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 …
VPIRG Calls on State to Divest from Fossil Fuels Read More »
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.
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 …
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 …
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.
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 …
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 …
Retire Vermont Yankee: March, Rally, Training & Hearings Read More »
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 …
We wanted to make sure you didn’t miss Environment America’s report, When It Rains, It Pours, (downloadable below) when we released it at the end of July. With Hurricane Sandy already hitting communities across the eastern seaboard and heading north, we thought folks might find this interesting reading (perhaps by candlelight when the power goes …
As Election Day rapidly approaches, Vermont Public Interest Research Group’s 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard provides real data on how legislators voted on public interest issues. As the state’s largest consumer and environmental advocacy organization, VPIRG is involved in a broad range of policy debates in Montpelier, from health care reform to banning fracking. The 2011-2012 Legislative Scorecard tracks …
