A report from Friday's meeting of the VA Commission on Climate Change, filed by Hannah Morgan of CCAN & Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards: A report from Friday's meeting of the VA Commission on Climate Change, filed by Hannah Morgan of CCAN & Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards:
At their second-ever meeting held in Charlottesville last week, the Governor's new Climate Commission was hit with a barrage from coal-plant opponents. Nearly a dozen opponents to Dominion's proposed Wise County coal plant voiced their concerns about the plant's certain contribution to climate change.
Representatives from the Sierra Club as well as half a dozen members of the Students for Environmental Action from the University of Virginia addressed the commission during the designated public comment time. The commentators raised various points around the coal plant including the coal plant's estimated 5.3 million tons of Carbon Dioxide emissions, the supposed "carbon sequestration technology" that will not be commercially available for at least 10-15 years, and the plant's $1.8 billion price tag -- money that could be well spent on investing in renewable, non-Carbon emitting energy sources.
Several students raised questions to the commission, pointing out room for improvement. One student mentioned the distinct lack of youth representation on the committee, despite their generation being forced to live with the consequences of the commissions decisions. Another student asked the commission what was being done to decrease Virginian's per capita energy consumption.