This week, the Trump administration released a new executive order –“Protecting American Energy from State Overreach” – aimed at eliminating state and local-led efforts to advance clean energy and climate solutions, as well as hold fossil fuel companies accountable. In the executive order, Trump specifically cites Vermont’s landmark Climate Superfund Act which holds fossil fuel companies liable for the climate-related damages they have knowingly caused to our state.
As we discussed last week, our legislative allies in the Vermont House and Senate are working to secure the funds through the appropriations process for the Climate Superfund Act to be successfully grounded and implemented, allowing the Treasurer to conduct a detailed cost-assessment of the damages fossil fuel companies have done to our state. This newest attack from the Trump administration puts the onus on our elected leaders to act fast so we can meaningfully respond to this federal overreach, and protect Vermonters of all stripes from the worsening – and increasingly costly – effects of climate change.
Today’s episode
In today’s episode, we speak with Senator Anne Watson (D-Montpelier), Chair of the Senate Natural Resources & Energy Committee. Sen. Watson, who also serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee speaks to how she and many of her colleagues are thinking about and responding to the federal government’s attack on Vermont’s Climate Superfund and their ongoing commitment to the law.
As Sen. Watson notes, “the fact that the White House has chosen to weigh in on this, in my mind, tells me that the oil industry is scared because they know that they are liable and that they are going to be held accountable financially.”
Calls to Action
We have three actions you can take this week to make a difference:
- Join us on Earth Day for a rally and day of action at the Vermont State House! The rally will run from 11:00 am-2:00 pm. Join us and ask your legislators to vote NO on rollbacks to climate action and remind them that now is not the time to back down from protecting our people and planet, it’s time to batten down the hatches.
- Sign up to attend our webinar on April 23rd at 12:00 pm to hear more about the next steps towards fully implementing the Climate Superfund and the VT Renewable Energy Standard.
- Finally, if you haven’t yet, call your state senator(s) (using our new elected officials lookup tool) and ask them to support a budget appropriation of $825,000 to fund the essential work of the Vermont Treasurer to undertake a detailed cost assessment of the damages fossil fuel products have – and will – cost Vermonters. As the federal government takes aim at our ability to fight back, it’s crucial to make your voice heard and support Vermonters in this fight.
And a reminder that if you haven’t signed up already, make sure you plan to attend one of the upcoming public input sessions on the Climate Action Plan, virtually or in-person. The Climate Council is hosting a round of listening sessions throughout the month of April to hear from Vermonters on the priority recommendations they would like to see in an updated Climate Action Plan. It’s crucial that you make your voice heard! If you haven’t yet signed up for an event near you, please do so here.
Thank you for ALL you do!
Johanna Miller & Dan Fingas
Vermont Natural Resources Council
Vermont Conservation Voters