On July 5th, while Vermonters were suffering through a deadly heatwave, Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation released the latest Vermont Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory — and it’s scary stuff. Detailing Vermont’s greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution from 1990-2015, this report highlights a troubling trend: Vermont’s climate pollution is up 16% from 1990…
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Earlier today, VPIRG stood alongside business owners and environmentalists in the kick off for the Straws Upon Request Pledge, a statewide campaign aimed at reducing the number of single-use plastic straws used and thrown away in Vermont. The idea is pretty simple: businesses that take the pledge will make straws…
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Around this time last year, Governor Phil Scott stood in front of reporters, TV cameras and other onlookers on the waterfront in Burlington to reiterate his alleged support of Vermont’s climate commitments and the Paris Climate Accord, and to announce the creation of the Vermont Climate Pledge Coalition, a voluntary…
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Over the past year, VPIRG has been working to ensure that the $18.7 million Vermont will be receiving as part of the settlement on the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal. Last week, that work started to pay off. After the Scott Administration, and Governor Scott himself, made clear that they intended…
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For more than two decades, we’ve been working to end the giveaway of millions of dollars in unclaimed bottle deposits to the beverage industry and put that money to work for Vermonters. Last night, the governor signed S.285, which finally reclaims the deposits and uses the money to help clean…
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While legislators and the governor continue to debate critical components of the state budget, all indications are that he, and they, intend to leave the budget’s climate package as the House and Senate passed it earlier this month. Last year, we told you about an incredible opportunity for Vermont to…
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Apply here: www.vpirg.org/2018-canvass-app Position: VPIRG Summer Canvasser Location: Burlington, VT Last year, VPIRG went door-to-door organizing Vermonters behind a simple, but powerful idea: that our state must stand up and fight back against the outrageous attacks coming from the Trump administration and special interests in Washington D.C. The result? The…
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On May 22nd, Gov. Scott signed H.410 – legislation that expands Vermont’s appliance efficiency standards. Gov. Scott listened to the voices of Vermonters, as well as the vast majority of the Vermont House of Representatives and State Senate, which passed the bill on tri-partisan votes of 137-4 and 25-4, respectively.…
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Vermont consumers scored major victories this week when two VPIRG-supported digital consumer protection bills were enacted into law. On Tuesday, Gov Phil Scott signed the net neutrality bill (S.289) and let the data broker bill (H.764) become law without his signature. Net Neutrality By enacting this law Vermont has taken…
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On May 22nd, Gov. Scott signed H.676, which establishes a voluntary standard for establishing a pollinator-friendly habitat label on solar farms and recognizing solar installers that are leading the way in protecting and promoting pollinator species. Just like our work to make it easier to build solar on previously developed…
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