Over the course of the last week, VPIRG organizers met with regional Mother Up! groups in Burlington, Montpelier, and Brattleboro to discuss our climate and clean energy priorities for the 2018 legislative session, as well as best practices for citizen lobbying.
Mother Up! Is a node of 350VT geared towards parents who, despite having their hands full raising young children, are committed to meeting regularly and taking bold climate action right here in Vermont.
VPIRG staff provided updates on climate related legislation at the midpoint of the two year legislative cycle. This mainly includes initiatives to electrify our school bus fleet with Volkswagen Settlement Funds, protecting investments in energy savings through the Renewable Portfolio Standards, appliance efficiency standards, and – of course – carbon pricing.
Our organizers are excited about the opportunity to collaborate more closely with local community groups like Mother Up! and look forward to working together to advocate for big, bold climate solutions.
Looking ahead, there is much more collaboration to come. VPIRG is collaborating with some of Vermont’s foremost environmental and nonprofit advocacy groups this fall to host the Vermont Crossroads Conference on Saturday November 11th at Champlain College in Burlington. The objective of the conference is to explore the major campaigns that will move Vermont forward, investigate the shared values between organizations and initiatives, and discover how we can succeed together.
By joining forces – with community groups and nonprofits across the state – we are fighting back against the Trump administration by creating a happy, healthier, and more sustainable future. Together, nothing will stop us.