Timeline for Health Care Reform When the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Care Act in June Vermonters had a much clearer idea of what health care reform will look like in our state over the next couple years. As required by federal law, Vermont has begun to set up our state “health benefit exchange” that …
Dozens turn out in lead up to special City Council session For Immediate Release: August 29, 2012 MONTPELIER, VT—Less than a week after a majority of the Montpelier City Council rejected a long-planned upgrade to a wood fired boiler run by the state that would pump heat to municipal buildings and local businesses, dozens of …
Montpelier Residents Rally in Support of District Heat Project Read More »
On Wednesday, August 22nd, Montpelier’s City Council voted 4-2 to halt a decade’s worth of progress on a district heating project. While the vote is disappointing, the mayor convened a special session a week later, where, following a updates to the plan and an outpouring of public support, the councilor reversed it’s earlier decision …
On Monday, August 20th, VPIRG joined Senator Bernie Sanders and other environmental groups to celebrate Vermont’s transition to the smart grid. Check out video footage from the press conference, made available courtesy of CCTV and Channel 17: VPIRG’s policy position statement on Smart Meters and the Smart Grid is available online here. Following the press …
Video Now Available: Smart Meter/Smart Grid Press Conference Read More »
Read VPIRG’s analysis of the key benefits and concerns surrounding smart meter technology, and how Vermont is dealing with these issues.
The Back-to-School Guide for Safer School Supplies provides parents with information on many common back-to-school items – from backpacks to binders – that may contain toxic chemicals and suggests some safer alternatives. For example, a lot of children’s products, including backpacks, paper clips, 3-ring binders, and lunch boxes, are decorated with PVC coatings. Polyvinyl chloride, …
As Vermont families get into back-to-school mode, a group of public health and consumer advocates is releasing a guide to help inform parents of the hidden dangers from toxic chemicals in common back-to-school products.
Brian Buckley is one of two clean energy interns working with VPIRG. A bona fide energy nerd, Brian has brought valuable research skills, thinking and resources to all things energy – from weatherization to subsidies to renewable energy and much more. Wanting to learn the ropes and aid on-the-ground solutions to our energy problems, Brian …
Energy Intern Powering Progress at State and Local Level Read More »
Evaluating funding mechanisms available to states tackling new comprehensive toxic chemical regulations – this research requires brains and patience, both of which intern Mitty Barnard has exemplified this summer. Mitty comes to VPIRG from Vermont Law School, where she’s on track to complete her law degree in 2013. Prior to coming to Vermont for law …
Intern Dives into Reforming Toxic Chemical Regulations Read More »
Eleven months after Tropical Storm Irene led to record flooding that devastated much of Vermont, a new report by Environment America Research & Policy Center confirms that extreme rain and snowstorms are happening 84 percent more frequently in Vermont since 1948.
