News & Updates
Environmental Movement Loses Staunch Advocate
December 20, 2012
VPIRG is mourning the loss of a true environmental champion – Joan Mulhern. Many Vermonters became familiar with Joan during her years as an advocate for VPIRG during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In fact, she was hired by VPIRG in 1985 to run our first summer canvass.
VPIRG Launches Bigger Better Bottle Bill Activist Toolkit
December 11, 2012
The Bottle Bill is Vermont’s most successful recycling program, achieving more than double the recycling rate of any other program in the state. Over the past 40 years, the number of containers that have been recycled through the Bottle Bill they would fill the Empire State Building more than 3 times over.
VPIRG will be fighting hard during the upcoming legislative session to expand the Bottle Bill to include all types of beverage containers, not just beer and soda.…
VPIRG Calls on State to Divest from Fossil Fuels
November 29, 2012
Inspired by the work of Bill McKibben and 350.org, and in response to the overwhelming devastation brought on by global warming as highlighted by Super Storm Sandy and Tropical Storm Irene, VPIRG has officially begun a campaign aimed at divesting the Vermont State Pension Funds from fossil fuel companies.
Working in collaboration with student groups such as UVM’s Vermont Student Climate Culture (VSCC), the overall goal of the campaign is to see Vermont’s investments at both the collegiate and pension levels, no longer contributing to the atmospheric destruction brought on by fossil fuel companies such as BP, Exxon-Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell, of which the Vermont State Pension Fund currently has invested $6,790,119 in collectively.…
Montpelier Moves Forward with District Heat
November 29, 2012
Three months after a plan to switch much of Montpelier’s downtown from oil to wood heat got a new lease on life, the Montpelier City Council cast a final vote on the project last night. Up for debate was whether to pump the extra heat from an upgraded wood fired boiler run by the state to Montpelier’s municipal buildings and local businesses. The City Council’s decision to build the full project rather than a shorter line that wouldn’t reach the business district or municipal buildings was well received by the attending crowd.
VPIRG Launches Rate Watch Webpage
November 27, 2012
Here at VPIRG, we understand that rising health care costs are taking their toll on family budgets, with no end in sight. However, we are lucky enough to live in a state that allows us to do something about it.
The process is called rate review, and Vermont’s rate review program is one of the best in the country, allowing both regulators and consumers to have a say about rising insurance costs before they’re put in to place.…
Final Vote on Montpelier District Heat
November 27, 2012
In August, the Montpelier City Council approved an initial leg of the District Heat project while getting bids for remaining connections, which would include Union Elementary School and City Hall. Since then, city staff members are hard at work enlisting business customers needed to make this renewable heating project work even better. On Wednesday, November 28th, the City Council will decide how extensive a project to approve and need to hear from you right away!
MONTPELIER CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT MAP WITH CONTACTS: Two City Councilors, Anne Watson (District 2) and Angela Timpone (District 3), are already strong supporters of the full district heat project. The four councilors listed on this map need to hear from their constituents!…
Trouble in Toyland, still, after 27 years
November 20, 2012
As we head into the holiday shopping season, dangerous toys can still be found on America’s store shelves, according to VPIRG’s 27th annual Trouble in Toyland report. VPIRG released a new report revealing the results of laboratory testing on toys for toxic chemicals including lead and phthalates, both of which have harmful health impacts on the development of young children.
Reflections on the VT Environmental Summit
November 18, 2012
Sunday’s VT Environmental Summit, co-hosted with Toxics Action Center, was a real highlight of my time working with VPIRG so far. Over 75 people joined us at Vermont Technical College to spend a day meeting new people, learning more about the issues we all care about and how we can make the biggest impact working towards solutions.
Keynote speaker, Tom Gilbert, set the tone for the day – calling for commitment to community building while sharing a number of examples from his own work at Highfields Center for Composting and from his 20 years of social justice organizing. His remarks inspired me and grounded me once again in the value and power of human relationships to shift paradigms.…
Retire Vermont Yankee: March, Rally, Training & Hearings
November 12, 2012
The fight to retire Vermont Yankee is not over! For months we’ve been waiting for this. Mark your calendar now for a few key dates that will help us to close the books on VY once and for all!
Retire VY March & Rally
Saturday, November 17th ~ 12:30 – 2 pm
Get fired up and show your support for retiring VY by attending a statewide march and rally on Saturday, November 17th in Montpelier. The event is organized by VYDA and CAN/VCAN and co-sponsored by SAGE Alliance, Safe and Green Campaign, VPIRG, VNRC, Sierra Club of Vermont and more. You can get more information by calling: 802-476-3154 or go to: www.nukebusters.org. Here’s the brief schedule for Nov.…
Vermont: The Next Battleground State
November 9, 2012
On Tuesday, Californians asking for the right to know what is in their food were narrowly defeated by Monsanto’s $46 million dollar smear and fear campaign. For all of us who believe that GMO foods need to be labeled this was extremely disappointing, but it also shows us the importance of continuing our efforts all across the country. The hard work of our allies in California has educated the public about this issue, and helped create a national coalition calling for GMO labeling.…
