It is almost the end of the year, and we want to take a moment to reflect on all of the progress VPIRG has made in 2025 towards defending our democracy. For over 50 years, VPIRG has worked to advocate for the rights and interests of all Vermonters, regardless of political affiliation. We’ve made significant …
VPIRG report provides tips for minimizing exposure this holiday season There is no place on Earth that is free from plastic pollution these days, from the highest mountaintops to the deepest ocean canyons. The problem gets worse each year and seems to peak during the holiday season when household trash rates in the U.S. increase …
For years, we’ve worked side-by-side to advance the clean energy revolution here in Vermont. We’ve made incredible progress, but for too many people, the promise of solar power is still just out of reach. That’s changing. A new generation of simple, small-scale solar systems that complement currently-available, traditional rooftop and backyard arrays has the potential …
Portable Solar For Vermont: A New Way to Plug In and Save Read More »
Trump just announced plans to kill a $7 billion program Bernie created to deliver solar to low-income Americans.1 The only chance Vermonters have to benefit from this program is if Vermont challenges that outrageous move in court – but given Gov. Scott’s recent actions, we have every reason to believe his administration could undercut a …
Will Gov. Scott undermine Vermont’s chance to stop Trump’s attack on Solar for All? Read More »
Ben Edgerly Walsh, Climate & Energy Program Director for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group (VPIRG), released the following statement today in response to the Trump Administration’s proposal to repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) endangerment finding: “The Trump Administration’s move to dismantle the endangerment finding is exactly what we’d expect to see out of …
VPIRG Statement on Proposed Repeal of EPA’s Endangerment Finding Read More »
Last week, a federal judge ruled that the Trump Administration must release millions in funding for EV charging infrastructure to fourteen states – but not Vermont. Why? As Seven Days revealed, the Scott Administration refused to support Attorney General Charity Clark’s lawsuit to force the Trump Administration to deliver those funds to Vermont. The story …
Scott Administration Undermining Vermont’s EV Future Read More »
Vermonters concerned about the state’s threatened bees and other pollinators are celebrating the July 1, 2025 implementation of legislation to restrict the application of toxic neonicotinoid pesticides (“neonics”) in the state. On June 17th, 2024, Vermont legislators overrode Gov. Phil Scott’s veto of H.706 (now Act 182) that phases out the use of nearly all …
CLIMATE & CLEAN ENERGY Protecting Vermont’s Climate Progress from Rollbacks One of the most important outcomes of the 2025 legislative session was the successful defense of Vermont’s foundational climate policies. From the beginning of the year, attacks on climate action have come hard and fast from both President Trump and Governor Phil Scott. While many …
Late yesterday, Gov. Phil Scott signed into law further restrictions on the use of toxic perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in firefighting gear, dental floss, cleaning products, and fluorine-treated containers. According to the Vermont Department of Health, PFAS exposure can lead to reproductive and developmental disorders, decreased antibody response to vaccines, pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia, certain types …
Last year, after devastating floods that swept across our state, the Vermont legislature took a bold and necessary step by passing Vermont’s Climate Superfund Act. This landmark law is designed to do what’s only fair: require the world’s largest fossil fuel companies, which profited for decades while knowingly fueling the climate crisis, to help pay …
Vermont State Representatives Introduce Bill to Let Big Oil Off the Hook: Oppose H.518 Read More »
