Annual Report 2016
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Annual Report 2016 Annual Report 2016 Letter from the Director I’ll never forget election night With pain medication, our son place. I want that for my son 2016, but not for the reason that went right to sleep. And I decided and for your children and it may have been unforgettable to to turn on the TV and watch the grandchildren too. you. returns… It’s true that our task didn’t get As I was helping to prepare our The next morning I woke up any easier on election night. But family dinner that evening, I thinking I had dreamt the whole the good news is we’re a resilient managed to spill some very hot thing. But while the wounds were bunch. Our wounds have healed water on our then-five-year-old real – and not just for my family – and with your support, our VPIRG son. It was awful. I want you to know how fortunate team has never been stronger. I felt to be surrounded by our Though I was burned too, he got VPIRG ‘family’ that next day, and Thank you, and let’s keep moving the worst of it on his shoulder every day since. forward together. and arm. My wife did all the right things and we were soon in an Despite a huge change within ambulance. We spent a couple our political landscape, one thing hours with the fine medical staff remains constant. at our local hospital, and by 10:30 p.m. we were back home. You know well that VPIRG fights to make our shared home a cleaner, safer, more prosperous Contact Phone 802-223-5221 Vermont Public Interest Fax 802-223-6855 Research Group Email [email protected] 141 Main Street, Suite 6 Montpelier, VT 05602 Web www.vpirg.org Twitter @vpirg Facebook facebook.com/vpirg 2 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 Sen. Bernie Sanders addresses Vermonters on the State House lawn on July 1, 2016 as VPIRG canvassers look on. The address was part of a celebration of Vermont’s first-in-the-nation GMO labeling law taking effect. About VPIRG and VPIREF Founded in 1972, the Vermont VPIRG established the Vermont democracy. The common mission Public Interest Research Group Public Interest Research and of VPIRG and VPIREF is to (VPIRG) is the largest nonprofit Education Fund (VPIREF) in promote and protect the health of consumer and environmental 1975 as its 501(c)3 outreach and Vermont’s people, environment advocacy organization in the state. education arm in order to conduct and locally based economy by As a 501(c)4 nonprofit advocacy independent research and public informing and mobilizing citizens group, VPIRG conducts non- education on the range of issues statewide. VPIRG advocates partisan public interest advocacy on which we work. Donations to and organizers use independent in support of priority public VPIREF are tax deductible. research, policy analysis, interest issues and campaigns public outreach and grassroots and seeks legislative and policy For 44 years, we have brought mobilization to design and solutions affecting Vermonters. the voice of Vermont citizens to implement effective strategies for Donations to VPIRG are not tax public policy debates concerning each of our campaigns. deductible. the environment, health care, consumer protection and Table of Contents CLEAN ENERGY ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH ACCOMPLISHMENTS Vermont’s Clean Energy 4 Disclosed: 10 2016 Accomplishments 14 Progress The Toxic Free Families Act Goes Into Effect MEMBERSHIP CLIMATE CHANGE ZERO WASTE Powered by You: 16 Cut Pollution. Save 6 VPIRG and the Bottle Bill: 12 Our 2016 Finances Money. by the Numbers 45 Years Defending Vermont’s Most Successful Recycling Strength in Numbers: 17 GOVERNMENT REFORM Program Recognizing Our Supporters Vermont Votes: 8 Supporters 18 Charging Ahead in 2016 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 3 Vermont’s Clean Energy Progress: How Far We’ve Come, Where We Need to Go. In 2016, VPIRG and our allies of nearly a decade of clean ambitious but necessary goal of In August 2016, the VPIRG helped enact Act 174 – a law that energy and efficiency progress getting at least 90% of our energy staff toured the Kingdom Community Wind site in gives towns significantly greater in Vermont. During that time our from renewable resources by the Lowell, Vermont. Vermont say in the siting of energy projects, state became one of the top 10 in year 2050. now has 18 times more wind provided they write plans that the nation for renewable energy Here’s a more detailed look at the energy and 100 times more are in concert with our state’s generation, residential solar use, solar energy than just 10 clean energy progress we’ve made renewable energy goals. This law energy savings, electric vehicle years ago. But we still have a and what we still need to do to long way to go. Clean energy establishes a framework for energy adoption, and efficiency standards. achieve our goals. (see graphic on sources like these displace planning in the years to come that Vermont was also named number page 5) the dirty fossil fuels that will bring more Vermonters into one in the nation for clean energy pollute our air and water and the process of moving our state jobs. contribute to global warming. VPIRG and our members will toward our clean energy goals. Despite this tremendous progress, continue to push for policies In some ways, passage of this there’s still much more to be that rapidly move Vermont toward these renewable law represented the culmination done if we are to meet Vermont’s energy solutions. 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2016 CLEAN ENERGY HOW FAR WE’VE COME: HOW FAR WE NEED TO GO: 100x more solar energy than 10 years $ ago. $ $ $ $ $ Put a price on carbon pollution, speeding clean energy adoption in the heating and transportation 100 x sectors. t h a n 10 yea m o r e r s a go Invest in energy storage to make renewables work even better with 18x more wind our grid, and save all ratepayers energy than 10 money. years ago 18 x t h a n 10 yea m o r e r s a go Expand our Renewable Energy Standard to eventually require 100% 100% renewable Renewables electricity - and far more of it from in-state. Enough electricity SAVE saved to power Vermonters Bill the whole state for more than a year – 1 ion and save Vermont ratepayers nearly 2 $ half a billion dollars. 1 3 Reduce total energy use by one-third A renewable portfolio by 2050 by increasing Vermont’s standard which requires investments in efficiency and utilities to get 75% of their weatherization, beating back the % power from renewable Scott Administration’s push for a 75 energy by 2032 – and at nearly 10% budget cut for Efficiency least 10% from small, in- Vermont. state renewables ANNUAL REPORT 2016 5 CutCut Pollution.Pollution. VPIRG’S Most Ambitious SaveSave Money.Money. Campaign Turns Two More than two years and we used all of the successful now have a carbon price, and the and Vermont’s. While he wants ago, VPIRG joined with strategies and tactics from past practice is spreading worldwide to return to bygone days when allies in the business, campaigns to shape this one. because it spurs innovation in the coal was king, there are no coal energy industry, creates jobs and jobs in Vermont. Coal is bad environmental and More than 100 canvassers strengthens local economies. for Vermont’s economy and low-income advocacy knocked on nearly 100,000 doors environment. communities to form – talking to Vermonters about our Vermont has a carbon price too Energy Independent Campaign for a Clean Economy through the Regional Greenhouse Thankfully, we’re moving in and identifying thousands of new Gas Initiative, but it only the opposite direction. Vermont Vermont—a coalition supporters. covers pollution coming from has the most clean energy jobs dedicated to putting electricity generation. We need (17,000+) per capita than any Groups of climate activists and a price on carbon to expand this effort to include other state and jobs in efficiency VPIRG members in more than pollution. When emissions from our heating and and renewables are growing ten 40 towns formed to engage their we undertook that transportation sectors. times faster than the workforce as elected officials in conversations a whole. We should build on this campaign, we knew about carbon pollution pricing. success wouldn’t come success. Thousands of Vermonters traveled Of course, the fossil easy. to Montpelier or called their fuel industry hates We knew the fossil fuel industry legislators and urged them to take this idea. They would pull out all the stops to bold climate action. We saw the know it will reduce protect their profits and keep results of this pressure when the Vermonters tethered to the dirty Vermont Legislature’s Climate sales of oil and energy status quo. And in 2016 – Solutions Caucus doubled in gas as Vermonters they did exactly that. membership at the beginning of transition away Energy Independent Vermont the 2017 session. from old, polluting responded by bringing new allies Q. So what are technology to high- into the fold, pushing back on Vermonters saying tech, high-efficiency In 2016, VPIRG and our fossil fuel industry misinformation about the need for – and in many cases, partners in the Energy and organizing thousands of climate action— Independent Vermont coalition Vermonters to call for bold climate less expensive mobilized thousands of specifically putting action. alternatives. Vermonters to call for bold a price on carbon climate action from our elected leaders – specifically a price We sat down with Energy pollution? Independent Vermont Director Q.