Introduction and Update on Vermont Climate Council

Iris Hsiang, an Essex High School Student and member of the EWSD Board, has been appointed as a voting member of the Vermont Climate Council (VCC).  Her appointment was from the Vermont Senate and her role is to represent "Vermont Youth".  She is serving on the Agriculture & Ecosystems Subcommittee. 

Vermont’s Global Warming Solutions Act, passed in September, 2020, effectively requires that Vermont hit its climate pollution reduction targets. To do so, it established the Vermont Climate Council, which will work to create comprehensive and equitable solutions to both reduce our carbon footprint and ensure our communities are prepared for existing and potential consequences of climate change.

The Climate Council consists of 23 members representing a diverse array of backgrounds, from low income and climate advocates to a dairy farmer and a utilities representative. 

Bio for Iris Hsiang – Representing Vermont Youth:  Iris Hsiang is a student at Essex High School and an outspoken activist. Iris was born on a teaching farm in Plymouth Vermont and moved with her family to Essex, where she lives and goes to school today. She is a member on the EWSD school board, a Youth Lobby Facilitator, the legislative lead for the Students Demand Action Vermont Field Office, the community service committee head for EHS student gov, a student leader for the EHS Red Cross club, a and a co-lead for the EHS Social Justice Union. She will graduate from EHS in 2022 with honors, GLP, STEM academy, and Spanish Honor Society endorsements. She is the Junior Organizer for VPIRG and was previously the Junior Youth and Democracy Organizer for VPIREF. Iris was a Vermont Legislative Page, interned with representative Marybeth Redmond, and Senator (now Senate Pro Term) Becca Balint, and has been pushing legislators to make change in the statehouse ever since. Iris was a part of organizing the Youth Climate congress, and several Marches for the climate, she helped push for the global warming solutions act and is excited to help enact it. Iris works hard for the things she cares about and knows that the climate crisis is the biggest threat to her generation and is disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.