Increasing the use of clean, renewable energy like wind and solar and encouraging conservation and efficiency is the responsible thing to do. Vermont is on the right path now. By the end of 2012 Vermont will get 10% of our electricity from clean, local wind power, helping Vermonters take control of our energy future, keeping our money working in our state and ensuring a positive legacy for future generations. We need to continue building clean energy, like wind, in Vermont today.

Fortune 500 Companies that Spend Big on Lobbying and Avoid Taxes

Released on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court's decision in the Citizens United vs. Federal Election Commission case—which opened the floodgates to corporate spending on elections—this report takes a hard look at the lobbying activities of profitable Fortune 500 companies that exploit loopholes and distort the tax code to avoid billions of dollars in taxes.

VPIRG is working to make Vermont the first state in the nation to ban the drilling process known as hydraulic fracturing.  Hydrofracking, or fracking as the practice is also known, can be extremely hazardous to the environment and a danger to public health for a number of reasons. This issue has recieved extensive media attention recently due to these serious concerns.

Photo of natural gas flare courtesy of Mark Schmerling

Vermont's Bottle Bill is our state's most successful recycling program. Thanks to the Bottle Bill, we recycle 85% of covered beverage containers, while states without Bottle Bills recycle, on average, only 24%.

Read how expanding the Bottle Bill can keep millions more containers out of landfills and off of roadsides.

By embracing an ambitious "zero waste" program, Vermont can, and should, break from current linear use of our resources, wherein which raw materials are extracted, processed into consumer goods, consumed, and then disposed primarily by being landfilled or incinerated.

The passage of Act 48 in 2011 puts Vermont on the path to a new universal and publicly financed health care system called Green Mountain Care (GMC). The Vermont's Health Care Road Map brochure provides an introduction to the law and the time line for decision-making.

Download the brochure to learn how Vermont's patient-centered health care overhaul will boost quality and make coverage affordable for you and your family. 

In addition to our work to make all products safer, every year VPIRG releases our annual Trouble in Toyland report highlighting potential hazards in children's toys.  This year Trouble in Toyland, along with an interactive tool accessible via smart phone or computer at http://toysafety.mobi, will help parents and other toy-buyers avoid some common hazards this holiday-shopping season. 

To download click "View full report [pdf]" in the top left.

Take this Toy Safety Shopping Guide along with you when heading out on your holiday shopping trip.  This brochure summarizes what to look out for including toxics, choking and noise hazards, and more.

For more information on toy safety, review the full Trouble in Toyland report. 

Many challenging public and environmental health questions arose following Tropical Storm Irene. This fact sheet (use link above to download pdf) includes resources and information about mold, soil, water and air quality implications following the flood.

If you have any further questions, resources, or information to share, please contact our Environmental Health Advocate, Charity Carbine-March, at charity@vpirg.org.  

On September 6th, 2011 VPIRG, in partnership with the Conservation Law Foundation, filed an amicus ("friend of the court") brief in support of Vermont's case against Entergy's lawsuit.

Click "View full report [pdf] »" above to download the brief.