An overwhelming majority of Vermonters are worried about global warming and support a wide range of actions to cut Vermont’s climate pollution. That’s according to poll commissioned by VPIRG and Vermont Conservation Voters – released on Wednesday. The alarming news (or at least the news about people being alarmed): 76% of Vermonters said they are …
Poll: Vermonters Worried About Global Warming, Want to See Action Read More »
OVERVIEW The House Energy and Technology Committee is holding a public hearing on April 23rd from 4:15pm – 7pm in Room 11 of the State House in Montpelier on the future of fossil fuel infrastructure in the state. Several bills have been introduced this year aimed at limiting the growth of fossil fuel infrastructure in …
No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure VT: What You Need to Know Before Tuesday’s Hearing Read More »
The electric vehicle incentive program made it into the budget and out of the House late last month, with Representatives allocating $1.5 million to the program. This is a far cry from the $4.5 million VPIRG and our allies have advocated for this session. As it moves on for consideration in the Senate, we will …
The Senate has given final approval on a 30-0 vote to S.113 – legislation to address the problem of plastic pollution in Vermont. The Senate had previously given initial approval to the bill on a 27-3 vote. Though this is just the first step toward stopping the problem, if passed into law, S.113 would be …
Senate Approves Bill to Deal With Single-Use Plastic Pollution Read More »
Last week, VPIRG spoke to members of the Climate Solutions Caucus in the statehouse to outline the various pieces of the Volkswagen Settlements. Our Clean Energy Advocate, Kanika Gandhi, presented the group with a memo (see below) and described the state and federal level settlement outcomes. The caucus is pushing for all funding, both the …
Volkswagen Settlement Funds: The Case for Electrification Read More »
On Wednesday, VPIRG joined with a coalition of 25 groups from around Vermont — representing youth, low-income, business, public health, environment and others — to announce a shared platform for Climate Action, detailing our shared policy goals for the 2019 session. In a press event at the Vermont State House Wednesday, the coalition urged action …
VT Groups Unveil Shared Priorities for Climate Action in 2019 Read More »
Our children need safe drinking water – especially in their schools. This may seem obvious – but unfortunately schools across the nation have tested positive for lead and other contaminants. In Vermont this past fall, 16 schools had their water tested as part of a pilot water testing program and all 16 found lead in …
Get the Lead Out: Safe Drinking Water in Schools Toolkit Read More »
A major new scientific report issued by 13 federal agencies on Black Friday serves as a dire warning about the ways in which climate change threatens the United States – now and in the future. The National Climate Assessment comes out every four years, but this is by far the most detailed look yet at …
This holiday season, watch out for dangerous and toxic toys. The Vermont Public Interest Research Group today released its 33rd annual Trouble in Toyland report. The report found toxic amounts of boron in “slime” products and a failure by Amazon to appropriately label choking hazards. Boron can cause nausea, vomiting and other health issues. “No …
A report released today reveals that major retail companies are making slow but meaningful progress at improving the chemical safety of the products, food, and packaging they sell, but nearly half of those scored — including every restaurant chain evaluated — have failed to take any public measures to help eliminate toxic chemicals from the …
