeling bill) with a vote of 8-3. While this is the first of many hurdles the bill has to clear in the legislative process, it is a very positive sign for all of us who support labeling genetically engineered foods.

This is another great success in a week where we held five grassroots forums around the state, and talked to hundreds of Vermonters. Thanks to everyone who came out and committed to taking action in your community. Over the next several weeks, legislators will be hearing about GMO labeling from their constituents on a regular basis. Help carry this momentum forward for the second half of the legislative session by being one of those active constituents!

Make sure your legislators hear from you during town meeting week.

As we head to Town Meeting week, make sure you show our legislators on the Agriculture Committee some appreciation for passing this crucial legislation, and reach out to your representatives to make sure they support your right to know. There will be a lot happening as we go forward and we will keep you in the loop about the latest at the State House and the role you can play in labeling genetically engineered foods in Vermont.