Question 1

Vermont Happiness Index

Answer

Better(not bigger)Vermont recommends that governmental bodies at all levels discontinue using Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as a measure of societal health, and that GDP be replaced with a better metric for sustainable progress, such as a Genuine Progress Indictor, or Vermont Happiness Index. For more information about our position on the Vermont Happiness Index, click here.

Question 2

The Environment

Answer

Our economic system, paired with population growth, results in an unsustainable demand on the natural world. The current rate of consumption surpasses the regenerative capacity of our ecosystems, which sacrifices the wellbeing of all living beings both present and future. A steady state economy would drastically reduce the immense pressure that is placed on our environment while also tackling social issues.Better(not bigger)Vermont believes that if we are to reduce gross consumption to a sustainable rate, we must also have a steady population. For more information about our position on the environment, click here.

Question 3

Steady State Economy

Answer

Better(not bigger)Vermont recommends that policy makers at all levels of government work to carefully transition our current growth-centric economies into sustainable, steady state economies. A steady state economy can be compared to a mature and healthy forest ecosystem -- it does not grow in size, but it is a living, evolving system with a startling array of interconnected parts. Vibrant and remarkably diverse assemblages of species cooperate and compete within the forest, and there are opportunities for new species and ecosystem functions to develop over time. For more information about our position on steady state economics, click here.

Question 4

US Fertility

Answer

Better(not bigger)Vermont supports universal access to free family planning education and sercices, including abortion. We believe that reducing the proportion of unplanned pregnancies (almost half of all U.S. pregnancies) and a gradual shift in cultural norms toward an average age of 25 for the birth of a first child will bring myriad societal, economic, and ecological benefits. For more information about our position on U.S. fertility, click here.

Question 5

U.S. Migration Law

Answer

Better(not bigger)Vermont takes no positions regarding specific elements of immigration policy. However, as current U.S. migration policy preculdes a stabilized national population, Better(not bigger)Vermont petitions the U.S. Congress to include compassionate and humane stabilization of the U.S. population at the earliest possible time as a primary priority of U.S. immigration policy. Better(not bigger)Vermont notes that immigration policy is a highly complex topic and has become highly politicized. We encourage Americans to become more famililiar with the specific aspects of immigration policy and its demographic impacts. We encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue on all sides. We categorically reject any attempts to portray immigrants, regardless of legal status, as undesirable, immoral, or predisposed to violence. For more information about U.S. migration law, click here.

Question 6

Consumption

Answer

Better(not bigger)Vermont supports a multi-level campaign, reinforced through government policies offering incentives and sanctions, to reduce the consumption of nonrenewable resources and increase ecologically benign production of renewable energy and resources. We also insist, however, that such efforts are not, in themselves, sufficiently potent to result in a sustainable U.S. society; they must be implemented in concert with efforts to stabilize the U.S. population to a level that is sustainable. Better(not bigger)Vermont supports a multi-level campaign, reinforced through government policies offering incentives and sanctions, to reduce the consumption of nonrenewable resources and increase ecologically benign production of renewable energy and resources. We also insist, however, that such efforts are not, in themselves, sufficiently potent to result in a sustainable U.S. society; they must be implemented in concert with efforts to stabilize the U.S. population to a level that is sustainable. For more information about our position on consumption, click here.

Question 7

Land Development

Answer

The purported benefits of land development, especially land development that would promote population growth, no matter what its purpose, must be seriously challenged by governmental agencies and environmental organizations. We encourage Vermonters to look into Act 250. For more information about our position on land development, click here.