Lighting the Way: What We Can Learn from America’s Top 12 Solar States, is a new report highlighting a solar energy boom across the country. The report ranks Vermont 9th in the nation for per capita solar installations. This makes Vermont one of a dozen states that have led the nation in solar energy with supportive policies and a commitment to continued expansion.
One Billion Tax Dollars per Year Subsidize Junk Food Ingredients, Fuel Obesity Epidemic Montpelier, VT – Federal subsidies for commodity crops are subsidizing junk food additives like high-fructose corn syrup, at a rate that would buy 20 Twinkies for each American taxpayer every year, according to USPIRG’s new report, “Apples to Twinkies 2013.” Meanwhile, the …
The legislative session is over, and the results are in. Here at VPIRG, we’re celebrating the victories that our members helped to bring about. Thank you! Of course, we didn’t win every fight. The Legislature failed to commit the necessary resources to weatherize our homes and businesses, for example. But we’re taking the time to celebrate …
Minutes after debate over corporate influence, Coca-Cola wins out over public good in Senate Finance Committee MONTPELIER, VT—Just minutes after an extended floor debate about the possible influence of corporate contributions, the Senate Finance Committee opted against a publicly-supported proposal to have the state keep an estimated $1-3 million per year in unclaimed Bottle Bill …
NEWS RELEASE: Corporate Influence and Coke’s Win over the Public Good Read More »
Vermont leads nation in collecting discarded mercury thermostats Manufacturer-led recycling programs found to be ineffective in most other states Montpelier, VT – While a manufacturer-run program for collecting mercury thermostats is failing to keep the toxic heavy metal out of the trash—and the environment—in most states, Vermont leads the nation in per capita collection rates, …
News Release: Vermont leads nation in collecting discarded mercury thermostats Read More »
NEWS RELEASE Montpelier, VT – Vermont received a “C+” when it comes to government spending transparency, according to “Following the Money 2013: How the States Rank on Providing Online Access to Government Spending Data,” the fourth annual report of its kind by a federation of public interest research groups that includes the Vermont Public Interest Research …
At a public hearing concerning a draft report on Vermont’s Bottle Bill and single-stream recycling programs, dozens of Vermonters – everyone from redemption center owners to environmentalists to community groups – called on the Agency of Natural Resources to expand Vermont’s Bottle Bill. Proponents of expanding this successful recycling program spoke for over an hour, …
Overwhelming support for expanded Bottle Bill at public hearing Read More »
Vermont’s Bottle Bill is our state’s most successful recycling program and a model we can build on to help move Vermont toward a zero-waste future. A Clean and Green Vermont: A Special Report on the Environmental and Economical Benefits of Vermont’s Bottle Bill, released by VPIRG and the Container Recycling Institute, examines ways in which the Bottle Bill is uniquely effective at collecting and recycling beverage containers, and how the program could become even better.
A new report, Naptime Nightmares: Toxic Flame Retardants in Child Care Nap Mats, shows that nap mats used in daycares throughout Vermont and nationwide contain harmful flame retardant chemicals. These unnecessary and ineffective chemicals expose our children to substances that can cause cancer and have been linked to developmental problems, hormone disruption, and other serious …
A Bigger Better Bottle Bill Every year, the Bottle Bill keeps roughly 250 million containers from littering our roadsides or cramming our landfills. So, while the state studies how best to renew its commitment to recycling and zero-waste, one thing’s for sure: we should expand our most successful recycling program, the Bottle Bill. The Bottle …
