Issues

Bill to Ban Toxic Chemicals from Consumer Products Advances

News and Updates, Toxics & Environmental Health / By

In a strong showing of support to ban toxic PFAS chemicals from our consumer products, the Senate Health and Welfare Committee unanimously voted S.295— an act relating to perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances—out of committee Friday, March 13th. This move comes after several weeks of testimony taken by the committee, including supportive testimony by Conservation Law Foundation, the Professional Firefighters of Vermont, Seventh Generation, Vermont …

Bill to Ban Toxic Chemicals from Consumer Products Advances Read More »

Vermont Electric Vehicle Incentives Update

Climate & Energy, Efficiency & Electrification, Issues / By

In Vermont, transportation now contributes 45% of our total climate pollution. In order to meet our emissions reduction goals, we need to get an estimated 90,000 electric vehicles (EVs) on the road by 2025 – Vermont has slightly more than 3,500 today.[1] If we want to get serious about our climate commitments, we must focus …

Vermont Electric Vehicle Incentives Update Read More »

Environmental Health Crossover Update & Call to Action

News and Updates, Toxics & Environmental Health, Zero Waste / By

The VT Legislature is back from Town Meeting break and it’s crossover week, which means legislation needs to move this week if it’s to have a chance of being enacted this year. VPIRG director Paul Burns and Vermont Conservation Voters director Lauren Hierl came together to give an update on where several key pieces of …

Environmental Health Crossover Update & Call to Action Read More »

Vermonters Want to Join the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI)

Climate & Energy, News and Updates / By

Vermonters support the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) – a bipartisan, regional effort to modernize transportation systems and reduce pollution – and want Gov. Phil Scott to join the compact.  Of the 353 comments submitted by Vermonters through the Scott administration’s TCI portal between April 2019 and February 2020, more than four out of five comments (83%) support the initiative. In addition to hundreds of citizen submissions, meteorologists, business leaders, …

Vermonters Want to Join the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) Read More »

ICYMI: Campaign 101 for Climate Champions Webinar

Climate & Energy, News and Updates, Resources / By

The Vermont House and Senate need more climate champions. Could you be one? As the only state in New England to experience a rise in greenhouse gas pollution since 1990 and the state with the highest per capita emissions, it’s clear that Vermont is moving in the wrong direction. In order to get back on …

ICYMI: Campaign 101 for Climate Champions Webinar Read More »

Student Data Privacy Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk

Consumer Protection, News and Updates / By

S.110 – a wide-ranging data privacy and consumer protection law is on Governor Phil Scott’s desk. This VPIRG-supported bill contains a number of key provisions aimed at better protecting Vermonters’ personal information, informing them when their data has been compromised and keeping them out of unwanted ‘zombie contacts.’ S.110 was introduced at the beginning of …

Student Data Privacy Bill Heads to Governor’s Desk Read More »

Reported Fossil Fuel Spills in Vermont: January

Climate & Energy, News and Updates / By

While the worst spills – Exxon Valdez, BP Deepwater Horizon, the list goes on – rightly get the most attention, the fact is fossil fuel spills happen every day in Vermont and hardly get a mention. There have been more than 18,000 oil spills since Vermont started monitoring them in the 1970s. In  January alone, …

Reported Fossil Fuel Spills in Vermont: January Read More »

Global Warming Solutions Act Passes on House Floor

Climate & Energy, Issues, News and Updates / By

In a HUGE win for climate action, the Global Warming Solutions Act, H.688, passed through the House of Representatives this afternoon in a 105-37 vote, sending it to the Senate with a strong message of support. (Check out how your rep voted here!) The success of the Solutions Act in the House comes after months of …

Global Warming Solutions Act Passes on House Floor Read More »

Faith Community Demands Climate Action in 2020

Climate & Energy, Issues, News and Updates / By

Faith leaders and activists from all over the state convened at the State House on Thursday, February 20th to urge law makers to prioritize climate action and to support the four major bills of the Climate Solutions Caucus 2020 platform. Notably, these members of the religious community called on legislators to pass the Global Warming …

Faith Community Demands Climate Action in 2020 Read More »

VPIRG Urges Action on Ethics

Elections and Government Reform, News and Updates / By

The state’s leading government reform group is calling on legislators to establish a Code of Ethics in state law and make it enforceable by an independent Ethics Commission. Earlier this year, the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG) criticized the lack of authority given the current Ethics Commission, and the Commission’s efforts to conceal some …

VPIRG Urges Action on Ethics Read More »

Scroll to Top