The Right Start The Need To Eliminate Toxic Chemicals From Baby Products
October 1, 2005
Report, HealthyEnvironment
A child’s first few years are an exciting time for parents who hope, if for nothing else, that their child starts his or her life happy and healthy.
Unfortunately, not all products marketed for children and babies are completely safe for their use. Many contain toxic chemicals that may have detrimental health impacts for children exposedduring critical stages of development.
NEEDLESS RISK: OIL REFINERIES AND HAZARD REDUCTION
August 1, 2005
Report, HealthyEnvironment
Across the country, petroleum refineries, chemical plants and other industrial facilities use and store large amounts of hazardous chemicals that could be released in the event of an accident or terrorist attack. Such releases could endanger thousands or even millions of people who live in communities in close proximity to these facilities. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 106 facilities would each endanger at least one million people in the event of a worst-case chemical release. Another 3,000 facilities would endanger at least 10,000 people.
DRIVING GLOBAL WARMING Commuting in Vermont and its Contribution to Global Warming
June 1, 2005
CleanEnergy, Report
Transportation is the leading source of global warming emissions in Vermont and the trips Vermonters make to and from work are a major contributor to the problem. Just over a quarter of all vehicle miles nationally are driven on trips to and from work. To reduce global warming emissions from cars and trucks — and to meet the state’s climate protection goals — Vermont must find ways to reduce the global warming impact of commuting.
Clean Energy for Vermont: A plan today for tomorrow
August 1, 2004
CleanEnergy, Report
Energy planning in Vermont stands at a crossroad. In little more than a decade, the sources of twothirds of our energy may be shut down or priced out of reach. The Vermont Yankee nuclear plant’s federal license expires in 2012; the state's contract with Hydro Quebec expires in 2016.
READING, WRITING, and RAID® Pesticide Use at Vermont Schools
November 1, 2002
Report, HealthyEnvironment
To find out how pesticides are being used in Vermont schools and to gauge potential pesticide exposure to students, parents, and community members, VPIRG and the University of Vermont, with the support of the Vermont Department of Education conducted a pesticide use survey in the Fall of 2002. Surveys were sent to all public school principals in the state, and 70% of the schools responded to the survey.
Key Findings
West Nile virus, Vermont, and Pesticides
March 1, 2001
Report, HealthyEnvironment
West Nile virus, known as WNV, is transmitted by mosquitoes. WNV first appeared in the U.S. in 1999, when at least 62 people in the New York City area developed WNV encephalitis and seven people died. After months of testing birds and mosquitoes, WNV presence was confirmed in Vermont on October 2000. A Hermit Thrush found in Putney on September 29, 2000 was the first bird in Vermont to test positive for WNV 1.
A Closer Look at Frog Deformities
October 1, 1999
Report, HealthyEnvironment
By now the images are no longer surprising, even if they remain grotesque and disturbing tolook at: frogs with missing or extra legs, missing or misplaced eyes and other strange deformities.
Ever since children in Minnesota and Vermont discovered large numbers of abnormal frogs in the mid1990s, researchers have scrambled for answers in what has become an alarming environmental issue.
On the Ground: The Spreading of Toxic Sludge in Vermont
June 1, 1999
Report, HealthyEnvironment
Thousands of tons of sewage sludge and septage have been distributed through Vermont’s environment by being spread directly on land or composted and given away for use on home gardens, farms and landscape projects. In 1997 alone, 1,535 tons of sewage sludge were applied to Vermont land, while 767 tons were distributed as compost. Reusing clean human waste would be a positive practice. But sludge contains far more than just human waste. The practice of applying municipal sludge to the land entails many serious risks to environmental sustainability and public health.
CHEMICALS IN VERMONT’S CLASSROOMS PESTICIDES AND MAINTENANCE CHEMICALS IN VERMONT SCHOOLS
January 1, 1999
Report, HealthyEnvironment
Our society has increased its use of pesticides by over 50 percent in the last 30 years. This over-reliance on toxic chemicals has led to a myriad of public health problems including tainted drinking water, air pollution and increased illnesses in humans. Children in particular are at great risk from toxic chemicals due to their play habits and the incomplete development of their immune systems. In addition, while children are exposed to the same amount of toxic chemicals through food, water and air as adults, they have less body mass to break down and absorb contaminants.
Backgrounder on Sulfonyl Urea Herbicides
September 1, 1998
Report, HealthyEnvironment
Sulfonyl ureas (SUs) are a growing class of herbicides, first created in the mid-1970s and on the market since 1982. Produced by a several manufacturers, SUs are touted as "safe" herbicides, because they are said by their manufacturers to be less likely to cause immediate harm to humans and animals than the chemicals they replace. Sulfonyl urea herbicides are extraordinarily potent, requiring application doses one hundred times smaller than the herbicides they were intended to replace.
