This was billed as a pre-legislative forum and we did go over various bills that would be coming before the General Assembly. Most of the ones we discussed I have covered here before. Although I did miss legislation concerning "Clean Smokestacks" that I'll have to investigate later.
The thrust of the meeting however laid in presenting us the talking points to bring to our legislators on why Virginia needs to focus its attention on energy and climate change. While we did see passage last year of Sen. Frank Wagner's SB 262, Virginia Energy Plan, this "shell" as Wagner refers to it, is extremely supply-side oriented with very little meat on its bones regarding conservation and energy efficiency and neglecting to address long-term economic health. But what is glaringly missing is ANY mention of the impact of climate change! Zippo! Nada! What kind of energy plan makes no mention about climate change?!?
Thus, we head off to meet and talk with our legislators...
I had the pleasure of sitting next to Delegate Kenny Alexander, the one legislator able to attend. We peppered him with questions mainly with "how-to's" for better getting our legislator's ears. Bottomline... we need to know who are friends are when it comes to conservation issues and for the Tidewater area it is Delegate Alexander.
Unfortunately, I was the only one in attendance at last night's forum from Virginia Beach! For that reason, I volunteered to also take on Sen. Ken Stolle, my senator, along with my delegate, Terrie Suit. I'm not exactly sure how to approach Sen. Stolle, but I'm pretty sure I know how to approach Del. Suit.
She is a mortgage lender by trade. I will relay to her my story about how difficult it was for me to get homeowners insurance when I bought my house (that sits 3.5 miles as a crow flies from the ocean). For over 20 years, I had USAA insurance on my mountainside home in Loudoun (Northern VA). Despite that fact, USAA would not sell me anything given how proximate my home was to the ocean. Homeowners insurance policies all along the east coast are becoming more expensive or are unavailable.
I will also show Del. Suit a map showing a 3 meter sea level rise, where all of Virginia Beach and Norfolk is under water. A 3 meter sea level rise is a conservative estimate. I'll also tell her that global warming is real, that even the new Christian Coalition president Rev. Joel Hunter thinks so.
My goal is to get both Suit and Stolle to agree that Virginia needs a "Climate Change Action Plan" that takes these initial steps to get the Commonwealth cooler:
1. We need an inventory and forecast of state greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
2. We need an inventory of existing state actions and initiatives regarding GHG emissions
3. We need to inventory all key studies on this subject
4. We need to identify the full range of potential solutions
5. We need to identify the key stakeholders and the technical experts on the subject
6. We need to establish both a short- and long-term planning schedule to address climate change.
Considering that of all the areas along the eastern seaboard, that climate change is predicted to hurt Virginia (especially the Hampton Roads) the worse, how in the world can Virginia just sit there with no absolutely no plan to even consider the reality that is climate change??? That just can't continue to be!
The Daily Kos-community developed Energize America (see also the Energize America DKos diaries) had as a core part of its principles (link to YearlyKos 2006 Principles and Exemplary Acts annotated briefing which I wrote):
empower the right choice as the easy choice for:* Government, at all levels;
* Corporations, businesses, and other organizations;
* Communities and associations; and,
* Individuals.
From within Energize America 2020, there are several acts that could make sense for variants within the Commonwealth. For example, why not follow San Francisco's Vote Solar precedent and seek bonds for increased energy efficiency and renewable energy programs across all VA government buildings (state and local)?
There are many things that the Commonwealth could be doing that would make sense in business fiscal ROI terms that would also help move the Commonwealth (and the nation) toward a more sustainable and prosperous energy future:
* Strengthen / Tighten building codes: To improve energy efficiency. For example, why not 'require' that all commercial roofing of heated/cooled box office stores/warehouses/such have reflective or solar power or green roofs when built or a new roof installed? The added cost of reflective roofing, when a roof is installed / replced, has a ROI generally of less than a year in terms of saved heating/cooling costs. And, this type of roof reduces heat load in the area and reduces warming (think white vs black in reflectivity). Or, even more aggressively, the entire Commonwealth could follow DC's and Montgomery County's lead in required LEED standards for new large buildings.
* Demand Reduction: Start a serious program for instituting demand reduction from utilities. A sensible Demand Reduction program could eliminate the need for the new Dominion Virginia Power high-voltage power line that is threatening to cut a swatch through some of the Commonwealth's most beautiful lands so as to bring coal-electricity to the NVA market.
And, so on. There is much the Commonwealth could do to 'make the right choice the easy choice' in business friendly terms that would be more friendly for the environment.
Thank you for your engagement. And, thank you for the links. Time for me to learn more about what is going on in the Commonwealth.
PS: Could I suggest that you cross-post this at Daily Kos? There is a reasonable environmental/Energy sub-community that would find this of interest and might engage in discussion.